He was a famous soothsayer.   He saved and reared two little snakes.   Once when he was asleep on a couch, the snakes crept up and licked his ears.   He started up in a great fright, but found he could henceforth understand the language of all flying and all creeping creatures.   Thus, he learned the art of divination.   Once he was imprisoned in a cell by Iphiclus because he had attempted to steal his cattle.   He heard the worms there saying that the roof-beam had been almost gnawed through. At once he told his captors the fact.    After they moved him elsewhere, the roof fell in and they regarded him as a great diviner. 

[解說]

1.       “He was a famous soothsayer”: 他是個有名的預言者。 “sooth”: 事實。 “soothsayer”: 預言者、占卜者。 注意： “soothe” 為「安慰」。

2.      “He saved and reared two little snakes”: 他救了而養了兩條小蛇。

   據說：小蛇的父母為 Melampus 的僕人所殺。

3.      “Once when he was asleep on a couch, the snakes crept up and licked his ears”: 有一次，當他在臥榻上睡覺時，蛇爬上來而舐了他的耳朵。

4.      “He started up in a great fright”: 他跳起來大吃一驚。 “start”: 驚跳。 “fright”: 吃驚。

5.      “but found he could henceforth understand the language of all flying and all creeping creatures”: 但發覺此後他能聽懂所有飛行的以及爬行的動物的語言。 “henceforth”: 此後。

6.      “Thus, he learned the art of divination”: 就這樣，他學會了占卜術。 “divine, divination”: 預言，占卜，推測。

7.      “Once he was imprisoned in a cell by Iphiclus because he had attempted to steal his cattle”: 有一次，他被 Iphiclus 囚禁在一個囚房裡，因為他曾企圖偷他的牛。 “cell”: 囚房。

8.      “He heard the worms there saying that the roof-beam had been almost gnawed through”: 他聽到蟲在那裡說：屋樑已經幾乎要被咬穿了。 “beam”: 樑。 “gnaw”: 咬，侵蝕。

9.      “At once he told his captors the fact”: 他立刻告訴俘虜他的人那個事實。 “captor”: 擒獲者，俘虜者，囚禁者。

10.  “After they moved him elsewhere, the roof fell in”: 他們把他移到別處以後，那屋頂就陷進來。

11.  “and they regarded him as a great diviner”: 而他們就視他為偉大的預言家。 

[複習填充]

　

Melampus was a famous s______. He saved and r_____ two little snakes. Once when he was asleep on a c____, the snakes crept up and l_____ his ears. He s______ up in a great fright, but found he could henceforth understand the language of all flying and all creeping c______. Thus, he learned the art of d______. Once he was imprisoned in a c___ by Iphiclus because he had attempted to steal his cattle. He heard the worms there saying that the roof-____ had been almost g______ through. At once he told his c_____ the fact. After they moved him elsewhere, the roof fell ____ and they regarded him as a great d_____