希臘神話(huà)：PYGMALION AND GALATEA-皮格馬利翁與加拉提亞

Pygmalion was a sculptor who could think of nothing but his chiselsand the marble and ivory with which he loved to work. Beautiful Greek girls came walking by his window，and peeped in at the door to watch him，but he never raised his head or paid the least attention to them.
One day Pygmalion chose the largest，most perfect piece of ivory in the kingdom. When the laborers had brought it to his home，he took his keenesttools and began to carve the ivory with delicatecare.
"""There is no maiden living，""said Pygmalion，""so beautiful as this statue that I shall make."""
For weeks he worked，stopping only to eat and at night to throw himself on the floor beside the statue to rest.
Day by day the figure grew more lovely. At last it seemed so perfect that nothing could be done to make it more wonderful. Still Pygmalion worked，smoothing and carving the ivory until it was indeed more beautiful than any Greek maiden in the land.
When the statue was finished， Pygmalion clothed it in soft garments and hung jewels around the ivory neck. He spent all his time admiring and adoring the figure he had made. He named it"Galatea，"which means"Sleeping Love".
Just at this time there was in Pygmalion's city a festivalin honor of Venus，the Goddess of Beauty and of Love. Pygmalion went to her temple. He offered gifts at her altar，and prayed that she would give him for his bride a living maiden exactly like his beautiful ivory statue.
Venus had been standing unseen beside her altar. When she heard Pygmalion prayer，she left her temple and went to the sculptor's home to see the figure of which he was so fond.
The goddess was delighted with the loveliness of Pygmalion's statue. She thought it looked much like herself. This pleased her so that she touched the cold ivory and brought it to life.
She laid her fingers on the waving hair and it became soft and lustrous. The cheeks grew pink，the eyes blue，and the lips like coral.
When Pygmalion returned and entered his home，the statue no longer stood in its usual corner. Instead，a beautiful maiden with golden hair，and skin like ivory flushed with the color of sunrise walked toward him.
Pygmalion watched in amazement. When he saw that his statue lived and moved，he threw himself on the floor and clasped her feet. They were warm and rosy.
Galatea looked down at him，smiling and touching his hair with her slender fingers.
Pygmalion did not forget to offer thanks to the goddess. He built an altar to Venus of ivory and gold and carved it with all kinds of blossoms and birds.
Every day as long as Pygmalion and Galatea lived，they offered gifts at the altar，and Venus in return blessed them with happiness and love.