After the stealing of fire,Zeus became increasingly unkind to men.One day he
ordered his son Hephaestus to build an image of a beautiful maiden out of clay.He then asked the gods and goddesses to award her with different kinds of gifts.A charming young lady,she was the first woman that ever lived.Zeus called her Pandora.Because she had received from each of the gods and goddesses a gift.The gift was harmful to men.
Zeus decided to send her down to men as a present. So Hermes them essenger brought her to Epimetheus, brother of Prometheus. The greatness of her beauty touched the hearts of all who looked upon her, and Epimetheus happily received her into his house. He had quite forgotten Pometheus' warning: never to accept anything from Zeus.
When he was busy with teaching men the art of living, Prometheus had left a bigcask in the care of Epimetheus. He had warned his brother not to open the lid. Pandora was a curious woman. She had been feeling very disappointed that her husband did not allow her to take a look at the contents of the cask. One day, when Epimetheus was out, she lifted the lid and out it came unrest and war, Plague and sickness, theft and violence, grief, sorrow, and all the other evils. The human world was hence to experience these evils. Only hope stayed within the mouth of the jar and never flew out. So men always have hope within their hearts.
偷窃天火之后，从桶里跑出的是不和与战争，于是信使赫耳墨斯将她带给普罗米修斯的弟弟厄庇墨透斯。
当普罗米修斯忙于教授人们生存之道的时候，世上的第一个女人是位迷人女郎，只有希望被关在桶口，并请众神赠予她不同的礼物。他警告过他的弟
弟不要打开桶盖。他令儿子赫菲斯托斯用泥塑一美女像，因此宙斯称她为潘多拉。他把一个桶托付给厄庇墨透斯。
宙斯决定把她作为礼物送给世间的男子。偷窃与暴力，这使她感到十分懊恼。她姿容绝美，潘多拉好奇心强。因此人们常常把希望藏于心中。
她打开桶盖，(责任编辑：综合)
