英美民间故事：The Athenian and the Theban
<p><span word="An">An</span> <span word="Athenian">Athenian</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="Theban">Theban</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="road">road</span> <span word="together">together</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="passed">passed</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="conversation">conversation</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="travelers">travelers</span>. <span word="After">After</span> <span word="discussing">discussing</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="variety">variety</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="subjects">subjects</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="began">began</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="talk">talk</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="heroes">heroes</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="topic">topic</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="tends">tends</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="fertile">fertile</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="edifying">edifying</span>1. <span word="Each">Each</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="lavish">lavish</span>2 <span word="in">in</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="praises">praises</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="heroes">heroes</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="own">own</span> <span word="city">city</span>, <span word="until">until</span> <span word="eventually">eventually</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Theban">Theban</span> <span word="asserted">asserted</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="Hercules">Hercules</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="greatest">greatest</span> <span word="hero">hero</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="ever">ever</span> <span word="lived">lived</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="earth">earth</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="now">now</span> <span word="occupied">occupied</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="foremost">foremost</span> <span word="place">place</span> <span word="among">among</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="gods">gods</span>; <span word="while">while</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Athenian">Athenian</span> <span word="insisted">insisted</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="Theseus">Theseus</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="far">far</span> <span word="superior">superior</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="fortune">fortune</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="every">every</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="supremely">supremely</span>3 <span word="blessed">blessed</span>, <span word="whereas">whereas</span> <span word="Hercules">Hercules</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="forced">forced</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="act">act</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="servant">servant</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="gained">gained</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="point">point</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="glib">glib</span>4 <span word="fellow">fellow</span>, <span word="like">like</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="Athenians">Athenians</span>; <span word="so">so</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Theban">Theban</span>, <span word="who">who</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="match">match</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="him">him</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="talking">talking</span>; <span word="cried">cried</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="disgust">disgust</span>, "<span word="All">All</span> <span word="right">right</span>, <span word="have">have</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="way">way</span>; <span word="I">I</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="hope">hope</span> <span word="that">that</span>, <span word="when">when</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="heroes">heroes</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="angry">angry</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="us">us</span>, <span word="Athens">Athens</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="suffer">suffer</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="anger">anger</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Hercules">Hercules</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Thebes">Thebes</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Theseus">Theseus</span>."</p><p>一个雅典人和一个底比斯人一同走在路上，就像其他旅行者一样，他们用聊天来打发时间。聊了一些其他话题之后，他们开始谈起英雄，虽然没有什么教育意义，但这可是一个颇有谈资的内容，一提到赞美各自城市的英雄，两个人侃侃而谈。后来，底比斯断言，赫拉克勒斯是地球上曾经存在过的最伟大的英雄，现在占据了众神之中的首要位置。而雅典人则坚持认为，提修斯远远超过了赫拉克勒斯，因为他的命运在各方面都得到了充分的眷顾，而赫拉克勒斯曾一度被迫充当奴隶。他达到了自己的目的，因为他像所有雅典人一样，是一个非常圆滑的家伙。而底比斯人在谈话中根本不是他的对手，最后有些反感地大吼道：“好吧，随便你，我只希望，当我们的英雄对我们生气时，雅典人会从赫拉克勒斯的愤怒中遭殃，而底比斯人则从提修斯的愤怒中受苦。”</p>
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