Tiresias was a blind， darkseeing prophet of Thebes. He was struck with blindness in his youth， because he had spied unwittingly on the goddess Athena. He was wandering in the woods one day when quite unexpectedly he saw a naked maiden bathing in a placid lake. Little did he know that he had offended the virgin goddess. Taken unaware and scarlet with wrath， the goddess exclaimed that whoever had the boldness to steal a glance at her naked body was doomed to perpetual blindness. But when she learned later that the offence was unintentional， it was too late for her to take back what she had said. Taking pity on the poor youth for the loss of his sight， she obtained from Zeus an exceptional long life for him， and from Apollo a divine power of prophecy. Besides， she provided him with a marvellous sharpness of ear， so that he could understand the voices of all birds. And she filled his mind with mystic knowledge of things past and of things to come. In short she gave him quite an amount of her own wisdom. He was the first to recognise and welcome Dionysus， god of feast and wine， on the Theban land. When the infant Heracles caught Hera’s two serpents in its hands， it was Tiresias who cast the child’s fortune and revealed the divine origin and destiny of the boy. When Oedipus abused Tiresias as having had a hand in the murder of Laius， Tiresias had the fearless courage to tell the truth that Oedipus was the murderer. Even in the lower world he continued to prophesy. There he helped Odysseus when the hero came to him for advice. Alive， he was highly respected by all； after he was dead， he enjoyed the generous air and rosy light in the land of the Blest.
47. 泰瑞西斯
泰瑞西斯是位只能看见黑暗的底比斯先知。由于他年轻时不小心窥见了女神雅典娜，让他的双目永远失明。一天，他在森林里漫步时，意外地看见一位全身裸露的仙女正在平静的湖水中沐浴。他不知道他已经冒犯了这位贞洁的女神。因莫名其妙地被人看了个一清二楚，女神勃然大怒。她诅咒道：谁胆敢偷看她的玉体，谁就必将永远变瞎。但当后来她得知泰瑞西斯并非有意冒犯她时，再想收回她的咒语已经不可能了。出于怜悯，她从宙斯那里替这位贫穷的丧失了视力的年轻人争取到了长寿；又从阿波罗那里要来了神圣的预言本领；并且，她赋予他神奇敏锐的双耳，这样他就可以明白各种鸟语。此外，雅典娜给了他魔术般的本领，使他既知过去，也能预测未来。总而言之，她使他拥有了她自身智慧中的很大一部分。在底比斯，是泰瑞西斯第一个认出了宴会神、也是酒神的狄俄尼索斯，并向他表示欢迎。当海格立斯还是个婴儿，用手抓起赫拉的两条毒蛇时，也正是泰瑞西斯卜算出了这个孩子的未来并预示出他的出身及其命运。当俄狄浦斯指责泰瑞西斯参与谋杀了拉伊俄斯时，泰瑞西斯勇敢地讲出了事实真相：俄狄浦斯才是凶手。即使到了地狱，他依然预测未来。在那儿，当奥德修斯前去征求他的意见时，泰瑞西斯帮助了他。活着的时候，他受到人们的普遍敬重；死后，在不莱斯特这块土地上，他享受着无比清新的空气和玫瑰般绚丽多彩的阳光。
单词短语透视
1.
blind [bland] adj. 瞎的，失明的，看不见的例句
I started helping him run the business when he went blind.他失明以后，我就开始帮他打理生意。
2.
prophet [‘prft] n. 先知，预言家
例句
I promised myself I’d defy all the prophets of doom and battle back to fitness.我发誓要打破所有的死亡预言，力争恢复健康。
3.
blindness [‘blandns] n. 失明
例句
I have long since come to terms with my blindness.
我早就安于自己的失明了。
4.
spy [spa] v. 暗中监视，侦察，窥探
例句
I’m sure my neighbours spy on me.
我肯定邻居暗中监视我。
5.
unwittingly [n‘wtli] adv. 不知情地，不经意地例句
She had broken the law unwittingly， but still she had broken it.她并非故意犯法，但毕竟是犯了法。
6.
wander [’wnd（r）] n. 游荡，漫游，闲逛例句
She was wandering aimlessly up and down the road.
她在路上信步来回遛达。
7.
unexpectedly [，nk‘spektdl] adv. 意外地，突然地例句
I meant to help him； unexpectedly I have brought him trouble.我想帮助他，没想到反而给他添了麻烦。
8.
naked [’nekd] adj. 裸体的，无装饰的，无遮盖的例句
The children stripped off their clothes and swam naked in the river.孩子们脱得光溜溜的在河里游泳。
9.
placid [‘pld] adj. 安静的，平静的，宁静的例句
He had been leading a placid life for the past eight years.
他8年来一直过着平静的生活。
10.
offend [’fend] v. 触怒，冒犯
例句
She may be offended if you don’t reply to her invitation.她请你，你要是不回个信儿就可能把她得罪了。
11.
virgin [‘vdn] n. 处女
例句
They were both virgins when they met and married.他们从相识到结婚前都未曾经历男女之事。
12.
unaware [，n’we（r）] adj. 不知道的，不觉察的
例句
He was unaware of my presence/that I was present.他不知道我在场。
13.
scarlet [‘skɑlt] adj. 罪孽深重的；淫荡的；深红的，鲜红色的例句
She went scarlet with embarrassment.她窘得满脸通红。
14.
wrath [rθ] n. 愤怒
例句
The children’s unruly behaviour incurred the headteacher’s wrath.
小学生不守规矩惹得校长发怒。
15.
exclaim [k‘sklem] v. 惊叫，呼喊
例句
He exclaimed that it was untrue.
他大声说那不是事实。
16.
boldness [’bldns] n. 大胆，冒失
例句
I marvelled at your boldness.
我对你的大胆感到惊奇。
17.
glance [glɑns] n. 一瞥
例句 We exchanged glances.
我们迅速地互相打量了一下。
18.
doomed [dmd] adj. 命中注定的，难逃一死的例句
Those who go in for intrigues and conspiracy are doomed to failure.
搞阴谋诡计的人注定要失败。
19.
perpetual [p‘petul] adj. 永久的，永恒的例句
She lives in perpetual fear of being discovered.
她永远生活在怕被发现的恐惧中。
20.
offence [’fens] n. 不悦，恼怒（的行为或原因），冒犯例句
I’m sorry. I intended no offence when I said that.
对不起，我说那事并无恶意。
21.
unintentional [，nn‘tennl] adj. 无意的，无心的例句
What I did was unintentional， but I’m in agreement with my punishment.我虽不是明知故犯，但我情愿接受处分。
22.
obtain [b‘ten] v. 获得，得到
例句
I obtained this record for you with difficulty.
我好不容易为你弄到了这张唱片。
23.
exceptional [k’sepnl] adj. 异常的，罕见的，特殊的例句
At the age of five， he showed exceptional talent as a musician.
他五岁时就表现出非凡的音乐才能。
24.
divine [d‘van] adj. 神圣的
例句
He suggested that the civil war had been a divine punishment.
他暗示说内战是上天的惩罚。
25.
prophecy [’prfs] n. 预言，预言能力例句
All these events had been revealed by prophecy.
所有这些事以前都有过预言。
26.
marvellous [‘mɑ：vls] adj. 不可思议的，惊奇的；极好的例句
This will be a marvellous opportunity for her.
这对她可是千载难逢的机会呀。
27.
sharpness [ɑ：pns] n. 锋利；严厉
例句
The sharpness of these lenses are amazing.镜头的清晰度令人吃惊。
28.
mystic [’mstk] adj. 神秘的，玄理的，不可思议的例句
The mystic token alighted on the hither verge of the stream.
那神秘的标志落在离小溪不远的地方。
29.
wisdom [‘wzdm] n. 明智，正确的判断；智慧，学问例句
I question the wisdom of giving the child so much money.我怀疑给这个孩子这么多钱是好事还是坏事。
30.
feast [fist] n. 盛宴，宴会
例句
After the feast she spent a week dieting to salve her conscience.大吃了一顿之后，她花了一周时间节食以安慰自己。
31.
serpent [’spnt] n. 巨蛇
例句
There’s a serpent beside him.
他身边有条大蛇。
32.
reveal [r‘vil] v. 揭露，泄露；展现，显示例句
I can’t reveal who told me.
我不能透露是谁告诉我的。
33.
fearless [‘fls] adj. 大胆的，无畏的，勇敢的例句
The boy seems completely fearless.
这个男孩似乎毫不畏惧。
34.
generous [’denrs] adj. 慷慨的，大方的例句
