although it had not yet overspread the sun. But, just as Epimetheus reached the cottage door, 尽管它还没有覆盖住太阳，但就在厄毗米修斯到达别墅大门时，

this cloud began to cut off the sunshine, and thus to make a sudden darkness. He entered softly; 这片乌云开始遮住了太阳光，并突然漆黑一片，他轻柔地进了房门；

for he meant, if possible, to steal behind Pandora and fling a wreath of flowers over her head before she knew that he was there. 如果可能的话，他想从潘多拉背后偷袭，在潘多拉知道之前将花环放在她的头上。

But, as it happened, there was no need of his treading so very lightly. 但正如事情发展的那样，他无需轻轻地行走。

He might have trod as heavily as he pleased, as heavily as a grown man, as heavily as an elephant, 他或许应该重重地发出踩踏声，怎么高兴怎么来，就像一个成年男子一样，就像一头大象那样那么重，

without Pandora's hearing his footsteps. She was too interested in what she was doing. 而潘多拉听不到他的脚步声，她太着迷于她所做的事情。

At the very moment of his entering the cottage, the naughty child had put her hand to the lid, 就在他进入别墅的那一刻，这个淘气的小孩将她的手放在了盖子上，

and was on the point of opening the mysterious box, when Epimetheus saw her. 正要打开这个淘气的盒子，突然厄毗米修斯看到了她，

But Epimetheus himself, although he said very little about it, had his own share of curiosity to know what was inside. 尽管他没怎么说话，但他自己却也对盒子产生了好奇心。

Seeing that Pandora intended to find out the secret, he determined that his playfellow should not be the only wise person in the cottage. 看到潘多拉想要寻找盒子的秘密，他认为他的玩伴不应该是别墅里唯一聪明的人。

And if there were anything pretty or valuable in the box, he meant to take half of it to himself. 如果盒子里真的有漂亮值钱的东西，他将留下一半。

As Pandora raised the lid, the cottage grew very dark; for the black cloud had now swept quite over the sun and seemed to have buried it alive. 就在潘多拉掀起盖子时，这个别墅变得非常黑暗，黑色乌云静悄悄地遮住了太阳，似乎要活吞了它。

There had, for a little while past, been a low growling and muttering which all at once broke into a heavy peal of thunder. 不久前还是低沉的嘟囔和隆隆声，突然变成了沉重的巨响。

But Pandora, unmindful of all this, lifted the lid nearly upright and looked inside. 但潘多拉没有在意这些，她掀起了盖子，差不多要将它直立起来，并向里面看去。

It seemed as if a sudden swarm of winged creatures brushed past her, taking flight out of the box, 似乎有一群带翅膀的怪物突然间从她身边略过，飞出了盒子，

while at the same instant she heard Epimetheus calling as if in pain. 同时她听到了厄毗米修斯好似痛苦地叫嚷声。