Zeus
Zeus was the god of sky, the supreme2 god. He was called the father of both gods and men. Zeus was also the god of thunders and storms, and generally of the weather and everything that had to do with the sky. Besides, he was the pro- tector of cities and home property3.
Zeus never enjoyed a peaceful life. He was faced with the danger of being swallowed4 by his father upon the very moment5 of his birth. When he grew up he had to fight his own father and finally deprive6 him of his crown. After mar riage, he seemed to be always at odds7 with his shrewlike8 wife.
Zeus was well known for his passion9 for pretty women. He had innumerable10 adulterous11 affairs. In order to achieve his lusty12 desires he frequently assumed13 animal forms, such as that of a cuckoo14 when he seduced15 Hera16, a swan when he ravished17 Leda18, or a bull when he carried off Europa19. Legend20 had it that Zeus changed himself into a bedraggled21 cuckoo. Hera felt sorry for it and held it to her breast to warm it. Zeus then resumed his true from and took advantage of her. Zeus had many lovers and uncountable offspring22, either mortal23 or immortal. He was the most unfaithful husband among all gods and hu- mans.
There are temples of Zeus everywhere in Greece. In art, he was represented as a bearded, dignified24 and ma ture man. His most prominent25 symbols were the thunderbolt26 and the eagle.
注释：
1 Zeus n. [希神]（主神）宙斯
2 supreme adj. 至高无上的
3 property n. 财产，资产
4 swallow vt. 吞下，淹没
5 upon the very moment 立刻，马上
6 deprive n. 夺去，剥夺
7 at odds 争执，不和谐
8 shrewlike adj. 泼女似的，悍妇般的
9 passion n. 激情，热爱，爱好
10 innumerable adj. 无数的，数不清的
11 adulterous adj. 通奸的
12 lusty adj. 贪欲的，强烈的
13 assume vt. 采取，假定，装出
14 cuckoo n. 杜鹃，布谷鸟
15 seduce vt. 唆使，诱奸
16 Hera n. [希神]赫拉（天后，宙斯之妻）
17 ravish vt. 强夺，强奸
18 Leda n .[希神]勒达（斯巴达王后，与宙斯生有海伦和波洛克斯）
19 Europa n. [希神]欧罗巴（腓尼基公主）
20 legend n. 传说，传奇故事
21 bedraggled adj. 被弄得湿淋淋的
22 offspring n. 后代，结果
23 mortal adj. 凡人的n. 凡人
24 dignified adj. 尊严的，高贵的
25 prominent adj. 突出的，卓越的
26 thunderbolt n. 雷电，霹雳
宙斯是至高无上的天神。他被尊称为众神和人类之父。他是雷电等天气现象以及任何与天空相关事物之神。同时他还是城市及家庭财产的保护神。
宙斯的一生从未太平。他出生之时便面临被父亲吞食之险。长大后，他又要与生身父亲作战，最终夺取他的王权。婚后，他与悍妇般的妻子总是吵个不休。
宙斯对美女的钟情尽人皆知，他的风流韵事数不胜数。为了欲望得逞，他常常变成动物之躯：他变成布谷鸟引诱赫拉，变成天鹅强奸了勒达，变成公牛劫走了欧罗巴。根据民间传说，宙斯变成了一只浑身湿透的布谷鸟，赫拉可怜它，把它放在胸前给它取暖，宙斯现出原形占了她的便宜。宙斯有很多情人，所生的半神半人的子女更是不尽其数，他是天上人间最不忠实的丈夫。
在希腊到处可见宙斯神庙：他的艺术形象是一位蓄着胡须，十分威严的成熟男人。他最突出的象征是雷电和雄鹰。
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