英语本科（西方文化）教学补充材料
Highlights of European Culture
Questions and Answers
欧洲文化入门精要问答
胡宗锋 主编
Part One Greek Culture
第一部分：希腊文化
1.
What are the major elements in European culture? 欧洲文化的主干是什么?
There are two main elements—— the Greco-Roman element and the Judeo-Christian
element.
欧洲文化有两条主干：一是希腊和罗马文化历史；二是犹太教和基督教历史。
2. What are the main features of ancient Greek society?
古希腊社会的主要特征是什么?
In Greek society, only adult male citizen had real power and the citizenship was a set of
rights, which a man inherited from his father. The economy of Athens rested on an immense amount of slave labor. Slaves worked for their masters. The exploitation was a serious social problem. The Greeks loved sports. They often took part in the contests of sports in Olympus Mount, thus Olympic Games came into being.
古希腊社会中，只有成年男性公民享有真正权力，而且这些权利是从父辈那里继承
下来的。 雅典的经济是建立在大量奴隶劳动基础之上的。 奴隶主奴役奴隶，这种剥削是一种严重的社会问题。希腊人酷爱体育运动，他们经常在奥林匹克山举行运动竞赛，后来的奥林匹克运动会即源于此。
3. What do you know about Athens?
有关雅典您都知道些什么?
Athens was a democracy and an art center. But only the adult male citizens exercised the power, and the economy of Athens rested on an immense amount of slave labor. The Greeks loved sports. Their festivals included contests of sports, thus began the Olympic Games.
雅典是古希腊的民主和艺术之中心。可是在当时只有成年男性公民享有真正的民主权利，同时雅典的经济是建立在大量奴隶劳动的基础上的。 希腊人酷爱运动， 适逢佳节， 他们必定举行各种运动竞技活动，我们今天的奥林匹克运动会就是由此发展而来的。 4. What did Homer do? Why is he so important in the history of European literature?
荷马是何人? 他在欧洲文学中为何占有如此重要地位?
Ancient Greeks considered Homer to be the author of their epics which are valuable cultural heritage. Homer depicted the great Greek men who lived in the period 1200—1100 B. C. and wars happening at that time. His two famous epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey, have survived. As an author of epics, he employed fine literary language to describe wars and men, even though they were dull. He stood in the peak of Greek literature and exerted a great influence on his followers.
Homer: As is the generation of leaves, so is that of humanity. Always to be bravest and to be preeminent above others. Smiling through her tears.
The single best augury is to fight for one‘s country.
荷马是古希腊著名的诗人。相传，欧洲文学史中最早的两部重要作品《伊里亚特》和《奥德赛》就是在公元前九世纪至八世纪由荷马根据在小亚细亚口头流传的史诗短歌综合编成的，因而这两部作品被称为“荷马史诗”。其描绘了公元前1200—1100年间希腊人的生活，以及当时所发生的战争。作为叙事诗作者，荷马用精美的文学语言把当时乏味的战争及人们
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的生活描绘得有声有色。荷马史诗是留给后世希腊人最为珍贵的文化财富。它是希腊文学之最，对后人产生了巨大的影响。
荷马：人类世代相传， 如同草木的荣枯一般。
永远做一个英勇善战的人，做一个出类拔萃的人。 从她的眼泪里露出微笑来。
为保卫祖国而战，便是最好的吉兆。 5. What is the main plot of Iliad?
《伊利亚特》的主要内容是什么？
The Iliad deals with the alliance of the states of the southern mainland of Greece, led by Agamemnon in their war against the city of Troy, because the prince of Troy made off with him the most beautiful women in the world, wife of the king of Sparta, Helen. After ten years‘ battle, finally Helen was brought back and Troy was sacked and burned by the Greeks.
《伊里亚特》叙述了希腊人同特洛伊人之间的战争事宜。 由于特洛伊王子拐走了世间最美丽的女子-斯巴达王之妻海伦，于是希腊人组成联军， 由阿伽门农为统帅进军特洛伊。 经过10年的战争， 希腊人终于攻陷了特洛伊，夺回了海伦。这次战争已为考古发掘所证实。 特洛伊位于小亚细亚西北海岸，商业繁荣，史诗称它为“富丽的伊利昂”，“有神话般的财富”。公元前十二世纪初期，希腊半岛上的一些部落联合进攻特罗伊，毁灭了这座城市。 6. What is the main plot of Odyssey?
《奥德赛》的主要内容是什么？
The Odyssey deals with the return of Odysseus after the Trojan War to his home island of Ithaca. It describes many adventures he ran into on his long sea voyage and how finally he was reunited with his faithful wife Penelope.
《奥德赛》主要描写的是希腊英雄奥德修在特洛伊战后还乡的故事。特洛伊战后, 希腊将领奥德赛历尽千辛万苦, 经过长时间的海上漂流，最终返回到他的故乡--伊大卡岛, 终于得以与自己忠诚的妻子-珀涅罗珀相团圆。《奥德赛》是一部描写航海生活和家庭生活的史诗，是欧洲文学中第一部以个人遭遇为主要内容的作品，成为文艺复兴和十八世纪流浪汉小说及批判现实主义小说的先驱。 7. Who is Sappho?
为什么萨福被称为是“第十位文艺女神”？
Plato sang high praise of Sappho and he once said that she was the Tenth Muse. Sappho was considered the most important lyric poet of ancient Greece, who had left behind her lots of beautiful love poems of passionate intensity, some of which are addressed to women, however unfortunately by now we could have the chance to appreciate only two of her comparatively complete poems. Her poems are full of passion and her language is simple but natural. Her unique style has been valued and imitated by people for about two thousand years up till now. Many Greek and Latin writers know nearly all her poems by heart. But in the 10th century the Christian church burned her works. Only fragments remain.
Sappho: Just as the sweet-apple reddens on the high branch, high on the highest, and the
apple-pickers missed it, or rather did not miss it out, but dared not reach it.
柏拉图曾经赞美说: ―漫不经心的人称缪斯只是第九个人, 须知道莱斯伯岛的萨福是第十位文艺女神‖ 。 萨福是公元前六世纪古希腊的一位女诗人, 她写下不少脍炙人口的爱情诗, 可惜今天只能看到比较完整的两首。 她的诗歌感情热烈而真挚, 语言朴素而自然，富于韵律美和音乐性。 她独创的格律, 被称为 ―萨福体‖ 。两千年来一直为后人珍视和效仿。 总之, 萨福的抒情诗表现了在地中海自由成长的古希腊妇女坦率热烈的情怀, 也表现了希腊文
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学的人本思想和现世思想.
萨福：恰似一个红熟的苹果高悬在枝头，高高地挂在树梢上，摘果人已把它遗忘，不，
可不是遗忘，而是无人敢去攀折。
8. Who is Pindar? 品达是何人?
Pindar is best known for his odes celebrating the victories at the athletic games, such as the 14 Olympian odes. These were chanted by a chorus in a procession. They are marked by an elevated tone and stirring sound effects. Pindar, too, had imitators, such as the 17th century English poet John Dryden. Pindar: Do not peer too far.
I will not steep my speech in lies; the test of any man lies in action. Words have a longer life than deeds.
诗人品达是合唱琴歌的最著名的作者。当时，希腊盛行体育竞技，竞技活动又和敬神的节日在一起，品达在诗中歌颂奥林匹克运动会及其他泛希腊运动会上的竞技胜利者和他们的城邦。他写过十七卷诗，只传下四卷。他的诗里有泛希腊爱国热情和道德教诲；他歌颂了希腊人在萨拉米之役中获得的胜利；他认为人死后的归宿取决于他们在世时的行为。他的诗风格庄重，词藻华丽，形式完美。品达的合唱歌对后世欧洲文学有很大影响，在十七世纪古典主义时期被认为是“崇高的颂歌”的典范。 品达：别把目光放在渺茫的将来。
我不愿让我的言词沾上谎言；对任何一个人的考验在于行动。 文字比业绩存在的时间更久。
9. Who were the three outstanding dramatists of ancient Greece?
What important plays did each of them write?
古希腊的三大悲剧作家是谁？ 他们分别都有哪些作品？
Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides were three outstanding dramatists of ancient Greece.
Aeschylus: Prometheus Bound, Persians, Agamemnon
Sophocles: Oedipus the King, Electra, Antigone Euripides: Andromache, Medea, Trojan Women
古希腊的三大悲剧作家分别是：埃斯库罗斯、索福克勒斯和欧里庇得斯 埃斯库罗斯的代表作是《被缚的普罗米修斯》、《波斯人》和《阿伽门侬》 索福克勒斯的代表作是《俄狄浦斯王》《厄勒克特刺》 《安提戈涅》 欧里庇得斯的代表作是 《安得洛玛刻》 《美狄亚》 《特洛伊妇女》 10. Why is Aeschylus regarded as “the Father of Tragedy”?
为什么埃斯库罗斯被称为“悲剧之父”？
Aeschylus was regarded as ―the Father of Tragedy‖ because he is one of the three greatest tragic dramatists of ancient Greece. He has written more than 80 plays such as Prometheus Bound、Persians and Agamemnon. The plays are written in verse. Aeschylus is noted for his vivid character portrayal and majestic poetry. According to him, everything in this world is destined and there is no escape but death. The contradiction between man‘s will power and the manipulation of fate can never be compromised, which is the essence of his tragedy.
Aeschylus: I would far rather be ignorant than knowledgeable of evils. 埃斯库罗斯是古希腊三大悲剧诗人之一，是古希腊悲剧的真正创始者，恩格斯曾称他为“悲剧之父”，他使悲剧具有深刻的思想内容和完备的形式。埃斯库罗斯著有80多部剧作, 其
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中有《被缚的普罗米修斯》、《波斯人》和《阿伽门侬》等。 在他看来，世上的一切矛盾冲突的根源都来源于命运，无论是人还是神都无法抗拒命运的安排。个人的自由意志与不可抗拒的命运之间的永恒冲突，正是埃斯库罗斯悲剧中所表现的主要思想。
埃斯库罗斯：我宁可全然无知，也不愿了解人世间的邪恶。 11．Who was regarded as “the dramatic Homer”?
被誉为“戏剧艺术的荷马”的是谁?
Sophocles contributed greatly to tragic art and it was he that promoted the Greek tragedy to near perfection. He added a third actor and decreased the size of the chorus. He showed fine skills in the construction of drama, which can be compared with Homer. It is well acknowledged that Sophocles‘ Oedipus the King can be matched with Homer‘s Iliad in many aspects. Therefore, Sophocles is regarded as ―the dramatic Homer‖. Sophocles has had a strong impact on European literature. Some of his plots were taken over and adopted by later writers. The Austrian psychiatrist Sigmund Freud‘s term ―the Oedipus complex‖ was also derived from Sophocles‘s play.
Sophocles: Reason is God‘s crowning gift to man. Time eases all things. One word
Frees us of all the weight and pain of life: That word is love.
索福克勒斯在悲剧艺术性方面做出了许多新的贡献。希腊悲剧的艺术形式，在他的创作中达到了完善的程度，他在戏剧结构布局上所表现出的高超技巧则完全可以与荷马史诗相媲美。人们公认，索福克勒斯的《俄狄浦斯王》，在结构布局方面堪称希腊悲剧的典范，在题材的剪裁与提炼上所达到的艺术高度，与荷马在史诗《伊里亚特》中用对几天战争的描写来表现十年伊利亚特战役有异曲同工之妙。 因而，索福克勒斯被文学史家称为“戏剧艺术的荷马”。他对欧洲文学有着很大影响，他戏剧中的一些情节常被后世作家引用和改编。奥地利精神病学家弗洛伊德的专业术语“俄狄浦斯情结”（恋母情节）也源于他的戏剧。
索福克勒斯：理智是上天给人的最大馈赠。 时光将会平息一切。
让我们摆脱生活的重负与痛苦的是一个字，那个字便是爱。 12. Who was regarded as “the philosopher on the stage”?
被称为“舞台上的哲学家”的是谁？
Euripides was regarded as the philosopher on the stage. As a young man, he was keen on studying philosophy and was greatly influenced by it. He impinged aggressive wars on its evil and destructive consequences, the Greek men on their immorality and selfishness, the inequality between men and women and men‘s superior attitude towards women. He even didn‘t believe there existed a so-called god and according to him, men‘s future is in their own hands and only they themselves can be responsible for what they did. Euripides: There is one thing alone
That stands the brunt of life throughout its course:
A quiet conscience.
欧里庇得斯被称为“舞台上的哲学家”, 他早年热心于研究哲学, 并深受其影响. 诗人揭露了侵略战争的罪恶; 暴露雅典男子的不道德和自私自利; 批判当时男女的不平等, 斥责男子蔑视女性; 攻击天神, 对宗教表示怀疑. 他认为命运就在自己身上, 即所谓事在人为, 自己做事, 自己担当.
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