Now Beowulf bode¹ in the burg of the Scyldings,

leader beloved, and long he ruled

in fame with all folk, since his father had gone

away from the world, till awoke an heir,

haughty³ Healfdene, who held through life,

sage⁴ and sturdy, the Scyldings glad.

Then, one after one, there woke to him,

to the chieftain of clansmen, children four:

Heorogar, then Hrothgar, then Halga brave;

and I heard that —— was ——’s queen,

the Heathoscylfing’s helpmate dear.

To Hrothgar was given such glory of war,

such honor of combat, that all his kin⁵

obeyed him gladly till great grew his band

of youthful comrades. It came in his mind

to bid his henchmen a hall uprear,

ia master mead-house, mightier⁶ far

than ever was seen by the sons of earth,

and within it, then, to old and young

he would all allot⁷ that the Lord had sent him,

save only the land and the lives of his men.

Wide, I heard, was the work commanded,

for many a tribe this mid-earth round,

to fashion the folkstead. It fell, as he ordered,

in rapid achievement that ready it stood there,

of halls the noblest: Heorot 3 he named it

whose message had might in many a land.

Not reckless of promise, the rings he dealt,

treasure at banquet: there towered the hall,

high, gabled wide, the hot surge waiting

of furious flame. 4 Nor far was that day

when father and son-in-law stood in feud⁸

for warfare⁹ and hatred¹⁰ that woke again. 5

With envy and anger an evil spirit

endured the

点击收听单词发音  

1 bode
v.预示
参考例句：
These figures do not bode well for the company's future.这些数字显示出公司的前景不妙。 His careful habits bode well for his future.他那认真的习惯预示著他会有好的前途。

2 din
n.喧闹声，嘈杂声
参考例句：
The bustle and din gradually faded to silence as night advanced.随着夜越来越深，喧闹声逐渐沉寂。 They tried to make themselves heard over the din of the crowd.他们力图让自己的声音盖过人群的喧闹声。

3 haughty
adj.傲慢的，高傲的
参考例句：
He gave me a haughty look and walked away.他向我摆出傲慢的表情后走开。 They were displeased with her haughty airs.他们讨厌她高傲的派头。

4 sage
n.圣人，哲人；adj.贤明的，明智的
参考例句：
I was grateful for the old man's sage advice.我很感激那位老人贤明的忠告。 The sage is the instructor of a hundred ages.这位哲人是百代之师。

5 kin
n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的
参考例句：
He comes of good kin.他出身好。 She has gone to live with her husband's kin.她住到丈夫的亲戚家里去了。

6 mightier
adj. 强有力的，强大的，巨大的 adv. 很，极其
参考例句：
But it ever rises up again, stronger, firmer, mightier. 但是，这种组织总是重新产生，并且一次比一次更强大，更坚固，更有力。 来自英汉非文学 - 共产党宣言 Do you believe that the pen is mightier than the sword? 你相信笔杆的威力大于武力吗？

7 allot
v.分配；拨给；n.部分；小块菜地
参考例句：
The government is ready to allot houses in that area.政府准备在那个地区分配住房。 Who will she allot the easy jobs to?她把轻活儿分给谁呢？

8 feud
n.长期不和；世仇；v.长期争斗；世代结仇
参考例句：
How did he start his feud with his neighbor?他是怎样和邻居开始争吵起来的？ The two tribes were long at feud with each other.这两个部族长期不和。

9 warfare
n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突
参考例句：
He addressed the audience on the subject of atomic warfare.他向听众演讲有关原子战争的问题。 Their struggle consists mainly in peasant guerrilla warfare.他们的斗争主要是农民游击战。

10 hatred
n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨
参考例句：
He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。 The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。

11 dole
n.救济，（失业）救济金；vt.（out）发放，发给
参考例句：
It's not easy living on the dole.靠领取失业救济金生活并不容易。 Many families are living on the dole since the strike.罢工以来，许多家庭靠失业救济金度日。

12 abode
n.住处，住所
参考例句：
It was ten months before my father discovered his abode.父亲花了十个月的功夫，才好不容易打听到他的住处。 Welcome to our humble abode!欢迎光临寒舍！

13 revel
vi.狂欢作乐，陶醉；n.作乐，狂欢
参考例句：
She seems to revel in annoying her parents.她似乎以惹父母生气为乐。 The children revel in country life.孩子们特别喜欢乡村生活。

14 harps
abbr.harpsichord 拨弦古钢琴n.竖琴( harp的名词复数 )
参考例句：
She continually harps on lack of money. 她总唠叨说缺钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》 He could turn on the harps of the blessed. 他能召来天使的竖琴为他奏乐。 来自辞典例句

15 almighty
adj.全能的，万能的；很大的，很强的
参考例句：
Those rebels did not really challenge Gods almighty power.这些叛徒没有对上帝的全能力量表示怀疑。 It's almighty cold outside.外面冷得要命。

16 mighty
adj.强有力的；巨大的
参考例句：
A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。 The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

17 triumphant
adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的
参考例句：
The army made a triumphant entry into the enemy's capital.部队胜利地进入了敌方首都。 There was a positively triumphant note in her voice.她的声音里带有一种极为得意的语气。

18 winsome
n.迷人的，漂亮的
参考例句：
She gave him her best winsome smile.她给了他一个最为迷人的微笑。 She was a winsome creature.她十分可爱。

19 fen
n.沼泽，沼池
参考例句：
The willows over all the fen rippled and whitened like a field of wheat.沼泽上的柳树，随风一起一伏，泛出白光，就象一片麦田一样。 There is a fen around each island.每个岛屿周围有一个沼泽。

20 doomed
命定的
参考例句：
The court doomed the accused to a long term of imprisonment. 法庭判处被告长期监禁。 A country ruled by an iron hand is doomed to suffer. 被铁腕人物统治的国家定会遭受不幸的。

21 killing
n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财
参考例句：
Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。 Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

22 avenged
v.为…复仇，报…之仇( avenge的过去式和过去分词 )；为…报复
参考例句：
She avenged her mother's death upon the Nazi soldiers. 她惩处了纳粹士兵以报杀母之仇。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The Indians avenged the burning of their village on〔upon〕 the settlers. 印第安人因为村庄被焚毁向拓居者们进行报复。 来自《简明英汉词典》

23 slaughtered
v.屠杀，杀戮，屠宰( slaughter的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
The invading army slaughtered a lot of people. 侵略军杀了许多人。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Hundreds of innocent civilians were cruelly slaughtered. 数百名无辜平民遭残杀。 来自《简明英汉词典》