Sis·y·phus /ˈsɪsəfəs/ in ancient Greek stories, an evil king whose punishment after death was to roll a very large stone to the top of a steep hill. Each time he got near to the top of the hill, the stone rolled down to the bottom, and he had to start again, and he had to continue doing this forever. A very difficult job that seems impossible to finish is sometimes described as a ‘Sisyphean task’. 西叙福斯〔古希腊神话中一位邪恶的国王，他死后得到的惩罚是把一块巨石滚上陡峭的山坡。每次快要滚到山顶，巨石都会滚落回山脚，他又得重新开始，如此永远反复下去。一项不可能完成的艰巨任务有时被形容为 a Sisyphean task（西叙福斯的劳作）〕