正文

Daphne was the daughter of the river god Peneus. In Greek mythology（神话）, she was the personification of the laurel（月桂）, a tree whose leaves formed into garlands（花环）. Daphne was particularly associated with Apollo.

达芙妮是河神珀纽斯的女儿。在希腊神话中，她被称作“月桂女神” ( 月桂树的叶子可以编成花环 ) 。她和阿波罗有一段特殊的渊源。

Apollo was a great archer（弓箭手）, but sometimes he was a little full of himself. One day he caught sight of another archer Eros and teased（取笑） him, putting down his abilities as an archer.

阿波罗是一位出色的弓箭手，但有时过于自满。有一天他遇到了另一位弓箭手小爱神厄洛斯，阿波罗嘲笑了他的箭术。

Angry at this insult, Eros shot two arrows. One arrow dipped in gold had the power to create insatiable lust in a person, while the other one, blunted（钝的） and dipped in lead（铅）, created absolute abhorrence（厌恶） towards all things romantic and passionate. The arrow dipped in gold struck Apollo, but the arrow dipped in lead struck fair Daphne.

厄洛斯非常恼火，于是射出了两支箭：一支用黄金做成的利箭，被射到的人，心中会燃起熊熊爱火；一支用铅做成的钝箭，被射中的人，就会极度厌恶一切浪漫的爱情。厄洛斯将“爱情之箭”射向了阿波罗，将“厌恶之箭”射向了美丽的达芙妮。

Apollo chased down the maiden, desperate for her love, but she wanted nothing to do with him, and she ran from him endlessly. Soon, she grew weary（厌烦的） in her running and that Apollo would ultimately catch her. Fearful, she called out to her father for help.

阿波罗狂热地追逐达芙妮，渴求她的爱情，然而达芙妮却丝毫不为所动，拼命地奔跑想要逃脱。跑了好一阵子， 达芙妮已经筋疲力尽，眼看阿波罗就要追上她了，恐惧绝望的达芙妮大声呼喊寻求父亲的帮助。

Peneus transformed his daughter into a laurel tree. Suddenly her legs took root, and her arms grew into long and slender branches.

河神珀纽斯将女儿变成一株月桂树，瞬间她的两条腿变成树根深深扎入土里，手臂化成了修长的树枝。

Apollo reached the laurel tree, and still enamored（迷恋的） with Daphne, he made himself a laurel wreath（花环） (a circle made of laurel that you put on your head) from the tree. And that is why the laurel tree was, and still is, a symbol of the god Apollo, and is used by emperors within the culture.

阿波罗追到月桂树前，依旧深爱达芙妮的他用月桂树的树枝编成花环戴在头上。从此月桂树成了阿波罗的象征，也受到了众多国王的青睐。

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