海豚救了歌手阿里昂
Arion，a son of Poseidon，was a master of the lyre，and invented the dithyramb in Dionysus‘s honour．One day his patron Periander，tyrant of Corinth，reluctantly gave him permission to visit Taenarus in Sicily，where he had been invited to compete in a musical festival(festival n.节日，喜庆日，音乐节，戏剧节，喜庆，欢宴adj.节日的，快乐的)．Arion won the prize，and his admirers showered on him so many rich gifts that these excited the greed of the sailors engaged to bring him back to Corinth．
阿里昂——海神波赛冬的一个儿子——是演奏七弦竖琴的能手，他为了向狄俄尼索斯表示敬意还创作了酒神赞歌。一天，他的保护人，科林斯的霸主佩里安德不太情愿地批准他出访西西里的泰那鲁斯。他应邀出席那儿的音乐会，参加比赛。阿里昂获得了头奖，崇拜他的人纷纷赠送给他许多值钱的礼物，那些雇来送回科林斯的水手见了顿起贪念。
“We much regret，Arion，that you will have to die.”remarked the captain of the ship．
“阿里昂，我们很抱歉，你非死不可。”船长对他说。
“What crime have I committed？”asked Arion．
“我犯了什么罪？”阿里昂问。
“You are too rich.”replied the captain．
“你太有钱了。”船长答道。
“Spare my life，and I will give you all my prizes.”Arion pleaded．
“饶了我的命吧，我把所有的奖品都送给你。”阿里昂哀求道。
“You would only retract (retract v.缩回，缩进，所卷（舌等），收回，取消，撤销)your promise on reaching Corinth.”said the captain，“and so would I，in your place．A forced gift is no gift．”
“你到了科林斯就会反悔的，”船长说，“我要是你的话，也会这么做的。强要来的东西不叫礼物。”
“Very well.”cried Arion resignedly．“But pray allow me to sing a last song．”
“好吧。”阿里昂只好听天由命了。“但请准许我唱最后一支歌。”
When the captain gave his permission，Arion，dressed in his finest robe，mounted on the prow，where he invoked the gods with impassioned strains，and then leaped overboard．The ship sailed on．
船长同意以后，阿里昂身穿最华丽的长袍，走到船首，以充满激情的歌曲祈求神祗的保佑。歌罢，他纵身跃入大海。船继续向前行驶。
However，his song had attracted a school of musicloving dolphins，one of which took Arion on his back，and that evening he overtook the ship and reached the port of Corinth several days before it cast anchor there．Periander was overjoyed at his miraculous (miraculous adj.奇迹的，不可思议的)escape，and the dolphin，loth to part from Arion，insisted on accompanying him to court，where it soon succumbed to a life of luxury．Arion gave it a splendid funeral．
然而，他的歌声引来一群喜爱音乐的海豚，其中一只把阿里昂驮在背上，当天夜里，他就赶上那艘船，在它抵岸抛锚前好几天就回到了科林斯。佩里安德对阿里昂奇迹般的脱险欣喜万分。海豚不愿意跟阿里昂分手，坚持要把他送到宫廷，在宫廷里，它在荣华富贵的生活中，不久便丧掉性命。阿里昂为它举行了盛大的葬礼。
When the ship docked，Periander sent for the captain and crew，whom he asked with pretended anxiety for news of Arion．
船泊码头，佩里安德召见船长及水手。他假装十分焦急，向他们打听阿里昂的下落。
“He has been delayed at Taenarus，”the captain answered，“by the lavish hospitality of the inhabitants．”
“泰那鲁斯居民过于好客，他盛情难却，在那儿要多耽搁些日子。”船长回答道。
Periander made them all swear at the dolphin‘s tomb that this was the truth，and then suddenly confronted them with Arion．Unable to deny their guilt，they were executed on the spot on the (spot adv.当场，在危险中，处于负责地位)．Apollo later set the images of Arion and his lyre among the stars．
佩里安德让他们大家都指着海豚的坟墓发誓，表明船长讲的是实话，接着，他使阿里昂突然出现在他们面前。他们无法抵赖罪行，都被就地处决。阿波罗后来把阿里昂和他的七弦竖琴形象安放在群星之中。
