Tantalus
Tantalus was the rich and mighty1 king of Lydia．Son ofZeus by a fairy maiden，he was greatly favored by the gods．He was invited to share wine and food with them at their banquets，and he was let into their secrets ．But ever the latter end of joy is woe2 ．Either because he had stolen wine orgave away the secrets of Zeus，or because he had become so proud as to test the gods by serving up the flesh of his son Pelopsto them，he incurred3 the wrath4 of Zeus and was hurled5 down to the everlasting6 darkness of Tartarus ．There he was made tostand up to his chin in a little lake，with clusters of luscious7 fruits hanging over and around his head．He strove eternally to drink the ever-evading water and to clutch at the delicious fruits which were ever tossed out of his reach by blasts of wind．Thus he was doomed8 to endure endless burning thirst and bitter hunger in the world of the shades．The whole occurrence has given rise to the expressiontantalizing，meaning somethng inplain view but unattainable ．
坦塔罗斯是罗底亚富有而又强大的国王。他是宙斯和一位仙女的儿子，深受众神喜欢。众神请他参加宴会，与他们共享美酒与美食，并且还让他知道他们的秘密。然而乐极生悲。可能是他偷了美酒、或者泄露了宙斯的秘密、可能是他太骄傲以至于献上自己儿子珀罗普斯的肉来检验神的智慧，他招致了宙斯的愤怒，被打入了永远黑暗的地狱中。在那里他被迫站定于一小湖中，水没至下颌，无数甜美的水果悬于头顶和四周。他从不间歇地努力喝水，但水一直从嘴边流走；他试图抓住那些美味的水果，但一直被阵阵来风吹离，使他没办法得到。因而他注定要在阴间遭受炙渴和很难忍受的饥饿。tantalizing一词即由此而来，意思是在眼前却没办法得到的某个东西。
