Aphrodite（阿佛洛狄特） was the goddess of extreme beauty. Her birth was a mysterious one. 

 

On one of those days when the Olympians had begun to enjoy power in the universe, the floating bubbles of the sea glowed with holy brightness. Out of the wave rose a fair and lovely maiden¹, shining forth² warmth and charm. She was then taken by the ocean fairy maiden to Cyprus which became her sacred island. Her beauty was beyond description, and she was rightly called the Beautiful. Over her deathles shead was a golden crown, her eyes were deep and soft, and her brows warm. Her long halr flowed over her delicate neck and white bosom³. Her slender fingers and rosy-white feet all added to her attractive grace and elegance⁴. Her slim lily form of a figure caused both the enthusiastic admiration⁵ of the gods and the burning jealousy⁶ of the goddess when she first took her place on Olympus. 

 

She was appointed goddess of Love and Marriage. Sitting in her carriage drawn⁷ by sparrows, doves or swans, she travelled far and wide to inspire love in the hearts of all nature and move man and beast and animal and plant to reproduction. With the help of her little son, Eros, the god of love, she made many a tale of happiness and sadness in the life of gods and men. Being less serious, she introduced the idea of free love into married life. She was never faithful to her husband Hephaestus. Her husband on one occasion caught her in a net as she was lying with Mars. Then he held them both up to fun in front of the gods. She was kind and responsible and was ever ready to help young lovers in trouble. She loved Adonis, breathed life into the statue of Galatea and lent a helping⁸ hand to young Hippomennes in his race. 

点击收听单词发音