How, then, can I tell you what is inside? You might open it, said Pandora, and then we could see for ourselves. 我怎么能告诉你里面是什么？潘多拉说你或许可以打开它，我们可以自己看看。

Pandora, what are you thinking of? exclaimed Epimetheus. His face showed so much horror at the idea of looking into a box 厄毗米修斯叫嚷到，潘多拉你在想什么？他一想到看看这个箱子脸上就表现出极大的恐惧，

which had been given to him on his promise never to open it, that Pandora thought it best not to suggest it any more. 把盒子给他时，他承诺永远不会打开，潘多拉认为不要再提出这样的要求了。

Still, she could not help thinking and talking about the box. At least, said she, you can tell me how it came here. 但她没法让自己不去想不去说，她说至少你可以告诉我它是怎么来的。

It was left at the door, replied Epimetheus, just before you came, by a person who looked very smiling and 厄毗米修斯回答道，它放在了门口，就在你来之前，是一个满脸微笑的人，

who could hardly keep from laughing as he put it down. He was dressed in an odd kind of cloak, 他把盒子放下后就止不住大笑，他穿着奇怪的披风，

and had on a cap that seemed to be made partly of feathers, so that it looked almost as if it had wings. 戴着一个部分用羽毛制成的帽子，看上去就像长了翅膀。

What sort of staff had he? asked Pandora. Oh, the most curious staff you ever saw! cried Epimetheus. 潘多拉问他拥有怎样的权杖，厄毗米修斯大叫道，这是我见过最不同凡响的权杖。

It was like two serpents twisting around a stick, and was carved so naturally that I at first thought the serpents were alive. 很像两只蛇在权杖上缠绕，雕刻地很自然，我第一眼看见以为蛇是真的。

I know him, said Pandora thoughtfully. Nobody else has such a staff. It was Quicksilver, and he brought me here as well as the box. 潘多拉若有所思地说，我知道这个人，没人有这样的权杖，他是快银，他把我和盒子一起带到这里。

No doubt he intended it for me; and most probably it contains pretty dresses for me to wear, 毫无疑问，他为我做了计划，很有可能盒子里面是我穿的衣服，

or something very nice for us both to eat! Perhaps so, answered Epimetheus, turning away. 或者给我们两个带的好吃的，厄毗米修斯说或许吧，并转过身去。

But until Quicksilver comes back and tells us so, we have neither of us any right to lift the lid of the box. 除非快银回来，并把这些告诉我们，否则我们没有权利打开盒子。

What a dull boy he is! muttered Pandora, as Epimetheus left the cottage. 潘多拉嘟囔道，真是个呆子，厄毗米修斯离开了别墅。

THE KNOT OF GOLDEN CORD 金色绳结

For the first time since her arrival, Epimetheus had gone out without asking Pandora to accompany him. 自从潘多拉到来以后，厄毗米修斯第一次没有叫她一同陪伴。

He went to gather figs and grapes for himself, or to seek whatever amusement he could find with other children. 他为自己采集无花果和葡萄，或是和其他儿童寻找玩耍的事物。

He was tired to death of hearing about the box, and heartily wished that 他厌烦了关于盒子的问题，并强烈希望

Quicksilver had left it at some other child's door where Pandora would never have set eyes on it. 快银把它放在其它孩子门口，一个潘多拉没有见过的孩子门口。