Cassandra was a Trojan princess，Paris's younger sister.She was loved by sun god Apollo，who promised to bestow (把……贈與) on her the power of prophecy.Cassandra accepted the offer，received his gift， but refused her favors to the god. Apollo revenged (報復(fù))himself by ordaining (命令)that her prophecy should never be believed.

When the wooden horse was pulled inside the city， all the Trojans indulged2 themselves into cheerful festivity except Cassandra.She rushed out of the palace， tousling(弄亂) her hair and claiming， \"Can't you see the evils3 surging (波濤般洶涌奔騰) inside the horse? Can' t you see our city flooded with blood，and flared (燃燒)with flame? Can't you see the gate of Hades(冥王) is opening to you?\" The Trojans were so carried off(奪走，拿走) by their triumph (勝利)over the Greeks that they failed to pay due(應(yīng)有的，充分的) attention to her warning.

After Troy was sacked (劫掠，洗劫)， Cassandra fell to Agamemnon， the supreme commander of Greek army， in the distribution(分發(fā)，分配) of the booty(戰(zhàn)利品). Once again Cassandra foresaw4 the murder of Agamemnon by his wife，but she kept the prophecy to herself because she wouldn't warn the worst enemy of Troy of the impending(逼近的） danger.Cassandra was killed right after Agamemnon's death. \"The prophecies of Cassandra\" therefore means the prediction （斷言）that is true but not believed.

卡桑德拉是特洛伊城的一位公主，帕里斯的妹妹。太陽神阿波羅愛上了她，并承諾賜予她預(yù)知未來的能力。卡桑德拉答應(yīng)了這一提議，接受了太陽神的賜予，但不肯對他有所偏愛。太陽神于是報復(fù)她，令她的預(yù)言無人相信。

當(dāng)木馬被拖人特洛伊城中時，所有的特洛伊人都沉浸在一片歡呼喜慶中，只有卡桑德拉不然。她披頭散發(fā)地沖出王宮，大聲疾呼：“你們看不見木馬內(nèi)涌動的邪惡嗎?你們看不見我們的城市血流成河、火光沖天嗎?你們看不見冥府之門正在向你們洞開嗎？”但是，陶醉在戰(zhàn)勝希臘人喜悅中的特洛伊人沒能對她的警告予以充分的重視。

特洛伊被洗劫后，分配戰(zhàn)利品時，卡桑德拉落入了希臘軍最高統(tǒng)帥阿加孟農(nóng)的手中。她再一次預(yù)見了阿加孟農(nóng)將被他妻子謀殺，但她沒有說出自己的預(yù)言，因?yàn)樗幌胱屘芈逡寥俗顗牡臄橙说弥磳砼R的災(zāi)難?？ㄉ５吕诎⒓用限r(nóng)被謀殺不久后也被殺害。“卡桑德拉的預(yù)言”因此意味著靈驗(yàn)但卻不為人相信的預(yù)言。

注釋：

1．prophecy n.預(yù)言

2．indulge vt.使（自己）沉溺（于）

3．evil n.邪惡，罪惡

4．foresee vt．預(yù)見，預(yù)知