Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

JENNY DOLL · Joined: 24 Oct 2003 Posts: 11

Legend had it these males possessed a special trait which was peculiar to their species; a physical trait so compelling that it had, at times, caused them to be hunted down and enslaved simply for the possibility that this enticing bit of lore might be true.

PLZ what is the paragragh supposed to mean?
especially the last senence.

PLZ, it's urgent, and TKS!

Smee · Joined: 27 Feb 2003 Posts: 33

Dear Jenny,

It seems that a legend tell about the males of some species who had special features (probably magic) that made them to be hunted and enslaved just because the craving for learning about that.

I'm not completely sure about this meaning but it would help if you told me where the excerp was taken of.
Could it be talking about unicorns or something like that?

Regards.

JENNY DOLL · Joined: 24 Oct 2003 Posts: 11

It's from a romance novel referring about a race known as the Familiar.
I think you're right, and thanks for the help.

advoca · Joined: 09 Oct 2003 Posts: 422 Location: Beijing

Legend had it these males possessed a special trait which was peculiar to their species; a physical trait so compelling that it had, at times, caused them to be hunted down and enslaved simply for the possibility that this enticing bit of lore might be true.

Break it down into pieces. Jenny Doll

There was a legend about these males.

The legend said that they had a special trait. (A trait is a distinguishing feature)

This trait was peculiar to their species. (Peculiar here means that it was special to the species. (Species here means a class of males having some common characteristics)

This physical trait was of great interest to many other people.

The physical trait caused them to be hunted down and enslaved.

The reason they were hunted down was because it was possible that the legend that they had a special trait might be true. This was an enticing bit of the legend. (Enticing here means that there was a possibility of pleasure.)

Imagine that the story was about black people and that legend had it that they were good in bed. This was enticing to females, so they hunted down these black people and enslaved them. It was possible that part of this legend was true -- these black people were good in bed.