44 至 47 題為題組        In Metamorphoses, the Roman poet Ovid tells the tale of Pygmalion, king of Cyprus, and his rather unusual love affair.The story has been interpreted in many ways, and its fascinating hero and heroine have inspired numerous artists, poets,filmmakers, writers, composers and choreographers.
       Disgusted by Cypriot women’s immortality, Pygmalion takes comfort in a statue of a beautiful woman, which hesculpts from ivory. Soon, he becomes obsessed with the sculpture. He kisses and caresses her, and showers her with gifts,making himself believe that the woman is made not of ivory but of flesh and blood.
        Pygmalion falls completely in love with the statue. Therefore, when the festival of Aphrodite comes around, he begsthat the goddess would give him a wife just like his ivory girl. When he returns home and kisses his sculpted female, hefinds that her lips are soft and warm. Pygmalion’s wish has been granted: his beloved statue is a living being. The two wed,and she bears him a son, Paphos.
        There are various reinterpretations of the myth. The most famous one is George Bernard Shaw’s piece—Pygmalionin Five Acts, a story of a professor who makes a bet that he can train an uneducated Londoner to behave like an upper classlady. The theme of the man creating his ideal woman is seen in both tales. In Bernard Shaw’s more feminist version,though, the heroine ultimately rejects her “creator.” In 1964, the play was adapted for a movie, My Fair Lady. Differentfrom its stage presentation, it leaves the audience wondering whether or not the flower seller Eliza goes back to Prof. HenryHiggins, who teaches her to speak "proper" English, thereby making her presentable in the high society of EdwardianLondon.
         Whether you see Pygmalion as a hopeless romantic, a misogynist, or both, there’s no doubt that the myth has inspiredmany fine works of art and literature. The story of the king and his ivory wife is certainly one that captures the imagination.
【題組】44. In the myth of Pygmalion, which of the following events happens first?
(A) The birth of Paphos.
(B) The festival of Aphrodite.
(C) The wedding of Pygmalion and his bride.
(D) The transformation of the statue into a real person.