神话背后的习语
1.an apple of discord 不和的根源，发生纠纷的事端
这个习语最初为公元2世纪时的古罗马历史学家马克·朱里·尤斯丁（Marcus Juninus Justinus）所使用，后来广泛的流传到欧洲许多语言中去，成为了一个国际性习语。
这一习语出自荷马史诗Iliad（《伊利亚特》）中的希腊神话故事。帕里斯拐走了海伦后，激起了全体希腊人的公愤，于是希腊各国组成联军，远征特洛伊人。战争中，阿芙洛狄忒支持特洛伊人，赫拉和雅典娜支持希腊人。由一只苹果引发了战争，因此apple of discord意思就是“不和的根源，发生纠纷的事端”。
例句 He throwing us an apple of discord， we soon quarrelled again.他扔给我们一个不和果，我们很快又争吵起来。
Profit is generally the apple of discord among the capitalist nations.利润通常是资本主义国家之间争吵的根源。
2.Judgment of Paris 不爱江山爱美人
面对这一评判，尊贵的天后赫拉开出条件是“你可以成为最富有的国王”。智慧和战争女神雅典娜的条件是“你将会成为世界上最聪明最富有男性魅力的人”。爱神阿芙洛狄忒的条件是“我把人间最漂亮的女子送给你做妻子”，最后帕里斯把金苹果交给了爱神，并一直等待着爱神实现承诺。不久，他被任命为船队首领，并被派往希腊。他来到斯巴达，因为阿芙洛提忒曾经告诉他，当时最美的女子——海伦就住在那儿。海伦的丈夫，墨涅劳斯国王热情地款待了帕里斯，但他却恩将仇报。趁着国王不在，帕里斯说服海伦与他一起私奔到特洛伊城。为了报仇雪恨，希腊拿起了武器，特洛伊战争爆发了。于是，Judgment of Paris便引申为“不爱江山爱美人”。
7.Helen
Helen was the most beautiful woman of the world.She was an infamous lady.She lighted the flames of the Trojan War and brought extreme destruction on the city of Troy.Helen was the daughter of Zeus.Helens matchless beauty and charms drew towards her many heroes from all parts of Greece.
When still small， she was carried o ff by Theseus， who wished to have a divine wife.But she was rescued later by her brother Castor and brought back to her native land.Her stepfather married her to Menelaus， King of Sparta.
Nothing of importance had happened to her married life until Paris came to visit Sparta.Helen was attracted by Paris‘lovely face.They stole one another’s love in the absence of Menelaus and then eloped on board a ship to Troy.Helen left her young daughter behind.To get Helen back， the Greek army sailed across and laid a long siege to the city of Troy.
Helen was quietly weaving her story into a web of golden carpet one day when she was called up the city walls of Troy to look at the fighting between Menelaus and Paris. Menelaus was determined to kill Paris in the battle.Sitting by the side of King Priam， she told the chiefs of the Greek side to him.Tears of love filled up her eyes when she saw her first husband down below.After Paris fled the field， she had the feelings of love and scorn.She encouraged Hector and Paris to take the field again and sincerely mourned the death of the true hero Hector.But when Odysseus and Diomedes came in disguise to steal the Palladium， she helped them to do so as much as she could.After Paris died in battle， she became the wife of another son of Priam.
In the meantime Menelaus was anxiously searching for Helen in the ruined palaces of Troy. Aphrodite had made Helen more beautiful， so that， when he finally found her trembling in a corner， Menelaus was most unwilling to bring his sword down on her charming face.Menelaus felt secretly overjoyed to have his wife back again.Following Menelaus through the ruins of the city， Helen felt ashamed of her impure behavior.And she was truly scared at the terrible fate she was to have in the Greek Camp.
Helen 海伦
Once more her beauty saved her. No one could bring himself to thrust his sword into such a charming and graceful lady.In the tent of Menelaus she threw herself at the feet of the Spartan King， asking for forgiveness.Moved by the scene， Menelaus helped her up and let her forget the past.He held her in his arms while she had tears of grief and happiness.The pair loved each other like before and vanished in the far west.
7.海伦
海伦是世上最美丽的女人。她也是一位臭名昭着的女人。她点燃了特洛伊的战火，并给特洛伊城造成了巨大的破坏。海伦是宙斯的女儿。她无可匹敌的美丽和魅力使希腊各地的英雄们都迷恋于她。
她小的时候被提修斯抢走。提修斯想有一个是神的妻子。但后来海伦被其兄卡斯特救出，带回到了故土。海伦的继父将她嫁给了斯巴达的国王墨涅劳斯。
在帕里斯来访斯巴达之前，海伦的婚姻生活比较平静。海伦被帕里斯可爱的面容迷住。当墨涅劳斯国王不在时，他们就相互偷情，之后一起乘船私奔到了特洛伊城。海伦将幼小的女儿留在了斯巴达。为了夺回海伦，希腊军队越过海峡，将特洛伊城紧紧包围。
一天正当海伦静静地将自己的经历编织成一块金色的地毯时，有人叫她在特洛伊城上观看墨涅劳斯和帕里斯的决斗。墨涅劳斯决心杀死帕里斯。坐在皮安姆国王旁边，她将希腊一方的首领告诉了国王。当她看到城墙下前夫的身影时，爱的热泪涌入了眼帘。帕里斯战败逃离战场后，她感觉又爱又鄙视。她鼓励海格特和帕里斯再次走上战场，并真诚地为真正的英雄海格特的死而哀痛。但当奥德修斯和狄俄墨德斯化装后来偷窃雅典娜神像时，她竭尽全力帮助了她们。帕里斯战死后，她成了皮安姆国王另一个儿子的妻子。
Helen 海伦
与此同时墨涅劳斯焦急地在毁坏的特洛伊宫中寻找海伦。爱神阿芙洛狄忒使海伦变得更美丽了。当墨涅劳斯终于发现躲在角落中发抖的海伦时，极不情愿将利剑刺向她那迷人的面孔，他内心为夺回海伦暗自高兴。海伦跟随墨涅劳斯穿过特洛伊城的废墟，她深为自己的不洁行为感到耻辱。一想到自己将在希腊军营中遭受的命运，她就心惊胆颤。
她的美丽再次拯救了她。没有人忍心将剑刺向令人销魂、妩媚动人的女子之身。在墨涅劳斯的帐篷中，海伦跪在斯巴达国王的脚下，乞求饶恕。看到眼前的情形，墨涅劳斯深受感动，他扶起海伦，让她忘掉过去的一切。墨涅劳斯将她抱起来时，海伦的两眼流出幸福与悲伤的泪水。他们俩像以前那样相爱，一同消失在遥远的西方。
单词短语透视
1.infamous[?nf?m?s]adj.声名狼藉的，臭名昭著的
例句 I was shocked by her infamous behaviour.
她的无耻行径令我震惊。
2.flame[昀e?m]n.火焰
例句 The house was in flames.房子失火了。
3.extreme[?kstri?m]adj.极端的，过激的
例句 We are working under extreme pressure at the moment.
目前我们正在极大的压力下工作。
4.matchless[m?t?l?s]]adj.无敌的，无比的
例句 Her matchless beauty is beyond deion.
她那旷世无双的美貌无法形容。
5.carry off 拿走，夺走，抢走
例句 His life was carried off by the disease.
这种病夺去了他的生命。
6.divine[d?va?n]adj.神的，神授的，天赐的
例句 No player has a divine right to be in this team.
没有哪名选手天生就有权留在这个队里。
7.native[ne?t?v]adj.本地的
例句 It was his first visit to his native country since 1948.
这是自1948年以来他首次回到自己的祖国。
8.importance[?mp?：tns]n.重要性，重要地位
例句 She stressed the importance of careful preparation.
她强调了认真准备的重要性。
9.attract[?tr?kt]v.吸引，引起……的注意
例句 Im very attracted to her.我对她产生了好感。
10.elope[?l?up]v.私奔
例句 The young couple eloped because their parents wouldnt let them marry.这对年轻人因父母不让他们结婚而私奔了。
11.siege[si?d?]n.围困，围攻
例句 By the time the siege ended， the citizens were nearlystarving.
围城停止时，市民已饿得濒于死亡。
12.carpet[kɑ?p?t]n.地毯
例句 We need a new bedroom carpet.
我们需要一块新的卧室地毯。
13.determine[d?t??m?n]v.确定，决定，使下决心
例句 She will determine how it is to be done.
她会决定这件事的做法。
14.encourage[?nk?r?d?]v.鼓励，激励
例句 Dont encourage bad habits in a child.
不要助长孩子的坏习惯。
15.sincerely[s?ns??li]adv.真诚地，诚恳地
例句 We sincerely hope that you will soon be restored to health.
我们衷心希望你早日康复。
16.mourn[m??n]v.哀悼；（对……）感到痛心
例句 We all mourn the destruction of a well-loved building.