He was a member of Odysseus's crew that came to Circe's island.   One night when he was drunk and asleep on Circe's roof, he heard the others leaving.   In his haste to join them, he rushed down but missed the ladder and broke his neck.   In the underworld, his ghost begged for the proper burial that had been denied him.   Odysseus promised it and afterwards did return to perform the due rites.

 [解說]

1.      “He was a member of Odysseus's crew that came to Circe's island”：他是 Odysseus 的水手群之ㄧ員，他們來到 Circe 的島嶼。 Circe 是一個女巫，曾使他們變成豬，其島嶼為 Aeaea。

2.      “One night when he was drunk and asleep on Circe's roof”：有個晚上，當他酒醉睡在 Circe 的屋頂上時。

3.      “he heard the others leaving”：他聽到其他人在離開。

    注意：hear 受詞 + V 或V-ing 皆可能，V-ing 強調「正在 …」。他例：I heard him singing (我聽他唱著歌)。

4.      “In his haste to join them, he rushed down but missed the ladder and broke his neck”：在他急忙要跟他們隨行時，他衝下來，但採空了梯子而扭斷了脖子。 “miss the ladder”：踩空、採不到梯子。

5.      “In the underworld, his ghost begged for the proper burial that had been denied him”：在下界，他的鬼魂懇求 (那沒給過他的) 妥當的埋葬。 “proper burial”：妥當的埋葬。希臘人相信人死而無妥當的埋葬便無法升天。 “that had been denied him”：那曾經沒給他的。 “deny sb.  sth.”：拒絕 (或沒給) 某人某事物。如 “deny him the right”：沒給他權利。在匆忙中大家當然無法給埋葬的機會。

6.      “Odysseus promised it and afterwards did return to perform the due rites”： Odysseus答應那件事 (即妥當埋葬)，而後來確實回來進行應有的儀式。 “perform”：做。 “due rites”：應有的儀式。

 [複習填充]

Elpenor was a member of Odysseus's c      that came to Circe's island.  One night when he was drunk and asleep on Circe's r     , he heard the others        .  In his h      to join them, he rushed down but m       the l       and broke his neck.  In the underworld, his ghost begged for the proper b       that had been d      him.  Odysseus promised it and afterwards did return to p         the d     r     .

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