S2E1 - Theseus and the Minotaur

《Greeking Out》中的故事都是对古希腊神话的经典改编。

The stories featured in Greeking Out are original adaptations of classic Greek myths.

本周的故事涉及多种不健康的哀伤应对方式，比如和兄弟姐妹争抢主导权、囚禁自己的儿子、向邻居索要孩子作为贡品、滥用迷宫，还有纵身跳入大海。

This week's story features many improper coping mechanisms for grief, including competing with your siblings for supremacy, imprisoning your own son, demanding tribute from neighbors in the form of their children, improper use of mazes, and throwing yourself into the sea.

故事里还有一只可怕的米诺陶洛斯，所以开灯听吧。

There's also a scary Minotaur, so listen with the lights on.

《Greeking Out》讲述的是历史上最伟大的那些故事，它们都源自希腊神话。

Greeking out the greatest stories in history were told in Greek mythology.

《Greeking Out》：忒修斯与米诺陶洛斯。

Greeking out Theseus and the Minotaur.

这虽然是一个怪物的故事，但同时也是关于两位国王、一位聪慧的公主和一位勇敢英雄的故事。

This is the story of a monster, but it's also a story about two kings, a clever princess, and a brave hero.

这是一个关于深邃黑暗的迷宫——卢比林斯的故事。

It's the story of a deep, dark maze called the labyrinth.

不过我们先从怪物说起，因为和希腊神话里的大多数怪物一样，它的背后远不止是愤怒的爪牙和角。

But let's start with the monster because like most monsters in Greek mythology, there's a lot more to it than just angry claws and teeth and horns.

“怪物”这个词源自拉丁语 monere，意思是警告。

The word monster comes from the Latin word monere, meaning to warn.

从这个词根，我们还衍生出了 demonstrate（展示）、monument（纪念碑）和 summon（召唤）这些词。

From it, we also get demonstrate, monument, and summon.

米诺陶洛斯和迷宫的故事始于希腊的克里特岛，这是古希腊最著名的地方之一，当时由一位名叫阿斯特里翁的仁慈君主统治。

The story of the Minotaur and the Maze begins on the Greek island of Crete, one of the most famous places in ancient Greece, and it was ruled by a kindly man named Asterion.

他有三个儿子，其中一个是米诺斯。

He had three sons, Minos Hi.

萨拉珀冬，你好。

Sarpedon Hello.

还有拉达曼提斯。

And Radamanthus.

最近怎么样？

What's up?

他去世后，这三个人都想当国王。

And when he passed away, all three of them wanted to be king.

当他们争论谁最适合当国王时，米诺斯提出了一个惊人的说法。

And when they argued over who would make the best ruler, Minos made an outrageous claim.

他说自己应该当国王，因为他和奥林匹斯众神有特殊关系，能从他们那里得到恩惠。

He said that he should be named king because he had a special relationship with the Olympian gods and could get favors from them.

另外，‘米诺斯’这个词在克里特语里本来就是‘国王’的意思。

Also, the word Minos actually means king in the Cretan language.

当然，这也没坏处，但真正让天平倾向米诺斯的，还是他和神明的这层关系。

Well, I'm sure that didn't hurt either, but it was really the god connection that tipped the scales towards Minos.

萨耳珀冬和拉达曼提斯要求他拿出证据，于是米诺斯宣布，他会让一头巨大的公牛从海里升起。

Sarpedon and Radimanthus demanded proof, so Minos announced that he would make a great bull rise from the ocean.

这话可真够离谱的。

This was a pretty wild thing to say.

我的意思是，你见过公牛游泳吗？

I mean, have you ever seen a bull swim?

其实，大多数牛和公牛都特别擅长游泳。

Actually, most cows and bulls are very adept swimmers.

很多牛一次能游好几百码，都不带歇的。

Many can swim hundreds of yards at a time without resting.

好吧。

Okay.

行吧。

Fine.

那可能是你见过。

Maybe you have then.

另外，牛每天要嚼差不多八个小时，而且视野接近360度。

Also, cows chew for about eight hours per day, and they can see nearly 360 degrees.

挺有意思，但牛可不会从海里冒出来。

Interesting, but they don't typically rise out of the ocean.

要是真能这样，那确实能证明明诺斯得了神的青睐。

It would definitely prove Minos was favored by the gods.

于是明诺斯向海神波塞冬祈祷，许诺只要神能实现这个请求——让一头公牛从海里升起，好让他的兄弟们哑口无言，他就献上隆重的祭品。

So Minos prayed to Poseidon, the god of the sea, promising to make a large sacrifice to the god if he would only grant this one request to show up Minos brothers.

当一头巨大的白色公牛从海浪中浮现，出现在米诺斯面前时，拉达曼提斯和萨耳珀冬不得不承认，这确实令人震撼。

When a massive white bull rose from the waves of the sea and presented itself to Minos, Radimanthus and Sarpedon had to admit that it was pretty impressive.

他们同意让米诺斯成为克里特岛的统治者，而米诺斯立刻将他的兄弟们永久驱逐出岛。

They agreed that Minos should become ruler of Crete, And in return, he immediately banished his brothers from the island forever.

但他并没有兑现对波塞冬的承诺。

And he did not fulfill his vow to Poseidon.

他从我们讲过的阿拉克涅的故事里什么都没学到吗？

Did he learn nothing from our episode about Arachne?

对吧？

Right?

对兄弟无礼是一回事。

It's one thing to be rude to your brothers.

但故意触怒神明，那就是另一回事了。

It's entirely another thing to deliberately anger the gods.

波塞冬对米诺斯对自己的不敬极为愤怒，于是决定报复。

Poseidon was furious about the lack of respect Minos showed for him, so he decided to take revenge.

波塞冬没有直接对付米诺斯王，而是诅咒了他的妻子帕西法厄，让他们的第一个儿子生下来就是个怪物——一头长着牛头和牛尾、狂暴咆哮的野兽。

Instead of acting against King Minos directly, Poseidon cursed his wife, Queen Passaphae, so that their first son was born a monster, a wild, snarling creature with the head and tail of a bull.

米诺斯王悲痛欲绝。

King Minos was devastated.

帕西法厄尽了全力抚养这个孩子。

Passive tried her best to raise the baby.

她甚至给他取名叫阿斯忒里翁，以纪念他的外祖父。

She even named him Asterion after his grandfather.

但随着他长大，性情变得愈发凶猛危险。

But as he grew, he became ferocious and dangerous.

他甚至开始袭击路人。

He even started attacking people.

为了把这头叫米诺陶洛斯的怪物和克里特岛的百姓隔开，米诺斯王命令著名工匠代达罗斯建造了一座巨大的迷宫，让他关在里面。

In order to keep the creature called the Minotaur away from the people of Crete, King Minos commanded the famous builder Daedalus to create a giant maze for him to live in.

人们把这座迷宫叫做迷宫，它很快成了整个希腊群岛的传奇。

They called that maze the labyrinth, and it became a legend across all of the Greek Isles.

代达罗斯是个技艺高超的建筑师、工匠和艺术家，伊卡洛斯是他的儿子。

Daedalus was a skillful architect, craftsman, and artist, and Icarus was his son.

他们俩在希腊神话里也有自己的著名冒险故事。

They have their own famous adventures in Greek mythology.

是的。

Yes.

没错，不过那是另一个故事了，改天再说吧。

They do, but that's another story for another time.

与此同时，回到王宫里，生活又恢复了平静。

Meanwhile, back in the palace, life returned to normal.

米诺斯和帕西法厄又生了个儿子，叫安德洛革俄斯，他是个非常英勇的小伙子。

Minos and Pasiphae had another son named Androgius, and he was delightfully heroic.

聪明、强壮、体格出众，他还主动请缨，代表克里特去雅典参加泛雅典娜运动会。

Smart, strong, and athletic, he even volunteered to represent the country of Crete in Athens at the Panathenaic Games.

泛雅典娜运动会每四年在雅典举行一次，那是古希腊的一个城邦。

The Panathenaic Games were held every four years in Athens, a city state in ancient Greece.

这些活动融合了宗教庆典、体育竞技和文化表演，被认为是现代奥运会的起源。

The events incorporated religious festivals, athletic competitions, and cultural events and are considered to be the basis of our modern Olympic games.

可惜的是，克里特队在这届运动会上表现得很糟糕。

Unfortunately, the games did not go well for Team Crete.

事实上，简直是一塌糊涂。

In fact, they were a disaster.

比赛中，安德罗革俄斯意外丧生，克里特人全都悲痛欲绝。

During one of the competitions, Androgius was accidentally killed, and the Cretians were devastated.

说来也巧，安德罗革俄斯是被一头公牛害死的。

In a weird coincidence, Androgius was killed by a bull.

这还真是有点讽刺。

Kind of ironic.

你说是不是？

Right?

实际上，讽刺指的是某种情况或事件，明明与人们的预期完全相反。

Actually, irony is a state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects.

古希腊人在戏剧中常用反讽作为情节手法。

The ancient Greeks used dramatic irony as a plot device in their plays.

他的死纯粹是运气不好。

His death was just bad luck.

当然，米诺斯国王非常生气。

Well, as you might expect, king Minos was upset.

尽管这明显是个意外，米诺斯还是要求为儿子报仇，甚至威胁要对雅典开战。

Even though it was clearly an accident, Minos demanded revenge for the death of his son, and he threatened to go to war with Athens.

雅典的国王埃勾斯是个明智的统治者，他对发生的事感到非常痛心。

King Aegeus of Athens was a wise ruler, and he felt terrible for what had happened.

他也清楚，自己的海军根本不是克里特舰队和士兵的对手。

He also knew that his navy was no match for the ships and soldiers from Crete.

他极力想避免战争，于是派人给米诺斯传话，问雅典能不能用别的方式赔偿或献礼来化解矛盾。

He desperately wanted to avoid a war, so he sent a message to Minos to see if there was any kind of tribute or offering that Athens could provide instead.

这番话让米诺斯想起了弥诺陶洛斯。

This got Minos thinking about the Minotaur.

于是他告诉雅典国王，只要每年送七名男孩和七名女孩到克里特岛，供那怪物食用，他就不会攻打雅典城。

So he told the king of Athens that if he would send seven boys and seven girls to Crete every year for him to feed to the creature, then he would not attack the city of Athens.

整整三年，雅典人每年都送七名男孩和七名女孩到克里特岛，把他们放进迷宫里，任由弥诺陶洛斯猎杀。

For three long years, the Athenians sent seven boys and seven girls to the island of Crete where they would be set loose in the maze with the Minotaur.

那迷宫复杂得让人根本找不到出路，弥诺陶洛斯总能在一个个幽深的角落里找到他们。

It was nearly impossible not to get lost in there, so the Minotaur would always find them somewhere deep in the labyrinth.

如果现在你被困在迷宫里，专家建议用贴墙法来脱身，大多数普通迷宫都适用。

If you are ever trapped in a maze, experts today recommend the method of wall following for escaping most standard mazes.

简单来说，就是一只手始终贴着墙，然后一直往前走。

Essentially, you place one hand on a wall of the maze and then keep walking.

最后你一定能走出去。

Eventually, you will get out.

喂，神谕者。

Hey, Oracle.

迷宫和 labyrinth 是一回事吗？

Are a maze and a labyrinth the same thing?

虽然很多人会说是的，但很多专家认为，迷宫只有一条路，通常是螺旋环绕、来回折返，而迷宫则有多个岔路，给探索者带来选择。

While most might say yes, many experts maintain that a labyrinth contains only one path, often spiraling around and folding back on itself, while a maze contains branching paths, presenting the explorer with choices.

这两者听起来都挺复杂的。

Well, they both sound complicated.

不过对我们来说，就当是迷宫吧。

And for our purposes, let's just think of a maze.

这样故事才更带感。

It makes the story better.

我们有个怪物。

So we've got a monster.

有个为最爱的儿子悲痛的父亲，还有雅典的年轻人走向一场诡异又复杂的死亡。

We've got a man grieving for his favorite son, and we've got the young people of Athens heading to a weirdly complicated death.

我不确定你怎么想，但我觉得这故事现在真该有个英雄出场了。

I don't know about you, but I think our story could use a hero right about now.

也许是个英俊、聪明又机智的王子？

Maybe a handsome, wise, and clever prince type?

忒修斯登场了，他是埃勾斯的儿子，雅典王位的继承人。

Enter Theseus, son of Aegis and heir to the throne of Athens.

目睹自己的人民饱受苦难两年后，忒修斯决定必须做点什么来终结这一切，而他觉得唯一的办法就是杀死弥诺陶洛斯。

After two years of seeing his people suffer, Theseus decided that he had to do something to put a stop to this, and it seemed the only way to do it would be to kill the Minotaur.

忒修斯告诉父亲，他要自愿成为明年被送往克里特的七名青年之一。

Theseus told his father that he was gonna volunteer to be one of the seven young men that were sent to Crete next year.

他相信，只要杀了弥诺陶洛斯，献祭就该停止了。

He believed that if he killed the Minotaur, the sacrifices would have to stop.

于是他苦练了一年，为在黑暗中用剑与盾，或者赤手空拳战斗做好准备。

So he trained for a year, preparing himself to fight in the dark with a sword and a shield or with his bare hands.

启程前往克里特的日子到了，他已经做好了万全的准备。

When the time came to set sail for Crete, he was as ready as he could ever be.

如今，从克里特飞到雅典是最快的方式。

Today, flying is the quickest way to get from Crete to Athens.

这段旅程大约只需要五十五分钟。

The trip will take about fifty five minutes.

你也可以坐渡轮横跨地中海。

You can also travel by ferry across the Mediterranean Sea.

这段路程大概要五个钟头。

This takes about five hours.

那时候，这段旅程得花上一整天，得看风向和天气情况。

Well, back in the day, this journey would take about a day depending upon the wind and the weather.

国王埃勾斯最后一次恳求儿子别去，但忒修斯心意已决。

King Aegis begged his son one last time not to go, but Theseus was determined.

为了让父亲稍微安心一点，忒修斯答应，如果凯旋而归，就把船帆换成白色。

To set his father's mind at ease at least a little, Theseus promised to switch the colors of his ship's sails to white if he came back victorious.

如果失败了，船帆就保持黑色。

If he failed, the ship's sails would stay black.

这样，国王埃勾斯一看到地平线上的船，就能立刻知道结果。

This way, King Aegis would know the news the minute he saw the ship on the horizon.

忒修斯和其他雅典人抵达克里特港口时，国王米诺斯亲自出来迎接。

When Theseus and the other Athenians landed at the port of Crete, they were greeted by King Minos himself.

他扫了一眼面前这群害怕的少年，但当目光落到忒修斯身上时，停了下来。

He looked over the group of scared teenagers before him, but stopped when he got to Theseus.

你究竟是谁？

And who might you be?

米诺斯问道。

Minos asked.

为什么你不像其他人那样发抖求饶？

Why do you not cower and beg like the others?

我是忒修斯，”他回答，“雅典国王埃勾斯的第七个儿子。

I am Theseus, he replied, seventh son of King Aegis of Athens.

我会进入你的迷宫，杀死里面的怪物。

I will enter your maze and slay the monster within.

我不怕。

I am not afraid.

米诺斯很欣赏他。

Minos was impressed.

你是说，埃勾斯竟派自己的儿子来对付弥诺陶洛斯？

You mean Aegis has sent his own son to meet the Minotaur?

他真以为你能杀掉我在迷宫里的怪物？

Does he really think you can kill my Minotaur in the labyrinth?

忒修斯告诉他确实如此，弥诺斯一听放声大笑，还怂恿手下的士兵和朝臣们一起哄笑。

Theseus told him that he did, and Minos roared with laughter, encouraging all of his soldiers and courtiers to join in.

很快，所有人都在嘲笑忒修斯，唯独一个人没笑。

Soon, everyone was laughing at Theseus, all except one person.

忒修斯直视前方，任由弥诺斯和那帮人讥笑，眼角却瞥见了她。

Theseus could see her from the corner of his eyes as he stared straight ahead, absorbing the jeers from Minos and his cronies.

她是克里特公主，阿里阿德涅。

She was Ariadne, princess of Crete.

她长得像她父亲，但脑子和心肠却像她母亲一样灵光。

She looked like her father, but had the quick brain and compassion of her mother.

她为忒修斯和雅典人感到难过，也由衷钦佩他的勇气和决心。

She felt horrible for Theseus and the Athenians, and she admired his bravery and his determination.

米诺斯国王似乎也对忒修斯有几分欣赏，于是跟他做了一笔交易。

King Minos seemed to admire Theseus a bit as well because he made a deal with the young prince.

好吧，殿下，国王冷笑着说道。

Very well, your highness, the king sneered.

我跟你做个约定。

I will make you this bargain.

如果你能杀死弥诺陶洛斯并逃出迷宫，我就放你和你的同伴平安回家。

If you manage to slay the Minotaur and escape the labyrinth, I will let you and your friends return to your home unharmed.

那你也不再向雅典索要贡品了？

And you will no longer demand tribute from Athens?

忒修斯问道。

Theseus asked.

米诺斯沉默了一会儿，仔细考虑着这个提议。

There was a pause as Minos considered this.

他还在为死去的英雄儿子痛苦，而受伤的人，往往就想让别人也尝尝痛苦的滋味。

He was still hurting from the death of his heroic son, and people who are hurting sometimes just wanna hurt other people.

米诺斯王心里还憋着气，他可不想这么轻易就妥协。

King Minos still had some hurting to do, and he didn't wanna give in so easily.

不过，一个瘦弱的凡人，又能拿他的牛头怪怎么样呢？

But what could one scrawny human do against his Minotaur?

就算他运气好杀死了那头怪兽，也肯定会在迷宫里永远迷路。

Even if he got lucky and killed the beast, he would certainly be lost in the labyrinth forever.

米诺斯答应了，忒修斯也忍不住露出一丝满意的微笑。

Agreed, said Minos, and Theseus allowed himself a small, satisfied smile.

虽然只有一瞬间，但阿里阿德涅注意到了。

It was only there for an instant, but Ariadne noticed.

国王下令，明天黎明他们就要进入迷宫。人群散去后，士兵们开始护送忒修斯和雅典人前往牢房过夜。

They go into the labyrinth at dawn tomorrow, the king decreed, and the crowd dispersed as the soldiers began to escort Theseus and the Athenians to their cell for the night.

他们在一个大牢房里度过了一夜，那牢房就像个笼子，有铁栏杆墙和泥土地面。

They spent the night in a large cell, like a cage with a wall of iron bars and a dirt floor.

其他人去睡觉了，忒修斯则站岗，想着即将到来的战斗。

While the others went to sleep, Theseus stood guard, thinking about his upcoming fight.

深夜最黑暗的时候，他从沉思中抬头，看见栏杆另一侧有一张熟悉的面孔正望着他。

In the darkest part of the night, he looked up from his thoughts and saw a familiar face looking at him from the other side of the bars.

是今天早上码头那个女孩，她是唯一一个没嘲笑他的人。

It was the girl from the docks this morning, the only one who hadn't laughed at him.

我是阿里阿德涅，”她说，“米诺斯的女儿，我来是想帮你的。

I am Ariadne, she said, daughter of Minos, and I am here to help you.

这些us和阿里阿德涅一直聊到了天亮。

Theseus and Ariadne talked all through the rest of the night.

她对这个英俊的陌生人很好奇，还向他坦白，自己多么想离开克里特岛，摆脱父亲，去别处开始新生活。

She was curious about this handsome stranger, and she confessed to him that she longed to leave Crete and her father behind and start a new life somewhere else.

于是他们达成了自己的协议。

So they made a bargain of their own.

如果阿里阿德涅帮忒修斯打败牛头怪，他就带她回雅典。

If Ariadne helped Theseus defeat the Minotaur, he would take her back to Athens with him.

契约就是双方约定各自为对方做什么的协议。

A bargain is an agreement between two or more parties as to what each party will do for the other.

在希腊神话里，一旦做了约定，就得说到做到。

In Greek mythology, if you make a bargain, you better stick to it.

第二天早上，天刚蒙蒙亮，士兵们就把雅典人从牢房里拖出来，押着他们走向一座迷宫的入口。

The next morning, as the first rays of the sun were beginning to break through, the soldiers roused the Athenians and pulled them from their cell, marching them to the entrance of a labyrinth.

一扇木门敞开着，后面是一条通向山体深处的幽长隧道。

A wooden door stood open before a long dark tunnel that led into the side of a mountain.

一大群人围在周围，等着看这群雅典人走向末路。

A crowd had gathered to witness the party of Athenians marching towards certain doom.

他们走向入口时，阿里阿德涅从人群中走出来，悄悄对忒修斯说了几句话。

As they made their way to the entrance, Ariadne stepped out from the crowd and spoke briefly to Theseus.

门里面。

Just inside the door,

她说。

she said,

有一把剑和一团粗线。

there's a sword and a large ball of yarn.

好好用。

Use them well.

说完，她便悄然隐入人群，忒修斯和其他雅典青年被强行推进了迷宫。

And with that, she melted back into the crowd, and Theseus and the other Athenian youth were forced inside the labyrinth.

门关上了，他们的世界陷入一片漆黑。

The door closed, and their world became blackness.

不过在那之前，先插播一段广告。

But first, a word from our sponsor.

真的吗？

Really?

现在？

Right now?

我们刚要进入精彩部分，你就来这一出。

We were just getting to the good part and the okay.

随你吧。

Whatever.

嘿。

Hey.

嘿，各位《Greeking Out》的听众朋友们。

Hey, Greeking Out listeners.

我们知道你们都在等着《Greeking Out》的新一季，非常感谢你们这些年来一直陪伴我们，耐心等待。

We know you're waiting for a new season of Greeking Out, and we are so grateful to you for staying with us all these years and being patient.

我们马上就会带来更多内容。

And we've got more coming for you.

我知道。

I know.

可惜今年四月不会像往常一样上线了。

Unfortunately, it won't be released in April like we normally do.

确实有点延迟，但我向你们保证，我们正在加紧制作新的剧集。

There is a delay, but I promise we're working on more episodes as we speak.

给正在听的家长们提个建议，有件事你们或许会感兴趣。

Now to the parents listening, here's something you might wanna check out.

我们的朋友Pinna，就是P-I-N-N-A，这是一个专为孩子打造的音频应用，里面有很多精彩节目，其中我们特别喜欢的一部叫《Grim, Grim, or Grimmest》。

Our friends at Pinna, p I n n a, that's a kid's audio app that is home to some incredible shows, including one of our favorites, Grim, Grim, or Grimmest.

他们正在为Greeking Out的听众提供独家30%折扣，适用于所有订阅方案，包括月付和年付。

They are offering Greeking Out listeners an exclusive 30% discount off any subscription, including both monthly and annual plans.

Pinna上有大量内容，我相信你们一定会喜欢，比如关于古代文明的互动有声书。

Pinna has a whole bunch of stuff I know you're gonna love, like interactive audiobooks about ancient civilizations.

他们还有孩子自己制作的播客。

They got podcasts made by kids.

赶紧去pinna.fm，使用优惠码Greeking Out 30。

So go to pinna.fm and use code Greeking Out 30.

就是Greeking Out三个零，别忘了关注我们，后续还有更多消息。

That's Greeking Out three zero, and stay tuned for more updates.

你们已经在《宙斯大冒险：寻找金毛》里认识了宙斯和他的那群调皮小动物。

You met Zeus and his wild critter crew in Zeus the mighty quest for the golden fleas.

现在，准备好迎接全新的Greeking Out风格冒险吧——《迷宫中的凶恶弥诺陶洛斯》，《宙斯大冒险》系列第二部。

Now get ready for an all new Greeking Out inspired adventure in the maze of the menacing Minotaur, book two in the Zeus the mighty series.

跟随自信心爆棚的仓鼠宙斯、河豚波塞冬、蚱蜢德墨忒尔、猫咪雅典娜和斗牛犬阿瑞斯，一起解开迷宫之谜。

Join Zeus the overconfident hamster, Poseidon the puffer fish, Demeter the grasshopper, Athena the Cat, and Ares the Pug as they solve the mystery of the labyrinth.

全渠道书店均有销售。

Available wherever books are sold.

了解更多，请访问 bit.ly/go-ztm。

Discover more at bit.lee/go-ztm.

网址是 bit.ly/go-ztm。

That's bit.ly/go-ztm.

忒修斯在门口内侧摸索着，几秒钟后，终于摸到了剑柄和一团柔软的毛线。

Theseus felt around on the ground just inside the door, and after a few seconds of fumbling, found the hilt of the sword and the soft ball of yarn.

他能感觉到，毛线的一端一直延伸到迷宫外。

He could feel that one side of the yarn led outside the labyrinth doors.

他轻轻一拉，就听见对面有人轻声回应。

He tugged on it gently and heard someone say softly from the other side.

我这边拉着呢。

I'll hold this end.

顺着毛线往回走，别迷路了。

Follow the yarn back so you don't get lost.

他又轻轻拉了拉毛线，让她知道他听到了，然后告诉其他孩子们等他一下。

He gave another gentle tug of the yarn so she'd know he'd heard and told the other boys and girls to wait for him.

忒修斯慢慢一步一步地走进漆黑的走廊，深入迷宫，一边走一边放着线。

Slowly, one step at a time, Theseus began to make his way down the dark hall into the labyrinth, letting the string out behind him as he went.

世界上最大的毛线球在堪萨斯州的科克镇。

The world's largest ball of twine is in Cocker City, Kansas.

目前它周长超过12米，高度接近3米，里面缠了超过240万米的毛线。

It presently measures more than 41 feet around, is almost 11 feet tall, and contains more than 8,000,000 feet of twine.

这段黑暗的路走了好久。

It was a long walk in the dark.

其实不止是黑。

It was more than dark, actually.

那是彻底的漆黑一片。

It was complete blackness.

迷宫深处的隧道里一丝光亮都没有，但忒修斯还是继续往前走。

Not a single sliver of light made its way into the deep tunnels of a labyrinth, but Theseus kept going.

路上有弯道、岔路，还碰上几个死胡同，得原路返回，但忒修斯总能找到方向。

There were curves and turns and a couple of dead ends where he had to turn around, but Theseus was always able to find his way.

每当他走错路，就能顺着阿里阿德涅在后面稳稳拉着的毛线团找回路，一步步往迷宫更深处去。

When he got stuck, he was able to follow the yarn Ariadne was patiently holding back a little bit and right his course, moving deeper and deeper into the maze.

过了好像好几个小时，忒修斯终于停下来休息。

After what seemed like hours, Theseus stopped to rest.

他靠在墙上，坐在黑暗里，静静思考，仔细聆听。

He leaned his back against the wall and sat for a second in the darkness, thinking and listening.

过了一会儿，他好像听见了什么声音。

After a moment or two, he thought he heard a noise.

也许没有。

Perhaps not.

可能是耳朵在骗他。

Maybe his ears were just playing tricks on him.

在黑暗里，声音听起来都不一样了。

Things sound different in the dark.

确实如此。

This is very true.

夜晚的声音传播方式和白天不一样。

Sound waves travel differently during the night than they do in the day.

白天的时候，声音会向上偏折，远离地面。

In the day, the sound bends away from the ground.

到了晚上，声音反而会向下弯曲，贴着地面传播。

During the night, it bends towards the ground.

晚上你听到的声音其实比白天更多。

You actually have more sound reaching you at night than during the day.

就在这时，忒修斯又听到了那个声音。

But then Theseus heard it again.

是那种 sniffing 和 snorting 的声响，而且正慢慢变大。

It was a sniffing, snorting kind of sound, and it was slowly getting louder.

过了一会儿，忒修斯好像听到了脚步声。

After a few moments, Theseus thought he could hear footsteps.

他站了起来。

He stood up.

他抓起剑，仔细听着有没有其他动静。

He grabbed the sword, listening hard for more sounds.

脚步声确实存在，现在那 sniffing 的声音听起来更像是沉重的喘息。

There were definitely footsteps, and now the sniffing sounded more like heavy breathing.

忒修斯从没见过弥诺陶洛斯，但他觉得，这大概就是它该有的声音。

Theseus had never met a Minotaur before, but he imagined this is what one sounded like.

但它到底是从哪个方向来的？

But which way was it coming from?

忒修斯背靠着隧道的一堵墙，所以他知道弥诺陶洛斯只能从左边或右边过来。

Theseus had pushed himself back against one of the walls of the tunnel, so he knew the Minotaur had to be coming from either the left or the right.

到底是哪一边？

But which one?

脚步声越来越响、越来越快，呼吸也几乎变成了低吼。

The steps grew louder and faster and the breathing was almost like a growl now.

忒修斯猛地左右转头，想在黑暗中看清点什么，只要能判断出那怪物的位置就行。

Theseus snapped his head back and forth from left to right, trying to see something, anything in the darkness that would let him know where the creature was.

现在，那呼吸声已经非常响了。

The breathing was loud now.

弥诺陶洛斯已经很近了，就在这时，脚步声突然停了。

The Minotaur was near when suddenly, the footsteps stopped.

弥诺陶洛斯粗重而嘶哑的喘息充满了整个大厅。

The raspy, deep huffing of the Minotaur's breath filled the hall.

它在原地等着，嗅着空气，搜寻着忒修斯。

He was waiting, sniffing the air, hunting Theseus.

忒修斯完全不知道该朝哪个方向转身面对它。

And Theseus had no idea which way to turn to face him.

他吓得几乎动弹不得，但心里清楚，自己必须做点什么。

He was so scared he could barely move, but he knew he had to do something.

他紧张地挪了挪脚，脚底碰到了几颗小石子，这一下让他灵机一动。

As he nervously shuffled his feet a bit, his foot encountered a few small pebbles on the ground, and this gave him an idea.

他捡起一颗石子，朝左边的黑暗隧道扔了过去。

He took a pebble, and he threw it down the dark tunnel to his left.

只听见石子叮叮当当滚落的声音，其他什么动静都没有。

He heard nothing but the clackety clackety clack of the small rock bouncing and rolling.

于是他又试了一次，这次把石子扔向右边。

So he tried again, this time throwing a pebble to his right.

传来一声闷响，紧接着是一声可怕的怒吼。

There was a soft thud and then a terrible roar.

这下清楚了，忒修斯心里暗想。

Well, that solves that, thought Theseus to himself.

下一秒，米诺陶洛斯冲了过来。

An instant later, the Minotaur charged.

沉重急促的脚步声伴随着愤怒的咆哮，直逼忒修斯而来。

Fast heavy footsteps and a bellow of rage bearing down on Theseus.

他只有一秒钟的反应时间。

He only had a second to react.

什么也看不见，忒修斯紧紧贴住墙，凭着感觉挥剑乱砍，只想碰上点什么。

Unable to see anything, Theseus pressed his back even closer to the wall and swung blindly with a sword, waving and chopping, hoping to make contact with something.

他真的砍中了。

And he did.

忒修斯听见一声清脆的断裂声，接着是愤怒的咆哮。

Theseus heard a loud snap, and then a roar of outrage.

紧接着，弥诺陶洛斯扑了上来，撞飞了忒修斯，把他甩到了半空。

And then the Minotaur was upon him, slamming Theseus and flinging him into the air.

他重重摔在隧道的地面上。

He landed hard on the floor of the tunnel.

剑脱手了。

His sword had been knocked from his hand.

他听见剑掉在地上，叮叮当当地滚远了。

He could hear it clanging as it hit the ground somewhere nearby.

他刚一滚向那边，那怪物就又扑了上来。

He rolled toward it just as the creature attacked again.

这些us能感觉到它那巨大的蹄子，正踩在他刚才躺的地方。

Theseus could feel its massive legs stomping the ground where he lay only a second ago.

他慌乱地摸索着找剑，在黑暗中到处乱摸，手指突然碰到了一个硬邦邦、尖尖的东西。

He scrambled for the sword, fumbling in the dark, feeling around for the touch of steel when his hand felt something hard and pointy.

不是他的剑，难道是根棍子？

It wasn't his sword, maybe a stick?

不对。

No.

是角。

It was a horn.

这些us刚才用剑砍断了弥诺陶洛斯的一只角。

Theseus had broken off one of the Minotaur's horns with his sword.

但那已经不重要了。

But it didn't matter.

他没时间了。

He was out of time.

米诺陶洛斯转身扑向他时，忒修斯只能孤注一掷。

As the Minotaur turned and pounced on him, Theseus did the only thing he could do.

他用尽全力将角向前刺去，怪物一头撞上，角穿心而过，当场倒毙在雅典王子身上。

He thrust the horn forward with all his might, and the beast fell upon it, piercing himself through the heart and collapsing dead upon the prince of Athens.

牛角由坚硬的真皮骨构成，表面覆盖着一层薄薄的皮肤和角质细胞。

A cow's horn is made of hard dermal bone covered by a thin layer of skin and keratinized cells.

和鹿角不同，牛角不会脱落也不会再生，但要折断却难得多。

Unlike the antlers of a deer, horns do not shed or grow back, but they are much harder to break.

忒修斯终于从怪物尸体下挣脱出来，确认它确实死了之后，就开始摸索那把剑。

Theseus managed to pull himself out from under the body of the beast, and once he was sure it was dead, began to feel around for the sword.

他几乎激动得要哭出来。

He was almost giddy with relief.

他做到了。

He had done it.

他杀死了弥诺陶洛斯。

He had killed the Minotaur.

雅典终于不用再交贡品了。

Athens was free of its debt.

他现在只需要顺着毛线团原路返回，就能找到阿里阿德涅了，可他却找不到线团。

All he had to do now was follow the yarn back to Ariadne through the labyrinth, and he was wait.

毛线团去哪儿了？

Where was the yarn?

他把毛线团弄丢了。

He didn't have the yarn.

刚才和弥诺陶洛斯搏斗时一片混乱，忒修斯把毛线团给弄掉了。

In all of the chaos and commotion with the Minotaur, Theseus had dropped the ball of yarn.

如果找不到它，他就永远困在迷宫里了。

If he didn't find it, he would be trapped in the maze forever.

忒修斯强压住内心的恐慌。

Theseus fought the urge to panic.

迷宫里依旧漆黑一片。

It was still pitch black in the labyrinth.

忒修斯不知道自己身在何处，也不知该往哪走，只好向众神祈祷求助。

Theseus didn't know where he was or where he should go, so he prayed to the gods for help.

他深吸一口气，开始回想自己知道的一切。

He took a deep breath and thought about what he did know.

他知道墙在哪儿，也记得怪物是从哪个方向来的，于是极其缓慢地爬回墙边，双手在地上摸索着前进。

He knew where the wall was, he knew which direction the creature had come from, so very slowly, Theseus made his way back to the wall, crawling on all fours, feeling around on the ground.

找到墙之后，他朝着远离弥诺陶洛斯来路的左侧走去。

Once he found the wall, he headed left, away from where the Minotaur had come from.

他一手贴着墙，一步一步慢慢往后退，直到脚尖碰到了什么柔软的东西。

Keeping his hand on the wall, Theseus slowly retraced his steps one by one until his foot touched something soft.

他伸手一摸，找到了那团毛线。

He reached down and found the ball of yarn.

看到了吧？

See?

我不是跟你说过关于墙的事吗？

What did I tell you about the wall thing?

我猜中了，还是我猜中了？

Did I call it or did I call it?

对。

Yes.

你说得对。

You were right.

你确实猜对了。

You called that.

你知道吗，要是大家多听点神谕的话，这些故事能短多了。

You know, these stories would be a lot shorter if people would just listen to the Oracle more often.

是的。

Yeah.

你这话也没错，至少咱们的英雄现在情况好转了。

You're probably right about that too, but at least things are looking up for our hero.

他轻轻一拉毛线，感觉到阿里阿德涅那边也回拉了一下。

He gave the yarn a gentle tug and felt Ariadne give a tug back.

她信守了承诺，依然站在门口，握着毛线的另一头。

She'd kept her promise and was still standing at the door, holding the other side.

忒修斯原路返回，走出了迷宫，和其余的雅典人会合了。

Theseus retraced his steps back to the front of the labyrinth and joined the other Athenians.

他用力敲响大门，没过多久，就听见锁舌转动，大门缓缓打开。

He knocked loudly on the doors, and in a few short moments, he heard the locks turning and the doors slowly opened.

阿里阿德涅早已在那儿等着，准备帮他们逃出去。

There was Ariadne ready to help them make their escape.

他们在迷宫里待了整整一天，而阿里阿德涅一直守在门口，攥着那根毛线。

They had spent nearly an entire day in the maze, and Ariadne had been at the door the whole time holding the yarn.

忒修斯想叫醒米诺斯国王，让他承认约定已经完成，但阿里阿德涅太了解父亲了，知道这主意太危险。

Theseus wanted to wake King Minos and make him acknowledge the bargain was complete, but Ariadne knew her father, and she knew that was a bad idea.

这次，黑暗成了他们的帮手，雅典人悄无声息地抵达了码头，没人发觉他们已经离开。

This time, darkness was a friend, and the Athenians were able to make it to the docks without anyone even realizing they were gone.

几个小时后，才有些士兵发现迷宫的门大开着。

It would be hours later when some soldiers would notice the door to the labyrinth standing open.

米诺斯国王发出一声悲痛与愤怒的尖叫，连弥诺陶洛斯听了都会吓得发抖。

King Minos let out a scream of anguish and frustration that would have made the Minotaur cower in fear.

因为是晚上，雅典人决定不当天就一路航行回雅典。

Since it was night, the Athenians decided not to sail all the way back to Athens in one day.

他们在纳克索斯岛停了下来，举办了一场盛大的宴会。

They stopped on the island of Naxos and had a great feast.

纳克索斯是希腊基克拉迪群岛中最大的岛屿。

Naxos is the largest of the Cyclades Island group in Greece.

这里土地肥沃，有山间村落、古迹遗址，还有绵延的海滩。

Its fertile landscape spans mountain villages, ancient ruins, and long stretches of beach.

根据希腊神话，宙斯小时候就住在这里。

According to Greek mythology, this was where Zeus lived when he was a baby.

宴会后的第二天早上，忒修斯和雅典人急着想启程回家。

The morning after the feast, Theseus and the Athenians decided they wanted to get back home in a hurry.

他们睡过头了，赶紧收拾船舱，启程返回雅典。

They had slept longer than expected, so they packed up the ship quickly and set sail for Athens.

几个小时后，忒修斯才突然想起阿里阿德涅在哪。

It was hours later when Theseus wondered where Ariadne was.

他这才意识到，他们把她给落下啦。

He realized they had left her behind.

她当时在沙滩上睡着了，没跟大家一起醒过来。

She had fallen asleep on the beach and didn't wake up with the others.

大家都赶着走，根本没发现她没上船。

Everyone was in such a hurry, they didn't realize she wasn't aboard.

有人说这是个意外，也有人说，他根本就是故意的。

Some say it was a mistake, but some say he did it on purpose.

什么？

What?

等等。

Wait.

为什么？

Why?

我的意思是，他不应该是这个故事里的英雄吗？

I mean, isn't he supposed to be the hero of the story?

就算他做过伟大的事，也不代表他就是个好人。

Just because he did something great doesn't make him a great person.

但他们之间可是有约定的。

But they made a bargain.

而忒修斯违背了这个约定。

And Theseus broke that bargain.

嗯，看来确实是这样。

Well, I guess he did.

不管是不是意外，在希腊神话里，约定都是极其严肃的事。

Whether it was a mistake or not, bargains are serious things in Greek mythology.

也许忒修斯只是粗心大意，也可能众神让他变得疏忽了。

Maybe Theseus was just careless, or maybe the gods made him careless.

但不管怎样，因为他把阿里阿德涅丢在纳克索斯岛上，忒修斯忘记了对父亲的承诺，回家时没有把船帆从黑色换成白色。

But either way, because he left Ariadne on Naxos, Theseus forgot his promise to his father and did not change the sails from black to white while sailing home.

雅典国王埃勾斯看到船带着黑帆回来，以为这只能说明任务失败了，儿子已经死了。

King Aegis of Athens saw the ship returning with black sails, and he thought that could only mean that the mission had failed and that his son was dead.

他因失去儿子悲痛欲绝，最终从悬崖跳入下方的海中。

He was so upset over the loss of his son that he threw himself from the cliffs into the sea below.

从那以后，这片海域就被称为爱琴海。

Ever since, that body of water has been known as the Aegean Sea.

忒修斯回到家乡，继承了雅典王位，之后还经历了许多其他冒险。

Theseus returned home and assumed the throne of Athens and had many other adventures.

与此同时，克里特岛上的迷宫空无一人。

Meanwhile, the labyrinth on Crete remained empty.

雅典再也不用向米诺斯王进贡了。

Athens no longer had to offer tribute to King Minos.

接下来的几年里，他们造船练兵，最终建立起全希腊最受尊敬的舰队。

They spent the next few years building ships and training sailors until their navy was the most respected fleet of ships in all of Greece.