源自希腊神话的英语词汇
常见英语词汇背后的希腊神话故事
常见英语词汇背后的希腊神话故事1.The Heel of Achilles 亦作The Achilles' Heel唯一弱点；薄弱环节；要害The Heel of Achilles直译是“阿基里斯的脚踵”，是个在欧洲广泛流行的国际性成语。
它源自荷马史诗Iliad中的希腊神话故事。
阿基里斯是希腊联军里最英勇善战的骁将，也是荷马史诗Iliad里的主要人物之一。
传说他是希腊密耳弥多涅斯人的国王珀琉斯和海神的女儿西蒂斯所生的儿子。
阿基里斯瓜瓜坠地以后，母亲想使儿子健壮永生，把他放在火里锻炼，又捏着他的脚踵倒浸在冥河(Styx)圣水里浸泡。
因此阿基里斯浑身象钢筋铁骨，刀枪不入，只有脚踵部位被母亲的手捏住，没有沾到冥河圣水，成为他的唯一要害。
在特洛伊战争中，阿基里斯骁勇无敌，所向披靡，杀死了特洛伊主将，著名英雄赫克托耳(Hector)，而特洛伊的任何武器都无法伤害他的身躯。
后来，太阳神阿波罗(Apollo)把阿基里斯的弱点告诉了特洛伊王子帕里斯，阿基里斯终于被帕里斯诱到城门口，用暗箭射中他的脚踵，负伤而死。
因此，the heel of Achilles,也称the Achilles' heel，常用以表示a weak point in something that is otherwise without fault;the weakest spot等意思。
2.Helen of Troy 直译"特洛伊的海伦"，源自源自荷马史诗Iliad中的希腊神话故事。
Helen是希腊的绝世佳人，美艳无比，嫁给希腊南部邦城斯巴达国王墨涅俄斯(Menelaus)为妻。
后来，特洛伊王子帕里斯奉命出事希腊，在斯巴达国王那里做客，他在爱与美之神阿芙罗狄蒂的帮助下，趁着墨涅俄斯外出之际，诱走海伦，还带走了很多财宝。
此事激起了希腊各部族的公愤，墨涅俄斯发誓说，宁死也要夺回海轮，报仇雪恨。
为此，在希腊各城邦英雄的赞助下，调集十万大军和1180条战船，组成了希腊联军，公推墨涅俄斯的哥哥阿枷门农(Agamemnon)为联军统帅，浩浩荡荡，跨海东征，攻打特洛伊城，企图用武力夺回海轮。
源于希腊神话的英语词汇英文释义
References for part of Vocabulary Exercises181. altantean: exceedingly strong2. gorgonize: change sb. into a gorgon/ stone, paralyze, stupefy sb.3. mount one’s Pegasus: (humor) write a poem4. a chimera in sb’s brain:a product of sb’s i magination201. the choice of Heracles: the choice between a short but glorious life and a long yetboring life2. hydra-headed: hard to overcome or resist because of its pervasive or enduring quality or its many aspects3. cleanse the Augean Stable: accomplish a task or problem requiring so much effortto complete or solve as to seem impossible4. the Shirt of Nessus/Tunic of Nessus /Nessus-robe/Nessus’ shirt: sth that brings destruction to sb.5. Pillars of Heracles: an ancient name for two promontories on either side of the strait of Gibraltar, held by legend to have been parted by the arm of Heracles6. Herculean effort: great effort211. sow dragon’s teeth: bring about disputes2. a Cadmean victory: a victory won after a heavy loss of lives221. oedipal: having an Oedipal complex2. sphinx riddle: a puzzling or mysterious person/thing231.Procrustean bed: a regulation/rule exhibiting merciless disregard for individual differences or special circumstances2. labyrinth: a maze3. Daedalian: skillful4. icarian: reckless, daredevil5. clue: variant of clew something that serves to guide or direct in the solution of a problem or mystery6. Ariadne’s thread (logic): the solving of a problem with multiple apparent means of proceeding through an exhaustive application of logic to all available routes7. the Ship of Theseus (a philosophical proposition): whether an object which has all its component parts replaced remains fundamentally the same 241. the apple of discord: sth. that causes disagreement among people2. Achilles’ heel: a weakness/ vulnerable point3. hector v: intimidate or dominate in a blustering way5. Achilles and Patroclus: sworn brothers, bosom friends6. fight like a Trojan: fight/ work extremely hard7. sulky like Achilles in his tent: very morose, bad-tempered, and resentful; refusingto co-operate or be cheerful8. a Trojan horse: the hidden danger; a covert wrecker9. myrmidon: a faithful follower who carries out orders without question251. the Electra complex: in psychoanalysis, a daughter's unconscious libidinal desire for her father.2. the Orestes complex: in psychoanalysis, a son's hatred of his mother.261. lotus-eater: sb. who lives in luxury and comfort free of care and worries2. mentor: a wise and trusted counselor or teacher3. cyclopean: of or constituting a primitive style of masonry characterized by the use of massive stones of irregular shape and size; huge, gigantic4. tantalizing: exciting (another) by exposing something desirable while keeping it out of reach5. siren song: sth beautiful but potentially dangerous6. between Scylla and Charybdis: in a position where avoidance of one danger exposes one to another danger271. harpy: a predatory person and shrewish woman2. Palinurus: an ill-fated person3. hypnotic: inducing or tending to induce sleep; soporific4. dido: a mischievous prank or antic; a caper5. ibyllic/sibylline: prophetic; oracular。
希腊罗马神话中的英语词汇
1、Flora：古希腊罗马神话中的花神。
她嫁给了西风之神Zephyr，丈夫送给她一座满是奇花异草的园子。
春天时，Flora和丈夫Zephyr手挽手在园子里漫步，他们一路走过的地方百花齐放。
Flora在现代英语里指代“植物”。
衍生词:flower，flour， flourish， floral， florist。
2、Muses(缪斯)：希腊神话中掌管艺术的诸神。
共九位，分别是历史、抒情诗、喜剧(牧歌、田园诗)、悲剧、歌舞、爱情诗、颂歌、天文、史诗。
Muses 的艺术衍生出单词music，Muses收藏艺术品的地方就是museum。
艺术带来的快乐便是amuse，amusement。
3、 Pan(潘)：牧神和森林之神，受打扰时会大声吼叫。
衍生词panic(惊慌，恐慌)。
4、Titan(泰坦)：曾统治世界的巨人族的一员。
Titan在现代英语里指代高大强壮的人，重要人物。
衍生词titanic意指巨大的，极大的。
“泰坦尼克号”即以此命名。
5、Zephyrus(泽费罗斯)：西风之神。
衍生词zephyr(西风，和风，微风)。
(张晨הָגוּפ 2010-04-09 03:13补充一个 Zephyr 衍生词风雨兰（/wiki/Zephyranthes）拉丁化形式Zephyranthes)6、 Atlas：希腊神话中Titans(泰坦)巨神之一，因背叛Zeus(宙斯)被罚在世界的西边尽头以双肩扛天。
16世纪地理学家麦卡脱把Atlas擎天图作为一本地图册的卷首插图。
后人争相效仿， atlas从此有了地图、地图集、身负重担的人的含义。
其他衍生词：Atlantic。
7、Ceres：庄稼保护神。
古罗马遭受大旱，教士们求助女巫占卜，占卜的结果是要立一位新的女神Ceres，向她供奉，这样她就会给大地带来雨水。
此后，Ceres就变成了庄稼的保护神。
cereal从拉丁语变化而来，意即“of Ceres”属于谷物女神的。
衍生词：cereals(谷类，早餐麦片)。
源于希腊罗马神话中众神名字的英语词汇
源于希腊罗马神话中众神名字的英语词汇现代英语中，不少词汇来源于希腊罗马神话中众神的名字，至今仍起着重要的作用。
典型的词源试举如：1、Flora：古希腊罗马神话中的花神。
她嫁给了西风之神Zephyr，丈夫送给她一座满是奇花异草的园子。
春天时，Flora和丈夫Zephyr手挽手在园子里漫步，他们一路走过的地方百花齐放。
Flora在现代英语里指代“植物”。
衍生词:flower，flour，flourish，floral，florist。
2、Muses(缪斯)：希腊神话中掌管艺术的诸神。
共九位，分别是历史、抒情诗、喜剧(牧歌、田园诗)、悲剧、歌舞、爱情诗、颂歌、天文、史诗。
Muses的艺术衍生出单词music，Muses收藏艺术品的地方就是museum。
艺术带来的快乐便是a-muse，amusement。
3、Pan(潘)：牧神和森林之神，受打扰时会大声吼叫。
衍生词panic(惊慌，恐慌)。
4、Titan(泰坦)：曾统治世界的巨人族的一员。
Titan在现代英语里指代高大强壮的人，重要人物。
衍生词titanic意指巨大的，极大的。
“泰坦尼克号”即以此命名。
5、Zephyrus(泽费罗斯)：西风之神。
衍生词zephyr(西风，和风，微风)。
6、Atlas：希腊神话中Titans(泰坦)巨神之一，因背叛Zeus(宙斯)被罚在世界的西边尽头以双肩扛天。
16世纪地理学家麦卡脱把Atlas擎天图作为一本地图册的卷首插图。
后人争相效仿，atlas从此有了地图、地图集、身负重担的人的含义。
其他衍生词：Atlantic。
7、Ceres：庄稼保护神。
古罗马遭受大旱，教士们求助女巫占卜，占卜的结果是要立一位新的女神Ceres，向她供奉，这样她就会给大地带来雨水。
此后，Ceres就变成了庄稼的保护神。
cereal从拉丁语变化而来，意即“of Ceres”属于谷物女神的。
衍生词：cereals(谷类，早餐麦片)。
8、Cronos：宙斯的父亲。
希腊神话衍生出的英文词汇
希腊神话衍生出的英文词汇
希腊神话是人类历史上最早的神话之一，因此有许多英文词汇和短语源自于希腊神话。
以下是一些常见的希腊神话衍生的英文词汇：
1. Zeus - 宙斯（天神）、宙斯电
2. Hera - 赫拉（婚姻与家庭女神）
3. Ares - 阿瑞斯（战神）
4. Athena - 雅典娜（智慧女神）
5. Poseidon - 波塞冬（海神）
6. Hades - 冥王哈得斯（冥王）
7. Apollo - 阿波罗（太阳神、音乐与艺术神）
8. Artemis - 阿尔忒弥斯（狩猎和月亮女神）
9. Hermes - 赫尔墨斯（信使神）
10. Aphrodite - 阿佛洛狄忒（爱与美的女神）
11. Dionysus - 狄俄尼索斯（酒神）
12. Hestia - 赫斯提亚（家居和火神）
13. Prometheus - 普罗米修斯（普罗米修斯计划）
14. Pandora - 潘多拉（潘多拉盒子）
此外，还有一些词汇是从希腊神话角色的名字或故事中衍生而来的，比如：
1. Herculean - 赫拉克勒斯的（艰巨的、英勇的）
2. Odyssey - 《奥德赛》（冒险）
3. Nemesis - 复仇女神网（报应、仇敌）
4. Titan - 泰坦神族（巨人）
这只是希腊神话衍生英文词汇的一小部分示例，希腊神话对英语和其他西方语言产生了广泛且持久的影响。
源自希腊神话的英语词汇
Wordsderive d from Greekmythol ogyAchill es’ heel: a vulner ablepoint[fr. L, fr. Gk Achill eus Achill es, the greate st Greekwarrio r at Troy, slayer of Hector]Argus-eyed: vigila ntlyobserv ant [L, fr. Gk Argos, a hundre d-eyed monste r of Greekmythol ogy] Atlas: A book contai ningmaps of variou s locati ons. Atlaswas a titancondem ned to hold up the sky on his should ers.Augean stable: a condit ion or placemarked by greataccumu latio n of filthor corrup tion[L Augeas, king of Elis, fr. Gk Augeia s; fr. the legend that his stable, left neglec ted for 30 years, wasfinall y cleane d by Hercul es]Cereal: Any grain,such as wheat,oats, barley, etc. NamedafterCeres,goddes s of farmin g and agricu lture.Chroni cle: A list of events in the orderthey happen ed. Namedfor Cronus (Saturn), father of Jupite r and leader of the titans.Cloth: any type of natura l fabric. Clotho, one of the Fates, gave her name to this materi al.Delphi c uttera nce: a commen t or respon se to a questi on that is ambigu ous and theref ore diffic ult to unders tand[fr. Delphi, the site of the oracle of Apollo]Echo: The reflec tionof a soundwave. Echo was a wood nymphwhosevoicewas takenfrom her by Juno, and she was therea fteronly capabl e of repeat ing others.Hercul ean: a seemin gly imposs ibletask, such as the twelve labors Hercul es had to perfor m to win his freedo mJovial: good-humore d. When he wasn?t tossin g around lightn ing bolts, Jupite r (also knownas Jove) wouldprobab ly be in this mood.Labyri nth: either a maze with many twists and passag es or a tortuo us proced ure. Comesfrom the name of the maze Daedal us builtfor King Minosof Crete.Martia l: relati ng to or sugges tiveof war. Namedfor Mars, god of war.Midastouch: an uncann y abilit y for making moneyin everyventur e [L, fr. Gk legend of the Phrygi an king Midaswho is giventhe powerto turn everyt hinghe touche d into gold]Music:harmon iousand rhythm ic arraig nment s of sound. Namedafterthe Muses,goddes ses of the arts and scienc es.Narcis sisti c: excess ive self-admira tion. Narcis sus was a man who fell in love with his reflec tion. Olympi an feat: a loftytask, as one befitt ing the immort als [fr. Gk Olympo s, the mounta in in Greekmythol ogy that is the home of the gods]Orator: one who speaks in public. Derive s from oracle, places wherethe gods and mortal s wouldgo for help.Pandor a’s box: a prolif ic source of troubl es [fr. the myth surrou nding the box sent by the gods to Pandor a]Panic: a sudden, intens e, contag iousfear. The god Pan was knownfor causin g such fear in people. Plutoc rat: govern mentof rich people. Plutolivedin the underw orld, surrou ndedby minera l wealth. procru stean bed: a scheme or patter n into whichsomeon e or someth ing is arbitr arily forced [L, fr.Gk Prokro ustes Procru stes, a villai nousson of Poseid on in Greekmythol ogy who forcestravel ers to fit into his bed by stretc hingtheirbodies or cuttin g off theirlegs]Psyche: The soul or mind, namedfor Psyche, the wife of Cupid.Python: a massiv e snakethat killsits prey by constr ictio n. NamedafterPython, a monste r that livedin a cave near Delphi and was killed by Apollo.sirensong: an alluri ng uttera nce or appeal, especi allyone that is seduct ive or decept ive [ME sereyn, fr. OF serein e, fr. L Siren, fr. Gk Serein Siren, one of severa l mythol ogica l Greeksea nymphs, part womanand part bird, suppos ed to lure sailor s to theirdestru ction by theirseduct ivesingin g]Struck by Cupid’s arrow: smitte n, in love [L Cupido, the Romangod of erotic love]Titani c: of massiv e size, like the titans, the gigant ic sons of Uranus and Gaia.。
源于希腊神话的英语词汇一览
一源于希腊神仙名讳的英语单词1、Flora：古希腊罗马神话中的花神。
她嫁给了西风之神Zephyr，丈夫送给她一座满是奇花异草的园子。
春天时，Flora和丈夫Zephyr手挽手在园子里漫步，他们一路走过的地方百花齐放。
Flora在现代英语里指代“植物”。
衍生词:flower，flour， flourish， floral，florist。
2、Muses(缪斯)：希腊神话中掌管艺术的诸神。
共九位，分别是历史、抒情诗、喜剧(牧歌、田园诗)、悲剧、歌舞、爱情诗、颂歌、天文、史诗。
Muses的艺术衍生出单词music，Muses 收藏艺术品的地方就是museum。
艺术带来的快乐便是amuse，amusement。
3、Pan(潘)：牧神和森林之神，受打扰时会大声吼叫。
衍生词panic(惊慌，恐慌)。
4、Titan(泰坦)：曾统治世界的巨人族的一员。
Titan在现代英语里指代高大强壮的人，重要人物。
衍生词titanic意指巨大的，极大的。
“泰坦尼克号”即以此命名。
5、Zephyrus(泽费罗斯)：西风之神。
衍生词zephyr(西风，和风，微风)。
6、 Atlas：希腊神话中Titans(泰坦)巨神之一，因背叛Zeus(宙斯)被罚在世界的西边尽头以双肩扛天。
16世纪地理学家麦卡脱把Atlas擎天图作为一本地图册的卷首插图。
后人争相效仿， atlas从此有了地图、地图集、身负重担的人的含义。
其他衍生词：Atlantic。
7、Ceres：庄稼保护神。
古罗马遭受大旱，教士们求助女巫占卜，占卜的结果是要立一位新的女神Ceres，向她供奉，这样她就会给大地带来雨水。
此后，Ceres就变成了庄稼的保护神。
cereal从拉丁语变化而来，意即“of Ceres”属于谷物女神的。
衍生词：cereals(谷类，早餐麦片)。
8、Cronos：宙斯的父亲。
害怕子女反抗自己，曾吞食自己的后代。
就像无情的时间，吞噬一切。
因此字根“chron”意指“time”。
希腊神话 词汇
1.Out on the street（slang）在外讨饭It’s simply another colloquial（口语的，白花的） description of the unemployed. The unemployed are sometimes described as tramps –does this ring a bell? Tramps（流浪汉）are “out on the street” a lot, moving from place to place looking for a job or, worse, begging for food. Bill has lost his job. He’s unemployed. He’s jobless. He’s out on the street. He’d be called a tramp if he stopped looking for jobs and began begging for food.2.fly-by-night adj.不可信任的，不可靠的n.不可靠的人“Fly-by-night” is a phrase for a businessman who is dishonest, unreliable, or for describing shady businesses in general.Eg. I want a reputable tour operator,not one of these fly - by - night outfit. 我想找一家信誉好的旅游公司，而不是那些靠不住的公司.3.pass the buck推卸责任If you pass the buck, you shirk your responsibility by letting others do the job.This phrase originates from the game of poker but was made famous by former US President Harry Truman(杜鲁门), who had “The Buck Stops Here” as a motto and put it on a sign on his desk.Eg. When I asked my secretary Miss Brown why she hadn't mailed out these very important letters to customers, she passed the buck to our office boy for not having enough stamps ready.4.loose ends未知结局，零碎资料，收场Grab a piece of worn-out clothes and you’ll see what a “loose end” is. By the edges of any piece of threadbare clothing, there are loose threads hanging – these are loose ends.Metaphorically speaking, loose ends are any minor unresolved problem that leaves a bigger project unfinished or leave the readers dangling in the a ir, wondering what you’re talking about.Eg. I don't like this solution. It leaves too many loose ends.5.keep up with the Jone’s (在社会地位和物质生活方面)与左邻右舍攀比，互相攀比，不落后于邻居；赶时髦This is an age-old and very commonplace (widely used) idiom. In Britain, it’s spelled Joneses, instead of Jones’s. The Joneses stand for one’sneighboring family. Therefore, to keep up with the Joneses means to keep up with your neighbor. That is, if your neighbor buys a washing machine, you want to buy one. If they buy a new car, you must have one. If their daughter has an I-Pod player, you must have one for your own daughter, etc, so on and so forth.Eg. Whether one admits to it or not, to a certain degree, we all try to "keep up with the Jones".不管承认与否，在某种角度上，我们都试图和人家攀比。
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Words derived from Greek mythology
Achilles’ heel: a vulnerable point [fr. L, fr. Gk Achilleus Achilles, the greatest Greek warrior at Troy, slayer of Hector]
Argus-eyed: vigilantly observant [L, fr. Gk Argos, a hundred-eyed monster of Greek mythology] Atlas: A book containing maps of various locations. Atlas was a titan condemned to hold up the sky on his shoulders.
Augean stable: a condition or place marked by great accumulation of filth or corruption [L Augeas, king of Elis, fr. Gk Augeias; fr. the legend that his stable, left neglected for 30 years, was
finally cleaned by Hercules]
Cereal: Any grain, such as wheat, oats, barley, etc. Named after Ceres, goddess of farming and agriculture.
Chronicle: A list of events in the order they happened. Named for Cronus (Saturn), father of Jupiter and leader of the titans.
Cloth: any type of natural fabric. Clotho, one of the Fates, gave her name to this material.
Delphic utterance: a comment or response to a question that is ambiguous and therefore difficult to understand [fr. Delphi, the site of the oracle of Apollo]
Echo: The reflection of a sound wave. Echo was a wood nymph whose voice was taken from her by Juno, and she was thereafter only capable of repeating others.
Herculean: a seemingly impossible task, such as the twelve labors Hercules had to perform to win his freedom
Jovial: good-humored. When he wasn?t tossing around lightning bolts, Jupiter (also known as Jove) would probably be in this mood.
Labyrinth: either a maze with many twists and passages or a tortuous procedure. Comes from the name of the maze Daedalus built for King Minos of Crete.
Martial: relating to or suggestive of war. Named for Mars, god of war.
Midas touch: an uncanny ability for making money in every venture [L, fr. Gk legend of the Phrygian king Midas who is given the power to turn everything he touched into gold] Music: harmonious and rhythmic arraignments of sound. Named after the Muses, goddesses of the arts and sciences.
Narcissistic: excessive self-admiration. Narcissus was a man who fell in love with his reflection. Olympian feat: a lofty task, as one befitting the immortals [fr. Gk Olympos, the mountain in Greek mythology that is the home of the gods]
Orator: one who speaks in public. Derives from oracle, places where the gods and mortals would go for help.
Pandora’s box: a prolific source of troubles [fr. the myth surrounding the box sent by the gods to Pandora]
Panic: a sudden, intense, contagious fear. The god Pan was known for causing such fear in people. Plutocrat: government of rich people. Pluto lived in the underworld, surrounded by mineral wealth. procrustean bed: a scheme or pattern into which someone or something is arbitrarily forced [L, fr.
Gk Prokroustes Procrustes, a villainous son of Poseidon in Greek mythology who forces
travelers to fit into his bed by stretching their bodies or cutting off their legs]
Psyche: The soul or mind, named for Psyche, the wife of Cupid.
Python: a massive snake that kills its prey by constriction. Named after Python, a monster that lived in a cave near Delphi and was killed by Apollo.
siren song: an alluring utterance or appeal, especially one that is seductive or deceptive [ME sereyn, fr. OF sereine, fr. L Siren, fr. Gk Serein Siren, one of several mythological Greek sea nymphs, part woman and part bird, supposed to lure sailors to their destruction by their seductive
singing]
Struck by Cupid’s arrow: smitten, in love [L Cupido, the Roman god of erotic love]
Titanic: of massive size, like the titans, the gigantic sons of Uranus and Gaia.。