文/重庆新思维陈玲老师

Echo was a beautiful nymph, fond of the woods and hills, where she devoted herself to woodland sports.

Echo是一个美丽的仙女, 喜欢森林和深山，她总是在山林里打猎。

So she was a favorite of Artemis（月亮女神和狩猎女神）, and attended her in the chase.

因此，她也是最得阿忒弥斯（更为熟知的名字是罗马神话体系中戴安娜，即月亮女神和狩猎女神）喜爱的一个女神，而且经常陪她一起打猎。

But Echo had one failing; she was fond of talking, and whether in chat or argument, she would always have the last word.

但是Echo有一个缺点，那就是她很喜欢说话。不管是聊天的时候，还是争辩的时候，她总是最后一个说完的。

One day Hera was seeking her husband Zeus, who, she had reason to fear, was amusing himself among the nymphs.

有一天宙斯（众神之王）在山林里和女神们嬉戏，他的妻子赫拉（极为善妒）担心宙斯又做出对不起她的事情，就找到了山林来——她确实也应该担心。

Echo tried to detain the goddess by her talk till all the nymphs made their escape.

Echo便用她的能说会道拖延赫拉，使和宙斯嬉戏的女神们都顺利逃走。

After that day, each time Zeus raced into the forest with Hera close on his heels,Echo sidetracked her with chatter and gossip.

自那以后，每次宙斯来森林嬉戏引得赫拉来找他时，Echo便用各种花言巧语使赫拉忘记找宙斯这件事。

For some time, this worked well for Zeus.

之后有一段时间，宙斯都相安无事。

When Hera finally figured out what was really going on, she punished Echo by denying her much of her beautiful voice.

当赫拉最后发现事情的真相，她便惩罚Echo, 让Echo不能再用她美丽的声音说话。

All that Echo could do forever after was repeat the last few sounds she heard.

Echo只能永远重复她听到的最后几个字。

One day, this nymph spotted a beautiful youth, as he was hunting upon the mountains.

有一天，Echo女神发现了一位正在山水打猎的美少年。

His name was Narcissus.

他的名字叫Narcissus(那喀索斯)。

Echo did something she thought she would never do - she fell in love.

Echo做了一件她认为她绝不会做的事情 —— 她爱上了他！

How she longed to address him in the softest words!

她多么想对他说最温柔的话语！

But it was not in her power, because Hera had taken most of her voice. All she could do was echo sounds made by others.

但她却做不到，因为赫拉的惩罚让她不能说话，只能重复别人说过的话。

She could howl like a wolf, buy only if a wolf had just howled.

她能像狼一样嚎叫，但这必须在狼先嚎叫才行。

She could sing like a breeze through reeds, but only if the reeds sang first.

她能像芦苇一样歌唱清风，但这必须要芦苇先歌唱才行。

How could she tell Narcissus that she loved him?

她怎么才能告诉Narcissus她爱他呢？

She waited with impatience for him to speak first, and had her answer ready.

她很没有耐心地等待他先开口，她的答案早已准备好了。

One day Narcissus, being separated from his companions, shouted aloud（觉察到Echo在跟踪他）, “Who’s here?”

有一天恰逢Narcissus离开了他的同伴，独自一人，他喊道（觉察到Echo在跟踪他），“谁在这里？”

Echo replied eagerly, “Here!”

Echo充满渴望地回答，“这里!”

Narcissus looked around, but seeing no one, called out, “Come.”

Narcissus四处张望，却不见一人，于是说：“请过来！”

Echo answered, “Come.”

Echo回答，“过来。”

but no one came, so Narcissus called again, “Why do you shun me?”

但Narcissus并没有看到人过来，于是问到，“你为什么躲避我？

Echo asked the same question. “Shun me?”

Echo只能回答同样的问题，“躲避我？”

“Let us go together,” said the youth.

“让我们一起走吧！”这个美少年说。

Echo answered with all her heart in the same words together “together”, and （以为Narcissus接受了她的爱意）hastened to the spot, ready to throw her arms about his neck.

Echo满心欢喜，回答到“一起！”她（以为Narcissus接受了她的爱意），冲到Narcissus面前，准备拥抱他。

He started back, exclaiming, “Hands off! I would rather die than you should have me!”

他急忙后退，惊叫到，“放手！我宁愿死，也不会让你占有我！”

“Have me,” said she; but it was all in vain.

“占有我，”她重复着。但这一起都是徒劳。

He left her, and believed she was a shameless woman.

他离开了她，认定她一定是一个不知廉耻的女人。

So she went to hide her blushes in the recesses of the woods.

因此，她羞愧不已，躲到了森林深处。

From that time forth she lived in caves and among mountain cliffs.

从此，她开始居住在山洞和悬崖边。

Her form faded with grief, till at last all her flesh shrank away.

悲伤使她的容颜褪去，最后她的身体也渐渐陨灭。

Her bones were changed into rocks and there was nothing left of her but her voice.

她的骨头变成了岩石，只留下她的声音还在回响。

Narcissus’s cruelty in this case was not the only instance.

而Narcissus的无情不止这一次。

He shunned all the rest of the nymphs, as he had done poor Echo.

他拒绝了所有其他的仙女，就像他拒绝可怜的Echo一样。

One day a maiden who had in vain tried to attract him uttered a prayer that he himself might some time or other feel what it was like to love and meet no return of affection.

有一天，一个少女因为不能吸引他的注意，就祈祷，祈祷他自己有一天也能体会到爱一个人却得不到被爱的滋味。

The avenging goddess Nemesis heard and granted the prayer, and was ready to punish Narcissus.

复仇女神Nemesis(涅墨西斯)听到了这个祈祷，她应答了这个祈祷，准备惩罚Narcissus。

One day Narcissus the youth, fatigued with hunting, heated and thirsty, came to a clear fountain, whose water was as clear as silver.

有一天，打猎途中的美少年Narcissus又累又热又渴，正好来到了一个清澈的泉水旁，这个泉水和白银一样清澈。

When he stooped down to drink, he saw his own image in the water; he thought it was some beautiful water-spirit living in the fountain.

当让弯下身准备喝水的时候，他看到了水中自己的影子。他把影子当成了居住在泉水里美丽的水精灵。

He stood gazing with admiration at those bright eyes, those locks curled like the locks of Bacchus(酒神巴克斯) or Apollo（日神阿波罗）, the rounded cheeks, the ivory neck, the parted lips, and the glow of health and exercise over all.

他站在那里，用务必欣赏的目光注视着他明亮的眼睛，和酒神巴克斯和日神阿波罗那样美丽的卷发，圆润的脸颊，美玉般的颈部，微张的双唇，以及浑身散发出的健康和活力。

He fell in love with himself.

他爱上了他自己。

He brought his lips near to take a kiss; he plunged his arms in to embrace the beloved object.

他用自己的双唇靠近水边，想亲吻他。他把双手伸到水中，想拥抱他心爱的人。

He could not tear himself away; he lost all thought of food or rest, while he hovered over the brink of the fountain gazing upon his own image.

他一刻也离不开这个影子。他忘记了食物，他忘记了睡眠，时刻趴着泉水边凝视着自己的影子。

His tears fell into the water and disturbed the image.

他的泪水掉到了水里，使影子开始晃动。

By degrees he lost his colour, his vigour, and the beauty which formerly had so charmed the nymph Echo.

渐渐地，那曾经另Echo仙女如此着迷的容颜、活力和美丽都渐渐逝去。

Finally, he pined away and died. The nymphs mourned for him.

最后，他渐渐憔悴而死。女神们都为他哀悼。

When they prepared a funeral pile and would have burned the body, but it was nowhere to be found;

当她们准备好葬礼的木堆，准备举行火葬仪式。但她们却找不他的遗体。

instead, they found in its place a flower, purple within, and surrounded with white leaves,

而在他死去的地方，她们发现了一颗花朵，白色花瓣里是紫色的花蕊（即，水仙花。水仙花不是白色的嘛。。。）。

which bears the name and preserves the memory of Narcissus.

于是人们把这种花也叫做Narcissus，而Narcissus的故事也被一直流传了下来。

英语中的“Narcissus”

据说Narcissus死后，化成了水仙花，所以Narcissus在英语中也就是水仙花的意思。而由Narcissus也衍生出 Narcissism一词，意为“自恋”以及Narcissist, 意为“自恋的人”。