坎特伯雷故事集 (Chaucer's Works, Volume 4 — The Canterbury Tales)

Lat every felawe telle his tale aboute, And lat see now who shal the soper winne.

总序里把"每人讲一个故事, 看谁赢晚饭"作为戏剧骨架, 后续全本的 24 个故事+散文都依这条比赛规则递进, plot 82。

This ilke worthy knight had been also ... He was a verray parfit gentil knight.

"他去过许多地方……他是位十足完美的绅士骑士"——一行立一个人物, 总序 30 位朝客皆有此精度, cast 92。

Than shewe I forth my longe cristal stones, Y-crammed ful of cloutes and of bones; Reliks been they, as wenen they echoon.

赦罪僧从"我兜里那些装满碎布烂骨的假水晶"切入自报家门——一节之内把"讲故事的骗子"立起来, 又转进他的故事, pace 78。

Iamque domos patrias, Scithice post aspera gentis_ _Prelia, laurigero, &c._

"我们已经回到故乡, 斯基泰族苦战之后, 月桂冠的……"——拉丁史诗引子把骑士故事从英国朝圣路直接接到罗马史诗, Skeat 用斜体保留拉丁原文, prose 90。

Ther was a duk that highte Theseus; Of Athenes he was lord and governour ... And broghte hir hoom with him in his contree With muchel glorie and greet solempnitee

雅典公爵忒修斯征服斯基泰(Scythia, 中世纪的"女人国" Femenye), 带回希波吕塔与少女艾米莉——古希腊-斯基泰-雅典三界在婚礼回程路上相遇, world 92。

Whan that Aprille with his shoures soote The droghte of March hath perced to the roote

"四月甜雨穿透三月的旱根"——英语叙事诗最著名的开篇句之一, 十四行一气写完春回, hook 88。

Experience, though noon auctoritee Were in this world, were right y-nough to me

"经验, 即便世上没有权威, 也足够"——巴斯妇把"经验"对位"权威", 在 14 世纪末的英语文学里立下女性第一人称的认知宣言, innov 90。

In tholde dayes of the king Arthour, Of which that Britons speken greet honour, All was this land fulfild of fayerye.

帕森故事把亚瑟王时代的妖精世界与中世纪讲道收束并列, 散文+教义式收束虽严整, 但 Skeat 全本留有未竟尾段(Retraction 撤回其他故事), ending 76。