He was established in the secular life until a time when he was advanced in years, and he had never learned any poetry.

    译文：此人曾为一介俗人，浑浑噩噩不觉成年，亦未曾学习作诗。

    When he saw the harp approach him, he rose up for shame from that feast and went home to his house. On a certain occasion, when he did just that, he left the building of the drinking party and went out to the animal shed, the care of which had been given to him that night.

    译文：每当竖琴临近，便面带愧色，起而离席，径自回舍歇息。有一次，他离开酒肆闯场，来到畜栏，按照主人吩咐，一夜照看牲畜。

Study Guidelines and Questions 学习指导与思考题

    Search online for a map of Britain to find where Jarrow is in Northern England, and where Whitby Abbey is.

    在网上查找英国地图，找出英格兰北部贾罗的位置以及惠特比修道院的位置。

    Search online to find out the importance of the Venerable Bede to the English history.

    上网查阅资料，了解比德尊者对英国历史的重要意义。

    Look in a dictionary to know the difference between a “monastery”, a “church”, an “abbey”, and a “cathedral”.

    查阅词典，区分 monastery（修道院）、church（教堂）、abbey（大修道院）与 cathedral（大教堂）的区别。

    Why does the author say that Cædmon’s ability to sing poetry in English is a “divine gift”?

    为什么作者说凯德蒙能用英语吟唱诗歌是一种 “神赐天赋”？

    Why does the abbess of the monastery think that Cædmon’s poem is so important to the learned men and students?

    为什么修道院女院长认为凯德蒙的诗歌对于学者和学子意义重大？