2. 外语
  3. Medieval literature is far richer and more varied than is usually presumed. Until quite recently it was almost in eclipse. Most

Medieval literature is far richer and more varied than is usually presumed. Until quite recently it was almost in eclipse. Most

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问题    Medieval literature is far richer and more varied than is usually presumed. Until quite recently it was almost in eclipse. Most of the religious literature of the Middle Ages was written in Latin, for that was the universal language of scholars. There were many learned treatises on theology and philosophy, commentaries on the Bible, scientific works on astronomy, physics, and medicine, informing letters and beautiful hymns. There was also a vast amount of legal and historical writing. Moreover, Latin literature was enriched by the translation of Greek and Arabic masterpieces.
   In the High Middle Ages some impressive popular literature began to appear in the people’s tongue, including poetry, drama, stories, and history. Of the poems there were two kinds—light lyrics about flowers and girls and love, and heroic epics about chivalric deeds and mortal combats.
   In southern France songs of love and chivalry were written by the troubadours who carried their songs far and wide and sang them to the accompaniment of the lute, in lords’ castles and peasants’ villages and market places of town. In northern France the poets preferred to sing of arms and adventure. Among the host of medieval epics was The Song of Roland, the national epic of France. Roland was a knight who lost his life in Spain while fighting the battles of his master Charlemagne.
   The first great epic in the Spanish language told the story of the Cid, who thus became a national hero. The most famous German poem was The Nibelugenlied, an epic that told the story of Siegfried.
   The English epic Beowulf, composed in the early 8th century, was the earliest surviving major work from northern Europe. The Authurian Legends were a charming English romance of King Arthur and his knights of the Round Table. The Ballads of Robin Hood were also well-known. In the later part of the Middle Ages three books were probably more read than any other one, with the exception of the Bible. These three books were Reynard the Fox, The Golden Legend, and The Romance of the Rose.
   In addition to the lyrical songs and the legendary romances, each of the leading nations in Western Europe began to produce literature of greater value, with Italy taking the lead.
   There had long been a popular poetry in Italy, giving expressions to the joys and sorrows of the common people. There appeared a group of troubadours who, influenced by the French troubadours, began to sing of love and war, the basic elements of chivalry. In Sicily, there were poets who wrote in Italian. It was by this Sicilian school that the seed of Italian literature was sown. Poets in Pisa, Florence and other cities began to write verses in local dialects, and it was the Florentine dialect that finally prevailed in the formation of the Italian language. In the 13th century, the Italian language was ripe for a literary Renaissance, and with unparalleled swiftness the literature of Italy reached a new height in the works of Dante.
   Dante was the first important writer to emerge after the Dark Ages. His life spanned the troubled years of the late Middle Ages, in which the long struggle between pope and emperor for supremacy in Italy reached its most acute stage. Deeply involved in the events of his day, Dante reflected in his writings the aspirations and anxieties of his contemporaries.
   Dante was born in Florence. During his lifetime the city of Florence was torn by a political struggle between two factions. In his thirties, Dante became active in Florentine politics. In consequence, he was banished from his native city, never to return. The Divine Comedy, his masterpiece, was composed during his exile. It is divided into three parts: Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise. Each part consists of 33 cantos, with a canto at the begining serving as a prologue. For his material Dante drew on a wealth of sources as well as his own experiences.
   The Divine Comedy is the greatest literary expression of medieval life and thought, a complete expression of medieval philosophy, religion, and culture. The beauty of its poetry and the vastness of its scope make it one of the most important achievements in all literature.
The earliest work from Northern Europe is ______.
选项 A、The Romance of the Rose
B、The Song of Roland
C、Beowulf
D、Ballads of Robin Hood
答案C
解析
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