首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
What did the sailors plan to do to Dionysos?
What did the sailors plan to do to Dionysos?
admin
2009-06-24
48
问题
What did the sailors plan to do to Dionysos?
Many years ago a small elegant sailing boat was making its way slowly under an intense blue Mediterranean sky between the Greek islands of Ikaria and Naxos. The bow, that is, the forward part of the boat, was carved like a fish, or perhaps it was like a dolphin. The sail hung and fluttered in a faint wind and the sailors bent their brown backs over the oars. But all was not as peaceful as it seemed, for these sailors were planning to sell their passenger into slavery. He was obviously wellborn and rich, but what the villainous crew did not realize was that he was Dionysos, the Greek God of Wine and Frenzy.
When Dionysos realized their treachery he began to confound the sailors with magic: he turned their oars into snakes and filled the ship with vines and the sounds of flutes. The terrified sailors dived into the sea to escape this madness and were transformed into dolphins by Nepture, the God of the Sea.
Thus, according to Greek legend, dolphins were originally men, and this explains the friendship felt between man and these animals. This legend can be seen depicted on the Dionysos cup which is still intact although it was made 540 years before the birth of Christ. Indeed, dolphins frequently appear in Greek legends and art, being found on walls and mosaic floors, on coins and statues.
Poseidon, for example, was usually shown with dolphins, which often drew his sea chariot, and it was he, according to legend, who put the dolphin constellation, in the sky where it can be seen in July. He did this out of gratitude to the dolphins for finding him his bride, Amphitrite, who was hiding from him in a sea cave. Later he had further reasons for gratitude to the dolphins since they rescued his son, Taras, from drowning.
To the Greeks, and to the people of the Mediterranean lands where Greek culture spread, the dolphin became a symbol of swiftness, diligence and love. It became a god of protection for voyagers on sea and land, and also for those voyaging into the after life, so that the dead were buried with dolphin tokens in their hands.
In addition to the legends about dolphin there are a number of stories in Greek writings which are probably at least partially true. These stories, told by many people including Aristotle, are the ones that came into such bad repute in the last century. But their stories of dolphins befriending children whom they allowed to ride on their backs, and of life-saying rescues, and human bodies brought to shore by dolphins have been paralleled so accurately, during this century, that we can no longer write off the Greek stories as merely sentimental fables.
Let us look at the stories of rescue first. Taras, the son of the sea god, has already been mentioned, and Telemachos, son of the most famous adventurer of all time, Odysseus, is said to have been rescued in the same way, and for that reason Odysseus had a dolphin emblazoned on his shield and ring.
Arion, a famous poet, musician and singer of his day, who was born on the island of Lesbos in 600 B.C., no doubt knew of these rescues and the legend of Dionysos and the dolphins. Perhaps he merely put them together to make a poem to sing as he accompanied himself on the harp. Certainly his dolphin story bears a striking resemblance to the Dionysos legend, but, who knows, it may be true. Here is the story.
Arion, after a successful tour of Italy and Sicily, and loaded with money and prizes, took a ship for Corinth. He chose a Corinthian ship rather than an Italian one for he trusted the Corinthians more. But evidently sailors were an untrustworthy lot, for very soon they were plotting to kill him and keep his treasures. Arion begged for his life, but they told him that he must either jump overboard or die by his own sword if he wished for a proper burial ashore. As a last favour, Arian pleaded to be allowed to sing, and, dressing himself in all his splendid clothes and weighed down in his riches, he stood in the stern and sang them the "Orthian", a high-pitched song addressed to the gods, and as he finished he leapt fully clothed in the sea.
A dolphin, perhaps attracted by the shrill sounds, took Arian on its back and swam with him to Tainaron at the southern most tip of the Greek mainland. From there Arion made his way overland to Corinth to confront and bring to justice the greedy sailors. As a thank-coffering he placed a small bronze statue of a man on a dolphin in the temple at Tainaron where it was seen 700 years later by Pausanias, the Greek historian.
选项
答案
Men.
解析
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/zRTd777K
本试题收录于:
公共英语五级笔试题库公共英语(PETS)分类
0
公共英语五级笔试
公共英语(PETS)
相关试题推荐
Itisimpliedinthepassagethatsuperstitiouspracticesstemmedfromsailorsandfishermen’sfearfortheunreliabilityofnat
Itisimpliedinthepassagethatsuperstitiouspracticesstemmedfromsailorsandfishermen’sfearfortheunreliabilityofnat
WhatdidthesailorsplantodotoDionysos?
WhatdidthesailorsplantodotoDionysos?
WhatdidthesailorsplantodotoDionysos?
随机试题
______是指由单位指定有设计能力的会计人员担当设计工作,或者聘请合格的会计师负责设计。()
患者,男,39岁。烦渴多饮,口干舌燥,尿量频多,多汗,舌红苔黄,脉数。检查:空腹血糖8mm01/L。其病证结合诊断是()
下列哪种疔疮最易发生走黄
以下关于私募基金报送信息内容,描述错误的是()。[2017年9月真题]
在进行另类资产投资时,应承担的风险有()。
国家机关作为经济法的经济管理主体,在代表国家参与经济管理、经济协调法律关系时,是以国家的名义进行经济法律行为的。()
企业在向客户提供商业信用时,不必考虑的问题是()。
“酸葡萄心理”是因为自己真正的需求无法得到满足产生挫折感时,为了解除内心不安,编造一些“理由”自我安慰,以消除紧张,减轻压力,使自己从不满、不安等消极心理状态中解脱出来,保护自己免受伤害。根据上述定义。下列不属于“酸葡萄心理”的是:
用DHCP服务器对公司内部主机的IP地址进行管理。在DHCP客户机上执行“ipconfig/all”得到的部分信息如图A所示,该客户机在进行地址续约时捕获的其中1条报文及相关分析如图B所示。请分析图中的信息,补全图B中的内容。
一个C++语言程序的开发步骤通常包括编辑、______、链接、运行和调试。
最新回复
(
0
)