Pandora box意思

"Pandora's Box" is a phrase that originates from Greek mythology, referring to a box (often described as a jar) that was given to Pandora by Zeus. When Pandora opened the box, all the evils of the world escaped, leaving only Hope inside. The phrase "Pandora's Box" has come to mean any source of troubles or evil consequences that are unleashed by a single, often naive, act. It suggests that once the lid is lifted, the contents cannot be contained, and the world is changed for the worse.

The story of Pandora's Box is found in Hesiod's poem "Works and Days," where it serves as a mythological warning of the dangers of human curiosity and the inevitability of human suffering. In the myth, Pandora is the first woman created by the gods, and she is sent to Earth as a punishment for humanity. The box represents the unknown, and the act of opening it symbolizes the unleashing of chaos into the world.

In modern usage, "Pandora's Box" is often used metaphorically to describe any situation that has the potential to cause a wide range of problems or to unleash a series of uncontrollable events.