Hope has become a flame so feebly flickering that, even to the most stout-hearted and wise, it seems nearly certain to be snuffed out by morning.

• 再回想当年，托尔金爵士在构思和完成这部巨著时，他身处的也是一个艰难的时代， 那时的世界充满了战乱、恐怖和动荡不安。