He was the most beautiful of the Norse gods, being the personification of the sun.   He dreamed that he would die, and his mother Frigga exacted from all things a promise that they would not harm him.   Yet, she overlooked the mistletoe and Loki, the eternal troublemaker, persuaded the blind god Hoder to throw a sprig of mistletoe at Balder.  He dropped dead when it struck him. 

[解說]

1.      “He was the most beautiful of the Norse gods”：他是北歐神話中最美的神。 “Norse”：北歐人的。

2.      “being the personification of the sun”：因為是太陽的化身。 “being…”：是分詞構造句，意為「因為是…」或「而且是…」。 personification：化身 (為人)。

3.      “He dreamed that he would die”：他夢到他將會死。

4.      “and his mother Frigga exacted from all things a promise”：而他的母親 Frigga 從所有東西強索一個應允。 “exact” 當動詞為「強求、勒索」。

5.      “that they would not harm him”：(應允) 它們不會傷害他。

6.      “Yet, she overlooked the mistletoe”：可是，她忽略了檞寄生。 “overlooked”：忽略。 “mistletoe”：檞寄生 (其果實有毒)。

7.      “and Loki, the eternal troublemaker, persuaded the blind god Hoder to throw a sprig of mistletoe at Balder”：而 Loki，那永恆的麻煩製造者，說服瞎眼的神 Hoder 去丟一枝檞寄生對著 Balder。 “sprig”：小枝。

8.      “He dropped dead when it struck him”：他倒地而死， 當它打到他時。

9.      這個故事說明：美人真的沒好命。保護很難萬全。 

[複習填充]

Balder was the most beautiful of the Norse gods,         the personification of the sun.  He dreamed that he would die, and his mother Frigga ex       from all things a promise        they would not harm him.  Yet, she o         the mistletoe and Loki, the e        troublemaker, persuaded the blind god Hoder to throw a sprig of m         at Balder.  He d         dead when it struck him.