NEW YEAR'S NIGHT

 Now you are mine, to-night at last I say it;

     You're a dove I have bought for sacrifice,

     And to-night I slay¹ it.

 

     Here in my arms my naked sacrifice!

     Death, do you hear, in my arms I am bringing

     My offering, bought at great price.

 

     She's a silvery dove worth more than all I've got.

     Now I offer her up to the ancient, inexorable God,

     Who knows me not.

 

     Look, she's a wonderful dove, without blemish² or

        spot!

     I sacrifice all in her, my last of the world,

     Pride, strength, all the lot.

 

     All, all on the altar! And death swooping³ down

     Like a falcon⁴. 'Tis God has taken the victim;

     I have won my renown⁵.

1 slay   

v.杀死，宰杀，杀戮

参考例句：

• He intended to slay his father's murderer.他意图杀死杀父仇人。
• She has ordered me to slay you.她命令我把你杀了。

2 blemish   

v.损害；玷污；瑕疵，缺点

参考例句：

• The slightest blemish can reduce market value.只要有一点最小的损害都会降低市场价值。
• He wasn't about to blemish that pristine record.他本不想去玷污那清白的过去。

3 swooping   

俯冲，猛冲( swoop的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The wind were swooping down to tease the waves. 大风猛扑到海面上戏弄着浪涛。
• And she was talking so well-swooping with swift wing this way and that. 而她却是那样健谈--一下子谈到东，一下子谈到西。

4 falcon   

n.隼，猎鹰

参考例句：

• The falcon was twice his size with pouted feathers.鹰张开羽毛比两只鹰还大。
• The boys went hunting with their falcon.男孩子们带着猎鹰出去打猎了。

5 renown   

n.声誉，名望

参考例句：

• His renown has spread throughout the country.他的名声已传遍全国。
• She used to be a singer of some renown.她曾是位小有名气的歌手。