英文故事_The Falcon(附理解练习).docVIP

The Falcon by Giovanni Boccaccio There once lived in Florence a young man named Federigo. In all the countryside around, he was held in high esteem for his skill in arms and his many accomplishments. This young man fell deeply in love with a lady named Monna Giovanna, famous in her time as one of the most beautiful and charming women of Florence. In order to capture her attention and her love, Federigo gave a series of tournaments and banquets and spared no expense in his entertainments. But the lady, who was as discreet as she was beautiful, paid no attention to him. Federigo spent all his money on these entertainments, and at last he had nothing left but one small farm, from which he scraped a living. He also managed to keep one favorite falcon, a bird of such qualities that no other falcon could compare with her. Since he had no more money, he could not afford to live in the city he retired to his farm and lived there in poverty with only his falcon t amuse him. Shortly after Federigo left town, Monna Giovanna;s husband fell sick and died. In his will he left his fortune, which was very great, to the young son, but if the son were to die. Everything would go to Monna Giovanna, whom he loved very dearly. Monna Giovanna, then, followed the custom of the time, which was that a widow should retire for a while form the city and carry on her mourning in the country, And so she moved to an estate which was very near the farm if Federigo’s farm of Federigo. Her young son, who went with her to the country estate, took to visiting Federigo’s farm and became very fond of the famous falcon. He longed to have the falcon for his own, but he did not dare ask for it because he knew how dear it was to its owner. A short time later, the boy became sick. His mother, who had no other child, loved him very much, she stayed with him all day as he lay sick and asked him if there was anything in the world he wanted. Whatever it was, she wo