10 Theseus and the Minotaur

CHAPTER 10 Theseus and the Minotaur A long time ago in Athens, a child was to be born to the king, Aegeus. The king wanted to protect his unborn child from his brutal enemies. So he brought his pregnant wife to her home in southern Greece. There she could raise their child in safety, far away from his enemies in Athens. King Aegeus was afraid he might never have the chance to know his child. So he placed a special sword in a cave. Next to it, he placed a special pair of shoes. He covered the entrance to the cave with a heavy stone.

第10章忒修斯和牛头怪很久以前，在雅典，国王埃勾斯将要生一个孩子。 国王想保护他未出生的孩子不受野蛮敌人的伤害。 于是，他把怀孕的妻子带回了她在希腊南部的家。 在那里，她可以安全地抚养孩子，远离他在雅典的敌人。 埃勾斯国王担心他可能永远没有机会了解他的孩子。 所以他在一个山洞里放了一把特殊的剑。 在它旁边，他放了一双特别的鞋子。 他用一块大石头盖住洞口。

Before King Aegeus left his pregnant wife to go back to Athens, he told her what he had done. "If we have a son, tell him to come to this cave when he grows strong enough. See if he can roll away the stone and get the things behind it. If so, send him to Athens. He may then claim me as his father." Soon the child was born. It was a boy, and his mother named him Theseus. The boy grew up stronger than all others. When his mother finally took him to the cave, he had no trouble moving the stone. He saw the great sword and shoes inside. "The time has come for you to find your father," his mother told him. "Your grandfather will give you a ship. Sail to Athens swiftly and safely. Do not take the road. The road to Athens is long and full of dangerous robbers."

在埃勾斯国王离开他怀孕的妻子回雅典之前，他告诉了她他所做的一切。 “如果我们有儿子，告诉他长大后到这个洞来。 看看他能不能把石头滚开，把石头后面的东西弄走。 若是这样，就打发他往雅典去。 这样他就可以认我为他的父亲了。” 不久孩子就出生了。这是一个男孩，他的母亲给他起名叫忒修斯。 这个男孩长大后比其他人都强壮。 当他的母亲终于把他带到洞穴时，他毫不费力地移动了石头。 他看到了里面的宝剑和鞋子。 “你该去找你父亲了，”他母亲告诉他。 “你爷爷会给你一艘船。 迅速安全地驶向雅典。 不要走那条路。通往雅典的路很长，到处都是危险的强盗。”

"No, Mother, I will not take the easy way to Athens. I want to be like my cousin Heracles. Heracles would not travel by sea," Theseus told her. Theseus walked for many days on the road to Athens. He came across many thieves who robbed innocent, poor people. Theseus fought each of them and won. Soon all of Greece rang with praise for the young man. News traveled that Theseus had brought justice to all the villains in the land. By the time Theseus reached Athens, everyone thought he was a hero. King Aegeus was not aware that Theseus was his son. He had never met him, nor did he know his son's name. The king was jealous that the young man was so popular. He was afraid the people of Athens might like Theseus better than him. So King Aegeus talked to his adviser,

“不，妈妈，我不愿走捷径去雅典。 我想像我表哥赫拉克勒斯一样。 赫拉克勒斯不会乘船旅行，”忒修斯告诉她。 忒修斯在去雅典的路上走了许多天。 他遇到了许多抢劫无辜穷人的小偷。 忒修斯分别与他们战斗并取得了胜利。 很快，全希腊都对这位年轻人赞不绝口。 忒修斯为这片土地上所有的恶棍讨回了公道的消息四处传播。 当忒修斯到达雅典时，每个人都认为他是一个英雄。 埃勾斯国王并不知道忒修斯是他的儿子。 他从未见过他，也不知道他儿子的名字。 国王嫉妒这个年轻人如此受欢迎。 他担心雅典人可能更喜欢忒修斯而不是他。 于是埃勾斯国王对他的谋士说，

Medea the sorceress. Medea had once helped Jason obtain the Golden Fleece with her magical powers. She eventually began using her magical powers to help King Aegeus run his kingdom. Medea knew that Theseus was King Aegeus's son. Her magical powers helped her know many things. But she was afraid that if the king learned Theseus was his son, he would have no need for her anymore. The king asked Medea what he should do about this young hero. "Invite him to a special banquet, my king. I will serve him a poisoned drink," Medea said in her soothing voice. "With the young hero gone, there will be no threat to your kingship. And I promise you, no one will ever know." The king invited Theseus to the palace for a banquet that night. When the young man

女巫美狄亚。美狄亚曾经用她的魔力帮助伊阿宋获得了金羊毛。 她最终开始用她的魔法力量帮助埃勾斯国王管理他的王国。 美狄亚知道忒修斯是埃勾斯国王的儿子。 她的魔力帮助她知道了很多事情。 但她担心，如果国王知道忒修斯是他的儿子，他就不再需要她了。 国王问美狄亚该如何处置这位年轻的英雄。 “我的王啊，请他参加一个特别的宴会。 我要给他一杯毒酒，”美狄亚用安慰的声音说。 “小英雄一死，你的王位就不会受到威胁了。 我向你保证，没有人会知道的。” 那天晚上，国王邀请忒修斯到王宫参加宴会。 当年轻人

arrived, Medea offered the poisoned drink to him. But at that moment Theseus drew his sword to show King Aegeus. He wanted the king to know who he was. Of course, the king instantly recognized the sword as his own. He knocked the poisoned drink out of Medea's hand. It fell to the ground. "How dare you try to poison my son!" the king roared at Medea. Medea realized that her evil plan had been discovered. She fled the room and escaped from Athens. King Aegeus then declared that Theseus was his son and next in line for the throne. Just then a messenger from King Minos arrived. He came from the island of Crete, where King Minos ruled. The messenger demanded the usual offering of seven young women and seven young men.

美狄亚到了，就把毒酒给了他。 但就在这时，忒修斯抽出剑给埃勾斯国王看。 他想让国王知道他是谁。 当然，国王立刻认出这把剑是他自己的。 他打掉了美狄亚手中的毒酒。 它掉到了地上。“你竟敢毒死我的儿子！”国王对美狄亚吼道。 美狄亚意识到她的邪恶计划被发现了。 她逃出房间，逃离了雅典。 埃勾斯国王随后宣布忒修斯是他的儿子，是王位的继承人。 就在这时，米诺斯国王派来了一个信使。 他来自米诺斯国王统治的克里特岛。 信使像往常一样要了七位年轻女子和七位年轻男子。

"Father, what does the messenger mean by this?" Theseus asked. "It is a terrible curse upon our kingdom, my son." King Aegeus told him the story. Years ago, King Minos's son had visited King Aegeus. But Aegeus didn't welcome the prince to his land. Instead, he had sent the young man on a dangerous mission to kill a wild bull. The bull killed the prince. Then King Minos attacked Athens and King Aegeus. Aegeus begged Minos for his life and his kingdom. Minos insisted Aegeus make up for the death of his son. He demanded that Athens send seven young women and seven young men to Crete every nine years. These young Athenians would enter a labyrinth, or giant maze, made out of tall bushes. There the Athenians would be eaten by the Minotaur—a half-human, half-bull monster

“父亲，信使说这话是什么意思？”忒修斯问道。 “这对我们的王国是一个可怕的诅咒，我的儿子。” 埃勾斯国王把这个故事告诉了他。 多年前，米诺斯国王的儿子拜访了埃勾斯国王。 但是埃勾斯不欢迎王子来到他的土地上。 相反，他派这个年轻人去执行一项危险的任务——杀死一头野牛。 公牛杀死了王子。 接着，米诺斯国王进攻雅典和国王埃勾斯。 埃勾斯请求米诺斯饶他一命，并赐予他的王国。 米诺斯坚持要埃勾斯补偿他儿子的死。 他要求雅典每九年派七名青年男女前往克里特岛。 这些年轻的雅典人会进入一个迷宫，或巨大的迷宫，由高大的灌木丛组成。 在那里，雅典人会被牛头怪吃掉——一种半人半牛的怪物