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The Rape of the Lock (Canto III) |
作者Author /  Alexander Pope 亞歷山大.波普 |
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The Rape of the Lock
釋意(paraphrase): Canto III
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The scene now shifts to the royal palace at Hampton Court (lines 18). Here the heroes and the nymphs come to engage in all kinds of gossip and chatter (lines 9-18).
Evening has come, and Belinda is ready to play ombre (a card game) with the Baron and another young man. Her sylphs watch over her important cards (lines 19-36). Kings, queens, and knaves along with the other cards ("parti-colored troops") are ready for the combat (lines 37-44). Belinda declared spades to be trumps, and the game proceeds. Her "Matadors" conquer the opposition (line 45-64). Now, the Baron's queen of spades takes Belinda's king of clubs (lines 65-74). The Baron's diamonds attack the enemy, which is overwhelmed like a broken army (lines 75-86). After her queen of hearts is taken by the knave of diamonds, Belinda triumphantly attacks with her king of hearts (lines 87-100).
Pope inserts a mock-moralizing comment on fate and pride (lines 101-104). Coffee is prepared, and Belinda drinks, watched over by her sylphs. Stimulated by the coffee, the baron thinks of new stratagems for getting the lock (lines 105-124). Clarissa hands the Baron a "two-edged weapon" (scissors), with which he approaches the lock. Ariel tries to warn Belinda, but finds that she is thinking of a lover (lines 125-146). The Baron opens the scissors ("glittering forfex") and (having cut a sylph in two) cuts off the lock (147-154). "Screams of horror" follow this act (lines 155-160). He exults in his achievement, predicting that his fame shall last as the various activities he lists. For his steel has conquered her hairs (lines 161-178). |
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