内容正文:
Scene II.The Earl of Gloucester's Castle.
Enter Edmund the Bastard solus①,with a letter.
Edm.Thou,Nature,art my goddess;to thy law
My services are bound.Wherefore should I
Stand in the plague of custom,and permit
The curiosity of nations to deprive me,
For that I am some twelve or fourteen moonshines
Lag of a brother?Why bastard?Wherefore base?
When my dimensions are as well compact,
My mind as generous,and my shape as true,
As honest madam's issue?Why brand they us
With base,with baseness,bastardy,base,base,
Who,in the lusty stealth of nature,take
More composition and fierce quality
Than doth,within a dull,stale,tired bed,
Go to th'creating a whole tribe of fops
Got'tween asleep and wake?Well then,
Legitimate Edgar,I must have your land.
Our father's love is to the bastard Edmund
As to th'legitimate.Fine word,'legitimate'!
·030·
第二场
格洛斯特伯爵
城堡中的厅堂
①solus「'suls]a.单独的,
独自的(舞台指示语)
埃德蒙持信上。
②plague[pleig]n.灾害,灾
埃德蒙大自然,你是我的女神,我愿意在你的法律之
前俯首听命。为什么我要受世俗的排挤,让世人的
歧视剥夺我的应享的权利,只因为我比一个哥哥迟
生了一年或是十四个月?为什么他们要叫我私生
子?为什么我比人家卑贱?我的壮健的体格,我的
慷慨的精神,我的端正的容貌,哪一点比不上正经
夫人的公子?为什么他们要给我加上庶出,贱种,
私生子的恶名?贱种,贱种,贱种?难道在热烈兴
奋的奸情里生下的孩子,倒不及拥着一个毫无欢趣
③lusty[Ast可a.精力充沛
的,活泼的
的老婆,在半睡半醒之间制造出来的那一批蠢货?
④stealth[stel0]n.隐秘的活
好,合法的埃德加,我一定要得到你的土地;我们
动:鬼崇
的父亲喜欢他的私生子埃德蒙,正像他喜欢他的合
⑤stale[stei训a.乏味的:厌
烦的
法的嫡子一样。好听的名词,“合法”!好,我的
⑥fop[fpm〈废》意人,傻
合法的哥哥,要是这封信发生效力,我的计策能够
瓜
成功,瞧着吧,庶出的埃德蒙将要把合法的嫡子罩
legitimate [li'd3itimat]a.
合法的,正当的
在他的下面一那时候我可要扬眉吐气啦。神啊,
帮助帮助私生子吧!
·031·
ACTI
Well,my legitimate,if this letter speed,
And my invention thrive,Edmund the base
Shall top th'legitimate.I grow;I prosper.
Now,gods,stand up for bastards!
Enter Gloucester.
Glou.Kent banish'd thus?And France in choler parted?
And the king gone tonight?Prescribed his pow'r,
Confin'd to exhibition?All this done
Upon the gad?Edmund,how now?What news?
Edm.So please your lordship,none.
He hastily puts the letter into his pocket.
Glou.Why so earnestly seek you to put up that letter?
Edm.I know no news,my lord.
Glou.
What paper were you reading?
Edm.Nothing,my lord.
Glou.No?What needed then that terrible dispatch of it into your pocket?
The quality of nothing hath not such need to hide itself.Let's see.
Come,if it be nothing,I shall not need spectacles.
Edm.I beseech you,sir,pardon me.It is a letter from my brother that I have
not all o'er-read;and for so much as I have perus'd5,I find it not fit for
your o'er-looking.
Glou.Give me the letter,sir.
Edm.I shall offend,either to detain or give it.The contents,as in part I
understand them,are to blame.
Glou.Let's see,let's see.
Edm.I hope,for my brother's justification,he wrote this but as an essay or
taste of my virtue.
Glou.[Read.]'This policy and reverence of age makes the world bitter to
the best of our times;keeps our fortunes from us till our oldness cannot
relish them.I begin to find an idle and fond bondage in the oppression
·032·
第一幕
格洛斯特上。
①choler[kolo]n.怒气
格洛斯特肯特就这样放逐了!法兰西王盛怒而去:王
上昨晚又走了!他的权力全部交出,依靠他的女儿
过活!这些事情都在匆促中决定,不曾经过丝毫的
②upon the gad游荡着,闲
考虑!埃德蒙,怎么样!有什么消息?
逛着
埃德蒙禀父亲,没有什么消息。(藏信)
③hastily[heistili]ad.急忙
格洛斯特你为什么急急忙忙地把那封信藏起来?
地,急躁地
埃德蒙我不知道有什么消息,父亲。
格洛斯特你读的是什么信?
埃德蒙没有什么,父亲。
格洛斯特没有什么?那么你为什么慌慌张张地把它塞
④dispatch[dis'pat切h.快
进你的衣袋里去?既然没有什么,何必藏起来?
信,急件
来,给我看,要是那上面没有什么话,我也可以不
用戴眼镜。
⑤peruse [p3ru:Zg详细考
埃德蒙父亲,请您原谅我:这是我哥哥写给我的一封
察:细读
信,我还没有把它读完,照我已经读到的一部分看
起来,我想还是不要让您看见的好。
格洛斯特把信给我。
⑥detain[di'tein]v.〈古〉扣
留,不给
埃德蒙不给您看您要恼我,给您看了您又要动怒。哥
哥真不应该写出这种话来。
格洛斯特给我看,给我看。
⑦reverence[revarans]n.尊
埃德蒙我希望哥哥写这封信是有他的理由的,他不过
敬,敬重
要试试我的德行。
⑧relish ['reli叨v欣赏,玩味
格洛斯特(读信)“这一种尊敬老年人的政策,使我们
在年轻的时候不能享受生命的欢乐:我们的财产不
9 bondage ['bondid3]n.
役,束缚
能由我们自己处分,等到年纪老了,这些财产对我
·033·
ACTI
of aged tyranny,who sways,not as it hath power,but as it is suffer'd.
Come to me,that of this I may speak more.If our father would sleep
till I wak'd him,you should enjoy half his revenue for ever,and live
the beloved of your brother,EDGAR.'Hum!Conspiracy2?'Sleep till
I wak'd him,you should enjoy half his revenue.'My son Edgar!Had he
a hand to write this?A heart and brain to breed it in?When came this to
you?Who brought it?
Edm.It was not brought me,my lord:there's the cunning of it.I found it
thrown in at the casement of my closet.
Glou.You know the character to be your brother's?
Edm.If the matter were good,my lord,I durst swear it were his;but in respect
of that,I would fain think it were not.
Glou.It is his.
Edm.It is his hand,my lord;but I hope his heart is not in the contents.
Glou.Hath he never before sounded you in this business?
Edm.Never,my lord.But I have heard him oft maintain it to be fit that,sons
at perfect age,and fathers declining,the father should be as ward to the
son,and the son manage his revenue.
Glou.O villain,villain:his very opinion in the letter!Abhorred villain!
Unnatural,detested,brutish villain;worse than brutish!Go,sirrah,
seek him.I'll apprehend him.Abominable villain!Where is he?
Edm.I do not well know,my lord.If it shall please you to suspend your
indignation against my brother till you can derive from him better
testimony of his intent,you should run a certain course;where,if
you violently proceed against him,mistaking his purpose,it would make
·034·
第一幕
①yranny[tirani].专制统治
们也失去了用处。我开始觉得老年人的专制,实在
是一种荒谬愚蠢的束缚:他们没有权力压迫我们,
是我们自己容忍他们的压迫。来跟我讨论讨论这一
2 conspiracy [kon'spirasi]n.
密谋,阴谋
个问题吧。要是我们的父亲在我把他惊醒之前,一
直好好睡着,你就可以永远享受他的一半的收入,
并且将要为你的哥哥所喜爱。埃德加。”—哼!
阴谋!“要是我们的父亲在我把他惊醒之前,一直
好好睡着,你就可以享受他的一半的收入。”我的
儿子埃德加!他会有这样的心思,写这样的信吗?
③casement[keismant]n.窗扉
这封信是什么时候到你手里的?谁把它送给你的?
④fain[fein]ad.(古)热切
埃德蒙它不是什么人送给我的,父亲:这正是他狡猾
地,乐意地,欣然(仅与
would连用,后接动词原
的地方:我看见它塞在我的房间的窗眼里。
形)
格洛斯特你认识这笔迹是你哥哥的吗?
埃德蒙父亲,要是这信里所写的都是很好的话,我
敢发誓这是他的笔迹:可是那上面写的既然是这种
⑤on[bft;3:fad.(古〉〈诗
歌〉(=often)经常
话,我但愿不是他写的。
⑥villain[vilan]n.恶棍,歹徒,
流氓
格洛斯特这是他的笔迹。
⑦abhor[bho憎恶:痛恨
埃德蒙笔迹确是他的,父亲:可是我希望这种话不是
⑧detest [di'tes]y厌恶,憎恶
出于他的真心。
⑨brutish[bnu:tij0a.野兽般
的:野蛮的,残忍的
格洛斯特他以前有没有用这一类话试探过你?
⑩sirrah['sira]n.(古〉小
子,家伙
埃德蒙没有,父亲:可是我常常听见他说,儿子成年
D apprehend [aepri'hend]v.
以后,父亲要是已经衰老,他应该受儿子的监护,
逮捕,拘押
abominable [o'bominobl]a.
把他的财产交给他的儿子掌管。
可憎的,可恶的
格洛斯特啊,混蛋!混蛋!正是他在这信里所表示的意
③suspend[s'spend]v.延
缓,推迟
思!可恶的混蛋!不孝的畜生!禽兽不如的东西!去
1 indignation [indig'neifan]
n愤慨,义愤
把他找来:我要依法惩办他。可恶的混蛋!他在哪儿?
⑤derive[di'raiv]v得到,取得
埃德蒙我不大知道,父亲。照我的意思,您在没有得到
⑥testimony['testimani]n.i证
词,口供
可靠的证据,证明哥哥确有这种意思以前,最好暂
@intent [in'tent叫h.意图,目的
时收收您的怒气:因为要是您立刻就对他采取激烈的
手段,万一事情出于误会,那不但大大妨害了您的
·035·
ACTI
a great gap in your own honour,and shake in pieces the heart of his
obedience.I dare pawn down my life for him that he hath writ this to
feel my affection to your honour,and to no other pretence of danger.
Glou.Think you so?
Edm.If your honour judge it meet,I will place you where you shall hear us
confer of this,and by an auricular assurance have your satisfaction,
and that without any further delay than this very evening.
Glou.He cannot be such a monster.
Edm.Nor is not,sure.
Glou.To his father,that so tenderly and entirely loves him.Heaven and earth!
Edmund,seek him out;wind me into him,I pray you;frame the business
after your own wisdom.I would unstate myself to be in a due resolution.
Edm.I will seek him,sir,presently;convey the business as I shall find means,
and acquaint you withal3.
Glou.These late eclipses in the sun and moon portend no good to us.
Though the wisdom of nature can reason it thus and thus,yet nature
finds itself scourg'd by the sequent effects.Love cools,friendship
falls off,brothers divide.In cities,mutinies;in countries,discord;
in palaces,treason;and the bond crack'd 'twixt son and father.This
villain of mine comes under the prediction;there's son against father:the
king falls from bias of nature;there's father against child.We have seen
the best of our time.Machinations,hollowness,treachery,and all
ruinous disorders follow us disquietly to our graves.Find out this villain,
Edmund;it shall lose thee nothing;do it carefully.And the noble and
true-hearted Kent banish'd;his offence,honesty!'Tis strange.
·036·
第一幕
名誉,而且他对于您的孝心,也要从此动摇了!我
①writ[ritg(古〉(write的
敢拿我的生命为他作保,他写这封信的用意,不过
过去式和过去分词)写
是试探试探我对您的孝心,并没有其他危险的目的。
格洛斯特你以为是这样的吗?
埃德蒙您要是认为可以的话,让我把您安置在一个隐
②auricular[b:'rikjulo]a.听
觉的
僻的地方,从那个地方您可以听到我们两人谈论这
件事情,用您自己的耳朵得到一个真凭实据:事不
宜迟,今天晚上就可以一试。
格洛斯特他不会是这样一个大逆不道的禽兽一
埃德蒙他断不会是这样的人。
格洛斯特对待他的父亲,这样全心全意疼爱他的父
亲。天地良心!我从来没有亏待过他,他却这样对
3withal [wi'oo:l:-'0:1]ad.
〈古)以此
我。埃德蒙,找他出来:探探他究竞居心何在:你
④eclipse[iklips】n.(天文)
尽管照你自己的意思随机应付。我愿意放弃我的地
食,食相
5 portend [po:'tend;pau-]v.
位和财产,把这一件事情调查明白。
预兆
埃德蒙父亲,我立刻就去找他,用最适当的方法探明
⑥scourge[sko:d]严惩,
重责
这同事情,然后再来告诉您知道。
⑦mutiny ['mju::tini].暴动
格洛斯特最近这一些日食月食果然不是好兆;虽然人
(8 discord ['disko:d;dis'ko:d]
八.不和,纷争
们凭着天赋的智慧,可以对它们作种种合理的解
⑨treason['tri:zanm.叛逆
释,可是接踵而来的天灾人祸,却不能否认是上天
罪:谋反
⑩twixt[wikst)prep.(诗歌】
对人们所施的惩罚。亲爱的人互相疏远,朋友变为
(=between)在…之间
陌路,兄弟化成仇雠:城市里有暴动,国家发生内
machination [maeki'neifon]
m阴谋,诡计
乱,宫廷之内潜藏着逆谋,父不父,子不子,纲常
1 treachery ['tretfari]n.
叛,变节
伦纪完全破灭。我这畜生也是上应天数:有他这样
逆亲犯上的儿子,也就有像我们王上一样不慈不爱
的父亲。我们最好的日子己经过去;现在只有一些
阴谋,欺诈,叛逆,纷乱,追随在我们的背后,把
我们赶下坟墓里去。埃德蒙,去把这畜生查个明白:
那对你不会有什么妨害的:你只要自己留心一点就
是了。一忠心的肯特又放逐了!他的罪名是正
·037·
ACTI
Exit.
Edm.This is the excellent foppery of the world,that when we are sick in
fortune,often the surfeit?of our own behaviour,we make guilty of our
disasters the sun,the moon,and the stars;as if we were villains on ne-
cessity;fools by heavenly compulsion;knaves,thieves and treachers by
spherical predominance;drunkards,liars,and adulterers by an
enforc'd obedience of planetary influence;and all that we are evil in by
a divine thrusting on.An admirable evasion of whoremaster man,to lay
his goatish disposition on the charge of a star!My father compounded
with my mother under the Dragon's Tail,and my nativity was under Ursa
Major,so that it follows I am rough and lecherous.Fut!I should have
been that I am,had the maidenliest star in the firmament"twinkled on
my bastardizing.Edgar-
Enter Edgar:
and pat!He comes like the catastrophe of the old comedy.My cue
is villainous melancholy",with a sigh like Tom o'Bedlam.O,these
eclipses do portend these divisions!Fa,sol,la,mi.
Edg.How now,brother Edmund?What serious contemplation are you in?
Edm.I am thinking,brother,of a prediction I read this other day,what should
follow these eclipses.
Edg.Do you busy yourself with that?
Edna.I promise you,the effects he writes of succeed unhappily:as of unna-
turalness between the child and the parent;death,dearth,dissolutions
of ancient amities;divisions in state,menaces and maledictions
against king and nobles;needless diffidences,banishment of friends,
dissipation of cohorts,nuptial breaches,and I know not what.
Edg.How long have you been a sectary astronomical?
·038·
第一幕
直!怪事,怪事!(下)
①foppery[fopor时n.愚春的
埃德蒙人们最爱用这一种愚蠢思想来欺骗自己,往往
行为
当我们因为自己行为不慎而遭逢不幸的时候,我们
②surfeit「sa:fi间m.过量,过
度
就会把我们的灾祸归怨于日月星辰,好像我们做恶
spherical ['sferikal:'sfia-]
人也是命运注定,做傻瓜也是出于上天的旨意,做
a.天球的,天体的
④drunkard[drankad]n.酒
无赖,做盗贼,做叛徒,都是受到天体运行的影响,
鬼,醉汉
⑤adulterer'dAltoro]n.奸
酗酒,造谣,奸淫,都有一颗什么星在那儿主持操
夫
纵,我们无论干什么罪恶的行为,全都是因为有一
⑥goatish['goutil0a.好色
的,淫荡的
种超自然的力量在冥冥之中驱策着我们。明明自己
⑦lecherous[letforas]a.好
跟人家通奸,却把他的好色的天性归咎到一颗星的
色的,纵欲的
⑧fut[Etn.砰的一声
身上,真是绝妙的推诿!我的父亲跟我的母亲在巨
firmament ['fa:mamant]n.
龙星的尾巴底下交媾,我又是在大熊星底下出世,
天空,天穹
所以我就是个粗暴而好色的家伙。嘿!即使当我的
父母苟合成奸的时候,有一颗最贞洁的处女星在天
@cuc[kjun.信号:提词
1 melancholy ['melonkoli]n.
空眨眼睛,我也绝不会换个样子的。埃德加
优郁
埃德加上。
埃德蒙一说起他,他就来了,正像旧式喜剧里的大团
网一样;我现在必须装出一副忧愁煞人的样子,像
疯子一般长吁短叹。唉!这些日食月食果然预兆着
人世的纷争!法—索—拉—咪。
dearth[dh:0)n.匮乏:饥荒
埃德加啊,埃德蒙兄弟!你在沉思些什么?
⑧amity[ma]n友好,和睦
①menace[menas].威胁,
埃德蒙哥哥,我正在想前天读到的一篇预言,说是在
恐吓
这些日食月食之后,将要发生些什么事情。
malediction [maeli'dikfan]
n,诅咒:中伤
埃德加你让这些东西烦扰你的精神吗?
dissipation [disi'peifon]n.
埃德蒙告诉你,他所预言的事情,果然不幸被他说中
驱散:分散,散开
⑩cohort ['kauho:t)n.步兵队
了;什么父子的乖离、死亡、饥荒、友谊的毁灭、
⑧nuptial[nApfol]a.婚烟的
国家的分裂、对于国王和贵族的恫吓和诅咒、无谓
④breach[brit们n,破坏,违
说
的猜疑、朋友的放逐、军队的瓦解、婚姻的破坏,
@sectary'sektari门n.宗派成
还有许许多多我所不知道的事情。
埃德加你什么时候相信起星象之学来?
·039·