Chapter 26

26  Tantalus

 

Tantalus was the rich and mighty king of Lydia．Son ofZeus by a fairy maiden，he was greatly favored by the gods．He was invited to share wine and food with them at their banquets，and he was let into their  secrets ．But ever the latter end of joy is  woe ．Either because he had stolen wine orgave away the secrets of Zeus，or because he had become so proud as to test the gods by serving up the flesh of his son Pelopsto them，he incurred the wrath of  Zeus  and was hurled down to the everlasting darkness of  Tartarus ．There he was made tostand up to his chin in a little lake，with clusters of luscious fruits  hanging over and around his head．He strove eternally to drink the ever-evading water and to clutch at the delicious fruits  which were ever tossed out of his reach by blasts of wind．Thus he was doomed to endure endless burning thirst and bitter hunger in the world of the shades．The whole occurrence has given rise to the expression“tantalizing”，meaning somethng inplain view but unattainable  ．

26 坦塔罗斯

 

坦塔罗斯是罗底亚富有而又强大的国王。他是宙斯和一位仙女的儿子，深受众神喜爱。众神请他参加宴会，与他们共享美酒与美食，并且还让他了解他们的秘密。然而乐极生悲。或许是他偷了美酒、或者泄露了宙斯的秘密、或许是他太骄傲以至于献上自己儿子珀罗普斯的肉来检验神的智慧，他招致了宙斯的愤怒，被打入了永远黑暗的地狱中。在那里他被迫站定于一小湖中，水没至下颌，无数甜美的水果悬于头顶和四周。他从不间歇地努力喝水，但水总是从嘴边流走；他试图抓住那些美味的水果，但总是被阵阵来风吹离，使他无法得到。因而他注定要在阴间遭受炙渴和难以忍受的饥饿。“tantalizing”一词即由此而来，意思是在眼前却无法得到的某个东西。