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阅读是英语的四项基本技能之一，也是我们平时获取信息的主要方式，新时代学生需要有良好的英语能力，阅读能力尤其重要，这样才能阅读更加广泛的内容，获取更多知识。中国的学生可以通过双语阅读来学习阅读，阅读英文原文可以领略原汁原味的英语故事，而汉语翻译帮助学生理解。
不过在阅读过程中应该逐步摆脱汉语思维，形成用英语理解英语的习惯，这样不仅缩短了解码单词的时间，更增加了思考的负担。这篇故事是源自古希腊神话的故事，讲述了一个国王把接触到的东西都变成黄金的故事。
在阅读之前，学生可以先思考几个问题：
你是否听说过迈达斯国王？
迈达斯国王真的能把东西都变成黄金吗？
你是否听过帕克托洛斯河，这条河在哪里？
Of all the precious metals found on Earth, humans have long been fascinated by one in particular—gold. People use it to repair broken items and make jewelry. They tell stories about golden cities and build fortresses to keep their gold safe. Throughout history, people have even looked for ways to turn iron into gold.
在地球上发现的所有贵金属中，人类早已被一种特别的黄金所吸引。人们用它来修理破损的物品并制作珠宝。他们讲有关黄金城市的故事，并建造要塞以确保黄金安全。在整个历史中，人们甚至一直在寻找将铁变成黄金的方法。
Of course, no one has ever successfully done so. But that hasn’t stopped people from trying! After all, who wouldn’t want the ability to turn things into gold? You could become the richest person on the planet! Well, the subject of today’s Wonder of the Day might tell you to be careful what you wish for. Who are we talking about? King Midas, of course!
当然，没有人成功做到这一点。但这并没有阻止人们尝试！毕竟，谁不希望拥有将物质变成金子的能力？这样就可以成为地球上最富有的人！好吧，今天的《今日奇观》的主题可能会告诉您要小心。我们在说谁呢？这就是迈达斯国王！
The legend of King Midas goes back centuries. It describes a wealthy king who had a large garden. One day, he went for a stroll in his garden and found a satyr named Silenus sleeping there. When the satyr awoke, he felt unwell. King Midas took Silenus into the castle. There, he fed the satyr and let him rest.
迈达斯国王的传说可以追溯到几个世纪前。它讲的是一个拥有大花园的富裕国王。一天，他在花园里散步，发现一个叫西勒努斯的萨梯在这里睡觉。当萨梯醒来时，他感到不适。迈达斯国王将西勒努斯带入城堡。在那里，他喂养了萨梯，让他休息。
When Silenus felt better, King Midas helped him return to the Greek god Dionysus, who was his companion. The god was delighted to have the satyr back. To reward King Midas, Dionysus offered to grant him one wish. With little thought, the king asked for the ability to turn everything he touched into gold.
当西连努斯感觉好些时，迈达斯国王帮助他回到了他的同伴希腊神狄俄尼索斯。上帝很高兴把萨梯带回来。为了奖励迈达斯国王，狄俄尼索斯提出要给他一个愿望。国王不加思索地要求有能力将他接触的一切变成金子。
How would you like for everything you touch to turn into gold? It may sound great at first. Just think—everything around you could suddenly be made from one of the world’s most valuable materials. This ability could lead to endless wealth.
您希望自己接触到的一切变成金子的感觉如何？起初听起来不错。试想一下，您周围的一切都可能突然由世界上最有价值的材料制成。这种能力可能带来无尽的财富。
However, as King Midas soon learned, his new gift was also a curse. When he touched food, it turned to gold. When he tried to drink water, it turned to gold. Desperate, he asked his servants to pour food and water directly into his mouth. Of course, it all turned into gold as soon as it touched his tongue.
然而，迈达斯国王不久就发现，他的新天赋也是一种诅咒。当他触摸食物时，它变成了金子。当他试图喝水时，变成了金子。绝望的他要求仆人将食物和水直接倒入他的嘴里。当然，一碰到他的舌头，一切就变成了金子。
The worst was yet to come. Unable to eat or drink, the distraught King Midas went back to his garden to think about what to do. He didn’t know that his daughter was also in the garden playing. Upon seeing her father, the girl ran up to him for a hug. Before he could stop her, King Midas’s daughter hugged him and turned to gold.
最坏的时刻尚未到来。心烦意乱的国王迈达斯（Midas）无法进食或饮水，回到自己的花园思考该怎么做。他不知道他的女儿也在花园里玩耍。见到父亲，女孩跑去拥抱他。在他阻止住她之前，迈达斯国王的女儿拥抱了他，变成了金子。
Finally, King Midas returned to Dionysus. He asked the god to reverse his wish. Dionysus told Midas that all he needed to do was bathe in the Pactolus River. The king traveled to the river and did what he was told. Immediately, the gift that had become a curse was gone.
最终，迈达斯国王回到了狄俄尼索斯。他要求上帝扭转他的愿望。狄俄尼索斯告诉麦达斯，他所要做的就是在帕克托洛斯河里洗澡。国王去了河边，按照他的要求做了。立刻，已经成为诅咒的天赋消失了。
In some versions of the story, bathing in the river also restored everything King Midas had touched. In other versions, though, everything—including his daughter—remained gold as a reminder of the effects of his greed.
在故事的某些版本中，在河中沐浴还恢复了迈达斯国王所感动的一切。但是，在其他版本中，包括他的女儿在内的所有东西都保留着金子，以提醒他的贪婪的代价。
People have told the legend of King Midas for many years. However, many don’t realize that he was also a real person. Could the real King Midas turn everything he touched into gold? Of course not! But he was a very wealthy king who ruled a people called the Phrygians. He lived around 700 B.C.E. in the area people today call Turkey.
多年以来迈达斯国王的传说一直流传。但是，许多人没有意识到他也是一个真实的人。真正的迈达斯国王能否将他接触的一切变成金子？当然不是！但是他是一个非常富有的国王，生活在公元前700年左右，统治着一个叫做弗里吉亚的国家，也就是现在的土耳其。
That isn’t the only truth behind the legend, though. The Pactolus River is also a real place. It’s a small river in Turkey near the Aegean Sea. Ancient people used the story of King Midas to explain why gold was often found in the sand on the river bank.
不过，这并不是传说中唯一的事实。帕克托洛斯河也是一个真实的地方。这是土耳其爱琴海附近的一条小河。古代人使用迈达斯国王的故事来解释为什么在河岸的沙子中经常发现黄金。
What do you think is the moral of King Midas’s story? This is one tale that has certainly passed the test of time. It’s been passed down for centuries. What might people today learn from the legend?
您认为麦达斯国王的故事的寓意是什么？这个故事肯定已经通过了时间的考验。它已经传了好几个世纪了。今天人们可以从传说中学到什么？
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