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二手徵求有驚喜
愛芙妲緹（Aphrodite）―即羅馬神話的維納斯（Venus）―多被譯為愛與美的女神，而要了解Aphrodite 自然也須釐清她所代表的愛和美的概念。事實上，Aphrodite 所代表的愛並非是浪漫的或精神性層面的純潔之愛，而她的「最美的女神」的封號更是充滿災難性的。
Aphrodite 事實上代表的愛是與充滿激情與肉慾的慾愛和無可抵禦的性吸引力。此強大力量確保了人類和其他物種得以繁衍後嗣以延續生命的傳承；但希臘人顯然很清楚Aphrodite 所代表的力量的可畏怖處。而Aphrodite 的強大其來有自，事實上也和她的名字所隱含的由海中浮沫所生有關。
根據Hesiod 的敘述，好色的天父神Uranus（地母Gaia 之子與丈夫）時時與地母交合（即天地相連未開之喻），被其子Cronus（宙斯之父）切下其陽具並丟擲於海中，而Aphrodite即是從海中四散的Uranus 精液浮沫所化生，因此她承繼並代表了古老父神強大的性慾力。1 她的力量因此巨大且無論神、人皆無法抗拒，可以淹沒理智使人瘋狂且帶來毀滅與悲劇。
無論是斯巴達的海倫或是金羊毛裡的米迪雅，皆因Aphrodite的強大力量而做出世俗所不容之事；而即便最強大的神中之王宙斯也在Aphrodite 的玩弄之下與凡間女子有了諸多風流韻事。在西元前七世紀的一首Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite 裡， 便敘述了宙斯怨憤Aphrodite 驅使他與凡間女子有愛慾糾葛，因此決定讓她自嚐苦果，也讓她體會對凡間男子動情的滋味：
Sing me, O Muse, the story of Aphrodite the golden,
噢，謬思女神，請吟唱燦爛的愛芙妲緹，
The Cyprian, she who arouses the sweetest desire in immortals,
來自賽普洛斯者，她點燃神的甜美慾望，
who conquers the races of mortals, even the birds on the wing,
她征服全人類，包含展翅的鳥，
and all the numberless creatures supported by earth or by sea.
以及無數大地與海中的生靈。
All that has life is concerned in the work of the fair Aphrodite.
所有生命皆和美麗的愛芙妲緹的職掌有關。
Three hearts alone Aphrodite can neither persuade nor deceive:
只有三位是愛芙妲緹所無法動搖與誘騙：
Gray-eyed Athena is one, the daughter of Zeus of the aegis,
灰色眼睛的雅典娜是其中之一，是擁有聖盾的宙斯之女，
And Artemis, mistress of arrows, sounding the cry of the huntress,
以及亞特米斯，持弓箭之女神，吶喊一如狩獵者，
is immune to Aphrodite and her plots to ensnare men with love.
對於愛芙妲緹和其纏縛人的慾愛無動於衷。
Finally, Aphrodite and all her works are repugnant
而愛芙妲緹和她的所行教赫斯緹雅感到厭惡，
to the lady Hestia, first-born of Cronus, who then, by Zeus’s design,
她原是克隆努斯的長女，但在宙斯的謀劃之下，
was born again as his last.
反成了他的么女。
The hearts of these three Aphrodite can never trick or inveigle.
唯獨這三位的心愛芙妲緹無法捉弄或誘騙。
No other, blessed god or mortal, is able to flee her enticement.
其餘無論享福澤的神或凡人皆無法逃脫她的引誘。
She even beguiles the mind of Zeus, who delights in the thunder,
連以雷聲為喜的宙斯都可被其欺騙，
mightiest of all the gods, the holder of mightiest power.
眾神中最強者，最偉大力量的持有者。
Whenever the humor so moves her, she fools even his wily spirit,
當她一時性起，即便老謀深算的宙斯她也算計，
and leads him to couple with women, evading the sharp eye of Hera,
令他與其他女人交歡，且躲過眼尖的赫拉，
his sister as well as wife, fairest of all the immortals.
是他的妹妹也是妻子，是眾神中最美麗者。
Cronus the schemer begat great Hera, his comeliest daughter,
善謀劃的克隆努斯和他的妻子蕊雅生下
on Rhea, his consort; then Zeus, eternal in wisdom, received her,
他最俊秀的女兒，爾後睿智的宙斯納她
and made her his modest wife, well-versed in arts of the household.
為妻，她擅長於持家的種種技藝。
On Aphrodite herself Zeus cast a sweet spell of desire,
宙斯在愛芙妲緹身上施予慾望，
of lust for a mortal man: No more could she shyly dissemble
令她對一凡胎男子心蕩神馳：爾後她再也無法嬌羞地掩藏
her knowledge of love of a mortal, experience in a man’s bed.
她對凡俗男子的慾望，在與之共赴雲雨之後。
Never again could she claim, when immortals were gathered together,
她再也無法在眾神聚會之時，
with a softly innocent smile, that she alone drove them to couple
以其無辜的笑容聲稱，唯獨她能令眾神
with mortal women, who bore them sons who were destined to perish,
和凡俗女子雲雨，誕下終將一死的凡胎，
and deathless goddess too she had driven to mate with mere humans.
唯獨她能令女神無法自抑地和凡俗男子歡好。
Hymn to Aphrodite（1-7, 14-15, 19-21, 30-46）
《愛芙妲緹讚美詩》（1-7, 14-15, 19-21, 30-46）
2024專利防護中