至尊魔戒有多強大？：英語精讀講義

These books are all about this

這些書講的都是這枚

ring, how it's found and spoiler alert, 片語搭配

戒指，它是如何被發現的，以及（劇透警告）

how it's destroyed.

它是如何被毀滅的。

While Tolkien built the largest and most consistent fictional universe,

雖說托爾金構建了最大、最連貫的虛構宇宙，

he sure didn't mind being vague at times. 文法

但他有時也確實不介意模稜兩可。

So if you finished the story and then thought,

所以如果你讀完故事後心想，

wait,

等等，

what can this ring do and where did it come from?

這枚戒指能做什麼，它又是從哪來的？

This is your video.

這支影片就是為你準備的。

First thing first,

首先，

the One Ring is not the only ring.

至尊魔戒並非唯一的戒指。

It's Lord of the Rings after all and that lord is Sauron. 片語搭配

畢竟書名是《魔戒》，而那位魔王就是索倫。

Long before this story starts,

在故事開始很久之前，

Sauron disguised himself and came to the elves to work with their master craftsman Celebrimbor to forge the rings of power.

索倫偽裝自己，來到精靈之中，與他們的能工巧匠凱勒布理鵬合作鍛造了力量之戒。

Together they made 16 called the lesser rings.

他們一起製造了16枚所謂的「次級戒指」。

Then Celebrimbor took Sauron's formula and made three on his own that turned out more powerful than the original 16. 講解

隨後凱勒布理鵬拿了索倫的配方，自己鍛造了三枚，結果比原來的16枚還要強大。

Why make rings based on the suggestion of a stranger whose resume has a millennia-long gap?

為什麼要根據一個履歷有千年空白的陌生人的建議來造戒指呢？

Because he promised the rings would fix the elves' biggest problem.

因為他承諾這些戒指能解決精靈最大的難題。

This world is winding down. 片語動詞

這個世界正在衰退。

The amount of big and awesome and magic decreases as a function of time here. 用詞

這裡的宏大、震撼和魔法的數量隨著時間的推移而減少。

For elves,

對於精靈這種

magic immortal creatures,

擁有魔法的不朽生物來說，

this is bad news.

這是個壞消息。

Sauron said the rings would preserve what their wearers cared about most.

索倫說戒指能保存佩戴者最在乎的東西。

That's why the elven kingdoms are so fantastical compared to the rest of the world.

這就是為什麼與世界其他地方相比，精靈王國如此夢幻。

Their rings have preserved them.

他們的戒指保護了他們。

Unlike the famous poem implies, 文法

與那首著名詩歌所暗示的不同，

the elves made all the rings for themselves,

精靈們為自己製造了所有的戒指，

intending exactly zero to get into the hands of men or dwarves, 片語搭配

完全沒打算讓任何一枚落入人類或矮人的手中，

whom the elves think are stinky.

因為精靈覺得他們很臭。

So obviously something went wrong,

所以顯然出了些差錯，

which brings us back to the One Ring to rule them all. 表達脈絡

這把我們帶回到那枚統御眾戒的至尊魔戒。

Sauron's chief ability is to dominate the minds of others.

索倫的主要能力是控制他人的心智。

And that's partly why he's able to control such large armies

這也是他能控制如此龐大軍隊的部分原因，

and he secretly made the One Ring as a kind of lens to focus this power. 慣用語

而且他暗中打造了至尊魔戒，作為一種透鏡來聚焦這種力量。

His formula for ring construction,

他的戒指製造配方，

unknown to Celebrimbor, 文法

在凱勒布理鵬不知情的情況下，

also made the wearers of the 19 rings more vulnerable.

也讓那19枚戒指的佩戴者變得更加脆弱。

Basically,

基本上，

the One Ring buffs his psi attack and the other rings debuff psi defense. 用詞

至尊魔戒增強了他的精神攻擊，而其他戒指削弱了精神防禦。

Plan A was to control a bunch of high-level elves,

A計畫是控制一群高等級精靈，

but when he put the One Ring on,

但當他戴上至尊魔戒時，

the elves' base level stats allowed them to resist and take off their rings just in time. 片語搭配

精靈們的基礎屬性讓他們得以抵抗，並及時摘下了戒指。

Sauron captured Celebrimbor and tortured him until he gave up the 16 lesser rings, 片語動詞

索倫抓住了凱勒布理鵬並折磨他，直到他交出了那16枚次級戒指，

but he died before revealing who was protecting the three most powerful ones.

但他在透露誰在保護最強大的那三枚戒指之前就死去了。

So now Sauron had 16 mind controlling rings

於是現在索倫擁有了16枚控制心智的戒指，

and had to turn to plan B, 片語動詞

不得不轉向B計畫，

dwarves.

也就是矮人。

Sauron manipulated seven rings into the hands of the dwarven kings,

索倫設法將7枚戒指交到了矮人國王們的手中，

but that didn't work well either.

但這招也不太管用。

Dwarves are a kind of clockwork creature Sauron found impossible to control,

矮人是一種類似發條機械的生物，索倫發現根本無法控制他們，

but the rings weren't super helpful for dwarves either,

但戒指對矮人來說也沒什麼大用，

who loved treasure above all else. 片語搭配

因為他們最愛的是財寶。

So the rings grew their hoards large enough to attract dragons 文法

於是戒指讓他們的財寶堆積如山，足以引來惡龍，

who ate the dwarves and their precious rings.

惡龍吃掉了矮人和他們寶貴的戒指。

Finally,

最後，

in the hands of men,

在人類這種

ever the corruptible species, 表達脈絡

始終容易墮落的物種手中，

the rings worked as expected.

戒指如預期般發揮了作用。

Sauron controlled their minds

索倫控制了他們的心智，

and as mortals,

而作為凡人，

they valued their lives the most,

他們最看重自己的生命，

which the rings stretched for thousands of years,

於是戒指將他們的生命拉長了數千年，

stretched so thin the men turned into invisible wraiths. 慣用語

拉得如此稀薄，以至於人類變成了隱形的戒靈。

Anyway,

無論如何，

these domination plans don't go unnoticed. 片語搭配

這些統治計畫並非無人察覺。

There's a big war.

發生了一場大戰。

Sauron is defeated and fades

索倫被擊敗並消散，

and the One Ring is lost.

至尊魔戒也遺失了。

But the One Ring is tricksy.

但至尊魔戒很狡猾。

It has a mind of its own and wants to get back to Sauron, 慣用語

它有自己的意識，並想回到索倫身邊，

which brings us back to its powers.

這又把我們帶回到它的力量上。

First,

首先，

the ring tempts everyone,

戒指會誘惑所有人，

well, 表達脈絡

好吧，

almost everyone,

幾乎所有人，

with promises that yes,

向他們承諾，是的，

this little ring can be a mighty weapon or a tool to reshape the world

這枚小戒指可以成為強大的武器或重塑世界的工具，

and gosh,

哎呀，

don't you just look like the best guy to use it? 語氣意圖

難道你不就是使用它的最佳人選嗎？

Let's go vanquish the powerful demigod who lives over there to get started,

讓我們去消滅住在那邊的那個強大的半神來作為開始，

shall we? 語氣意圖

好嗎？

Hmm?

嗯？

This is why the hobbits made great ring-bearers,

這就是為什麼哈比人是出色的持戒者，

because they're pretty happy with the way things are and don't aspire to greatness. 片語搭配

因為他們對現狀非常滿意，並不渴望偉大。

Of course,

當然，

there's Gollum who started out as a hobbit,

還有咕嚕，他最初也是個哈比人，

but all things considered, 片語搭配

但綜合考慮，

he held out pretty well for a couple hundred years. 片語動詞

他居然挺過了幾百年，算是相當不錯了。

Set the ring on the desk of most men 文法

要是把戒指放在大多數人類的桌子上，

and they wouldn't be able to finish their coffee

他們恐怕連咖啡都沒喝完，

before heading to Mordor to rule the world and do it right this time.

就已經前往魔多去統治世界，且自信這次一定能搞對。

It's worth considering that the One Ring's promises are just lies, 片語搭配

值得思考的是，至尊魔戒的承諾只是謊言，

that no one could really overthrow Sauron with it.

根本沒人能真正用它推翻索倫。

The ring only wants to trick its wearer to get found, 文法

戒指只想欺騙佩戴者以便自己被發現，

which brings us to invisibility,

這就說到了隱身能力，

which outside the minds of characters

撇開角色的心理不談，

is the only tangible power the ring displays for everyone else.

這是戒指對其他人展現出的唯一實質力量。

Invisibility seems great,

隱身看起來很棒，

but while you're hiding from that troll,

但當你躲避那個食人妖時，

you shine like a beacon in the unseen world 慣用語

你在不可見的世界裡就像燈塔一樣耀眼，

where the also invisible ringwraiths can easily spot you.

而同樣隱身的戒靈可以輕易地發現你。

In summary, 表達脈絡

總結一下，

the One Ring,

至尊魔戒，

A,

A，

turns you invisible in the most unhelpful manner,

以最沒用的方式讓你隱身，

B,

B，

is probably filled with lies because

裡面可能充滿了謊言，因為

C, it's part of Sauron and works for him.

C，它是索倫的一部分，為他效力。

He's so connected to it that its destruction ends him for good, 講解

他和它聯繫如此緊密，以至於它的毀滅將徹底終結他，

but the formula also intertwines the One Ring with all the rest. 片語搭配

但那個配方也將至尊魔戒與其他所有戒指交織在一起。

And so when it fails, 文法

因此當它失效時，

so do they.

它們也會失效。

This is why the elves are so somber.

這就是為什麼精靈們如此憂鬱。

Victory over Sauron also means that the rings won't preserve their kingdoms anymore

戰勝索倫也意味著戒指將不再保護他們的王國，

and all will diminish.

一切都將衰退。

These books are the end of the age of magic 表達脈絡

這些書標誌著魔法時代的終結

and the beginning of the age of men.

和人類時代的開始。

Hello internet.

你好，網際網路。

If you like Lord of the Rings and this artwork,

如果你喜歡《魔戒》和這些畫作，

I've made a wallpaper pack of every piece of art available over at Patreon.

我在Patreon上把所有藝術圖做成了一個桌布包。

They're all available in 4K,

它們都是4K解析度，

so you can use them on anything from a huge screen

所以你可以在任何設備上使用，從巨大的螢幕

all the way down to your iPhone.

一直到你的iPhone。

Click here to go check them out.

點擊這裡去看看吧。