Sri Lestari
does anybody know what this quote mean? "I'll fares the land, to hastening ills at prey, when wealth accumulates, and men decay"
Dec 15, 2011 1:01 PM
Answers · 8
1
hasten means be quick or move swiftly rather, so “to hastening ills a prey” means that the bad things are hurrying to the land and it will fall prey to them. The word order is a bit unusual, but that is a poetry. The whole phrase means that a country that has amassed great wealth, but where the character of the people has decayed, should be prepared to face bad luck in the near future.
December 15, 2011
I am sure there is a story behind this poetry. Perhaps one of the poets among us can answer this on a deeper level for you.
December 15, 2011
It's wrong. Correction is: "Ill fares the land, to hastening ills at prey, when wealth accumulates, and men decay" to fare well = to do well; succeed (hence the expression "farewell") to fare ill = the opposite of fare well Do you understand it now?
December 15, 2011
虽然那位作者的句子是两百多年前写的, 我认为他很有先见之明,我看他的诗词, 藉以从想象中看到现在的美国。
December 15, 2011
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