见识一下真正的古英语, 公元 8 世纪的史诗《贝奥武夫》(就是拍成电影的那个),最早的英文诗歌,相当于《诗经》的地位,谁能读懂头割给你。
序言 节选
Hwæt! wē Gār-Dena in geār-dagum
þēod-cyninga þrym gefrūnon,
hū þā æðelingas ellen fremedon.
Ā-lēdon þā lēofne þēoden,
bēaga bryttan on bearm scipes,
mærne be mæste. Þær wæs mādma fela,
of feor-wegum frætwa gelæded:
ne hyrde ic cymlīcor cēol gegyrwan
hilde-wæpnum and heaðo-wædum,
billum and byrnum; him on bearme læg
mādma mænigo, þā him mid scoldon
on flōdes æht feor gewītan.
Nalas hī hine læssan lācum tēodan,
þēod-gestrēonum, þonne þā dydon,
þē hine æt frumsceafte forð onsendon
ænne ofer yðe umbor wesende:
þā gyt hīe him āsetton segen gyldenne
hēah ofer hēafod, lēton holm beran,
gēafon on gār-secg: him wæs geōmor sefa,
murnende mōd. Men ne cunnon
secgan tō soðe sele-rædende,
hæleð under heofenum, hwā þæm hlæste onfēng.