回音女神－爱蔻

Not only did the Greeks believe in gods and titans, but they believed in other spirits who lived in the woods, mountains and streams. The nymphs were beautiful female spirits.

　　Echo was one of these. She was as beautiful and gay as the other nymphs. But she had one important weakness. She loved to argue and always wanted to have the last word.

　　One day Echo got into an argument with Hera, the queen of the gods. Echo would not admit she was wrong. Hera became angry, and said, "You must always have the last word!Very well, from now on you will always have the last word ¢w but only the last word. You may never speak first." After that, Echo could only repeat the last words of others, like a parrot.

　　Echo saw Narcissus, a handsome young man. He liked hunting in the forest. Echo loved him very much and followed him everywhere. She hoped to speak to him in the softest words, and wanted him to have a talk with her. But, no! Echo couldn't speak the first words. She waited for Narcissus to speak first, and prepared her answer.

　　One day Narcissus was not with his friends and he heard something among the leaves. He shouted, "Who's there?"

　　"There," answered Echo.

　　Narcissus looked around, but he couldn't see anyone.

　　"Come! Here I am," called out Narcissus.

　　"Come! Here I am," answered Echo.

　　"Why do you keep away from me?" he called again. Echo asked the same question.

　　"Come out of the bushes, please," said the young man. Echo answered with all her heart in the same words. She came out of the bushes, and hurried to Narcissus to throw her arms around his neck. When he saw a stranger, the young man was shocked and stepped back. He cried out "Hands off! I never want to see you."

　　"See you, see you, see you!" said Echo, but Narcissus could not understand her. He left her, and she went into the woods to hide her red face.

　　From then on she lived in caves and valleys. She became thinner and paler. Finally she became smaller and smaller, and her bones changed into rocks.

　　Echo is still ready to answer us when we call her, and she keeps up her old habit of having the last word.

　　希腊人不但相信有众神、泰坦巨人，而且也相信其它住在森林、山岳和河流的精灵。这些年轻的大自然女神是貌美的女精灵。
　　爱蔻是这些女神之一。她和其它的女神一样美丽和快乐。但她有一个重大的缺点。她喜好争辩，而且总要说最后一个字（在争辩中获胜）才肯罢休。

　　有一天，爱蔻和天后希拉起了争执。爱蔻不肯承认自己错了。希拉很生气，就说：『妳总是非赢不可！很好，从现在起，妳将永远可以说最后一个字──但只有最后那个字（本句指字面意思而非争辩获胜）。妳永远不能先开口。』之后，爱蔻只能像鹦鹉一样重复别人所说的最后一个字。
　　爱蔻看见了那西塞斯，他是一个英俊的青年。他喜欢在森林里打猎。爱蔻深深地爱上了他，就到处跟着他。她希望用最轻柔的话语和他说话，希望他和她聊天。但是，不能！爱蔻不能先说话。她等待着那西塞斯先开口，并准备着她的回答。

　　有一天，那西塞斯没有和他的朋友在一起。他听见树叶之间有些动静。他喊道：『谁在那边？』
　　『那边，』爱蔻答道。

　　那西塞斯四下张望，但他没见到半个人影。
　　那西塞斯大叫：『来吧！我在这里。』

　　『来吧！我在这里，』爱蔻答道。
　　他又喊道：『妳为什么不靠近我？』爱蔻也问着相同的问题。

　　这年轻人说：『请从矮树丛出来吧。』爱蔻全心全意地用相同的话回答。她走出矮树丛，然后奔向那西塞斯，展臂搂住了他的脖子。当这个年轻人看见一个陌生人时，惊得向后退。他叫道：『放手！我从来也没想要见妳。』
　　爱蔻说：『见妳，见妳，见妳！』但那西塞斯听不懂她在说什么。他离开了她，而她则走进树林里，以遮掩她那羞红的脸蛋。

　　从那时起，她生活在洞穴和山谷里。她变得日渐消瘦而苍白。最后，她变得愈来愈小，而她的骨头变成了岩石。
　　当我们叫她时，爱蔻仍然准备好要回答我们，而且仍然保持着说最后一个字的老习惯。