书城外语看古希腊神话故事学英语
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第6章 希腊神话故事(4)

例句 He wished the young couple a life of happiness and prosperity.他祝这对年轻人生活幸福、万事如意。

18.unnatural[?nn?t?r?l]adj.不自然的,不正常的,出乎意料的

例句 It was unnatural for the room to be so tidy.

房间竟然这样整洁,真出乎所料。

19.plague[ple?g]n.瘟疫

例句 The incidence of cholera in the camps has reached plague proportions.营中霍乱流行已酿成瘟疫之灾。

20.outrage[autre?d?]v.大大激怒

例句 They were outraged by the announcement of massive price increases.物价大幅上涨的消息一公布,他们气愤填膺。

21.shocked[??kt]adj.惊愕的,震惊的

例句 His coarse manners shocked everyone.

他粗鲁的举止使每个人震惊。

22.annoyed[?n??d]adj.恼怒的,气恼的

例句 His untimely intervention annoyed me.

他那不合时宜的干涉让我生气。

23.adoption[?d?p??n]n.收养

例句 He was pleased by the adoption of a little girl.

他对收养了一个小女孩感到高兴。

24.protection[pr?tek?n]n.保护,防护

例句 Our medical insurance offers protection for the whole family in the event of illness.

我们的医疗保险可为生病的任何家庭成员提供保障。

25.mysterious[m?st??r??s]adj.神秘的,不可思议的

例句 The whole thing seems very mysterious.

整件事情看起来都很蹊跷。

神话背后的习语

1.Sphinxs riddle 斯芬克斯之谜;难解之谜

Sphinx通译“斯芬克斯”,是带翼的狮身人面女妖。她在古希腊底比斯(Thebes)城外,用缪斯(the Muses)传授给他的谜语让过往行人猜,猜不出者即遭杀害,害死了不少人。俄狄浦斯(Oedipus)决心为民除害,自愿前往解答隐谜,这个谜语是:“今有一物,早晨四足,当午两足,晚间三足,这是何物?”俄狄浦斯答道:“这是人,因为人在婴儿时期爬行,长大时两脚步行,年迈时拄杖行走。”斯芬克斯见谜底已被俄狄浦斯道破,便从悬崖顶上跳下而死。这就是所谓"Sphinxs riddle",直译作“斯芬克斯之谜”或“难题”,常被用来比喻复杂、神秘、难以理解的问题。而用Sphinx一词比喻“难于理解的人”、“猜不透的人”。"Sphinxs riddle"又作"riddle of Sphinx"。

例句 This question was like a Sphinxs riddle to them.

这个问题对他们来说是斯芬克斯之谜。

How the massive stones were brought here from hundreds of miles away remains a Sphinxs riddle.

这些巨石是如何从数百英里外的地方搬到此处仍然是个难解之谜。

2.Oedipus complex 恋母情结

"Oedipus complex"也译作“俄狄浦斯情结”或“伊底帕斯情结”,是指儿子亲母反父的复合情结。它是弗洛伊德主张的一种观点。这一名称来自希腊神话王子俄狄浦斯的故事。俄狄浦斯违反意愿,无意中杀父娶了母亲。

在精神分析中指以本能冲动力为核心的一种欲望。通俗地讲是指男性的一种心理倾向,就是无论到什么年纪,都总是服从和依恋母亲,在心理上还没有断乳。所谓“情结”是指情感上的一种包袱(人称mama boy)。

与"Oedipus complex"相对的是"Electra complex"(恋父情结,即女儿亲父仇母的情结),亦为弗洛伊德用语,源出希腊神话。厄勒克特拉(Electra)是迈锡尼国王阿伽门农(Agamemnon)和克吕泰涅斯特拉(Clytemnestra)的女儿。阿伽门农被其妻子和情夫谋害后,她(Electra)把弟弟托付给父亲的好友抚养。弟弟长大后她怂恿弟弟杀死母亲和母亲的情夫,为父亲报仇。

例句 The Oedipus complex is a branch of psychoanalysis.恋母情结是精神分析学的分支。

Freudian psychoanalysis explained his trouble as Oedipus complex.弗洛伊德精神分析学将他的困扰解释为恋母情结。

4.Pygmalion

Pygmalion,King of Cyprus,was a famous sculptor. He made an ivory image of a woman so lovely that he fell in love with it.Every day he tried to make Galatea up in gold and purple,for that was the name he had given to this mistress of his heart.He embraced and kissed it,but it remained a statue.In despair he went to Aphrodites shrine for help.Offering rich sacrifice and sending up a passionate prayer,he begged the goddess to give him a wife as graceful as Galatea.Back home,he went straight up to the statue.Even as he gazed at it,a change came over it.A faint colour appeared on its cheeks,a gleam shone from its eyes and its lips opened into a sweet smile.Pygmalion stood speechless when Galatea began to move towards him.She was simple and sweet and alive!Soon the room was ringing with her silver voice.The work of his own hands became his wife.

4.皮格马利翁

Pygmalion 皮格马利

塞浦路斯的国王皮格马利翁是一位有名的雕塑家。他塑造了一位异常可爱的象牙少女雕像以至于爱上了它。每天他都给盖拉蒂穿上金、紫色相间的长袍。盖拉蒂是他给心上人所起的名字。他拥抱它、亲吻它,但是它始终是一尊雕像。绝望中,他来到阿芙洛狄忒的神殿寻求帮助。他翁献上丰盛的祭祀品,并且深情地祷告,祈求这位女神赐给他一位如同盖拉蒂一样举止优雅的妻子。回家后,他径直来到雕像旁。就在他凝视它的时候,雕像开始有了变化。它的脸颊开始呈现出微弱的血色,它的眼睛释放出光芒,它的唇轻轻开启展现出甜蜜的微笑。盖拉蒂走向他的时候,皮格马利翁站在那儿,说不出话来。她单纯、温柔、充满活力!不久屋子里响起她银铃般悦耳的声音。他的雕塑成了他的妻子。

单词短语透视

1.sculptor[sk?lpt?(r)]n.雕刻家

例句 The sculptor chiselled the lump of marble into a fine statue.雕刻家把大理石块凿成优美的雕像。

2.ivory[a?v?r?]n.象牙

例句 He saw he should no longer shut himself up in his ivorytower.

他认识到不应再把自己关在象牙塔里。

3.fall in love with 爱上……

例句 I fell in love with her at first sight.

我第一眼见到她就爱上了她。

4.mistress[m?str?s]n.主妇,女主人,情人

例句 She wants to be mistress of her own affairs.

她的事情她要自己作主。

5.embrace[?mbre?s]v.拥抱

例句 They embraced each other warmly.

他们相互热情拥抱。

6.statue[st?t?u?]n.塑像,雕像

例句 The statue was carved out of a single piece of stone.

这座雕像是用整块石料雕成的。

7.despair[d?spe?(r)]n.绝望

例句 She was overcome by despair.她已完全绝望。

8.shrine[?ra?n]n.圣地,圣坛

例句 Wimbledon is a shrine for all lovers of tennis.

温布尔登是所有网球爱好者的圣地。

9.sacrifice[s?kr?fa?s]n.献祭,供奉

例句 Two white bulls were sacrificed and a feast was held.

献祭了两头白牛,并举行了盛宴。

10.passionate[p???n?t]adj.多情的,充满激情的

例句 I admire his passionate belief in what he is doing.

我佩服他对自己的工作所抱的坚定信心。

11.prayer[pre?(r)]n.祷告,祈祷

例句 He arrived,as if in answer to her prayers.

他终于来了,好像她祷告很灵验。

12.graceful[gre?s昀]adj.优美的,优雅的

例句 The ballet dancer is so graceful.

芭蕾舞演员的姿态是如此的优美。

13.straight[stre?t]adv.直接地

例句 Look straight ahead.一直往前看。

14.gaze[ge?z]v.凝视,注视

例句 She gazed at me in disbelief when I told her the news.

我告诉她这消息时,她以怀疑的目光注视着我。

15.faint[fe?nt]adj.微弱的

例句 His breathing became faint.他的呼吸变得微弱了。

16.cheek[t?i?k]n.面颊,脸蛋儿

例句 He kissed her lightly on the cheek.

他轻轻吻了一下她的脸颊。

17.gleam[gli?m]n.闪亮,闪烁

例句 A few faint gleams of sunshine lit up the gloomy afternoon.

有几束隐约的阳光使阴暗的下午变得有些明亮。

18.speechless[spi:t?l?s]adj.一时语塞的,默然的,无言以对的

例句 The bad news rendered us all speechless from shock.

这个坏消息使大家惊愕得说不出话来。

神话背后的习语

Pygmalion effect 皮格马利翁效应

人们从皮格马利翁的故事中总结出了“皮格马利翁效应”:期望和赞美能产生奇迹。皮格马利翁效应指人们基于对某种情境的知觉而形成的期望或预言,会使该情境产生适应这一期望或预言的效应。由美国着名心理学家罗森塔尔和雅格布森在小学教学上予以验证提出。暗示在本质上,人的情感和观念会不同程度地受到别人下意识的影响。人们会不自觉地接受自己喜欢、钦佩、信任和崇拜的人的影响和暗示。因此“皮格马利翁效应”又称“罗森塔尔效应”或“期待效应”。

皮格马利翁效应告诉我们,对一个人传递积极的期望,就会使他进步得更快,发展得更好。反之,向一个人传递消极的期望则会使人自暴自弃,放弃努力。

在现代企业里,皮格马利翁效应不仅传达了管理者对员工的信任度和期望值,还更加适用于团队精神的培养。即使是在强者生存的竞争性工作团队里,许多员工虽然已习惯于单兵突进,我们仍能够发现皮格马利翁效应是其中最有效的灵丹妙药。

例句 This led me to a study of expectancy theory and self-fulfilling prophecies or the"Pygmalion effect",and to a realization of how deeply imbedded our perceptions are.我开始学习自我激励理论和“皮格马利翁效应”,学习如何更深刻地了解我们自己。