Beowulf is a very old English poem — not old like a Victorian novel, but from a time when English itself still sounded like another language. It is an epic: a long poem about gods, great deeds, and a hero.

Beowulf《貝奧武夫》 is a very old English poem是一首非常古老的英文詩 not old like a Victorian novel不是像維多利亞時代小說那種老 but而是 from a time when English itself still sounded like another language來自一個連英文本身聽起來都像另一種語言的年代。It is an epic這是一首史詩 : a long poem about gods, great deeds, and a hero講述神明、偉大事蹟、和一位英雄的長詩。

The hero is a man called Beowulf. He kills terrifying creatures (a monster named Grendel, then Grendel’s mother, then a dragon) and later becomes a king.

The hero is a man called Beowulf主角是一個叫貝奧武夫的男人。He kills terrifying creatures他殺了幾隻可怕的怪物 (a monster named Grendel, then Grendel's mother, then a dragon)（先是一隻叫格倫戴爾的怪物，接著是格倫戴爾的母親，最後是一條龍） and而且 later becomes a king後來成為國王。

People often date the poem to the 8th century, though actually scholars do not all agree on the year — some put it later — but it is more than a thousand years old. Nobody knows who wrote it. The one old book we have was copied long after the story was first told.

People often date the poem to the 8th century大家通常把這首詩定在八世紀 though actually不過 scholars do not all agree on the year學者對確切年代看法不一 some put it later有些人認為更晚 but但 it is more than a thousand years old它至少有一千多年歷史。Nobody knows who wrote it沒有人知道是誰寫的。The one old book we have我們手上僅有的那本古書 was copied long after the story was first told是在故事最早流傳很久之後才被抄寫下來的。

Students meet Beowulf as the famous starting point of English literature, even though you cannot read the original without special study. Write it with a capital B; it is a name.

Students meet Beowulf學生會接觸到《貝奧武夫》 as the famous starting point of English literature當作英國文學著名的起點 even though you cannot read the original without special study即使沒有特別訓練根本讀不懂原文。Write it with a capital B要大寫B來寫 it is a name因為這是個名字。