Cupid is the most famous of Valentine symbols and everybody knows that boy armed with bow and arrows, and piercing hearts . He is known as a mischievous, winged child armed with bow and arrows. The arrows signify desires and emotions of love, and Cupid aims those arrows at Gods and Humans, causing them to fall deeply in love. Cupid has always played a role in the celebrations of love and lovers. In ancient Greece he was known as Eros, the young son of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. To the Roman's he was Cupid, and his mother was Venus.
丘比特是情人节最著名的象征。这个带着弓箭的小男孩人尽皆知,被箭射穿的心亦是如此。相传他是一个顽皮、身上长着翅膀的小男孩。箭象征着爱的欲望与激情,丘比特的箭不仅对着神也对着凡人,被射中者便会陷入爱河。丘比特一直扮演者庆祝爱与爱人的角色。在古希腊神话中,他被称作厄洛斯,是爱与美之神阿佛洛狄忒的小儿子。在古罗马神话中,他就叫做丘比特,其母是维纳斯。
There is a very interesting story about Cupid and His mortal Bride Psyche in Roman mythology. Venus was jealous of the beauty of Psyche, and ordered Cupid to punish the mortal. But instead, Cupid fell deeply in love with her. He took her as his wife, but as a mortal she was forbidden to look at him.
在古罗马神话中,有一个关于丘比特和他的凡人新娘普赛克的有趣故事。维纳斯因为嫉妒普赛克的美貌,便命令前去施加惩罚。但是,丘比特确深深爱上了普赛克,并娶她为妻。但是作为凡人,普赛克不可以看丘比特的脸。
Psyche was happy until her sisters persuaded her to look at Cupid. as soon as Psyche looked at Cupid, Cupid punished her by leaving her. Their lovely castle and gardens vanished too. Psyche found herself alone in an open field with no signs of other beings or Cupid. As she wandered trying to find her love, she came upon the temple of Venus. Wishing to destroy her, the goddess of love gave Psyche a series of tasks, each harder and more dangerous then the last.
在她的姐妹说服她看丘比特的脸以前,普赛克一直生活得很快乐。在普赛克看了丘比特的脸之后,丘比特便惩罚性地离她而去。他们秀丽的城堡和花园也一同消失了。普赛克从此便孤身一人逗留在荒野中,身边丝毫没有其他生命的迹象,也没有丘比特的身影。当她四处徘徊试图找到丘比特的时候,普赛克来到了维纳斯神庙。维纳斯试图杀死她,便交给了她一连串的任务,一个比一个更险更难。
For her last task Psyche was given a little box and told to take it to the underworld. She was told to get some of the beauty of Proserpine, the wife of Pluto, and put it in the box. During her trip she was given tips on avoiding the dangers of the realm of the dead. She was also warned not to open the box. But Temptation overcame Psyche and she opened the box. But instead of finding beauty, she found deadly slumber.
终于,在她的最后一项任务中,维纳斯给了普赛克一个小盒子,交代她将盒子拿到地下去。她被告知给冥后普洛塞尔皮娜送去美丽,于是就将美丽装进了这个盒子。一路上,她获得了各种提示,避开了冥界的种种凶险。她还受到警告说不要打开盒子。但是诱惑还是争胜了普赛克,她最终打开了盒子。可她并没有发现美丽,却只有死亡睡眠。
Cupid found her lifeless on the ground. He gathered the deadly sleep from her body and put it back in the box. Cupid forgave her, as did Venus. The gods, moved by Psyche's love for Cupid made her a goddess.
丘比特在地面发现了已经死亡的普赛克。他从普赛克的体内召回了死亡之眠,并将它放回了盒子。丘比特宽恕了普赛克,并且维纳斯也宽恕了她。众神感动于普赛克对丘比特之爱,于是将她封为女神。
Today, Cupid and his arrows have become the most popular of love signs, and love is most frequently depicted by two hearts pierced by an arrow, Cupid's arrow.
如今,丘比特和它的箭已是最著名的爱的象征,而爱也通常被描绘成被丘比特的箭射穿的两颗心。 |