You are now going to read a story that began over two thousand years ago in the times of ancient Greece. 您现在要读到的是一篇起源于两千多年前古希腊时代的故事。

It explains why there are troubles on earth. 这个故事解释了地球上为什么会存在各种灾祸。

Troubles, the Greeks believed, were sent among men and women by Zeus, father of the gods, as a punishment for stealing fire from Heaven. 希腊人认为，是众神之父宙斯把祸事传给世人，作为从天庭偷取火种的惩罚。

Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author, was one of America's great itory-tellers. 这个故事的作者纳撒尼尔·霍桑，美国伟大的心理分析小说家。

Often he would take some old, old tale that had been known for hundreds of years and retell it in his own way for the boys and girls of his time. 他常常会把几百年前人们熟知的一些古老的故事，以自己的方式讲述给生活在他那个时代的孩童们听。

PANDORA AND THE GREAT BOX 潘多拉和巨型盒子

Long, long ago, when this old world was in its infancy, there was a child named Epimetheus who never had either father or mother. 很久以前，那是古老世界的萌芽期，有一个名叫厄毗米修斯的孩童，他没有父亲或母亲。

In order that he might not be lonely, another child, fatherless and motherless like himself, 为了使他不再那么孤单，另一名很像他的孩童，同样也是无父无母，

was sent from a far country to be his playfellow. Her name was Pandora. 从另外一个遥远国家来到这里，当做他的玩伴，他的名字叫潘多拉。

The first thing that Pandora saw when she entered the cottage where Epimetheus dwelt was a great box. 当潘多拉进入厄毗米修斯居住的小别墅时，他看到的第一个东西就是巨型盒子。

And almost the first question which she put to him, after crossing the threshold, was this: Epimetheus, what have you in that box? 跨过门槛后，潘多拉问他的第一个问题是，厄毗米修斯，盒子里装的是什么？

My dear little Pandora, answered Epimetheus, that is a secret, 他回答道，我亲爱的小潘多拉，这是个秘密，

and you must be kind enough not to ask any questions about it. 你最好了，最好不要询问关于盒子的问题。

The box was left here to be kept safely, and I do not myself know what it contains. 盒子是安全存放在这里，我也不知道里面是什么。

But who gave it to you? asked Pandora. And where did it come from? 潘多拉问道，这是谁给你的？它来自哪里？

That is a secret, too, replied Epimetheus. How provoking! exclaimed Pandora, pouting her lip. 他回到道，这也是个秘密，潘多拉惊呼道太令人生气了，撅起她的嘴唇。

I wish the great ugly box were out of the way! O come, don't think of it any more, cried Epimetheus. 我不想看到这个巨型丑陋的黑子，厄毗米修斯叫嚷到，不要再这么想了。

Let us run out of doors, and play with the other children. It is thousands of years since Epimetheus and Pandora were alive. 让我们跑出门去，和其它伙伴玩耍吧，厄毗米修斯和潘多拉已存在了数千年。

Then, everybody was a child. Children needed no fathers and mothers to take care of them; 那时所有人都是儿童，儿童不需要父母照料；

because there was no danger or trouble of any kind, and there were no clothes to be mended, 因为不会发生任何危险或麻烦，也无需缝补衣服，

and there were always plenty of things to eat and to drink. 有许多吃的和喝的。