布芬契 原著　　江銘輝譯

    無可奈何，多麼讓人遺憾的理由是愛特蘭塔是一個少女，她的臉蛋就女孩而言實際上可能說富於男孩子氣息，但就男孩子說，又太女性化。
她的命已已算過，大意是：「愛特蘭塔不能結婚；你將毀滅在婚姻上。」這個神
諭太可怕了，她避開男人的社會，全心熱衷於打獵的活動。對所有追求者（追求者太多了），她賦予一個條件使她對於他們的逼婚減輕不少，同時往往很奏致，      「任何人倘能跑贏我，我將是他的獎品；可是凡嘗試而失敗的人，都要接受處死的懲罰。」

    儘管如此嚴厲的條件，仍有人願意嘗試。希波米尼斯被任命為賽跑的裁判。他說：「世上那有這樣魯莽的人。為一個妻子而冒如此的險呢？」但是當他看見她脫下長袍準備比賽的時候，他改變了想法，說：「年輕人，原諒我，我先前沒認清你們競爭的獎品。」當他環視他們時，他希望他們全部失敗。對於所有可能會贏的人，他妒忌有加。當他這樣想着，這位處女己飛奔出去了。她奔跑的姿態，看上去比先前更美。微風彷彿給她的雙腳添上翅膀，她的頭髮在肩上飛揚，衣服的邊緣輕飄在她的身後。雪白的皮膚上泛映出些微的桃紅顏色，彷彿一廉桃紅的薄幔映在雪白大理石牆壁上。她的所有競賽者全被遠遠甩在後面，毫無憐憫地被處死。
      希波米尼斯不因這個結局而氣餒，他兩眼盯著這個處女說：「何必以擊敗這些動作遲鈍的傢伙而自豪呢？我參加競賽。」愛脫蘭塔以愛憐的臉色望他，簡直不知道是否擊敗他或不擊敗他好。「何方神聖能夠打動這樣年輕、貌美的男子拋棄他的生命呢?我憐憫他，不是為他的貌美 (然而他非常美貌)，而是他的年輕。但願他放棄這場比賽，如果他發狂要參賽，我希望他會追上我。」她躊躇著，再三轉變這些念頭，可是觀眾對這場競賽漸漸不耐煩。她的父親也催她快些準備。於是希波米尼斯向維納斯致敬，作了禱告：「維納斯，幫助我，因為你引導我來比賽。」維納斯聽見，願意給予援助。

   維納斯，她自己薩普勒斯島上神廟的花園裡，有一棵黃色樹葉、黃色枝幹和金色水果的樹木。因此她就摘下三顆金黃蘋果，在神不知鬼不覺的情況下，給希波米尼斯，並且教他如何使用。鳴跑信號放出，每一個人從起點出發，飛奔在沙灘上。他們的步伐是如此的經快，你幾乎不用想，他們縱使在河上或麥浪上奔跑，也不會沉沒。觀眾的呼叫聲，鼓舞希波米尼斯，「好呀，好呀，盡量跑！趕快，趕快！你追上她了！不要放鬆！再努力一下！」到底年青人或少女聽了這些呼叫聲會更加高興，這是有待商權的。可是年青人的呼吸已經接不上了，他的喉嚨乾燥，離終點站尚遠。就在這時候，他拋下一顆金蘋果。處女非常驚呀，停步將它拾起。希波米尼斯射到前面去了，四周爆出狂叫聲。她又加倍努力，不久又趕上他了。再次，他丟下一顆金蘋果，她又停下來，可是又給她趕上。終點站快接近了，只剩下最後一次機會。「阿！女神！」年青人祈禱，「完成妳的禮物罷！」，便把最後一只蘋果丟在一旁。她望著它，但猶豫著，維納斯鼓勵她轉身去拿。她照做，就這樣跑失了。年青人帶走他的獎品。

 但是這對情侶是如此充滿在幸福中，忘記應給維納斯的尊敬，女神對他們的忘恩負義，感到激怒。她使他們得罪薛比麗女神（薛比麗是拉丁名字，大地之母，希臘人叫蓋亞，宙斯的母親）。此位女神權力至大，從來沒有人冒犯她還能幸免的。她除去了他們的人形，將他們變為性格相似的動物。狩獵女英雄以她追求者的鮮血，洋洋得意，將地變為一頭母獅，而她的主公則變為一頭雄獅，然後用軛將牠們套在座車上。現在我們祇要看見薛比麗女神的像，不論是雕刻或繪畫，還可以看見他們兩個。

  ATALANTA. (原文)

  The innocent cause of so much sorrow was a maiden whose face you might truly say was boyish for a girl, yet too girlish for a boy. Her fortune had been told, and it was to this effect: "Atalanta, do not marry; marriage will be your ruin." Terrified by this oracle, she fled the society of men, and devoted herself to the sports of the chase. To all suitors (for she had many) she imposed a condition which was generally effectual in relieving her of their persecutions- "I will be the prize of him who shall conquer me in the race; but death must be the penalty of all who try and fail." In spite of this hard condition some would try. Hippomenes was to be judge of the race. "Can it be possible that any will be so rash as to risk so much for a wife?" said he. But when he saw her lay aside her robe for the race, he changed his mind, and said, "Pardon me, youths, I knew not the prize you were competing for." As he surveyed them he wished them all to be beaten, and swelled with envy of any one that seemed at all likely to win. While such were his thoughts, the virgin darted forward. As she ran she looked more beautiful than ever. The breezes seemed to give wings to her feet; her hair flew over her shoulders, and the gay fringe of her garment fluttered behind her. A ruddy hue tinged the whiteness of her skin, such as a crimson curtain casts on a marble wall. All her competitors were distanced, and were put to death without mercy. Hippomenes, not daunted by this result, fixing his eyes on the virgin, said, "Why boast of beating those laggards? I offer myself for the contest." Atalanta looked at him with a pitying countenance, and hardly knew whether she would rather conquer him or not. "What god can tempt one so young and handsome to throw himself away? I pity him, not for his beauty (yet he is beautiful), but for his youth. I wish he would give up the race, or if he will be so mad, I hope he may outrun me." While she hesitates, revolving these thoughts, the spectators grow impatient for the race, and her father prompts her to prepare. Then Hippomenes addressed a prayer to Venus: "Help me, Venus, for you have led me on." Venus heard and was propitious.
  In the garden of her temple, in her own island of Cyprus, is a tree with yellow leaves and yellow branches and golden fruit. Hence she gathered three golden apples, and unseen by any one else, gave them to Hippomenes, and told him how to use them. The signal is given; each starts from the goal and skims over the sand. So light their tread, you would almost have thought they might run over the river surface or over the waving grain without sinking. The cries of the spectators cheered Hippomenes,- "Now, now, do your best! haste, haste! you gain on her! relax not! one more effort!" It was doubtful whether the youth or the maiden heard these cries with the greater pleasure. But his breath began to fail him, his throat was dry, the goal yet far off. At that moment be threw down one of the golden apples. The virgin was all amazement. She stopped to pick it up. Hippomenes shot ahead. Shouts burst forth from all sides. She redoubled her efforts, and soon overtook him. Again he threw an apple. She stopped again, but again came up with him. The goal was near; one chance only remained. "Now, goddess," said he, "prosper your gift!" and threw the last apple off at one side. She looked at it, and hesitated; Venus impelled her to turn aside for it. She did so, and was vanquished. The youth carried off his prize.
  But the lovers were so full of their own happiness that they forgot to pay due honour to Venus; and the goddess was provoked at their ingratitude. She caused them to give offence to Cybele. That powerful goddess was not to be insulted with impunity. She took from them their human form and turned them into animals of characters resembling their own: of the huntress-heroine, triumphing in the blood of her lovers, she made a lioness, and of her lord and master a lion, and yoked them to her car, where they are still to be seen in all representations, in statuary or painting, of the goddess Cybele.