There are, of course, dozens of figures taken from the texts of classical mythology who are alluded to throughout the first two books, but invariably they appear, just as Tantalus does in this very passage, within the context of a simile.

当然，这部作品有很多人物是取材自,经典神话故事，他们是用来表达隐喻的,贯穿着前两册书，他们始终出现，就像丹达罗斯在这一诗篇中，给予诗内容一种喻示。

弥尔顿课程节选 : 耶鲁公开课