Chapter 16 The Portent

Horace Ode 20, Bk. V.

OH, late withdrawn¹ from human-kind
?And following dreams we never knew
Varus, what dream has Fate assigned
?To trouble you?
Such virtue² as commends the law
?Of Virtue to the vulgar horde³
Suffices not. You needs must draw
?A righteous sword;
And, flagrant in well-doing, smite⁴
?The priests of Bacchus at their fane.
Lest any worshipper invite
?The God again.
Whence public strife⁵ and naked crime
?And — deadlier than the cup you shun⁶ —
A people schooled to mock, in time.
?All law — not one.
Cease, then, to fashion State-made sin.
?Nor give thy children cause to doubt
That Virtue springs from iron within —
?Not lead without.

1 withdrawn   

vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出

参考例句：

• Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。
• All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。

2 virtue   

n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力

参考例句：

• He was considered to be a paragon of virtue.他被认为是品德尽善尽美的典范。
• You need to decorate your mind with virtue.你应该用德行美化心灵。

3 horde   

n.群众，一大群

参考例句：

• A horde of children ran over the office building.一大群孩子在办公大楼里到处奔跑。
• Two women were quarrelling on the street,surrounded by horde of people.有两个妇人在街上争吵，被一大群人围住了。

4 smite   

v.重击；彻底击败；n.打；尝试；一点儿

参考例句：

• The wise know how to teach,the fool how to smite.智者知道如何教导，愚者知道怎样破坏。
• God will smite our enemies.上帝将击溃我们的敌人。

5 strife   

n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争

参考例句：

• We do not intend to be drawn into the internal strife.我们不想卷入内乱之中。
• Money is a major cause of strife in many marriages.金钱是造成很多婚姻不和的一个主要原因。

6 shun   

vt.避开，回避，避免

参考例句：

• Materialists face truth,whereas idealists shun it.唯物主义者面向真理，唯心主义者则逃避真理。
• This extremist organization has shunned conventional politics.这个极端主义组织有意避开了传统政治。