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He was the tyrannical dwarf whose duty it was to guard the treasure of the Nibelungs. To him belonged the Tarnhelm, which could confer invisibility. He also owned the magic ring, which made its owner omnipotent. For fear that it might be stolen, he laid a curse upon it: “Let it bring no gain to anyone, and let murder follow it forever until it is returned to my hand.”
[解說]
1. “He was the tyrannical dwarf”：他是那個暴虐的矮人。
2. “whose duty it was to guard the treasure of the Nibelungs”：他的職責就是保衛Nibelungs 人的寶藏。 “the Nibelungs”：尼不龍人 。他們是ㄧ族矮人，傳說為霧的子孫，其國稱霧國，其魔環為至寶。
注意： “whose ... it is (was) to ...”是常見的句型。另例： “We refused to talk with the manager whose idea it is to slip something over on all his customers.” (我們拒絕跟那經理談。他的觀念就是要混過去而討所有顧客的便宜。)
3. “To him belonged the Tarnhelm”：那 Tarnhelm 是屬於他的。那寶貝是件有套頭的 “magic cape” (魔法斗篷)。
4. “which could confer invisibility”：那東西能給予隱形。 “confer”：頒給、授予。 “invisibility”：不見、隱形。
5. “He also owned the magic ring”：他也擁有魔環。
6. “which made its owner omnipotent”：那東西使它的主人全能萬能。 “omnipotent” 即 “all-powerful” (全能萬能)。
7. “For fear that it might be stolen”：惟恐它會被偷走。 注意： “for fear that ... may (might) ...”也是常見的句型，意為「因怕 ...」。他例： “We set out earlier for fear that we might be late” (我們早ㄧ點出發，因怕會遲到)。
8. “he laid a curse upon it”：它放一個咒語在上頭。 “lay a curse on或upon ...”：放詛咒在 ... 之上。
9. “Let it bring no gain to anyone”：讓它帶不了好處給任何人。 “gain”：獲得、好處。
10. “and let murder follow it forever”：而讓謀殺永遠跟隨它。
11. “until it is returned to my hand”：直到它被送回到我手上。
12. 這段的內容來自十三世紀某不知名作者的日耳曼史詩《尼不龍族之歌》(The Nibelungenlied) 的傳說。有名的「霧國指環」也常被音樂、歌劇、繪畫等各種藝術加以引用。
[複習填充]
Alberich
was the tyrannical d whose duty was
to guard the t of the
Nibelungs. To him belonged the Tarnhelm, could
confer in .
He also owned the magic r , which made its owner o
. F fear that it be
stolen, he laid a c upon it: “Let it bring no
g to anyone, and let m follow
it forever u it is returned to my hand.” |
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