The Greek myth of Ariadne offers hope to all who have felt the sting of love rejected. It tells of triumph after defeat, of sweetest success after the harshest sorrow.

在希腊神话中，阿里阿德涅的故事足以让全天下所有爱意被拒的痴男怨女们打心里升起新的希望。它说明了什么是否极泰来--即使是经历了最痛苦的悲伤，一样能迎来最甜蜜的结果。

Princess Ariadne, daughter of King Minos of Crete, helped Theseus slay¹ her monstrous² half-brother, known as the Minotaur, by teaching him to use a golden thread as a path within the labyrinth³ where the Minotaur lived. Deep within that dark maze⁴ where no man or woman had ever survived the Minotaur’s savagery⁵, Theseus killed the monster, then followed the gold thread to freedom. When he emerged triumphant⁷ from the labyrinth, Theseus claimed Ariadne for his own. They escaped from Crete upon a waiting ship, running from crowds of citizens angered by Theseus’s murder of their half-bull/half-human prince.

阿里阿德涅公主是克里特岛国王米诺斯的女儿，她为了帮助自己的心上人--英雄忒修斯，教他用一个金线团带路走出了半人半牛的怪物弥诺陶洛斯居住的迷宫。忒修斯把这个残暴的怪物杀死了，而这个怪物却是阿里阿德涅同母异父的哥哥。在那个黑暗的迷宫深处，从来没有任何人能从弥诺陶洛斯的血口下生还，而忒修斯不仅杀死了怪物，还在金线团的指引下走出了迷宫赢得了自由。当忒修斯成功地重新出现在迷宫之外时，他声称要娶阿里阿德涅为妻。由于当地的民众因为忒修斯杀死了他们半人半牛的王子而非常愤怒，于是他们乘坐一条等候已久的船逃出了克里特岛。

As they sailed the world, Ariadne was certain she had won the heart of the hero in return for her brilliance⁸, her loyalty⁹, and her love. After all, she had betrayed those closest to her to save Theseus. When Theseus finally brought their ship to the faraway island of Naxos, Ariadne thought they would live there forever in bliss¹⁰. Instead, he abandoned her upon the island, sailing off without an apology. Such was her thanks for saving him.

当他们的船四处航行时，阿里阿德涅坚信她已经赢得了英雄的心，他会回报她的才智、她的忠诚以及她的爱情。毕竟，为了救忒修斯，她不惜众叛亲离。当忒修斯的船最终到达一座遥远的岛屿纳克索斯岛时，阿里阿德涅以为他们将永远定居在这里，白头偕老。然而，忒修斯却把她抛弃在了岛上，连声道歉都没有说就开船走了。这就是他对她救命之恩的答谢。

Alone, Ariadne forgot her triumph as the untangler of the labyrinth. She was Ariadne the forsaken¹¹, Ariadne the foolish, rather than Ariadne the beloved of Theseus. At first, the heartbroken princess wept. Then she thought of killing¹² herself out of shame and sorrow. But the Muses¹³ took pity upon Ariadne. They hovered¹⁴ around the poor girl as soft as winds, and whispered into her ear of a worthier¹⁵ love and a loftier fate. This made no sense to the girl, for she could not see beyond her abandonment by Theseus.

阿里阿德涅独自一人在岛上，忘记了她在迷宫之战中取得的胜利。她从忒修斯心爱的阿里阿德涅沦落成了被抛弃的阿里阿德涅，愚蠢的阿里阿德涅。刚开始，这个心碎的公主流尽了眼泪。接着，她想用自杀来结束耻辱和悲痛。然而缪斯女神们对她动了恻隐之心。她们在这个可怜的女孩周围像风一样轻柔地盘旋着，对她轻声细语，告诉她还会有一段更值得守候的爱情和更高贵的命运。然而这些言语对这个可怜的女孩来说都没什么用，因为她还走不出被忒修斯抛弃的悲伤。

But soon Ariadne saw a bronze chariot appear on the horizon. The Muses whispered it held a new bridegroom for Ariadne, the man she was fated to love. As the chariot drew closer, Ariadne saw it was draped in vines and clusters of ripe grapes--for this chariot was driven by Dionysus, god of divine intoxication¹⁶, who loved Ariadne for her passionate¹⁷ bravery and loyalty.

可是不久，阿里阿德涅就看到了一辆青铜色的马车出现在地平线上。缪斯女神们轻声告诉她，车上坐着的就是她未来的新郎，她命中注定应该爱的人。马车越来越近了，阿里阿德涅看到车上挂满了葡萄藤和一串串成熟的葡萄--原来车上坐的是非凡的酒神和狂欢之神狄奥尼索斯。他非常爱慕阿里阿德涅的火一般的勇气和忠诚。

Ariadne’s heart was immediately healed by Dionysus’s admiration¹⁸ and loving embrace. She soon forgot about Theseus and accepted her happy fate. Dionysus and Ariadne were wed⁶. Made a goddess by love, Ariadne lived forever with her immortal¹⁹ husband in ecstatic triumph.

阿里阿德涅的心伤在狄奥尼索斯的赞美和浓浓爱意的包围中很快就痊愈了。不久她就忘记了忒修斯，接受了自己更幸福的命运。狄奥尼索斯和阿里阿德涅结婚了。在爱的力量下，阿里阿德涅成为了女神，并在喜悦与幸福中与她不朽的丈夫永远生活在一起。