He was a friend of Dionysius, the tyrant of Syracuse.  He envied Dionysius his felicity.  The tyrant then invited him to try it.   He was made to sit at a sumptuous table, with all known delicacies before him.   Yet, over his head a sword was suspended by a single hair.  He came to realize that a tyrant's banquet was but an unenviable torment. 

[解說]

1.      “He was a friend of Dionysius, the tyrant of Syracuse”：他是 Syracuse 的暴君Dionysius 的朋友。 “tyrant”：暴君、非世襲之君王。

2.      “He envied Dionysius his felicity”：他羨慕Dionysius他的福氣。 “felicitous, felicity”：幸福、福氣。

    注意：envy 某人，envy 某事物，或 envy 某人 + 某事物。他例： “We envy him,” “We envy his fine garden,” “We envy him his fine garden”。

3.      “The tyrant then invited him to try it”：那暴君於是邀請他去嘗試它 (那福氣)。

4.      “He was made to sit at a sumptuous table”：他被使坐在一個豐盛的桌邊。 “sumptuous”：奢華的、豐盛的。

5.      “with all known delicacies before him”：有著所有知悉的佳餚在他面前。 “delicacies”：美味、佳餚。

6.      “Yet, over his head a sword was suspended by a single hair”：可是，在他頭上，一把劍被用ㄧ根髮絲懸吊著。 “suspend”：懸掛、懸吊。

7.      “He came to realize that a tyrant's banquet was but an unenviable torment”：他終於了解到：暴君的饗宴只不過是一種不好羨慕的折磨。 “but”：只不過  (= only)。 “come to realize”：終於了解。 “banquet”：饗宴。 “torment”：折磨。 

[複習填充]

Damocles was a friend of Dionysius, the t        of Syracuse.  He e       Dionysius his f        .  The tyrant then invited him to     it.  He was made to sit at a s          table, with all known d          before him.  Yet, over his head a sword was s            by a single hair.  He came to r       that a tyrant's b          was but an unenviable t        .

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