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
61
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
Superstition(迷信)Sailorsandfishermeninparticular,havealwaysbeenextremelysuperstitious(迷信的).Thisishardlysurprising
WhatdidthesailorsplantodotoDionysos?
WhatdidthesailorsplantodotoDionysos?
WhatdidthesailorsplantodotoDionysos?
WhatdidthesailorsplantodotoDionysos?
WhatdidthesailorsplantodotoDionysos?
随机试题
1988年1月19日,某市急性病毒性肝炎疫情骤然上升,数日内发病人数成倍增长,至3月18日,共发生急性病毒性肝炎292301例,平均罹患率82‰,为常年发病率的12倍。死亡11例,病死率为76/10万。该现象属于
上总义齿戴用后,在静止和说话,打呵欠时固位均好,但咀嚼食物时义齿易脱位,处理方法是
参苓白术散的功效是()
关于人民法院调解民事纠纷,下列哪些做法是合法的?()
游客患重病,地陪应请旅行社派人帮助照顾患者,办理就医等事宜,自己则继续带领团队游览。()
读我国某区域示意图,完成以下题。2011年11月4日,我国首个千万千瓦级风电基地在酒泉启动建设。该地建风电基地的有利条件有()。①可利用周围未利用土地②距冬季风源地近,风力强劲③人口众多,经济发达④能源
下列哪种方法不利于缓解或调控幼儿激动的情绪?()
2015年年末全国公路总里程457.73万公里,其中技术等级公路里程404.63万公里,占公路总里程的比重比上一年提高1.0个百分点。各行政等级公路里程分别为:国道18.53万公里、省道32.97万公里、县道55.43万公里、乡道111.32万
以下哪项,最为恰当地概括了上述学者的观点?某国有一家非常受欢迎的冰淇淋店,最近将一种冰淇淋的单价从过去的1.80元提到2元,销售仍然不错。然而,在提价一周之内,几个服务员陆续辞职不干了。下列哪一项最能解释上述现象?
设有向曲面S:z=x2+y2,x≥0,z≤l,法向量与z轴正向夹角为锐角.求第二型曲面积分dydz+y2dzdx.
最新回复
(
0
)