6.It went wheeling through the moonlit air，but before it could splash on the surface，an arm clothed in white rose from the bosom of the lake and seized the hilt；and then a barge came floating over the lake with three ladies in long black robes，who took the dying King on board and carried him off to Fairy-land.
7.It was a fond belief among the simple peasants of Britain，whenever they were hard pressed by their foes，that King Arthur would soon come back to set them free.The most likely account of Arthur’s end seems to be，that he fought a battle at Camlan，in Cornwall，with his nephew Modred，who had stirred up a rebellion；and that，being mortally wounded on the field，he was carried by seacto the Abbey at Glastonbury，and there died.
中文阅读
1.在不列颠人抗击英格兰外来入侵者的历程中，有一位伟大的英雄，名叫亚瑟，他是不列颠西南边陲一个小国的国王。他的父王，一般民间史家都称作尤瑟，是一个已经罗马化的不列颠人。他曾起义反抗沃蒂根的统治，并最后在汉普郡和维尔特郡建立了一个小王国。后来他在一次战斗中殒命沙场，对手策尔迪克就是韦塞克斯王国的开国之君。
2.亚瑟的王国首都是卡米洛特，位于如今的萨默塞特郡；他在任内创建了圆桌a Unreal incidents.-Most of the history of King Arthur consists of legends.The stories were not writtendown and put into history till six or seven centuries after his time.
b Excalibur.-Arthur had received the sword in the same way.Merlin，the wizard，took him to a lake；and presently a fair arm rose above the surface bearing this sword.When Arthur took the sword，the arm sank under the water again.
c Glastonbury.-in Somersetshire，25miles south-west of Bath.
骑士团，成员由全国最优秀的士兵与武士构成，并以此树立了高贵、纯洁与英勇的风标模范，这让他从此扬名青史，成为彪炳千古的有为明君。
3.据说他曾在多塞特郡的巴普利a大败英格兰人。当时他率领威尔士人埋伏在山坡，英格兰人就在山下的空地上。突然威尔士人朝山下的英格兰人射了一箭，然后以此为号令，从山坡上一冲而下，杀向敌人。亚瑟在战场上与英格兰人头领狭路相逢，并用战斧敲碎了对方的脑袋。英格兰人见首领落马，立即大溃而逃。
4.关于亚瑟王之死，历代文人都大费辞章地添加了很多夸张想象的成分，但大多荒诞不稽b；近代的伟大诗人阿尔弗雷德·丁尼生也未能脱此窠臼，写了不少怪力乱神的诗歌咏叹亚瑟王和他的骑士。
5.比如说，他们的书里都写道，当亚瑟在最后一场战争中身负重伤，行将辞世之时，命令圆桌骑士团中的一位忠厚骑士，把他那把镶满星形宝石的“亚瑟神剑c”扔到旁边的一个湖中央去。这位骑士去了两次，但都没舍得扔。伤病中的亚瑟王严肃地再次下达命令，骑士无奈，只得来到芦苇丛生的湖边，使尽全身力气把神剑扔了出去。
6.神剑就这样翻滚旋转着划过了月光粼粼的湖面，但在落入水中之前，一只着白色袖袍的手臂从湖中心伸出，一把抓住了神剑；然后一艘小船慢慢划过来，船上站着三个身着黑色长袍的女人，她们把弥留之际的亚瑟王带走了，据说去了海上的仙山。
7.不列颠的劳苦大众一直有一个单纯的信仰，那就是当他们面对强敌，孤苦无援的时候，亚瑟王一定会回来帮他们克敌制胜，还给他们自由。关于亚瑟王死亡的说法，大多是这样：他与他叛乱的侄子莫德雷德在康沃尔郡的卡姆兰大战，受了重伤，然后被从海上转移到格拉斯顿堡d的修道院，并在那里长逝。
a 巴普利：位于多尔切斯特东北20英里，靠近布兰福德。
b 荒诞不稽：关于亚瑟王的历史记载大多都是由传说构成，直到亚瑟去世六七个世纪以后，才出现正式文字记载并被采入正史。
c 亚瑟神剑：他们说亚瑟王当年也是同样的方式得到这把剑，一个叫梅林的江湖术士把他带到一个湖边，不久一只华丽漂亮手臂伸出水面，手里就握着这把剑。亚瑟王拿取此剑后，这只手臂又沉入了水中。
d 格拉斯顿堡：位于萨默塞特郡，巴思镇西南25英里。
14
THE PASSING OF ARTHUR
亚瑟之路
blackstoled，wearing priestly robes.
brand，sword blade.brandished，waved.chasms，clefts；openings.clutched，seized tightly.dense，crowded.
dusky，dark.
lamentation，wailing.
mere，water；lake.
miracle，wonderful piece of work.mystic，secret；not able to be understood.remorsefully，sorrowfully.
samite，silk.splendour，brightness.wistfully，longingly.
[The “passing”of Arthur means his removal to heaven.According to the legends，he did not die as other men die.When his end came，he was received into a barge by three queens，and was by them transported to the abode of the blessed.Hence the popular belief that he would return to lead the Britons toavictory over the English.Sir Bediveretwice deceived Arthur by hiding the
sword，instead of casting it into the lake.The third time，he obeyed]
1.Then quickly rose Sir Bedivere，and ran，And，leaping down the ridges lightly，plungedAmong the bulrush beds，and clutched the sword，And strongly wheeled and threw it.The great brand Made lightnings in the splendour of the moonAnd flashing round and round，and whirled in an arch，Shot like a streamer of the northern morn，Seen where the moving isles of winter shock By night，with noises of the northern sea.So flashed and fell the brand Excalibur：
But ere he dipped the surface，rose an arm Clothed in white samite，mystic，wonderful，a Sir Bedlivere.-Arthur‘s nephew.
And caught him by the hilt，and brandished him Three times，and drew him under in the mere And lightly went the other to the king.
2.Then spoke King Arthur，drawing thicker breath：“Now see I by thine eyes that this is done.
Speak out：what is it thou hast heard or seen？”And answer made the bold Sir Bedivere：
“Sir King，I closed mine eyelids，lest the gems Should blind my purpose；for I never saw，Nor shall see，here or elsewhere，till I die，Not though I live three lives of mortal men，So great a miracle as yonder hilt.
Then with both hands I flung him，wheeling him；But when I looked again，behold an arm，Clothed in white samite，mystic，wonderful，That caught him by the hilt，and brandished him Three times，and drew him under in the mere.”
3.And answer made King Arthur，breathing hard：“My end draws nigh；’tis time that I were gone.Make broad thy shoulders to receive my weight，And bear me to the margin；yet I fearMy wound hath taken cold，and I shall die.”
4.So saying，from the pavement he half rose，Slowly，with pain，reclining on his arm，And looking wistfully with wide blue eyesaAs in a picture.
Him Sir Bedivere
Remorsefully regarded through his tears，And would have spoken，but he found not words；Then took with care，and kneeling on one knee，O‘er both his shoulders drew the languid hands，And rising bore him through the place of tombs.
5.But，as he walked，King Arthur panted hard，a As in a picture.-The eyes had the same fixed appearance that eyes have in a painting.
Like one that feels a nightmare on his bed When all the house is mute.So sighed the King，Muttering and murmuring at his ear，“Quick，quick！I fear it is too late，and I shall die.”
But the other swiftly strode from ridge to ridge，Clothed with his breath，and looking，as he walked，Larger than human on the frozen hills.
