English Original
Arachne lived in a small village on the shores of the Mediterranean. Her parents were poor. While her mother worked, Arachne spun all day. Her wheel's steady whir sounded like an insect's buzz. Through constant practice, she grew so skillful that her threads were as fine as the sea mists.
One day, her fisherman father brought home baskets of bright crimson and purple shellfish. He tried dyeing Arachne's wool with them, resulting in the most vivid hue ever seen in woven fabric.
Thereafter, Arachne's tapestries always featured this new color. They sold readily, soon becoming famous. Her family moved to a larger house; her parents no longer had to labor in the fields or fish.
Arachne herself became as celebrated as her tapestries. Flattered by admiration, her head was turned. When people praised the beautiful color, she took all the credit, never mentioning her father's help. Crowds often gathered behind her loom to watch her weave.
One day, she overheard someone say that even Minerva, the patron goddess of spinning, could not weave more beautifully than this fisherman's daughter. Arachne foolishly believed this. Another suggested she must have been taught by Minerva herself.
The truth was, Minerva had taught Arachne. The goddess had sent the shellfish and, though invisible, often stood behind the girl, guiding her shuttle. Unaware, Arachne believed she owed her skill solely to herself and began to boast.
One day she declared: "It's said I weave as well as the goddess Minerva, if not better. I'd like a match with her to see who is best." No sooner had these proud words left her mouth than she heard the tap of a crutch.
Turning, she saw a feeble old woman in a rusty gray cloak, with strangely bright gray eyes. Leaning on her crutch, the old woman spoke with a cracked voice: "I am older than you. Take my advice. Ask Minerva's pardon for your ungrateful words. If truly sorry, she will forgive you."
Arachne, disrespectful to the elderly and angry at the reproof, retorted: "Don't advise me. Advise your own children. I shall say and do as I please."
At this, an angry light flashed in the old woman's eyes. Her crutch changed to a shining lance; she dropped her cloak, revealing the goddess Minerva. Arachne flushed, then paled, but still would not apologize. Instead, she insisted on the weaving match.
Two frames were brought and attached to an overhead beam. Side by side, Minerva and the foolish Arachne began to weave tapestry.
Minerva's tapestry depicted mortals who, like Arachne, had been boastful and foolhardy and were punished by the gods—a kindly warning. But Arachne would not heed it. She wove pictures mocking the foolish deeds of the Olympian gods. This was profoundly disrespectful. When finished, Minerva tore Arachne's work to pieces.
Frightened but too late, Arachne was struck on the forehead by Minerva's shuttle. She shrank to a creature no larger than a thumb. "Since you deem yourself so skillful," said Minerva, "you shall spin and weave all your life."
In her new form, Arachne scurried into a dark corner. She was now obliged to earn her living by spinning exceedingly fine webs to catch flies, much as her father had caught fish. She was called the Spinner. Her numerous descendants are still called spinners, though their name has changed to spider. Their delicate webs often grace the grass on fine mornings.
中文翻译
阿拉克涅住在地中海沿岸的一个小村庄里。她的父母很穷。当母亲忙碌时，阿拉克涅就整日纺线。她的纺车发出稳定的嗡嗡声，像昆虫的鸣叫。通过不断练习，她变得技艺超群，纺出的线细如海上升起的薄雾。
一天，她当渔夫的父亲带回家几篮鲜亮的深红色和紫色贝类。他尝试用这些贝类给阿拉克涅的羊毛染色，结果得到了织物中前所未见的最鲜艳的色彩。
此后，阿拉克涅的挂毯总是带有这种新颜色。它们很快畅销，并变得闻名遐迩。她的家搬进了更大的房子；她的父母不再需要在田里劳作或出海捕鱼。
阿拉克涅本人也变得和她的挂毯一样出名。她被赞美冲昏了头脑。当人们称赞那美丽的颜色时，她独揽功劳，从不提及父亲的帮助。人们常常聚集在她的织机后观看她编织。
一天，她无意中听到有人说，即使是纺织的守护女神密涅瓦，也无法织出比这个渔夫女儿更美的挂毯。阿拉克涅愚蠢地信以为真。另一个人则说她一定得到了密涅瓦的亲传。
事实上，密涅瓦确实教导过阿拉克涅。女神送来了那些贝类，并且虽然隐形，却常站在女孩身后指导她的梭子。阿拉克涅从未见过女神，以为一切全凭自己，于是开始吹嘘自己的技艺。
一天，她宣称：“据说我织得和女神密涅瓦一样好，甚至更好。我想和她比试一下，看看谁更厉害。”这些傲慢的话刚出口，她就听到了地板上拐杖的声音。
转身一看，她看见一个虚弱的老妇人，披着锈灰色的斗篷，有着异常明亮的灰色眼睛。老妇人拄着拐杖，用沙哑的声音说：“我比你年长。听我的劝告。为你忘恩负义的话向密涅瓦道歉。如果你真心悔过，她会原谅你。”
阿拉克涅向来不尊重老人，尤其讨厌穿着破旧的人，她对这番责备非常生气。“别劝我，”她说，“去劝你自己的孩子们吧。我想说什么就说什么，想做什么就做什么。”
听到这话，老妇人灰色的眼中闪过愤怒的光芒。她的拐杖变成了一支闪亮的长矛；她甩掉斗篷，显露出女神密涅瓦的真身。阿拉克涅的脸先变红，后变白，但即便如此，她仍不肯道歉，反而坚持要进行编织比赛。
两个织架被搬来，固定在一根头顶的横梁上。密涅瓦和愚蠢的阿拉克涅并肩而立，开始各自编织一幅挂毯。
密涅瓦的挂毯描绘了像阿拉克涅一样狂妄鲁莽、因而受到众神惩罚的凡人——这是一个善意的警告。但阿拉克涅不予理会。她在自己的挂毯上织入了描绘奥林匹斯众神愚蠢行为的画面。这是极大的不敬。完成后，密涅瓦将阿拉克涅的作品撕得粉碎。
阿拉克涅现在害怕了，但为时已晚。密涅瓦用梭子击打了她的前额。她缩成了一个拇指大小的小生物。“既然你认为自己如此技艺高超，”密涅瓦说，“你就一生纺线织布吧。”
变成新形态后，阿拉克涅迅速躲进一个黑暗的角落。她现在不得不靠编织极其精细的网来捕捉苍蝇为生，就像她父亲用网捕鱼一样。她被称为“纺线者”。她的后代数量众多，虽然“纺线者”这个旧称已变为“蜘蛛”。在晴朗的早晨，它们精致的网常常覆盖在草地上。