牛津书虫系列《The Oxford Bookworm》【中英对照】(连载中:8.25更至第3-1-4本第10章)_派派后花园

用户中心 游戏论坛 社区服务
发帖 回复
阅读:8232 回复:81

[Novel] 牛津书虫系列《The Oxford Bookworm》【中英对照】(连载中:8.25更至第3-1-4本第10章)

刷新数据 楼层直达
葉修

ZxID:8596186


等级: 派派督察
配偶: 周澤楷
人生百年,谁不曾大闹天宫,谁不曾头上紧箍,谁不曾爱上层楼,谁不曾孤独上路。
举报 只看该作者 20楼  发表于: 2014-08-10 0

■ 9 The house on the lake
  When the lights came on, Raoul ran.He ran down stairs and along passages,through the Opera House to the back of the stage.In the passage outside Christine's dressing room,a hand took his arm. 'What's the matter,my young friend?Where are you run ning to,so quickly?'
  Raoul turned and saw the long face of the Persian under his black hat.
  'Christine!'Raoul said quickly.'Erik's got her.Where is she?Help me! How do I get to his house on the lake?'
  'Come with me,'said the Persian.They went quickly into Christine's dressing-room.The Persian closed the door and went to the big mirror on one wall.
  'There's only one door into this room,'Raoul began.
  'Wait,'the Persian said.He put his hands on the big mirror, first here, then there.For a minute nothing happened.Then the mirror began to move and turn,and a big dark hole opened in it.Raoul stared.
  'Quick!Come with me,but be careful,'the Persian said.'I know Erik.I understand his secrets.Put your right hand up near your head,like this,and keep it there all the time.' 'But why?'Raoul asked.
  'Remember Joseph Buquet,and the rope around his neck?Erik is a clever man with ropes in the dark.'
  They went down, down, down,under the Opera House.They went through secret doors in the floors, then along pas sages and down dark stairs. The Persian listened carefully all the time for strange noises.
  'When do we get to the lake?' Raoul whispered.
  'We're not going by the lake.Erik watches it all the time.No,we go round the lake and get into Erik's house from the back.I know some secret doors.'
  Soon they were there.In the dark,the Persian felt the wall carefully with his hands.'Ah,here it is,'he whispered.The wall moved under his hands and a small door opened.Very qui etly,they went through,and then the door closed behind them. They could not get out.
  Inside the room it was very dark.They waited and listened.The Persian put his hands on the wall.
  'Oh no!'he whispered.'It was the wrong door! This is Erik's torture room-the room of mirrors!We are dead men,Vicomte de Chagny,dead men!'
  At first Raoul did not understand.But he soon learnt.The lights came on, and they heard a man's laugh.Erik knew they were there.
  The room was all mirrors-walls,floor,ceiling.There were pictures in the mirrors of trees and flowers and rivers. The pic tures moved and danced in front of their eyes. And the room was hot. It got hotter and hotter and hotter.Raoul was thirsty,hot and thirsty,and the rivers in the pictures danced and laughed at him.He closed his eyes,but the rivers still danced.Water,he needed water,but the mirrors laughed at him.Soon he could not move or speak, or open his eyes.He was not thirsty now,just tired,so tired.'Oh Christine, I'm sorry,'he thought.'I wanted to help you,and now I'm dying…'
  Through a mirror in the wall Christine watched her lover in the torture room.Behind her Erik stood,with his hands on her arms.
  'He's dying,Christine,dying.Watch him carefully.No,don't close your eyes.Watch him!'
  Christine could not speak.She wanted to scream,but no words came.Then she found her voice again.
  How can you do this,Erik! Why don't you kill me?'
  'Because I love you,Christine.Marry me,be my wife,and love me.Then Raoul and the Persian can live.'
  Slowly,Christine turned.She looked into Erok's terrible,ug ly face,and spoke again,very quietly.
  'Yes,Erik.From this minute I am your wife.'She put her arms around Erik's neck,and kissed him-kissed him slowly and lovingly on his ugly mouth.Then she took her arms away and said slowly,'Poor,unhappy Erik.'
  Erik stared at her.You kissed me! he whispered.' I didn't ask you,but you kissed me-freely!Oh Christine,my angel!That was my first kiss from a woman.Even my mother never kissed mee! She gave me my first mask when I was two years old.She turned her face away from me every time I came near her.'
  Erik put his ugly face in his hands and cried.Then he went down on the floor at Christine's feet.'You are free,Christine,free!Go away and marry your Raoul,and be happy.But re member Erik,sometimes.Go now,quickly!Take Raoul and the Persian,and go!'


■ 9 湖面上的房子
  当灯亮起的时候,拉乌尔跑了。他跑下楼梯,沿着走廊,穿过歌剧院来到舞台的背后。在克丽斯廷的化妆室的门外的走廊上,一只手抓住了他的手臂。
  “怎么了,我的年轻的朋友?你跑得这么快要去哪儿?”
  拉乌尔转过身来看到了那张黑色帽子下的波斯人的长脸。
  “克丽斯廷!”拉乌尔急急地说,“埃里克把她掳走了。她在哪里?帮帮我!我怎么去他湖上的房子?”
  “跟我来。”波斯人说。他们飞快地进了克丽斯廷的化妆室。波斯人把门关上,朝墙上的那面大镜子走去。
  “进这个房间只有一扇门啊。”拉乌尔忍不住说。
  “等一会儿,”波斯人说。他把手放在大镜子上,先从这儿,再从那儿。过了一会儿并没有什么动静。接着镜子开始转动起来,里面出现了一个大的黑洞。拉乌尔目瞪口呆。
  “快!跟我来,不过小心点,”波斯人说,“我了解埃里克。我知道他的秘密。把你的右手举起来靠近你的头,像这样,并且要一直保持那样。”
  “这是为什么?”拉乌尔问。
  “还记得约瑟夫·比凯和绕在他脖子上的绳子吗?埃里克是个聪明人,善于在黑暗中使用绳子。”
  他们往歌剧院的底下走,往下,一直往下。他们通过一层层密门,接着沿着走廊走下黑暗的楼梯。波斯人一直仔细倾听着有无异样的声音。
  “我们什么时候才能到湖边?”拉乌尔轻声问。
  “我们不从湖上走。埃里克一直在那儿看守着。不,我们绕过那湖从背后进入埃里克的房子。我知道一些秘密的门。”
  不久他们到了那里。黑暗中,波斯人用手仔细地在墙上摸索。“啊,在这里。”他低声道。墙在他手下动起来并且出现了一道小门。他们脚步很轻地走进去,然后门在他们的身后关上了。他们不能出去了。
  房间里很黑。他们等待着、倾听着。波斯人把手放到墙上。
  “哦,不对!”他低声道,“我们走错了一道门!这是埃里克的拷问室——那个都是镜子的房间!我们成了死人了,沙尼家族的子爵,死人!”
  一开始拉乌尔还没有明白是怎么回事,但是不久他就意识到了。灯亮了,而且他们听到一个男人的笑声。埃里克知道他们在那里。
  这个房间里全是镜子——墙,地板,天花板。镜子里有树、鲜花、河流的图画。这些图画在他们的眼前跳动着。而且房间里热烘烘的。它变得越来越热。拉乌尔觉得渴,又热又渴,而图画上的河流跳动着仿佛在嘲笑他。他闭上眼睛,但是河流依旧在晃动着。水,他需要水,但是镜子在嘲笑他。不久他就不能动不能说话,也不能睁眼了。他现在不觉得渴了,只觉得累,累极了。“哦!克丽斯廷,对不起,”他想,“我想帮助你,而现在我快要死了……”
  透过墙里的镜子克丽斯廷看着在拷问室里的她的情人。她的身后站着埃里克,他的双手放在她的手臂上。
  “他快要死了,克丽斯廷,快要死了。仔细地看着他。不,不许闭上眼睛,看着他!”
  克丽斯廷说不出话来。她想尖叫,但发不出声音。接着她发现自己又能说话了。
  “你怎么能这样做,埃里克!你为什么不杀了我?”
  “因为我爱你,克丽斯廷。和我结婚吧,做我的妻子,并且爱我。这样拉乌尔和波斯人就能活下来。”
  慢慢地,克丽斯廷转过身来。她看着埃里克那可怕、丑陋的脸,又一次开口说话了,非常温和地说。
  “好的,埃里克。从这一刻起我就是你的妻子了。”她张开双臂搂住埃里克的脖子,并且吻了他——缓慢地充满爱意地吻了他那丑陋的嘴。随后她放下手臂缓缓地说:“可怜的不幸的埃里克。”
  埃里克凝视着她。“你吻了我!”他轻声道,“我没有要求你,但是你吻了我——自愿地!哦!克丽斯廷,我的天使!这是我从女人那儿得到的第一个吻。即便我的母亲也从来没有吻过我!当我2岁的时候,她给了我第一个面罩。每次我走近她,她都把脸从我那儿转开去。”
  埃里克把他那丑陋的脸埋进双手哭了起来。随后他伏到克丽斯廷的脚下。“你自由了,克丽斯廷,自由了!去和你的拉乌尔结婚吧,祝你们快乐。不过有的时候不要忘记埃里克。现在就走吧,快!带上拉乌尔和波斯人,走吧!”


■ 10 Madame Giry visits the Persian
  For weeks,all Paris talked about that night at the opera.Everybody asked questions,but nobody knew the answers.Where was Christine Daaé? Where was the Vi comte de Chagny? Were they alive,or dead?
  And the Phantom of the Opera…?
  Some weeks after that famous night Madame Giry went out one afternoon to a small house near the Rivoli Gardens.She went in and up the stairs to some rooms at the top of the house.The Persian opened the door.
  Madame Giry looked at him.'My friend, you know the an swers.Please tell me.Are they alive or dead?'
  'Come in,'the Persian said quietly.
  They sat down on some chairs by the window,and looked out across the Rivoli Gardens.
  'Yes,'the Persian said slowly,'The Phantom is dead now.He did not want to live any longer.I saw his body three days ago,and because of that, I can talk to you about him.He can not kill me now.'
  'So the Phantom was really a man?' Madame Giry asked.
  'Yes,his name was Erik.That was not his real name,of course.He was born in France,but I knew him in Persia.He was a famous builder and I worked with him there.For a time I was his friend,but not for long.When he came to Paris, I came after him-I wanted to watch him. He was a very clever,very dangerous man.He could be in two,or three,places at the same time. He could be in one place,and his voice could come from another place.He could do many clever things with ropes,and mirrors,and secret doors.You see,he helped to build the Opera House.He built secret passages underground,and his secret house on the lake.He could not live in the outside world, because of his terrible, ugly face. Unhappy Erik! We can feel sorry for him, Madame Giry.He was so clever…and so ugly.People screamed when they saw his face.And so he lived this strange life half-man,half-phantom.But he was a man,in the end.He wanted a woman's love…'
  He stopped,and Madame Giry asked quietly,'And Christine Daaé and Vicomte Raoul?What happened to them?'
  The Persian smiled.'Ah yes!What happened to young Raoul and the beautiful Christine…?Who knows?'
  Nobody in Paris ever saw Raoul and Christine again.Perhaps they took a train to the north,and lived a quiet,happy life to gether there.Perhaps Christine's wonderful voice is still singing,somewhere in the cold and beautiful mountains of Norway.Who knows?


■ 10 吉丽夫人拜访波斯人
  几个星期以来,整个巴黎都在谈论歌剧院的那个夜晚。每个人都问这问那,但是没有人知道问题的答案。克丽斯廷·达埃哪儿去了?沙尼家族的子爵哪儿去了?他们是活着,还是死了?
  还有那歌剧院的幽灵……?
  在那个出名的夜晚过去几个星期以后的一天下午,吉丽夫人出门去了里沃利花园附近的一座小房子。她进门上了楼梯来到房子顶层的几个房间前,波斯人打开了房门。
  吉丽夫人看着他。“我的朋友,你知道结果。请告诉我,他们是活着还是死了?”
  “进来。”波斯人轻声说。
  他们在靠近窗口的椅子上坐下,看着窗外的里沃利花园。
  “是的,”波斯人缓缓地说,“那个幽灵现在已经死了。他不想再活下去了。我三天前见到了他的尸体,正因为如此,我才可以告诉你他的事。他现在不能杀我了。”
  “那么那个幽灵真的是一个男人吗?”吉丽夫人问。
  “对,他的名字叫埃里克。当然,那不是他的真名。他出生在法国,不过我是在波斯认识他的。他是一位著名的建筑师,我在那儿跟他工作。我一度是他的朋友,但是并不长久。当他来巴黎时,我跟随他来了——我想监视他。他是一个非常聪明、非常危险的人物。他能够同时在两个或三个地方出现。他能够做到身在一个地方,而他的声音来自另一个地力。他能利用绳子、镜子和秘密的门做许多巧妙的事情。你看,他帮助建造了歌剧院。他建造了地下秘密通道和他的湖上秘密居所。他不能生活在外面的世界,因为他的可怕、丑陋的脸。不幸的埃里克!我们为他感到难过,吉丽夫人。他是如此聪明……而又如此丑陋。人们看到他的脸就尖叫起来。所以他过着这种怪异的生活——半人半鬼。但是他终究是个男人。他需要女人的爱……”
  他话一停,吉丽夫人轻声问:“那克丽斯廷·达埃和拉乌尔子爵呢?他们怎么样了?”
  波斯人微笑着。“啊,对了!年轻的拉乌尔和美丽的克丽斯廷怎么样了……?谁知道呢?”
  巴黎没有人再见过拉乌尔和克丽斯廷。也许他们坐上了北去的火车,在那里一起过着平静、快乐的生活。也许克丽斯廷那美妙的歌喉依然在歌唱,在挪威寒冷而美丽的山里的某一个地方。谁知道呢?
葉修

ZxID:8596186


等级: 派派督察
配偶: 周澤楷
人生百年,谁不曾大闹天宫,谁不曾头上紧箍,谁不曾爱上层楼,谁不曾孤独上路。
举报 只看该作者 21楼  发表于: 2014-08-10 0

【01-06】   [猴爪 / 雅各布斯 著]
  The Monkey's Paw by W.W. Jacobs

■ 简介
  你可以许三个愿,你可以要世界上存在的三样东西,你的愿望将变为现实。你会说,“这在现实世界是不可能发生的。”那么,好好想想吧。你能要什么?你想要什么?
  当你许愿的时候,这仅仅是个开始。当你改变了一样东西,接着你会改变世界上的每一样东西。一个变化引起另一个变化。谁又能知道这些变化又将在哪里结束?
  在这个故事中,怀特一家可以许三个愿,但他们犯了一个小小的错误。他们的第一个愿望变成了现实。接着,顷刻间,他们的生活陷入了一场可怕的恶梦……
  雅各布斯(1863—1943)是一位短篇小说作家。《猴爪》是他的最有名的小说之一。

■ Chapter 1
  It was cold and dark out in the road and the rain did not stop for a minute.But in the little living-room of number 12 Castle Road it was nice and warm.Old Mr White and his son, Herbert, played chess and Mrs White sat and watched them. The old woman was happy because her husband and her son were good friends and they liked to be together.'Herbert's a good son,' she thought.'We waited a long time for him and I was nearly forty when he was born, but we are a happy family.' And old Mrs White smiled.
  It was true.Herbert was young and he laughed a lot, but his mother and his father laughed with him. They had not got much money, but they were a very happy little family.
  The two men did not talk because they played carefully. The room was quiet, but the noise of the rain was worse now and they could hear it on the windows. Suddenly Old Mr White looked up.'Listen to the rain!' he said.
  'Yes, it's a bad night,' Herbert answered.'It's not a good night to be out. But is your friend, Tom Morris,coming tonight?'
  'Yes, that's right. He's coming at about seven o'clock,'the old man said.'But perhaps this rain…'
  Mr White did not finish because just then the young man heard a noise.
  'Listen!'Herbert said.'There's someone at the doornow.'
  'I didn't hear a noise,' his father answered, but he got up from his chair and went to open the front door. Mrs White got up too and began to put things away.
  Mr White said,'Come in, come in, Tom. It's wonderful to see you again. What a bad night! Give me your coat and then come into the living-room. It's nice and warm in there.'
  The front door was open, and in the living-room Mrs White and Herbert felt the cold. Then Mr White came back into the living-room with a big,red-faced man.
  'This is Tom Morris,' Mr White told his wife and son. 'We were friends when we were young. We worked together
  before Tom went to India. Tom, this is my wife and this is our son, Herbert.'
  'Pleased to meet you,' Tom Morris said.
  'Pleased to meet you, Mr Morris,' Mrs White answered.'Please come and sit down.'
  'Yes, come on, Tom,' Mr White said.'Over here.It's nice and warm.'
  'Thank you,'the big man answered and he sat down.
  'Let's have some whisky,'Old Mr White said.'You need something to warm you on a cold night.' He got out a bottle of whisky and the two old friends began to drink and talk. The little family listened with interest to this visitor from far away and he told them many strange stories.


■ 1
  外面的马路上又冷又黑,雨一直下个不停。但城堡路12号的一间小客厅里却满暖和。老怀特先生和他的儿子赫伯特在下象棋,怀特太太坐在一旁看着他们。老妇人因她的丈夫和儿子是好朋友并乐于在一起而高兴。“赫伯特是一个好孩子,我们等了很长时间才要到的孩子,他出生的时俟我都快四十岁了,但我们的家庭很幸福。”老怀特太太想着、想着,脸上露出了笑容。
  这是事实,赫伯特年轻又爱笑,他的母亲和父亲也总跟着乐。他们并没有很多钱,但他们有一个幸福的小家庭。
  两个男人无言地下着棋。房间里很安静,但雨声现在更大了,他们能听到雨点打在窗上的声音。突然,老怀特先生抬起头说,“听听雨声!”
  “是的,这是一个糟糕的夜晚,”赫伯特答道,“这样的夜晚不宜外出,但你的朋友汤姆·莫里斯今晚不是要来吗?”
  “是的,你说得对。他将在7点钟左右到,但也许这雨……”老汉说。
  怀特先生没有说下去,因为就在这时,年轻人听到了一种声音。
  “听!”赫伯特说,“现在门外有人。”
  他的父亲答道,“我没有听到声音。”但他还是从椅子上起来去开门,怀特太太也站起来开始收拾东西。
  怀特先生说,“汤姆,快请进,快请进。又见到你真高兴。多么糟糕的夜晚!把外套给我,到客厅里去,那儿暖和。”
  前门打开了,客厅里的怀特太太和赫伯特感觉到一阵寒气。怀特先生领着一位高大的红脸汉子回到了起居室。
  “这是汤姆·莫里斯,”怀特先生告诉他的太太和儿子,“我们年轻的时候是好朋友,在汤姆去印度之前我们在一起工作过。汤姆,这是我太太,这是我儿子,赫伯特。”
  “很高兴见到你们,”汤姆·莫里斯说。
  “我们也很高兴见到你,莫里斯先生。”怀特太太答道,“请过来坐下吧。”
  “对,过来,汤姆,到这儿来,这儿舒服暖和一点。”怀特先生说。
  “谢谢你。”高大的汉子答应着坐下了。
  “我们喝一点威士忌吧,”老怀特先生说,“这样寒冷的夜晚,你需要一点东西暖和暖和身子。”他拿出一瓶威士忌,两位老朋友边喝边谈。这个小家庭饶有兴趣地倾听着这位来自远方的造访者告诉他们许多离奇的故事。


■ Chapter 2
  After some time Tom Morris stopped talking and Mr White said to his wife and son,'Tom was a soldier in India for twenty-one years. India is a wonderful country.'
  'Yes,'Herbert said.'I'd like to go there.'
  'Oh, Herbert!' his mother cried. She was afraid because she did not want to lose her son.
  'I wanted to go to India too,'her husband said, 'but…'
  'It's better for you here!' the soldier said quickly.
  'But you saw a lot of strange and wonderful things in India .I want to see them too one day,' Mr White said.
  The soldier put down his whisky.'No!' he cried.'Stay here !'
  Old Mr White did not stop.'But your stories were interesting, 'he said to Tom Morris.'What did you begin to say about a monkey's paw?'
  'Nothing!' Morris answered quickly.'Well…nothing important.'
  'A monkey's paw?' Mrs White said.
  'Come on, Mr Morris! Tell us about it,' Herbert said.
  Morris took his whisky in his hand, but suddenly he put it down again.Slowly he put his hand into the pocket of his coat and the White family watched him.
  'What is it? What is it?' Mrs White cried.
  Morris said nothing. He took his hand out of his pocket.The White family watched carefully—and in the soldier's hand they saw something little and dirty.
  Mrs White moved back, afraid, but her son,Herbert,took it and looked at it carefully.
  'Well,what is it?'Mr White asked his friend.
  'Look at it,' the soldier answered.'It's a little paw…a monkey's paw.'
  'A monkey's paw!'Herbert said—and he laughed.'Why do you carry a monkey's paw in your pocket,Mr Morris?' he asked the old soldier.
  'Well,you see,' Morris said,'this monkey's paw is magic!'
  Herbert laughed again, but the soldier said,'Don't laugh,boy.Remember, you're young.I'm old now and in India I saw many strange things.' He stopped talking for a minute and then he said,'This monkey's paw can do strange and wonderful things. An old Indian gave the paw to one of my friends. My friend was a soldier too. This paw is magic because it can give three wishes to three people.'
  'Wonderful!'Herbert said.
  'But these three wishes don't bring happiness,'the soldier said.'The old Indian wanted to teach us something—it's never good to want to change things.'
  'Well, did your friend have three wishes?' Herbert asked the old soldier.
  'Yes,'Morris answered quietly.'And his third and last wish was to die!'
  Mr and Mrs White listened to the story and they felt afraid, but Herbert asked,'And did he die?'
  'Yes, he did,' Morris said.' He had no family, so his things came to me when he died. The monkey's paw was with his things, but he told me about it before he died,' Tom Morris finished quietly.
  'What were his first two wishes, then?' Herbert asked. 'What did he ask for?'
  'I don't know. He didn't want to tell me,' the soldier answered.
  For a minute or two everybody was quiet, but then Herbert said,' And you, Mr Morris :did you have three wishes?'
  'Yes, I did,' Morris answered.'I was young. I wanted many things—a fast car, money… 'Morris stopped for a minute and then he said with difficulty,'My wife and my young son died in an accident in the car. Without them I didn't want the money, so, in the end, I wished to lose it. But it was too late.My wife and my child were dead.'
  The room was very quiet. The White family looked at the unhappy face of the old soldier.
  Then Mr White said,'Why do you want the paw now?You don't need it. You can give it to someone.'
  'How can I give it to someone?'the soldier said.'The monkey's paw brings unhappiness with it.'
  'Well, give it to me,' Mr White said.'Perhaps this time it…'
  'No!' Tom Morris cried.'You're my friend. I can't give it to you.'then,after a minute,he said,'I can't give it to you,but,of course you can take it from me.But remember—this monkey's paw brings unhappiness!'
  Old Mr White did not listen and he did not think.Quickly, he put out his hand, and he took the paw.
  Tom Morris looked unhappy,but Mr White did not want to wait.
  'What do I do now?' he asked his friend.
  'Yes, come on, Father, Herbert said.'Make a wish!' And he laughed.
  The soldier said nothing and Mr White asked him again,'What do I do now?'
  At first the old soldier did not answer, but in the end he said quietly,'OK. But remember! Be careful! Think before you make your wish,'
  'Yes, yes,' Mr White said.
  'Take the paw in your right hand and then make your wish, but…'tom Morris began.
  'Yes, we know,' Herbert said.'Be careful!'
  Just then old Mrs White stood up and she began to get the dinner. Her husband looked at her.Then he smiled and said to her,'Come on.Help me !What can I wish for? We need money,of course.'
  Mrs White laughed, but she thought for a minute and then she said,'Well, I'm getting old now and sometimes it's difficult to do everything.Perhaps I need four hands and not two. Yes, ask the paw to give me two more hands.'
  'OK, then,' her husband said, and he took the monkey's paw in his right hand.Everybody watched him and for a minute he waited. Then he opened his mouth to make his wish.
  Suddenly Tom Morris stood up.'Don't do it!'he cried.
  The old soldier's face was white. Herbert and his mother laughed, but Mr White looked at Tom's face.
  Old Mr White was afraid and he put the monkey's paw into his pocket.
  After a minute or two they sat down at the table and began to have dinner. The soldier told the family many strange and wonderful stories about India.They forgot the monkey's paw, and because the soldier's stories were interesting,they asked him many questions about India. When Tom Morris stood up to leave, it was very late.
  'Thank you for a very nice evening,' Morris said to the family.'And thank you for a very good dinner, 'he said to Mrs White.
  'It was a wonderful evening for us, Tom,' Old Mr White answered.'Your stories were very interesting. Our life isn't very exciting and we don't have the money to visit India, so please come again soon. You can tell us some more stories about India.'
  Then the old soldier put on his coat.He said goodbye to the White family, and went out into the rain.


■ 2
  不知过了多长时间,汤姆·莫里斯停止了交谈。怀特先生告诉他太太和儿子,“汤姆到印度服兵役有21年了。印度是一个非常有趣的国家。”
  “是的,”赫伯特说,“我喜欢去那儿。”
  “不,赫伯特!”他母亲惊叫起来。她非常害怕,因为她不想失去儿子。
  “我也想去印度,”她的丈夫说,“不过……”
  “对你来说,这儿很不错!”老兵很快地说。
  “你在印度看到了那么多奇怪又有趣的东西,我想有一天也能去看看。”怀特先生说。
  老兵放下威士忌。“不!”他嚷道,“别说了!”
  老怀特先生并没有停下,“你的故事很有趣,”他对汤姆·莫里斯说,“关于猴爪的事你想告诉我们什么?”
  “没什么!”莫里斯很快地回答,”真的,无关紧要。”
  “猴爪?”怀特太太惊问。
  “继续给我们讲讲吧,莫里斯先生。”赫伯特说。
  莫里斯用手拿起他的威士忌,但突然又把它放下,然后慢慢地把手伸进他的外套口袋。怀特一家看着他。
  “那是什么东西?那是什么东西?”怀特太太叫道。
  莫里斯什么也没说,他把手拿出口袋。怀特一家仔细地看着——在老兵手里他们看到了一个又小又脏的东西。
  怀特太太害怕地缩了回来,但她的儿子赫伯特却把那东西拿过来仔细地看。
  “喂,那是什么?”怀特先生问他的朋友。
  “看看吧,”老兵答道,“它是一只小爪子啊……一只猴子的爪子。”
  “猴子的爪子!”赫伯特说着大笑起来。“为什么你在口袋里带着猴爪,莫里斯先生?”他问老兵。
  “你要明白,这个猴爪是有魔力的!”莫里斯说。
  赫伯特又笑了,但老兵认真地说,“孩子,别笑了,记住,你还年轻,可我现在老啦,我曾在印度见到了很多奇怪的事情。”他停了一会儿,接着说,“这个猴爪能做奇怪而又奇妙的事情,一个印度老人把这个猴爪给了我的一位朋友,我的朋友也是一个当兵的。这猴爪有魔力是因为它能满足三个人每人提出的三个愿望。”
  “太妙了!”赫伯特说。
  “但这三个愿望并不能带来幸福。”老兵提醒说,“印度老人想告诉我们——想改变现实并不一定是好事。”
  “那么,你的朋友也有三个愿望吗?”赫伯特问老兵。
  “是的,”莫里斯静静地回答,“并且他的第三个也是最后一个愿望就是去死!”
  怀特先生和怀特太太听了这个故事感到有些害怕,赫伯特问,“他死了吗?”
  “是的,他死了,”莫里斯说,“他没有家,所以他死的时候把他的东西全给了我,猴爪是这些东西的附带品,不过他死之前就告诉过我有关猴爪的故事。”汤姆·莫里斯静静地说。
  “那么,他的头两个愿望是什么?”赫伯特追问,“他要求什么?”
  “我不知道,他不想告诉我。”老兵回答说。
  一两分钟里大家都沉默着,然而赫伯特又问,“莫里斯先生,你有三个愿望吗?”
  “是的,我有过,”莫里斯问答说,“我年轻时,我想要很多东西——一辆跑车,还有钱……”莫里斯顿了一会儿,然后很艰难地说,“我的妻子和我年轻的儿子在一次事故中丧生,没有了他们我不再想要钱,以至到最后,我希望一无所有,但为时已晚,我的妻子和孩子并不能死而复生。”
  房子里很静,怀特一家看着老兵苦楚的脸。
  接着,怀特先生问,“为什么你现在还要这个爪子呢?你不需要它,你可以把它送给别人。”
  “我怎么能送给别人呢?”老兵说,“猴爪会给拥有它的人带来痛苦。”
  “那么,给我吧,”怀特先生说,“也许这次它……”
  “不!”汤姆·莫里斯叫道,“你是我的朋友,我不能把它给你。”过了一会儿,他说,“我不能把它给你,但你可以从我身边把它拿走,不过要记住——猴爪会给你带来痛苦!”
  老怀特没有听进去也没有仔细想,很快地伸出手拿走了猴爪。
  汤姆·莫里斯看起来不高兴,但怀特先生等不及了。
  “我现在能做什么?”他问他的朋友。
  “对,这样吧,父亲,”赫伯特说,“许个愿吧!”赫伯特笑了。
  老兵什么也不说,怀特先生又问他,“我现在能做些什么呢?”
  开始,老兵什么也不回答,最后他静静地说,“好吧,但记住要小心,在你许愿之前要考虑好。”
  “行,行。”怀特先生说。
  “把猴爪拿在你右手,然后许愿,但是……”汤姆·莫里斯又开始了他那一套。
  “行了,我们知道。”赫伯特说,“要小心!”
  这时怀特太太站起来去做晚饭。她的丈夫看着她,并笑着对她说,“过来帮帮我,我能许一个什么愿呢?当然,我们需要钱。”
  怀特太太笑了起来,她想了一会儿说,“是的,我开始变老啦,有时做事情很吃力。可能我需要四只手而不是两只手,那么好吧,让猴爪多给我两只手。”
  “好吧,”她的丈夫说,他把猴爪放在右手。每个人都看着他,他等了一会儿然后张开嘴开始许愿。
  突然,汤姆·莫里斯站起来。“不要这样!”他喊道。
  老兵的脸变白了。赫伯特和他的母亲笑了起来,但怀特先生却看着汤姆的脸。
  老怀特先生害怕了,他把猴爪放进了口袋。
  一两分钟后,他们坐在桌旁开始吃晚饭。老兵告诉这一家许多有关印度的新奇的故事。他们暂时忘了猴爪,因为老兵的故事很有趣,他们问了许多有关印度的问题。当汤姆·莫里斯起来要走时,天色已经很晚了。
  “感谢有这么一个美好的夜晚,”莫里斯对这一家人道谢,“感谢有这样一顿美好的晚餐,”他对怀特太太说。
  “汤姆,对我们来说这也是一个美好的夜晚,”老怀特先生回答道,“你的故事很有趣。我们的生活很平淡,我们没有钱去印度,所以请你尽快再来,你可以告诉我们更多关于印度的故事。”
  接着老兵穿上衣服,和怀特一家道别后,他就消失在雨中。
葉修

ZxID:8596186


等级: 派派督察
配偶: 周澤楷
人生百年,谁不曾大闹天宫,谁不曾头上紧箍,谁不曾爱上层楼,谁不曾孤独上路。
举报 只看该作者 22楼  发表于: 2014-08-11 0

■ Chapter 3
  It was nearly midnight.In their warm living-room, the two old people and their son sat and talked about the soldier's stories.
  'India is a wonderful country,' Mr White said.'What exciting stories! It was a good evening.'
  Mrs White stood up to take some things into the kitchen, but she stopped and listened to Herbert and his father.
  'Yes,'Herbert said.' Morris told some interesting stories, but, of course, some of them weren't true. '
  'Oh Herbert!'mrs White said.
  'Well, Mother, that story about the monkey's paw wasn't true. A dirty little monkey's paw isn't magic! But it was a good story.' And Herbert smiled.
  'Well,I think you're right, Herbert,' his mother said.
  'I don't know,' Mr White said quietly.'Perhaps the story was true. Strange things can happen sometimes.'
  Mrs White looked at her husband.'Did you give some money to Tom Morris for that paw?' she asked.'We don't have money to give away for nothing!' Mrs White was angry now.
  'Well,yes,'her husband answered.'I did, but not much, and at first he didn't want to take it. He wanted the monkey's paw.'
  'Well,he can't have it,'Herbert laughed.'It's our paw now and we're going to be rich and happy.Come on, Father.Make a wish!'
  Old Mr White took the paw from his pocket.'OK,Herbert, but what am I going to ask for? I have everything—you, your mother. What do I need?'
  'Money,of course,'Herbert answered quickly.'We need money! You're always thinking about money. That's be cause we haven't got very much of it. With money you can pay for this house .It can be your house! Go on, Father, wish for thirty thousand pounds!'
  Herbert stopped talking and his old father thought for a minute. The room was quiet and they could hear the rain on the windows.
  Then Mr White took the monkey's paw in his right hand. He was afraid, but he looked at his wife and she smiled at him.
  'Go on,' she said.
  Slowly and carefully Mr White said,'I wish for thirty thousand pounds.'
  Suddenly he gave a cry and Mrs White and Herbert ran to him.
  'What's the matter, Father?' Herbert asked.
  'It moved!' Mr White cried.'The monkey's paw—it moved!'
  They looked at the paw. It was now on the floor and not in the old man's hand. The family watched it, and they wait ed—but it did not move again.
  So the little family sat down again and they waited. Nothing happened The noise of the rain on the windows was worse now and their little living-room did not feel nice and warm.
  Mrs White said,'It's cold Let's go to bed.'
  Mr White did not answer and in the end Herbert said, 'Well,there's no money,Father. Your friend's story wasn't true.'But Mr White did not answer. He sat quietly and said nothing.
  After some time Mrs White said to her husband,'Are you OK ?'
  'Yes,yes,' the old man answered,'but for a minute or two I was afraid.'
  'Well, we needed that money,' Mrs White said,'but we aren't going to get it. I'm tired. I'm going to bed.'
  After Mrs White went to bed, the two men sat and smoked for some time.
  Then Herbert said,'Well,Father,I'm going to bed too. Perhaps the money is in a bag under your bed!Good night, Father.'And Herbert laughed and went out of the room.
  Old Mr White sat in the cold living-room for a long time. The candle died and it was dark Suddenly, the old man saw a face at the window. Quickly, he looked again, but there was nothing there. He felt afraid. Slowly he stood up and left the cold, dark room.


■ 3
  已经快半夜了。在他们温暖的客厅里,两位老人和他们的儿子在谈论着老兵的故事。
  “印度是一个神奇的国家,”怀特先生说,“多么激动人心的故事!多么美好的夜晚。”
  怀特太太站起来要拿东西进厨房,但她却停下来听赫伯特和他父亲谈话。
  “是的,”赫伯特说,“莫里斯讲了一些有趣的故事,但是,有些东西不一定是真实的。”
  “哦,赫伯特!”怀特太太说。
  “是的,母亲,有关猴爪的故事不是真的。一只脏的猴爪哪会有魔力!但这个故事很好。”赫伯特笑着说。
  “我想你是对的,赫伯特。”他母亲说。
  “我不知道,”怀特先生平静地说,“也许这个故事是真的。怪事有时也会发生。”
  怀特太太看着她的丈夫。“你从莫里斯那儿拿来猴爪给他钱了吗?”她问。“我们没有多余的钱去为无价值的东西付出!”怀特太太现在发怒了。
  “是的,”她丈夫回答说,“我付钱了,但不多。开始他不想要钱,他要他的猴爪。”
  “好啦,莫里斯不再拥有猴爪了,”赫伯特笑了起来。“猴爪现在属于我们,我们将变得富有幸福。来吧,父亲。许个愿!”
  老怀特先生从口袋里拿出猴爪。“好吧,赫伯特,但我还要什么呢?我拥有一切——你,你母亲。我需要什么呢?”
  “当然是钱,”赫伯特迅速回答,“我们需要钱!你总是为钱而费尽心思,那是因为我们没有钱。有钱你能买房子。真正属于你的房子!来吧,父亲,许愿吧,愿咱们有30 000英镑。”
  赫伯特停止了讲话,他的父亲思考了一会儿。房子里很安静,他们能够听到雨点打在大窗户上的声音。
  接着怀特先生拿出猴爪放在右手。他很害怕,他看着妻子;他的妻子冲他微笑。
  “说吧。”她说。
  怀特先生缓慢而又小心地说,“我希望有 30 000英镑。”
  突然,他发出一声尖叫,怀特太太和赫伯特向他跑过去。
  “发生什么事了,父亲?”赫伯特问。
  “它动起来了!”怀特先生喊道。“那猴爪——它动起来了!”
  他们看着爪子。爪子现在不在老人手里而在地板上。这一家看着,等着,但猴爪已不再动了。
  于是,这个小家庭又坐下来等。但什么也没有发生。雨声现在变得更急,他们的小客厅已感觉不到暖和。
  怀特太太说,“天冷了,我们睡觉吧。”
  怀特先生不答话,最后赫伯特说,“瞧,没有钱出现,父亲,你朋友讲的故事不是真的。”但怀特先生还是不答话,他静静地坐着一言不发。
  一会儿过后,怀特太太问她丈夫,“你没事吧?”
  “是的,是的,”老人回答道,“但有一两分钟我很害怕。”
  “不错,我们需要钱,”怀特太太说,“但我们不会凭空拿到钱。我累了,我要睡觉。”
  怀特太太上床睡觉之后,两个男人坐着吸了一会儿烟。
  赫伯特说,“父亲,我也要睡觉了。也许钱就在你床下的一个袋子里,晚安,父亲。”赫伯特笑着走出了房间。
  老怀特先生在寒冷的客厅里呆了很长时间。蜡烛灭了,天黑了。突然,老人看见窗户上有一张脸。很快,他又看了一眼,但那儿什么也没有。他很害怕,他慢慢地站起来,离开了寒冷、漆黑的房间。


■ Chapter 4
  The next morning the winter sun came through the window and the house felt nice and warm again. Mr White felt better and he smiled at his wife and son. The family sat down to have breakfast and they began to talk about the day.The monkey's paw was on a little table near the window, but nobody looked at it and nobody thought about it.
  'I'm going to the shops this morning,' Mrs White said. 'I want to get something nice for dinner.Are you going to come with me?' she asked her husband.
  'No, I'm going to have a quiet morning. I'm going to read,' her husband answered.
  'Well, I'm not going to go out this evening,'Herbert said,'so we can go to bed early tonight.We were very late last night.'
  'And we aren't going to have stories about monkey's paws!'Mrs White said. She was angry.'Why did we listen to your friend?' she asked her husband.'A monkey's paw can't give you things!'she stopped but the two men did not answer her.'Thirty thousand pounds!' she said quietly.'We needed that money.'
  Just then Herbert looked at the clock and stood up.'I'm going to work,' he said.'Perhaps the postman has got the money for you in a letter.Remember, I want some of it too!'Herbert laughed and his mother laughed too.
  'Don't laugh, son,' Mr White said.'Tom Morris is an old friend and he thinks the story is true. Perhaps it is.'
  'Well,leave some of the money for me, 'Herbert laughed again.
  His mother laughed too and she went to the door with him.
  'Goodbye, Mother,' Herbert said happily.'Get some thing nice for dinner this evening at the shops.I'm always hungry after a day at work.'
  'I know you are!' Mrs White answered.
  Herbert left the house and walked quickly down the road. His mother stood at the door for some time and watched him. The winter sun was warm, but suddenly she felt very cold.


■ 4
  第二天早晨,冬日的阳光穿过窗户,房子里重新变得温暖。怀特先生感觉很好,他对着妻子和儿子微笑。一家子坐下来共进早餐,他们讨论着白天要干的事。猴爪放在窗子边的小桌上,但没有人去看它,也没有人想到它。
  “上午我想去商店,”怀特太太说,“我想买一点好东西做晚餐,你愿意和我一块去吗?”她问丈夫。
  “不,我想享受一个安静的上午。我想看书,”她丈夫回答说。
  “今天晚上我不想出门,”赫伯特说,“我们就能早一点上床睡觉,昨晚我们睡得太迟了。”
  “我们再也不相信有关猴爪的故事!”怀特太太说。她发火了。“为什么我们要相信你的朋友?”她问丈夫,“一个猴爪不会给你任何东西的!”她停了下来,但两个男人并没有回答她。“30 000英磅!”她平静地说,“我们需要那些钱。”
  就在这时,赫伯特看看时间并站了起来。“我要去工作了,”他说,“也许邮差在一封信里把钱寄给你,记住,我也想要一些!”赫伯特笑了,她母亲也笑了。
  “别笑了,孩子,”怀特先生说,“汤姆·莫里斯是我的老朋友了,既然他认为这个故事是真实的,也许就是真的。”
  “好吧,给我也留下一些钱,”赫伯特又笑了起来。
  他母亲也笑了起来并起身送儿子出门。
  “再见,妈妈。”赫伯特高兴地说,“到商店买点好吃的晚餐,工作一天后我总觉得饿。”
  “我知道!”怀特太太答道。
  赫伯特离开了家,沿着马路快步地走。他母亲站在门边目送他远去。冬日的阳光很暧和,但怀特太太却突然觉得冷极了。
葉修

ZxID:8596186


等级: 派派督察
配偶: 周澤楷
人生百年,谁不曾大闹天宫,谁不曾头上紧箍,谁不曾爱上层楼,谁不曾孤独上路。
举报 只看该作者 23楼  发表于: 2014-08-11 0

■ Chapter 5
  Slowly, Old Mrs White went back into the house.Her husband looked up and saw something strange in her face.
  'What's the matter?'he asked.
  'Nothing,'his wife answered,and she sat down to finish her breakfast. She began to think about Tom Morris again and suddenly she said to her husband,'Your friend drank a lot of whisky last night! A monkey's paw! What a story!'
  Mr White did not answer her because just then the post man arrived. He brought two letters for them—but there was no money in them. After breakfast the two old people forgot about the money and the monkey's paw.
  Later in the day, at about one o'clock, Mr and Mrs White sat down to eat and then they began to talk about money again. They did not have very much money, so they often needed to talk about it.
  'That thirty thousand pounds,'Mrs White said, 'we need it!'
  'But it didn't come this morning,' her husband answered.'Let's forget it!'
  Then he said,'But that thing moved. The monkey's paw moved in my hand! Tom's story was true!'
  'You drank a lot of whisky last night.Perhaps the paw didn't move,'Mrs White answered.
  'It moved!'Mr White cried angrily.
  At first his wife did not answer,but then she said,'Well, Herbert laughed about it…'
  Suddenly she stopped talking. She stood up and went over to the window.
  'What's the matter?' her husband asked .
  'There's a man in front of our house,' Mrs White answered.'He's a stranger—very tall—and well-dressed. He's looking at our house…Oh,no…it's OK…He's going away…'
  'Come and sit down! Finish eating!'Mr White said.
  The old woman did not listen to her husband.'He isn't going away,' she went on.'He's coming back. I don't know him—he's a stranger. Yes, he's very well—dressed…'suddenly Mrs White stopped. She was very excited.'He's coming to the door… Perhaps he's bringing the money!'
  And she ran out of the room to open the front door.
  The tall, well-dressed stranger stood there. For a minute he said nothing, but then he began,'Good afternoon. I'm looking for Mr and Mrs White.'
  'Well,I'm Mrs White,' the old woman answered.'What can I do for you?'
  At first the stranger did not answer, but then he said,'Mrs White, I'm from Maw and Meggins. Can I come in and talk to you?'
  Maw and Meggins had a big factory and Herbert White worked there on the machinery.
  'Yes,of course,'Mrs White answered.' Please come in.'
  The well-dressed stranger came into the little living-room and Mr White stood up.
  'Are you Mr White?' the stranger began. Then he went on,'I'm from Maw and Meggins.'
  Mrs White looked at the stranger and she thought,'Perhaps he has the money… but why Maw and Meggins?And his face is very unhappy… Why?'suddenly the old woman was afraid.
  'Please sit down,' Mr White began, but now his wife could not wait.
  'What's the matter?'she cried.'Is Herbert…'she could not finish the question.
  The stranger did not look at their faces—and Mr White began to be afraid too.
  'Please, tell us!' he said.
  'I'm very sorry,' the man from Maw and Meggins began. He stopped for a minute and then he began again.'I'm very sorry, but this morning there was an accident at the factory…'
  'What's the matter? Is Herbert OK?' Mrs White cried a gain.
  'Well…' the man began slowly.
  'Is he in hospital? the old woman asked, very afraid now.
  'Yes, but…' the stranger looked at Mrs White's face and stopped.
  'Is he dead? Is Herbert dead? Mr White asked quietly.
  'Dead!' Mrs White cried.'Oh no… please…not dead! Not Herbert! Not our son!'
  Suddenly the old woman stopped because she saw the stranger's face. Then the two old people knew. Their son was dead! Old Mrs White began to cry quietly and Mr White put his arm round her.
  Some time later the man from Maw and Meggins said, 'It was the machinery—an accident Herbert called, “Help!”. The men heard him—and ran to him quickly,but they could do nothing. The next minute he was in the machinery. I'm very, very sorry,' he finished.
  For a minute or two the room was quiet. At last Mrs White said,'Our son! Dead! We're never going to see him again.What are we going to do without him?'
  Her husband said,'He was our son. We loved him.'
  Then Mrs White asked the stranger,'Can we see him?Can we see our son? Please take me to him. I want to see my son.'
  But the stranger answered quickly,'No!' he said.'It's better not to see him. They couldn't stop the machinery quickly. He was in there for a long time. And at first they couldn't get him out.He was… 'the man stopped. Then he said ,'Don't go to see him!'
  The stranger went over to the window because he did not want to see the faces of the two old people. He said nothing, but he stood there for some time and he waited.
  Then he went back to the old people and began to talk again.'There's one more thing,' he said.'Your son worked for Maw and Meggins for six years and he was a good worker. Now Maw and Meggins want to help you at this unhappy time.'Again the stranger stopped.After a minute he began again.'Maw and Meggins want to give you some money.' Then he put something into Mr White's hand.
  Old Mr White did not look at the money in his hand. Slowly he stood up and looked at the stranger, afraid.'How much?' Mr White asked, very quietly. He did not want to hear the answer.
  'Thirty thousand pounds,' the stranger said.


■ 5
  慢慢地,年迈的怀特太太又回到了屋里。她的丈夫打量着她,瞧见她脸上有一种奇怪的表情。
  “怎么啦?”他问。
  “没事儿,”妻子说着就坐下来继续吃她的早餐。她又开始想汤姆·莫里斯的事。突然,她对丈夫说,“昨天晚上你的朋友喝了太多的威士忌!讲了神奇的猴爪!可怕的故事!”
  怀特先生没有回答她,因为这时候邮差到了,邮差为他们带来了两封信,但里面并没有钱。早餐后,两位老人已忘记了钱和猴爪的事。
  这一天晚些时候,大约1点左右,怀特夫妇坐下来吃东西;又开始了有关钱的谈论,他们没有富足的钱,所以他们常常需要谈论钱。
  “我们需要 30 000英磅。”怀特太太说。
  “可今天上午一分钱也没得到,”他丈夫说,“还是让我们忘掉它吧!”
  接着,他说,“但那东西确实移动了。猴爪在我的手里动了!汤姆的故事是真的!”
  “你昨晚喝多了。也许猴爪并未移动。”怀特太太回答道。
  “它移动了!”怀特先生恼怒地叫了起来。
  开始,他妻子没有理他,好一会儿才说:“赫伯特也嘲笑过这件事。”
  突然,她止住话音,站起来向窗户走去。
  “怎么啦?”她丈夫问。
  “我们的房子前面有一个人,是一个高个子穿着讲究的陌生人,他朝我们这边看,呵,不,好了,他已经走了……”怀特太太告诉他丈夫。
  “坐下来,吃完你的饭!”怀特先生说。
  老妇人并没有听丈夫的话。“他没走,”她继续说,“他又回来了,我不认识他,他是陌生人。不错,他穿得很讲究……”突然,怀特太太不说话了,她很兴奋,“他正朝我们的门口走来……也许他给我们带来了钱!”
  她跑出房间,打开了前门。
  穿着讲究的高个子陌生人站在那儿。他什么也没说。好一会儿,他才开始说话。“下午好,我正要找怀特夫妇。”
  “哦,我就是怀特太太,”老妇人答道,“我能为你做些什么吗?”
  陌生人顿了顿才说,“怀特太太,我从莫和麦金森来,我能进去跟您谈谈吗?”
  莫和麦金森有一个大工厂,赫伯特·怀特在那儿作机器操作工。
  “当然可以,请进吧。”怀特太太答道。
  穿着讲究的陌生人进了小客厅,怀特先生站了起来。
  “你是怀特先生吗?”陌生人问。他又继续介绍,“我从莫和麦金森来”。
  怀特太太看着陌生人,想道,“也许,他很有钱……但为什么来自莫和麦金森?从他的脸色看他并不高兴……为什么?”突然,老妇人很害怕。
  “请坐。”怀特先生说,但她妻子已经等得不耐烦了。
  “出了什么事?”她叫了起来,“是不是赫伯特……”她几乎不能把话问完。
  陌生人并不瞧他们的脸,怀特先生也开始害怕了。
  “请告诉我们!”他说。
  从莫和麦金森来的人停了好一会儿才开始说,“对不起,非常对不起,今天早晨,工厂发生了一起事故……。”
  “到底出了什么事,赫伯特还好吗?”怀特太太又叫了起来。
  “是这样……”陌生人慢慢地说。
  “他住院了吗?”老妇人问,现在她非常害怕。
  “但是……”陌生人看了一眼怀特太太的脸又停了下来。
  “他死了吗?赫伯特死啦?”怀特先生平静地问。
  “死啦,”怀特太太哭叫着。“不,请不要这样说……,不,赫伯特不会死,我们的儿子不会死!”
  突然,老妇人不喊了,因为她看见了陌生人的表情。两个老人明白,他们的儿子已经死了!老怀特太太呜咽着,怀特先生伤心地搂着她。
  过了一会儿,从莫和麦金森来的男人说,“那是一起机器事故,听到赫伯特喊救命,工友们跑过去,可一点办法也没有。只能眼睁睁地看着赫伯特在机器里。对不起,非常对不起。”他结束一了讲话。
  刹那间,屋子里非常安静。最后,怀特太太说,“我们的儿子,死了,我们再也不能见到他了,没有他,我们以后的日子怎么过?”
  他丈夫说,“他是我们的儿子,我们爱他。”
  接着,怀特太太问陌生人,“我们能看看他吗?我们能不能看看我们的儿子?请带我去,我想去看看我的儿子。”
  但陌生人很快答道,“不行,最好不要去看他,他们不能快速把机器停下来,赫伯特在里面呆了很长时间,并且开始的时候弄不出来,他……”陌生人停了下来,接着他说,“还是别去看他吧!”
  陌生人走到窗户边,因为他不想看到两位老人的痛苦的表情,他什么也没说,站在那儿等了好长时间。
  然而,他又回过身来开始和两位老人谈话。“但是,你们的儿子是一个好工人,他为莫和麦金森工作了6年。现在,莫和麦金森要在这个不幸的时候帮助你们。”陌生人又停了下来,过了一会儿又说,“莫和麦金森想给你们一些钱。”说完,他把一些东西交到怀特先生手上。
  老怀特先生没有看手里的钱,他慢慢地站起来,害怕地看着陌生人,“多少钱?”怀特先生非常平静地问。其实他并不想听到答案。
  “30 000英镑。”陌生人说。


■ Chapter 6
  Three days later,in the big,new cemetery two miles from their house,the two old people said goodbye to their dead son.Then they went back to their dark,old house. They did not want to live without Herbert, but they waited for something good to happen, something to help them.The days went by very slowly. Sometimes they did not talk because there was nothing to say without Herbert. And so the days felt very long.
  Then,one night,about a week later,Mrs White got out of bed because she could not sleep. She sat by the window and she watched and waited for her son. He did not come and she began to cry quietly.
  In the dark her husband heard her and he called,'Come back to bed. It's cold out there.'
  'It's colder for my son,'his wife answered.'He's out there in the cold cemetery.'
  Mrs White did not go back to bed, but Mr White was old and tired and the bed was warm. So, in the end, he went to sleep again. Suddenly he heard a cry from his wife.
  'The paw!' she cried.'The monkey's paw!' She came back to the bed and stood there.
  'What is it ? What's the matter?'Mr White cried.He sat up in bed.'What's the matter? 'he thought.'Why is she ex cited? What's she talking about?' He looked at his wife.
  Her face was very white in the dark.'I want it,'she said quietly, 'and you've got it! Give it to me! Please!'
  'What?' Mr White asked.
  'The monkey's paw, Mrs White said.'Where is it?'
  'It's downstairs, Mr White answered.'Why?'
  Mrs White began to laugh and cry.'We can have two more wishes! 'she cried. 'We had one—but there are two more!'
  'Oh,no!Not again! Think, woman!' Mr White cried. But Mrs White did not listen.
  'Quickly,' she said .'Go and get the paw. We're going to wish for our boy to come back to us!'
  'No!' Mr White cried.'You're mad!'
  'Get it! Get it quickly!' Mrs White cried again.
  Mr White said again,'Think, woman! Think! Our boy was in the machinery for a long time. They didn't want to show him to us! Think!Do you want to see his body?'
  'Yes! He's my son. I'm not afraid of him!' she answered.
  'You don't understand,' Mr White said sadly, but he went downstairs to look for the monkey's paw.
  In the living-room it was dark and Mr White did not have a candle. Slowly, he went across the room and he put out his hand for the monkey's paw. He touched it, and quickly took his hand away again.
  'No!' he thought.'I can't!I don't want to see Herbert! His face—after he was in the machinery… no!'
  Then he thought about his wife—and he put out his hand and took the paw.
  In the bedroom his wife waited. She saw the paw in Mr White's hand and cried,'Quick! Make the wish!'
  'I can't,'Mr White answered. 'Remember—he died in the machinery!'
  'Make the wish! I'm not afraid of my own son!'Mrs White cried again.
  Mr White looked sadly at his wife, but he took the paw in his right hand and said slowly,'I wish for my son, Herbert, to come back to us.'then he sat down in the nearest chair.
  But Mrs White went over to the window and looked out into the road. She stayed there for a long time and she did not move. Nothing happened. The monkey's paw could not do it!
  'Thank God!'Mr White said,and he went back to bed.
  Soon Mrs White went to bed too.


■ 6
  三天后,在离他们家两英里远的一个大而新的墓地,两位老人和他们死去的儿子道别了。然后,他们回到了又黑又旧的房子。没有了赫伯特,他们什么也不想做,他们等待着奇迹发生。时间过得很慢,有时他们连话也不想说,因为没有了赫伯特,就无话可说了。所以他们觉得白天很长。
  一周后的一天晚上,怀特太太因失眠从床上爬了起来。她坐在窗户边看着,等着她的儿子回来。想到赫伯特也回不来了,她又低声地哭了起来。
  黑暗中,她丈夫听见了她的哭声,叫她,“过来睡吧,那儿太冷了。”
  “我儿子那儿更冷,”他妻子回应他,“他一个人呆在外面冰冷的墓地里。”
  怀特太太没有回去睡觉,但怀特先生因又老又累,加上温暖的被窝,很快又睡着了。突然他听见了妻子的叫声。
  “爪子!”她喊道,“猴爪!”她走到床边站在那儿。
  “出了什么事?”怀特先生叫着从床上坐了起来,他想,“她为什么那么兴奋?她说什么?”他疑惑地看着妻子。
  她的脸色在黑暗中显得很苍白。“我要猴爪,在你那儿,请把它给我,”她静静地说。
  “什么?”怀特先生没听明白。
  “猴爪,”怀特太太说,“猴爪在哪儿?”
  “在楼下,但你为什么要它?”怀特先生不解。
  怀特太太高兴地叫了起来。“我们可以再许两个愿!我们已经许了一个,还有两个!”
  “不,再也不要了,好好想一想,老太太!”怀特先生大叫着,但怀特太太并不听他说的话。
  “快点,去把猴爪拿来,我们许愿我们的儿子回到我们身边来!”她说。
  “不,你疯啦。”怀特先生叫了起来。
  “拿来,快拿来!”怀特太太又喊叫着。
  怀特先生劝她,“好好想一想,老太太,我们的孩子在机器里呆了那么长时间,人家都不让我们看,你真的想看我们孩子的尸体?”
  “是的,他是我儿子,我不害怕。”她回答说。
  “你真不可理喻。”怀特先生悲哀地说。但他还是下楼去找猴爪。
  客厅里很黑,怀特先生又没有蜡烛。他慢慢地穿过房间,伸手摸着找猴爪。他摸到了但又很快把手缩了回去。
  “不,我不能,我不想看到赫伯特被机器轧烂的脸。”他想。
  但他又想到了他可怜的妻子,还是把猴爪拿了起来。
  卧室里,妻子在等他。一看到怀特先生手里的猴爪她就叫起来,“快,快许愿!”
  “我不能,”怀特先生答道,“记住,他是死在机器里!”
  “许愿吧!我不害怕我自己的儿子。”怀特太太叫道。
  怀特先生悲伤地看了一眼他的妻子,把猴爪放在右手里慢慢地说,“我希望我的儿子赫伯特回到我们身边。”说完就在最近的椅子上坐了下来。
  怀特太太走到窗户边上看着马路。她长时间地呆在那儿不走。但什么也没发生,猴爪并不起作用!
  “感谢上帝!”怀特先生说着又睡觉去了。
  不久,怀特太太也上了床。
■ Chapter 7
  But they did not sleep. They waited and they listened. In the end Mr White got up to get a candle because the dark made him more afraid. He began to go downstairs, but suddenly he heard a noise at the front door.He stopped,and he listened. He could not move.Then the noise came again. This time he ran.He ran upstairs,back into the bedroom and he closed the door behind him. But again the noise came.
  'What's that?' Mrs White cried, and she sat up in bed.
  'Nothing! GO to sleep again!' her husband answered.
  But Mrs White listened—and the noise came again.'It's Herbert! It's Herbert! she cried.'I'm going to open the door for him.'
  And she got out of bed and ran to the door of the bedroom.Mr White got there first and stopped her.
  'No!' he cried.'Think!'
  'But it's my boy! It's Herbert,' she answered.
  'No!Don't go!Don't…'her husband cried again.
  But Mrs White did not listen to him. She opened the bed room door and ran from the room.'I'm coming, Herbert. I'm coming!' she called.
  Mr White ran after her.'Stop!'he cried.'Remember, Herbert died in the machinery!You don't want to see him!'
  For a minute Mrs White stopped and looked at her husband, but then the noise came again and she began to run downstairs.
  'Help me! Help me!' she called to her husband.
  But Mr White did not move.'The paw!' he thought.'Where's the monkey's paw?'
  He ran back into the bedroom.'Quick!'he thought. 'Where is it?'At first he could not find it in the dark.Ah! There it was! He had it!
  Just at that minute he heard his wife downstairs.
  'Wait! Wait, Herbert! I'm coming!' she cried. She began to open the front door.
  At the same time Mr White took the monkey's paw in his right hand and he made his third wish.
  Mrs White gave a long unhappy cry and her husband ran down to her. She stood by the open door. Very afraid,Old Mr White looked out into the dark.
  The road was dark and quiet—and there was nobody there.


■ 7
  他们睡不着。他们在等、在听。最终,怀特先生还是起床点了一枝蜡烛,因为黑夜使他们更害怕。他开始下楼,突然,他听到前门有声音。他停住了,仔细地听。他没有动。接着,声音又响了起来,这次他跑上了楼,回到了卧室,关紧了他身后的门,但声音又传来了。
  “那是什么?”怀特太太叫着从床上坐了起来。
  “什么也没有,睡觉吧!”她丈夫告诉她。
  但怀特太太听到声音又响了起来。“是赫伯特,是赫伯特!我要去给他开门。”她说。
  她起床跑向卧室的门,但怀特先生抢先挡住了她。
  “不要这样,要好好想一想。”他叫道。
  “但他是我的孩子!他是赫伯特。”她说。
  “不,千万不要去……”他丈夫又叫了起来。
  但怀特太太并不听他的,她打开卧室的门并从房间里跑了出来。“我来了,赫伯特,我来了。”她喊道。
  怀特先生跟在她后面跑,“站住,别忘了赫伯特是死在机器里!你并不想看到他!”
  怀特太太停下来看了他的丈夫一会儿,这时,声音又响了起来,她又开始向楼下跑。
  “帮帮我,帮帮我!”她叫她的丈夫。
  但怀特先生没有动。他想到了猴爪。“猴爪,猴爪放在哪儿了?”
  他跑回卧室。他心里在想,“快,猴爪在哪儿?”开始,在黑暗中他找不着,它在哪儿,他终于拿到了猴爪!.
  就在这时,他听到了楼下妻子的声音。
  “等一等,赫伯特,我来啦!”她喊着,并开始开前面的门。
  与此同时,怀特先生把猴爪放在右手里开始许第三个愿。
  怀特太太发出一声长长的失望的叫声,她丈夫跑下楼找她,她正站在打开的门旁。老怀特先生看着外面黑漆漆的夜,非常恐惧。
  马路很暗且静,一个人影也没有。
葉修

ZxID:8596186


等级: 派派督察
配偶: 周澤楷
人生百年,谁不曾大闹天宫,谁不曾头上紧箍,谁不曾爱上层楼,谁不曾孤独上路。
举报 只看该作者 24楼  发表于: 2014-08-11 0

【01-07】  [象人 / 蒂姆·维克瑞 著]
  The Elephant Man by Tim Vicary

■ 简介
  一百年前的世界与现在截然不同。大多数人生活在没有电的阴冷、潮湿的环境中。他们从不上医院,往往死得很惨。
  本书讲述了一个贫穷、丑陋的人的故事。没有人喜欢他,大家都嘲笑他。人们将他放在笼子里,当作动物一样展览。直到有一天一位医生发现了他,觉得他很有趣,想研究他。象人就这样出了名,每个人都想去拜访他,甚至女王都来看望他。
  为什么刚开始人们逃避他,后来又接近他?看了这本书,你便会明白。
  蒂姆·维克瑞是一位经验丰富的教师兼作家,生活在英格兰北部的约克郡。

■ Chapter 1 The Creature in the Shop
  My name is Dr Frederick Treves. I am a doctor at the London Hospital. One day in 1884, I saw a picture in the window of a shop near the hospital. I stopped in front of the shop and looked at the picture. At first I felt interested, then I felt angry, then afraid. It was a horrible, ugly picture. There was a man in the picture, but he did not look like you and me. He did not look like a man. He looked like an elephant.
  I read the writing under the picture. It said:
  Come in and see the Elephant Man. 2 pence. I opened the door and went in.
  There was a man in the shop. He was a dirty man in an old coat with a cigarette in his mouth. 'What do you want?'he asked.
  'I'd like to see the elephant man, please, 'I said.
  The man looked at me angrily. 'Well, you can't, ' he said. 'The shop's closing now. You can come back tomorrow. '
  'I'm sorry, 'I said. ' But I would like to see him now. I have no time tomorrow—I have a lot of work to do. But I can give you more than 2 pence. '
  The man looked at me carefully. Then he took the cigarette out of his mouth and smiled with his yellow teeth.
  'All right, sir, 'he said. 'Give me twelve pence then. '
  I gave him the money and he opened a door at the back of the shop. We went into a little room. The room was cold and dark, and there was a horrible smell in it.
  A creature sat on a chair behind a table. I say a creature, because it was not a man or a woman, like you or me. The creature did not move or look at us. It sat very quietly on the chair in the cold, dark, dirty room, and looked at the table. The creature had a cloth over its head, because of the cold. On the table in front of it, there was a dead flower.
  'Stand up! 'said the shopkeeper, loudly.
  The creature stood up slowly. It took the old cloth off its head, and put it on the chair.
  I looked at the creature and felt sad. I am a doctor, so I know a lot about accidents and ill people. I see horrible, ugly things every day. But this creature, this thing, was the worst of all. There were no men or women in the hospital like him.
  He wore some old trousers, but no shirt, coat, or shoes, so I could see his body very well. His head was the most interesting thing. It was very, very big—like an enormous bag with a lot of books in it. The head did not have much hair, and there was another bag of brown, dirty skin at the back of it. This skin came down below his neck. I could not see one of his eyes very well, because a lot of skin came down in front of his face, too.
  An enormous red tooth came out of his mouth, under his nose. It looked like an elephant's tooth. The mouth and nose were like holes in the face. The face could not smile or laugh or look angry or sad, because the skin could not move. It was dead, like an elephant's face.
  There were more bags of dirty skin on the front and back of the creature's body. These bags came down to his legs. The right arm was enormous, and there were bags of skin on it, too. The right hand was like a man's foot.
  But the left hand the left arm and the left hand were beautiful! The left arm had wonderful skin, and the fingers of the left hand were long and beautiful. It was like a young woman's hand!
  'Walk, Merrick! ' said the shopkeeper angrily. 'Come on, quickly, move! 'He hit the creature with his hand.
  Slowly, the creature walked across the room. But he could not walk well. His legs were very big and fat, and he had a bad back. He could not walk far without a stick.
  'All right, thank you, 'I said. 'Let him sit down. I don't want to see any more. 'I felt ill, and the smell in the room was very bad.
  'Yes, sir, 'said the shopkeeper. 'Sit down, Merrick. '
  We went out of the room and closed the door. The shop-keeper smiled at me with his yellow teeth.
  'Wonderful, sir, isn't it?'he said. 'The best Elephant Man in England! Hundreds of people come to see him, you know, hundreds! I take him all over the country, I do! '
  'Yes, very interesting, 'I said. 'Can I sit down?'
  'Yes, sir, of course. Here's a chair. 'He looked at me, smiling. 'Would you like a glass of water, sir?'
  'Yes, please, 'I said. Then I looked at the things in the dirty shop. There were two or three bad apples and some old black bananas:that was all. 'Er, no…no, thank you. I'm all right, 'I said. 'Did you…did you call the creature Merrick?'
  'That's right, sir. Joseph Merrick. The best ElephantMan in England! I take him all over the country, you know. Lots of people want to see him. '
  'Yes, I see. Do you get a lot of money?'
  'Well, sometimes we do, sir, yes. But it's difficult, you see, sir, because of the police. The police don't like us, you see, sir. So we can't stay in a town very long. We usually move every week. '
  'Yes, I see. Well, anyway, Mr…er?'
  'Silcock, sir. Simon Silcock. '
  'Yes, well, Mr Silcock, I'm a doctor at the London Hospital. My name is Dr Treves. I think this…er… this man Joseph Merrick is very interesting, and I would like to see him at the hospital. I want to look at him more carefully, you see.
  'Yes sir, I see. But how can he get to the hospital?It's going to be difficult. '
  'Why, man? The hospital's not far from here. '
  'Well, yes, sir. I know. But, you see, Merrick can't walk very well. He needs help. '
  'You can come with him. Do you want more money?Is that it?'
  'Well, yes, sir, I do. But, you see, people are afraid of him too… In the road, little boys always run after him and hit him. Then the police get angry because people are afraid. Sometimes they take us to prison. '
  'I see, 'I said. 'Well, how can he come to the hospital, then?'
  'Bring a cab, sir, 'said Silcock. 'You can take him to the hospital in a cab. '


■ 1 店铺里的怪物
  我是弗雷德里克·特里维斯博士,伦敦医院的医生。1884年的一天,我在医院附近一家店铺的橱窗里看见了一张照片。我停下来,看着这张照片。起先我觉得这张照片挺有趣,后来就感到生气、害怕起来。那是一幅可怕的、丑陋的照片。照片上有个男人,但不像你和我。他看上去不像个人,而像一头大象。我看了看照片下面的文字,上面写着:进来吧,看看这个象人,一次两便士。
  我推开门走了进去。
  店里有个男人,穿着一件旧外套,嘴里叼着一支烟。“你想干什么?”他问道。
  “我想看看象人。”我说。
  这个人生气地看着我。“不行。”他说,“店铺现在关门了,你明天来吧。”
  “对不起,”我说,“我想现在就看,明天我没有空,我有许多事情要做,我可以另外多给一些钱。”
  这个人仔细地打量着我,后来他取下嘴里的烟卷,露出了满嘴黄牙。
  他说,“好吧,先生。就给十二便士吧。”
  我把钱给了他,他就打开了店铺后门。我们走进一个小房间,房间又冷又暗,里面一股恶心的气味。
  一个怪物坐在桌子后面的椅子上。我说那是一个怪物,它不像你和我,不是男人也不是女人。它一动不动地坐在这间又冷又暗又脏的房间里的椅子上,眼睛盯着桌子,由于阴冷,这个怪物的头上盖着一块布,在他面前的桌子上放着一朵枯萎的花。
  “站起来,”店老板大声地说。怪物慢慢地站起来,取下头上的盖布放在椅子上。
  看着这个怪物,我感到很悲伤。我是一个医生,我很了解事故和病人。我每天要遇到许多可怕的、丑恶的东西,可这个怪物却是最糟糕的。医院里没有任何一个男人或女人像他这个样子。
  他穿着条旧裤子,没有穿衬衫、外套和鞋子。所以,我可以清楚地看见他的身体。他的头部最有趣,长得很大很大,就像一个装着许多书籍的大口袋。头上头发不多,脑后还耷拉着一块褐色的、肮脏的头皮,一直垂到脖子下面。我看不见他的一只眼睛,因为皮肤也从脸部垂下来。
  一颗巨大的红牙齿从嘴里露出来,就像一颗象牙,嘴和鼻子就像脸上开的洞,从他脸上看不出微笑还是大笑,也看不出生气和悲伤,因为这种皮肤无法活动,它已经失去活力,像一只大象的脸。
  这个怪物身体的前胸和后背的脏皮肤上有许多囊肿,这种囊肿<包状物>一直拖到他的腿部。右臂巨大,皮肤上也有包状物,右手像男人的脚。
  然而左手——左臂和左手——却是长得很美,左臂上有漂亮的皮肤,左指头纤长、美丽,就像年轻女人的手一样。
  “走一走,麦里克!”店老板生气地说,“朝前走,动一动,快!”他用手打着这个怪物。慢慢地,这个怪物走到房间的对面。可他走不好,他的腿又粗又肥,背部有病,没有拐杖走不远。
  “好了,谢谢你,”我说,“让他坐下来,我不想再看什么了。”我感到恶心,房间里的气味难闻极了。
  “好的,先生,”店老板说着。“坐下,麦里克。”
  我们走出房间,关上门。店老板朝我笑了笑,露出满嘴黄牙。
  “好极了,先生,是不是?”他说,“这是英国最棒的象人!成千上百的人来看他,知道吗?成千上百!我带他到全国各地去,真的!”
  “挺有意思!”我说,“我可以坐下吗?”“当然可以,先生。请坐。”他朝我看了看,笑了笑说:“来杯水吗,先生?”“谢谢,请给我一杯水,”我说。接着我朝脏商店里那些东西看着,有两三个坏苹果、几根烂香蕉。仅此而已。“啊!不……不,谢谢,我没事!”我说。“你……你把这个怪物叫作麦里克吗?”
  “不错,先生,约瑟夫·麦里克。英国最棒的象人。我将把他带到全国各地去,你知道,许多人要看他。”
  “那你会赚到很多钱吗?”
  “嗯,有时会赚到很多钱。但是也很难,因为警察找麻烦,你知道的,先生,警察不喜欢我们,所以我们不能在一个城镇呆很长时间,通常每星期就换个地方。”
  “是的,我明白,噢,……先生,您是……呃?”
  “西尔库克,先生。西蒙·西尔库克。”
  “是的,哦,西尔库克先生,我是伦敦医院的一个医生。我是特里维斯博士。我想,这个……呃……约瑟夫·麦里克这个人非常有趣,我想在医院里见到他,我想更好更仔细地看看他,你看怎么样?”
  “是的,先生,我明白您的意思!但是,他怎能到医院去呢?这是很困难的。”
  “为什么不行呢,先生,医院离这儿不远。”
  “是的,先生,我知道,但是,您看,麦里克走不好,他需要别人帮他”。
  “你可以和他一块儿来,你还要钱吗?是这样吗?”
  “噢,是的,先生,你知道,人们也害怕他…… 走在路上,孩子们总是追他打他。警察也会生气,怪他吓着了大家。有时候警察就把我们送进监狱里。”
  “噢,”我说,“那么,他怎么能到医院里去呢?”
  “弄一辆马车来,先生,”西尔库克说。
  “您可以用马车送他去医院。”


■ Chapter 2 The Card
  So next day, at seven o'clock, I came to the shop in a cab. There were not very many people in the road, be-cause it was early in the morning. In November it is dark at seven o'clock in the morning, and I could not see the shop very well. I waited five minutes. A postman walked past. Then the door of the shop opened, and the creature, Merrick , came out.
  I could not see his face or his body. He had an enormous black hat on his head, like a big box. A grey cloth came down from the hat, in front of his face. There was a hole in the cloth in front of his eyes. He could see out of the hole but I could not see in. He wore a long black coat, too. The coat began at his neck, and ended at his feet, so I could not see his arms, his body, or his legs. On his feet he wore big shoes, like old bags.
  He had a stick in his left hand, and he walked very slowly. I opened the door of the cab, and got out.
  'Good morning, Mr Merrick, 'I said. 'Can you get in?'
  'Elpmyupasteps, 'he said.
  'I'm sorry, 'I said. 'I don't understand. '
  For a minute he stood by the door of the cab and said nothing. Then he hit the cab with his stick.
  'STEPS! 'he said loudly. 'Help me up the steps! '
  Then I understood. There were three steps up into the cab, and he could not get up them.
  'Yes, I see. I'm sorry, 'I said. 'Let me help you. '
  I took his left hand and began to help him. My right hand was behind his back. I felt very strange. His left hand was like a young woman's, but his back under the coat, was horrible. I could feel the bags of old skin on his back under the coat.
  He put one enormous foot on the first step, and then he stopped. After a minute, he moved his second foot slowly. Then he stopped and waited again.
  'Hello, sir. Can I help you?'
  I looked behind me. It was the postman. And behind him, I could see three young boys. One of the boys laughed.
  The postman smiled. 'Is the gentleman ill?'he asked.
  I thought quickly. 'Yes. But this is a lady, not a gentle-man. I'm a doctor, and she's ill. Take her hand, so I can help her better. '
  The postman took Merrick's left hand, and I helped him with two hands from behind. Slowly, very slowly, Merrick went up the steps and into the cab.
  One boy was very near the cab. He called to his friends.
  'Come and see this, boys! A fat lady in a black coat! And look at that enormous hat! '
  The boys laughed. They were very near the cab too, now. I closed the door quickly.
  'Thank you, 'I said to the postman.
  'That's all right, sir, 'he said. 'She's a strange lady, sir, isn't she?'
  'She's ill, that's all, 'I said quickly. 'We're going to the hospital. Goodbye, and thank you. '
  The cab drove down the road to the hospital. I locked at Merrick. 'That was difficult, wasn't it?'I said.
  At first he said nothing, but then he spoke. His voice was very strange, but I listened to him carefully, and I could understand him.
  'The steps were very difficult, 'he said. 'But most things are difficult for me. '
  'Yes, 'I said. ' Nothing is easy for you, is it?'
  'No, 'he said. He was very quiet for a minute. Then he said, 'Who are you, sir?'
  'Who am I?Oh, I'm sorry, My name is Dr Treves. Here, this is my card. '
  I gave him a card with my name on. Then I thought, 'That was no good. This man can't read. 'But Merrick took the card and looked at it very carefully. Then he put it in his trousers pocket.
  I did not talk to him very much at the hospital. I looked at his head and arms and legs and body very carefully. Then I wrote the important things about him in a little book. A nurse helped me. Merrick looked at her sometimes, but she did not smile at him or talk to him. I think she was afraid of him. I think Merrick was afraid too, because he was very quiet.
  At four o'clock I took him back to the shop in a cab. The next day I looked in the shop window again, but the picture was not there.


■ 2 名片
  第二天七点钟,我乘着马车来到这家商店。天刚刚亮,路上没有多少人。十一月份的早上七点钟天还是黑的,商店还看不太清楚。我等了五分钟,一个邮递员恰好经过,后来商店门开了,那个怪物——麦里克出来了。
  我看不见他的脸和身体,他头上戴着一顶大黑帽子,就像顶着一个大盒子。帽子上搭着一块灰色的布一直遮着脸,眼睛前面的布上有个洞,他可以从洞里朝外看,可我却看不见里面。他还穿了一件黑色的长外套,外套从颈子上一直拖到脚下,所以我看不见他的手臂、身体和腿。他脚上穿着一双大鞋,就像两条旧口袋。
  他左手拿着一根拐杖,走得很慢,我打开车门,走了出来。
  “早上好,麦里克先生,”我说,“你能上去吗?”“Elpmyupasteps.他说。
  “对不起,”我说,“我听不懂。”
  他在车门边站了一会儿,什么话也没有说。后来他用拐杖敲了敲车子。
  “上车。”他大声地说,“帮我上车。”
  后来,我明白了,马车上有三级台阶,他迈不上去。
  “噢,对不起,”我说,“我来帮你。”
  我左手拉着他的左手,右手扶着他的背帮助他上车。我觉得很奇怪,他的左手就像年轻女人的手,而他外套里面的背部却是很可怕。我可以摸到外套里面背上那些老皮囊肿。他一只大脚先迈上了头一个台阶,就停下了。过了一会儿,又慢慢地挪动另外一只脚,然后又停了下来再次等着。
  “喂,先生,要我帮忙吗?”
  我朝身后一看,是那位邮递员,在他的身后还有三个小男孩,其中有一个在大声笑着。
  这位邮递员微笑着问:“这位先生病了吗?”我灵机一动:“对,但这是位女士,不是先生。我是医生,她病了,拉着她的手,这样我能更好地帮助她。”
  邮递员拉着麦里克的左手,我用双手从后面推他。麦里克慢慢地移动步子,走进马车。一个小男孩离马车很近,他对着他的伙伴们大声地喊着:“过来看,一个穿黑外套的胖女人!瞧那顶大帽子!”
  孩们们哄笑着走到马车旁,我迅速地关上车门转身对邮递员说:“谢谢你。”他说:“不用谢,先生。这位女士长得很怪呀!”我很快地回答:“她是病人。我们要去医院,谢谢你,再见。”
  马车沿着去医院的路驶去。我看了看麦里克说:“很不容易,是吧?”
  他先是什么都不说,可后来他开口了,他的嗓音很怪,可我还是认真地听着,我能听懂他讲的意思。
  “上台阶很困难。”他说,“大多数事情对于我都很困难。”
  “对您来说没有容易的事,对吧?”
  “对。”他沉默了一会儿,然后问道:“您是谁,先生?”
  “我是谁?哦,对不起,我是特里维斯博士。瞧,这是我的名片。”
  我递给了他一张上面有我名字的名片。但转念一想,这没什么用,他不识字。麦里克拿着名片认真地看了看,然后就收进裤子口袋里。
  在医院里我和他谈得不多,我很仔细地看过他的头、手臂、腿和身子,然后我将有关他的重要情况记在了一个小笔记本里。一位护士来协助我工作。麦里克时不时地朝她看看,可她既不朝他微笑也不与他说话。我想她是怕他,麦里克可能也怕她,因为他一直很安静。
  四点钟时,我用马车将他送回那个商店。第二天我又朝小店橱窗里看了看,可那张照片已不见了。
[ 此帖被半世癫在2014-08-12 00:11重新编辑 ]
葉修

ZxID:8596186


等级: 派派督察
配偶: 周澤楷
人生百年,谁不曾大闹天宫,谁不曾头上紧箍,谁不曾爱上层楼,谁不曾孤独上路。
举报 只看该作者 25楼  发表于: 2014-08-11 0

■ Chapter 3 A Letter to'The Times'
  I did not see Merrick again for two years. Then, one day, the police found him. He had my card in his hand, so they brought him to the London Hospital. He was very tired, hungry, and dirty, so I put him to bed in a quiet little room. But he could not stay at the hospital. He was not ill, and of course the beds in the hospital are for ill people. We have no beds for hungry people, or ugly people.
  I told the Hospital Chairman, Mr Cars Gomm, about Merrick. He listened carefully, and then he wrote a letter to the editor of The Times newspaper.
  From The Times, December 4th, 1886
  A Letter to the Editor.
  Dear Sir,
  I am writing to you about a man in our hospital. He needs your help. His name is Joseph Merrick, and he is 27 years old. He is not ill, but he cannot go out of the hospital because he is very, very ugly. Nobody likes to look at him, and some people are afraid him. We call him 'The Elephant Man'.
  Two years ago, Merrick lived in a shop near the London Hospital. For two pence, people could see him and laugh at him. One day Dr Frederick Treves—a hospital doctor——sawMerrick, brought him to this hospital, and looked at him carefully. Dr Treves could not help Merrick, but he gave him his card.
  Then the shopkeeper, Silcock, took merrick to Belgium. A lot of people in Belgium wanted to see him, and so after a year Merrick had £50. But then Silcock took Merrick's £50, left Merrick in Belgium, and went back to London.
  Merrick came back to London by himself. Everyone on the train and the ship looked at him, and laughed at him. In London, the police put him in prison. But then they saw DrTreves's card, and brought Merrick to the London Hospital.
  This man has no money, and he cannot work. His face and body are very, very ugly, so of course many people are afraid of him. But he is a very interesting man. He can read and write, and he thinks a lot. He is a good, quiet man. Sometimes he makes things with his hands and gives them to the nurses, because they are kind to him.
  He remembers his mother, and he has a picture of her. She was beautiful and kind, he says. But he never sees her now. She gave him to Silcock a long time ago.
  Can the readers of The Times help us? This man is not ill, but he needs a home. We can give him a room at the hospital, but we need some money. Please write to me at the London Hospital.
  Yours faithfully,
  F. C. Carr Gomm.
  Chairman of the London Hospital
  The readers of The Times are very kind people. They gave us a lot of money. After one week, we had £50, 000, so Merrick could live in the Hospital for all his life. We could give him a home.


■ 3 给《泰晤士报》的一封信
  我有二年未见到麦里克了。后来有一天,警察发现了他,他手里有我的名片,所以警察就将他带到伦敦医院。他很疲劳、饥饿、肮脏,我就把他安置在一间很安静的小房间里休息。因为他没有生病,他不能呆在医院里,医院里的床当然是给病人用的。我们不能给饥饿的人或丑陋的人提供床铺使用。
  我将麦里克的情况告诉了院长卡尔·戈蒙先生。他听得很仔细,并给《泰晤士报》的编辑写了一封信。
  摘自1886年12月 4日的《泰晤士报》
  亲爱的先生:
  我写信给你是告诉你一个在我们医院里的人的情况,他需要得到你的帮助。他名叫约瑟夫·麦里克,现年27岁。他没有生病,但是他不能走出医院,因为他长得很丑很丑,没有人愿意看他一眼,一些人害怕他,我们叫他“象人”。
  两年前,麦里克住在伦敦医院附近的一家商店里,花二个便士,人们就可以看到他、嘲笑他。有一天,医院医生弗雷德里克·特里维斯博士见到了麦里克,将他带到我们医院里,并给他仔细检查。由于特里维斯博士无法帮助麦里克,只好给了他一张名片。
  后来店老板西尔库克将他带到比利时,在那儿许多人都想看他,所以,一年后,麦里克得到了50英镑钞票。但是后来西尔库克拿走了麦里克的50英镑,将他留在比利时,而自己回到了伦敦。
  麦里克是独自一人回到伦敦的,火车上、轮船上的每个人都看着他、嘲笑他。在伦敦,警察把他关进监狱。后来,他们看到特里维斯博士的名片,就把麦里克带到了伦敦医院。
  他没有钱,又不能工作,他的脸和身体都非常丑陋,当然许多人都害怕他。但是,他是一个很有趣的人,他能读书写字,会思考,他是一个安份的好人。有时他用自己的双手做些玩意儿送给护士们,因为她们对他很和善。
  他记得他的母亲,他有他母亲的一张照片。他说他的母亲很漂亮、温柔。但是,现在他再也没有见过她。她在很久以前就将他给了西尔库克。
  《泰晤士报》的读者们能否帮助我们?这个人没有生病,他需要有一个家,我们在医院里可以给他一间房子,但我们需要钱,请给我回信到伦敦医院来。
  你的忠实的
  F.C.卡尔·戈蒙
  伦敦医院院长
  1886年12月4日
  《泰晤士报》的读者们都很仁慈,他们给了我们很多钱。一星期后,我们收到了五万英镑,足够让麦里克在医院里住一辈子。我们可以给他安个家。


■ Chapter 4 Merrick's First Home
  We gave Merrick two rooms at the back of the hospital. One room was a bathroom, so he could have a bath every day. Soon his skin was much better, and there was no horrible smell.
  The second room had a bed, table , and chairs. I visited him every day, and talked to him. He loved reading, and talking about books. At first he did not know many books:the Bible, and one or two newspapers, that's all. But I gave him some books of love stories, and he liked them very much. He read them again and again, and talked about them often. For him, the men and women in these books were alive, like you and me. He was very happy.
  But sometimes it was difficult for him. At first, one or two people in the hospital laughed at Merrick because he was ugly. Sometimes, they brought their friends to look at him. One day a new nurse came to the hospital, and nobody told her about Merrick. She took his food to his room, and opened the door. Then she saw him. She screamed, dropped the food on the floor, and ran out of the room.
  I was very angry with the nurse, and went to see Merrick. He was not happy about it, but he was not very angry. I think he felt sorry for the girl.
  'People don't like looking at me. I know that, Dr 26Treves, 'he said. 'They usually laugh or scream. '
  'Well, I don't want nurses to laugh at you, Joseph, ' I said angrily. 'I want them to help you. '
  'Thank you, doctor, 'he said, in his strange slow voice. 'But it's not important. Everyone laughs at me. I understand that. '
  I looked at him sadly. In his one good hand, his left hand, he had the little picture of his mother. He looked at the picture for a minute, and then put it by a flower on the table. A tear ran out of his eye and down the skin of his enormous, ugly face.
  'Dr Treves, 'he said, slowly. 'You and the nurses arevery kind, and I'm very happy here. Thank you very much. But…I know I can't stay here long, and…I would like to live in a lighthouse, after the hospital, please. A lighthouse, or a home for blind people. I think those are the best places for me.
  'What do you mean?'I ashed. 'Why?'
  He did not look at me. He put the flower on the picture and looked at it carefully.
  'Lighthouses have sea all round them, don't they? 'he said. ' Nobody could look at me in a lighthouse, so I would be happy there. And blind people can see nothing, so they couldn't see me, could they?'
  'But Joseph, 'I said. 'This is your home. You live here now. You aren't going to leave the hospital. ' 28'Not todsy, perhaps, 'he said. But soon. You are a kind man, Dr Treves. But I can't stay here very long. I have no money. '
  I smiled. 'Joseph, I said. 'This is your home now. Don't you understand?You can stay here all your life. ' Very carefully, I told him about the letter to The Times, and the money.
  I don't think he understood at first, so I told him again. He was very quiet for a minute. Then he stood up, and walked up and down the room very quickly. A strange sound came from him, like laughing.


■ 4 麦里克的第一个家
  我们将医院后面的两个房间给了麦里克,一间是浴室,供他每天洗澡。于是他的皮肤好多了,再也没有难闻的气味。另一间里面有床、桌子和椅子。我每天都去看他,陪他说话。他喜欢看书,也喜欢谈论书里的内容。起初,他并不知道多少书,只知道《圣经》和一两份报纸而已。后来我给了他几本爱情小说,他非常喜欢,读了一遍又一遍,并经常谈论其中的故事。对他来说,书中的男女就像你我一样,都是活着的,他非常高兴。
  对他来说,有时也很难。开始时,医院里有一两个人嘲笑他,说他长得丑陋,有时他们把自己的朋友带来参观他。有一天,一个护士新来到医院,没有人把麦里克的情况告诉她,她给麦里克送饭,当她打开门,见到他时,尖叫一声,将饭扔在地上跑了出去。
  我去看望麦里克,我很生这个护士的气。他对此事不高兴但没生气,我想他感到自己对不起这个姑娘,他说:“人们不喜欢朝我看,他们经常对我嘲笑、尖叫,我知道为什么,特里维斯博士。”
  我气愤地说:“约瑟夫,我不希望护士们嘲笑你,我要她们来帮助你。”“谢谢你,大夫。”他用奇怪的声音慢慢说着:“每个人都在嘲笑我,我理解,这并不重要。”
  我忧伤地看着他。他的那只好手——左手——拿着一张他母亲的小照片,他仔细地看了一会儿,然后将照片放在桌上的一束花旁,一滴泪水顺着那张丑陋的大脸滚下来。
  “特里维斯博士,您和这些护士们都是非常善良的,我在这儿很幸福。非常感谢您。可是……我知道我不能长期待在这儿,我想要住到医院后面的那座灯塔里。一座灯塔或是一间供盲人住的房子,我想那对我来说是最好的地方。”他慢慢地说完了这些。我问:“你这是什么意思?为什么?”他不看我,他把那束花放在那张照片上,仔细地看着。他说:“灯塔四周是大海,对不对?在那里没有人朝我看,所以在那里我会幸福的。盲人什么也看不见,所以他们也看不见我,是不是?”我说:“约瑟夫,这就是你的家,现在你就住在这儿,你不要离开医院。”
  他说:“不可能是今天,但很快。您是一个好人,特里维斯博士。我不能在这儿呆很长时间,我没有钱。”我笑着说:“约瑟夫,现在这儿就是你的家。你难道还不知道你可以在这儿呆一辈子吗?”于是我把如何为了他与《泰晤士报》联系的那封信及有关钱的来历详详细细地告诉了他。
  开始我担心他不能理解此事,所以就又说了一遍。他沉默了片刻,然后站起来在房间里很快地来回走动着,并发出一种奇怪的声音,像是在大笑。

[ 此帖被半世癫在2014-08-12 00:11重新编辑 ]
葉修

ZxID:8596186


等级: 派派督察
配偶: 周澤楷
人生百年,谁不曾大闹天宫,谁不曾头上紧箍,谁不曾爱上层楼,谁不曾孤独上路。
举报 只看该作者 26楼  发表于: 2014-08-11 0

■ Chapter 5 An Important Visitor
  I did not want Merrick to live by himself, like a man in a lighthouse. He read his books, and talked to me, but I wanted him to talk to more people. And I wanted him to talk to women.
  Merrick read about women in his books, but he did not often talk to women. He met the nurses every day, but they did not talk to him very much. For them, he was always a creature, not a man.
  One day, one of my friends, a beautiful young woman, came to the hospital. I told her about Merrick, and took her to his room. She opened the door, and smiled at him.
  'Good morning, Mr Merrick, 'she said. Then she shook his hand.
  Merrick looked at her for a minute with his mouth open. Then he sat down on his bed, with his head in his hand, and cried. He cried for nearly five minutes. The tears ran down his face, between his fingers, and onto the floor.
  My friend sat on the bed beside him and put her hand on his arm. She said nothing, but she smiled at him and shookhis hand again before she left.
  'Dr Treves, 'he said to me that night. 'That lady was wonderful! My mother smiled at me once, many years ago, but no women smile at me now. But this lady smiled at me too, and she shook my hand! A beautiful lady smiled at me and shook my hand! '
  My young lady friend came again the next week, and talked to Merrick for half an hour. The week after that, she came again with a friend. They gave him some books, and had a cup of tea with him. It was wonderful for him. For the first time in his life, he had some friends. He was a very happy man. He sat in his room, and read his books, and said no more about living on a lighthouse.
  People began to read about Merrick in the newspapers, sohe had a lot of visitors. Everybody wanted to see him. A lot of important ladies and gentlemen visited him. They smiled at him, shook his hand, and gave him books. Merrick liked talk-ing to these people, and he began to forget about his uglybody. His visitors never laughed at him. He began to feel like a man, not a creature.
  One wonderful day, a very important lady came to the hospital to visit him. I met the lady, and took her to his room. Then I opened the door, and smiled at him.
  'Good morning, Joseph, 'I said. 'There is a new visitor to see you today. A very famous lady. '
  Merrick stood up beside his table. He did not smile, because his face could not smile, but his eyes looked happy.
  'That's good, 'he said. 'Who is it?'
  I moved away from the door, and the visitor walked in. 'Your Majesty, this is Joseph Merrick, 'I said. 'Joseph, this is Her Majesty, Queen Alexandra, the Queen of England. '
  Queen Alexandra smiled at him. 'How do you do, Mr Merrick, 'She said. 'I'm very pleased to meet you. 'Then she shook his hand.
  Merrick did not move. For nearly half a minute he stood and looked at her with his mouth open. Then he spoke, in his strange, slow voice.
  'How… how do you do, Your Majesty, 'he said. But I don't think the Queen understood him, because he tried to get down on his knees at the same time. It was very difficult for him, because of his enormous legs.
  'No, please, Mr Merrick, do get up, 'said the Queen. 'I would like to talk to you. Can we sit at your table?'
  'Yes…yes, of course, 'he said. They sat at the table. She took his left hand, the good hand, in hers. She looked at the hand carefully, and then smiled at Merrick again.
  'I often read about you in the newspapers, 'she said. 'You are a very interesting man, Mr Merrick. You have a very difficult life, but people say you're happy. Is it true? Are you happy now?'
  'Oh, yes, Your Majesty, yes! 'said Merrick. 'I'm a very happy man! I have a home here now, and friends, and my books. I'm happy every hour of the day! '
  'What a wonderful story! 'she said. 'I'm very pleasedto hear it Now, tell me about your reading. I see you have a lot of books here. '
  'Oh, yes, Your Majesty. I love my books, 'said Merrick. And for nearly half an hour they sat and talked about books. The Queen gave him a little book, and some red flowers, before she left.
  After her visit, Merrick began to sing. He could not sing easily, of course, because of his mouth, but all that day there was a strange, happy noise in his room. He looked at the flowers carefully, and put them on his table.
  He had many visits from the Queen, and at Christmas she sent him a Christmas card.
  Windsor Castle
  20th December 1888
  Dear Joseph,
  Here is a small Christmas present for you. I think it looks like me, doesn't it?I do like visiting you very much, and I am going to come to the hospital again in the New Year.
  Happy Christmas!
  Your friend
  Alexandra
  The present was a picture of Queen Alexandra, with her name on it. Merrick cried over it, and put it carefully by the bed in his room. Then he sat down and wrote a letter to the Queen. It was the first letter of his life.
  The London Hospital
  23rd December 1888
  My dear Queen,
  Thank you very, very, much for your wonderful card and the beautiful picture. It is the best thing in my room, the very best, the most beautiful thing I have. This is the first Christmas in my life, and my first Christmas present. Perhaps I had a Christmas with my mother once, but I do not remember it. I have my mother's picture too, and she is beautiful, like you. But now I know many famous ladies and kind people like Dr Treves, and I am a very happy man. I am happy too because I am going to see you in the New Year.
  Happy Christmas to you, my dear friend,
  With all my love,
  Joseph Merrick


■ 5 一位重要的来访者
  我不愿麦里克独自居住,就像一个灯塔守望人那样。他看书,也和我聊天,但我却想让他与更多的人甚至妇女们交谈。麦里克在书中读到过有关妇女的事,可他不常与妇女们说话。他每天都与护士接触,可她们不常与他说话,在她们的眼里,他始终是一个怪物而不是一个男人。
  有一天,我的一位朋友,一位年轻漂亮的女子来到了医院,我告诉她有关麦里克的全部情况,并把她领到他的房间。她朝他微笑着问候:“早上好,麦里克先生。”她走上前握住他的手。麦里克张着嘴朝她看着,然后坐到床上捂着头哭了起来。他哭了近五分钟时间,泪水从指缝里滚落到地上。
  我的这位朋友靠近他坐在他的床上,把手放在他的手臂上,什么也没说,只是朝他微笑,离开前又与他握手道别。
  那天晚上他对我说:“特里维斯博士,那位女士漂亮极了,我的母亲曾经朝我微笑过,那是很多年以前的事了。直到现在没有一个女人朝我笑过,可是这位女士朝我微笑,还握了我的手!一个漂亮的女士朝我微笑,握着我的手!”
  第二个星期,我的那位年轻的朋友又来了,与麦里克谈了半个小时。在这个星期以后她又与另一个朋友一道来,她们送给他一些书,和他一起喝了茶。对他来说这比什么都好,人生中第一次有了一些朋友。他很高兴,坐在屋子里看书,再也不提诸如生活在灯塔里之类的事了。
  人们开始从报纸上看到有关麦里克的报道,所以他有许多来访者。每个人都想去看他,许多有身份的女士和绅士们访问了他,他们朝他微笑,和他握手,送给他许多书。麦里克喜欢与这些人交谈,渐渐忘了自己那丑陋的样子。他的来访者从不嘲笑他,他开始觉得自己像个男人了。
  一天,天气非常宜人,一位很有身份的女士来到医院拜访他。我遇到这位女士,把她带到他的房间。我打开门,冲他笑着说:“约瑟夫,早上好!今天有一位新客人来拜访你,是一位名人!”
  麦里克从桌子旁站了起来。他没有笑,因为他的脸不会笑,但从他的眼睛里能看出他很高兴。他说:“太好了,是谁?”我将来访者引进来给他们介绍说:“陛下,这是约瑟夫·麦里克。约瑟夫,这是陛下,亚历山德拉王后,当今英国女王。”
  亚历山德拉王后与他握着手,朝他笑着说:“麦里克先生,你好。见到你非常高兴。”
  麦里克没有移动,站在那里张着嘴朝她看了约半分钟之久,然后用一种奇怪的声音缓缓说道:“噢……陛下,您好!”也不知王后是否听清了他的话,因为与此同时他想要跪下,给王后请安,但由于他那两条腿太粗了,他很难跪下。
  王后说:“麦里克先生,请不必这样,起来吧。我想与你说说话,我们可以在你的桌旁坐坐吗?”他回答着:“好的,当然可以。”他们都在桌子旁坐下,她拉着他的左手——那只好手放在她的手里。她仔细看了看他的手后又朝麦里克笑笑说:“我常在报纸上看到有关你的情况,你是一个很有趣的人,你生活虽难以自理,但人们说你很幸福,是真的吗?你现在很幸福吗?”麦里克回答说:“嗯,陛下,是的,我是一个很幸福的人,现在我有一个家,有许多朋友,还有许多书。我每时每刻都很愉快。”
  她说:“多么精彩的故事,我非常想听,请把你读到的讲给我听,我发现你这儿有许多书。”
  他说:“哦,陛下,是的,我喜欢这些书。”他们在那儿就书上的事谈了近半个小时。王后离开时送给了他一本小书和一些红花。
  在她来访以后,麦里克开始唱歌。尽管他的嘴不能自如地歌唱,但那些日子里他的房间里总是回荡着一种奇怪、幸福的歌声。他仔细看了看这些花,将它们摆在桌子上。
  王后多次拜访他,圣诞节那天她送给他一张圣诞卡片:
  亲爱的约瑟夫:
  给你一个小小的圣诞礼物,我想你见到这就如同见到我一样,是吗?我很喜欢拜访你,我将在新年那天去医院看你。
  祝圣诞快乐!
  你的朋友 亚历山德拉
  1888年12月 20日于温莎城堡
  这份礼物是亚历山德拉王后的一张照片,上面有她的名字。麦里克喜不自禁,把它放在房间里他的床边,然后坐下来给王后写信。这是他有生以来写的第一封信:
  亲爱的王后:
  您好!
  非常感谢您给我精美的卡片和漂亮的照片,这是我房间里最好的东西,也是我所拥有的最好最漂亮的东西。我有生以来过第一个圣诞节,这是我的第一个圣诞节礼物。也许我曾与母亲一起度过一个圣诞节,但我已记不住了。我也有一张母亲的照片,她很漂亮,像你一样。现在我认识许多有名望的女士和好心肠的人们,他们都像特里维斯博士一样,我是一个很幸福的人。我很高兴将在新年里再次见到你。
  祝我亲爱的朋友圣诞节愉快!
  你的朋友 约瑟夫·麦里克
  1888年12月 23日于伦敦医院


■ Chapter 6 Outside the Hospital
  Merrick had a lo of friends now, but he was more like a child than a man. He could read about things, and talk to his visitors, but he could not go out of the hospital by himself. He thought and played like a child.
  After Christmas, he wanted to go to the theatre. This was very difficult, because I did not want the people in the theatre to see him. But a kind lady from the theatre—Mrs Kendal—helped us. We bought tickets for a box at the side of the theatre We went to the theatre in a cab with dark windows, and we went into the theatre by a door at the back—the Queen's door. Nobody saw us.
  Three nurses sat at the front of the box, and Merrick and I sat in the dark behind them. Nobody in the theatre could see us, but we could see the play.
  It was a children's Christmas play. Merrick loved it. It was a most wonderful, exciting story. Often he laughed, and sometimes he tried to sing like the children in the theatre. He was like a child. For him, everything in the story was true.
  Once he was very afraid, because the bad man in the play was angry and had a knife. At first Merrick wanted to leave the theatre, but I stopped him. Then he was very angry with this bad man in the play. He hit his hand on his chair, and stood up and talked to the man. But nobody heard him. When 42the bad man went to prison, Merrick laughed.
  Merrick thought the beautiful young lady in the play was wonderful. He wanted to talk to her too. At the end of the play he was very happy because she married a good young man.
  He remembered this play for a long time, and he talked a lot about the people in it. 'What do you think they did after we left?'he asked me. 'Where do the young lady and the young man live? What are they doing now?'
  'I don't know, I said. 'Perhaps they live in the country. '
  Merrick thought about this for a long time. Then he said:'Dr Treves, can I go to the country, please?I saw the country once from a train, but I never went there. I often read about it in books. It's very beautiful, isn't it?I would like to see it. '
  The visit to the theatre was difficult but a visit to the country was more difficult. But again, one of his new friends helped us. She had a small house in the country, and Merrick could stay in it for the summer, she said.
  I took Merrick to the country in a train with dark windows, so nobody could see him. Then we went in a cab to the country house.
  There were a lot of trees near the house, but no people lived near it. A countryman brought food to the house everyday, but no people came near it.
  I stayed with him that night. At night, it was very dark 44and quiet. In the morning, hundreds of birds sang in the trees, and everything outside the house was green. Merrick walked under the big trees, looking at things happily, and singing his strange song.
  I went back to London, but Merrick stayed there for six weeks. He was wonderfully happy. Every week, he wrote me a letter.
  Apple Tree House,
  West Wickham,
  Berkshire.
  21st July 1889
  Dear Dr Treves,
  I had a wonderful day again today, It was very warm, so I walked under the trees and sat by a stream. The water in the stream made a beautiful noise, like singing. Did you know that?I listened to it for two hours.
  Lots of little birds came near me . One had a red body in front, and a brown back. I gave it some bread, and it sat on my hand. A lot of birds are my friends, now.
  I watched the fish in the stream, too. They were very exciting, because they move very fast. One minute they were there, and the next minute I couldn't see them. But I waited quietly, and they always came back. I put my hand in the water, but I couldn't touch them.
  I met a big dog yesterday. It made a very loud noise, but I was not afraid. I sat down quietly and looked it, and it came and smelt my hand. I saw it again today, and gave it some bread. It likes me now.
  I am going to put some flowers from the country in this letter. There are hundreds of flowers here. Did you know that?I like the little blue ones best, but they are all beautiful. I have lots of them in my room. I give them water every morning. Little flowers are very thirsty, you know!
  I am very happy here, doctor, but I want to see you again soon, too.
  With love from your friend,
  Joseph Merrick
  At the end of the summer he came back to London. He was very well, and his skin looked much better. He talked about the country a lot, but he was happy to see his friends and his books again, too.


■ 6 在医院的外面
  现在麦里克有了许多朋友,他像个大男孩,他能通过阅读了解到许多事情,并将这些事告诉他的来访者们。但他不能一个人去到医院以外的地方。
  圣诞节后,他想去看戏。这是件很难办的事,因为我不愿剧院里的人们看到他。剧院有一位好心肠的凯恩德尔夫人帮助了我们,给订了一个剧院里靠边上的包厢。我们乘坐窗户闭光的出租马车,从剧院后门进去。没有人看到我们。
  三个护士坐在包厢的前方,我和麦里克坐在她们后面的暗处。剧院里无人能看到我们,这样我们可以专心看演出了。
  这是一部儿童圣诞剧,麦里克喜欢看。这是一个极精彩并令人激动的故事。他常常笑出声来,有时他也想像剧中的孩子们一样歌唱,他像个孩子似的,在他看来,故事里的每件事都是真实的。
  剧中有个坏男人生气地拿着刀,他一度害怕起来,要离开剧院,我拉住了他。他非常生那个坏男人的气,击打着椅子,站起来骂那个坏男人,但无人听见。当那个坏男人被投进监狱时,麦里克高兴地大笑起来。
  他觉得剧中那个漂亮的年轻姑娘非常可爱,他想和她讲话。剧终时他很高兴,因为她与一个很好的年轻人结了婚。
  他好长时间都没有忘记这出戏,他叙述了许多有关剧中人的事。他问我:“我们离开以后他们怎么办?那个年轻人和那个姑娘在哪儿生活?现在他们在干什么?”我说:“不知道,或许他们住在乡下。”
  这件事麦里克想了很久。后来他问我:“特里维斯博士,我可以到乡下去吗?我坐火车时曾看到过乡间,但我从来没去过那里。我在书上读到过有关乡间的事,很美,是不是?我想去看看。”
  到剧场都难,去乡间谈何容易。他的一位新朋友又一次给予了帮助。她在乡间有一间小屋子,她说麦里克可以在那儿避暑。
  我带着麦里克乘一列窗户不透光的火车来到乡下,没有人看见我们。然后我们又换乘一辆出租马车来到这幢乡间小屋。
  房子附近有许多树,但无人住在附近。除了一个村夫每天送食物到这儿,没有其他人来。
  那天晚上我与他待在一起。晚上天很黑,但很安静,清晨许多小鸟在树上歌唱。屋子外面一片翠绿。麦里克在树下散步,开心地欣赏着这里的一切,唱着他那奇怪的歌。
  我回到了伦敦,麦里克在那儿又待了六个星期,他快活极了。每星期他都给我写一封信:
  亲爱的特里维斯博士:
  今天我又过得愉快极了,天气非常暖和,我在树下散步,坐在溪旁,溪水流动,就像一曲美妙的音乐,我在这里已听了两个多小时。
  许多小鸟儿飞到我的身旁,有一只鸟长着红身褐背。我给它吃面包,它站在我的手上。这些鸟已成了我的朋友。
  我还看到溪水中的鱼。真令人惊奇,它们游得快极了,一会在那儿,一会又不见了。我静静地等着,它们总是不停地来回游着。我把手伸进水里,可我摸不着它们。
  昨天我碰见一只大狗,它大声地叫着,可我并不害怕。我坐下来静静地朝它看着,它走过来闻闻我的手。今天我又见到了它,还给它吃些面包,现在它很喜欢我。
  我准备把乡下的花采摘一些放在信里寄给你,这里有好几百种花。我最喜欢这种小蓝花。当然,这儿所有的花都很好看,我摘了许多放在屋子里,我每天早上给这些花浇水,这些花很渴!
  大夫,我在这儿很愉快,但我也想尽快见到你。
  非常热爱你的朋友
  约瑟夫·麦里克
  1889年7月21日于波克郡西维克
  哈蒙苹果树庄园
  夏季结束时他回到了伦敦。他非常健康,皮肤看上去也好多了。他讲了许多有关乡间的事情,但他也很高兴又见到了许多朋友和书。


■ Chapter 7 The Last Letter
  Six months later, in April 1890, I found him dead inbed. He was on his back in bed, so at first I thought he was asleep. I talked to him, but he did not move. Then I saw that the skin on his face was blue, so I knew he was dead.
  He did not usually sleep on his back. His enormous head was very heavy, so he usually sat up in bed with his arms round his legs, and his head on his knees. He could sleep well like this.
  But he wanted to sleep on his back like you and me. Hetried to sleep on his back that night, but his heavy head came off the bed, and he broke his neck. He died very quickly.
  Next day, the Chairman of the London Hospital, Mr Carr Gomm, wrote to the editor of The Times again.
  The Times, April 16th, 1890
  Dear Sir,
  Three and a half years ago I wrote to you about a man called Joseph Merrick. This man was called'The Elephant Man' because he aws born with a very ugly body. Merrick was not ill, but he could not work, and he had no money.
  The readers of The Times felt sorry for him, and they gave me a lot of money for Merrick. Because of this money, we could giveMerrick a home in the Lon-don Hospital. It was his first good home, and for three and a half years he lived here happily. The doctors and nurses of the hospital helped him, and many important people visited him. He read many books, he went to the the atre, and in the summer he stayed in the country for six weeks. Because of your readers' money, we couldgive him a happy life.
  Last night Joseph Merrick died quietly in his bed. He was a man with a very ugly body, but he was a good, kind man, and he had a lot of friends. We liked to talk to him, and we are all very sorry because he is dead. A lot of people are going to remember him for a longtime.
  There is some money left, so I am going to give it to the hospital. Thank you, sir, for your help.
  Yours faithfully
  F. C. Carr Gomm
  Chairman of The London
  Hospital


■ 7 最后一封信
  过了六个月,也就是1890年4月,我发现他死在床上。他仰面朝天,开始我以为他睡着了,我朝他说话他不动,后来我见他脸上的皮肤发青,才知道他死了。
  他通常不能躺着睡觉,因为他的脑袋又大又重,所以他常常坐在床上,用手抱着腿,把头放在膝盖上,这样他能睡得很好。
  可是他也想像你我这样躺着睡觉。那天晚上他试着躺下来睡,结果他那个庞大的头跌下床,折断了脖子。他很快就死了。
  第二天伦敦医院院长卡尔·戈蒙又给《泰晤士报》的编辑写了一封信:
  摘自1890年4月16日的《泰晤士报》
  亲爱的先生:
  三年半以前我写信给你介绍了一个名叫约瑟夫·麦里克的男人,这个人被叫做“象人”,他天生有一个像大象一样的丑陋身躯。麦里克没有病,但他不能工作,也没有钱。
  《泰晤士报》的读者们很同情他,给了他许多钱。有了这些钱,我们可以在伦敦医院里给他安个家,这是他的第一个家。三年半以来他一直生活得很幸福,医院里的医生和护士都帮助他,许多要人来拜访他。他读了许多书,去看过戏,在乡间避暑待了六个星期。有了读者们给的钱,我们把他的生活安排得很幸福。
  昨天晚上约瑟夫·麦里克在床上静静死去。他是一个很丑的人,但是很好、很善良,他有许多朋友。我们都喜欢与他交谈,我们都很遗憾,他死了。许多人会永远记着他的。
  现在还剩下一些钱,我准备把这些钱捐给医院。感谢你的帮助。
  谨致
  伦敦医院院长F.C.卡尔·戈蒙
  1890年4月16日
[ 此帖被半世癫在2014-08-12 00:12重新编辑 ]
葉修

ZxID:8596186


等级: 派派督察
配偶: 周澤楷
人生百年,谁不曾大闹天宫,谁不曾头上紧箍,谁不曾爱上层楼,谁不曾孤独上路。
举报 只看该作者 27楼  发表于: 2014-08-12 0

【01-08】  [世界上最冷的地方 / 蒂姆·维卡里 著]
  The Coldest Place On Earth by Tim Vicary

■ 简介
  当今,南极有一座房子,叫阿蒙森—斯科特南极站。室内暖融融的,无论夏冬,人们都可以在那儿生活、工作。飞机毫不费力地便能飞抵或是飞离南极站。从这儿到世界其它地方,要不了多少小时。但是从南极站出来走上500米,那儿的南极洲便再次成为地球上最寒冷、最空旷的地区。
  在1911年,当时的南极既没见过飞机也没建有住房。除了茫茫大雪、冰封天地与凛凛寒风外,一无所有。没有英国国旗,没有挪威国旗。但是,有几个人缓慢地向南走着,横穿冰封大地。斯科特率领的人配备了小马,而阿蒙森率领的人配备了狗与滑雪板。当时的温度为-30℃或者更糟。这些人忍受着疲倦、饥饿和寒冷……他们中谁将是到达南极的第一人呢?
  目前,在阿蒙森—斯科特南极站内,墙上写着一些字,是斯科特队长于1912年写在日记里的一句话:
  “天啊,这地方太可怕了!”
  本文的作者蒂姆·维卡里是经验丰富的教师和作家。他现今在英国北部的约克生活工作。

■ Chapter 1 Two Ships
  The race began in the summer of 1910.
  On June lst,in London,a black ship,the Terra Nova, went down the river Thames to the sea.Thousands of people stood by the river to watch it.They were all excited and happy.
  On the Terra Nova,Captain Robert Falcon Scott smiled quietly.It was a very important day for him.He was a strong man,not very tall,in the blue clothes of a captain.He was forty-one years old,but he had a young face,like a boy.His eyes were dark and quiet.
  One man on the ship,Titus Oates,smiled at Scott.
  'What an exciting day,Captain!'he said.'Look at those people!I feel like an important man!'
  Scott laughed.'You are important,Titus,'he said.'And you're going to be famous,too.We all are.Do you see this flag?'He looked at the big British flag at the back of the ship,and smiled at Oates.'That flag is coming with us,'he said.
  'In the Antarctic,I'm going to carry it under my clothes. We're going to be the first men at the South Pole,and that flag is going to be first,too!'
  * * * * *
  Five days later,on June 6th,a man opened the door of his wooden house in Norway.He was a tall man,with a long face.He waited outside the house for a minute.Everything was very quiet.He could see no houses,only mountains,trees,and wa-ter.It was nearly dark.The sky was black over the mountains.
  The man smiled,and walked quickly away from the house,down to the sea.In the water,a big wooden ship waited for him.The man got onto the ship,and talked and laughed quietly with his friends.
  The ship's name was Fram,and the man was Roald Amundsen.The Fram was the most beautiful ship on earth,Amundsen thought.His friends were the best skiers on earth,too.One of them,Olav Bjaaland,smiled at him.
  'North Pole,here we come,Captain,'he said.
  'Yes.'Amundsen said.His friends could not see his face in the dark.'Fram is going to the Arctic.'
  Everyone on the Fram was ready to go to the North Pole,to the Arctic.Amundsen wanted to go there,too.But first he wanted to go south.His friends didn't know that.
  At midnight on June 6th,the Fram moved quietly away from Amundsen's house,out to sea.


■ 1 两艘船
  比赛开始于1910年夏天。
  6月1日,伦敦。特若·诺瓦号这艘黑船顺泰晤士河而下,向大海驶去。成千上万的人伫立岸边观望,所有的人脸上都露出兴奋与幸福。
  特若·诺瓦号上,队长罗伯特·福尔康·斯科特无声地笑了。这一天对他来说太重要了。他个头不高,但长得壮实,穿着蓝色的队长制服。他虽说已经41岁,但是由于长着一张娃娃脸,所以看上去仍像个小孩。他双眼乌黑而又沉静。
  泰特斯·奥茨,船上的一位水手,冲着队长笑了。
  “多么令人兴奋的日子啊,队长!”他说,“看看这些人!我觉得自己好似成为重要人物了!”
  队长朗声笑了。“泰特斯,你的确是重要人物,”他说,“而且你很快就要名扬天下,就同我们大家一样。你看到这国旗了吗?”他注视着船尾那面巨幅的英国国旗,微笑着对奥茨说:“那面国旗将会随我们一道去。在南极洲,我将把它夹在衣服里面带着。我们将成为首批到达南极的人,那面国旗也将是第一面到达南极的旗帜。”
  * * * * *
  5天以后,6月6日。在挪威,一个人拉开了自己的木房子的门。这人高个、长脸。他在室外稍候片刻,四周万籁俱寂。他目光所及之处,没有住房,只有群山、树林和大海。天近傍晚,群山上面是黑沉沉的一片天空。
  这人脸上露出微笑,快步离开木屋,朝海边走去。大海中,一艘大型木船正等着他。他来到船上,与朋友们聊着,悄悄地笑着。
  这船叫弗雷门号,这人便是罗阿尔·阿蒙森。阿蒙森认为,弗雷门号是地球上最美丽的一艘船。
  他的朋友是地球上最优秀的滑雪者。其中有位朋友叫奥拉夫·比阿兰德,正冲着他微笑。
  “北极,我们去那儿,队长。”他说。
  “是的,”阿蒙森说。由于天色已黑,这位朋友看不见他的面部表情。“弗雷门号正驶向北极。”
  弗雷门号上的每个人全都准备就绪:到北极圈,上北极。阿蒙森也想去那儿。然而他第一想做的事,便是向南航行。他的朋友却毫不知情。
  6月6日午夜,弗雷门号无声地驶离阿蒙森的家园,驶向大海。


■ Chapter 2 The Race
  The Fram went to an island in the south of Norway.It was a very little island,with only one small wooden house,two trees—and nearly a hundred dogs.
  'Look at that!'Bjaaland said.'It's an island of dogs!There are dogs in the water,near the trees,on the house—dogs everywhere!'
  Two men came out of the house.'Hassel!Lindstrom!'Amundsen said.'It's good to see you!How many dogs do you have for me?'
  'Ninety-nine,Roald,'said Hassel.'The best ninety-nine dogs from Greenland.And they're very happy!They don't work;they just eat and play all day!They're having a won-derful summer here!'
  'Good,good.'Amundsen laughed.'But that's finished now.Hey,Bjaaland!Stop laughing—come down here and help me.Let's get all these dogs onto the ship!'
  It was not easy.The dogs were fat and strong,and they didn't want to go on the ship.But at last,after three hours'hard work,all ninety-nine were on the ship,and the Fram went out to sea again.
  The men were not happy.The weather was bad,the dogs were dirty,and some of the men were ill.They began to ask questions.
  'Why are we bringing dogs witn us?'asked one man,Jo- hansen.'We're going thousands of kilometres south,past Cape Horn,and then north to Alaska.Why not wait,and get dogs in Alaska?'
  'Don't ask me,'said his friend,Helmer Hanssen,'I don't understand it.'
  The men talked for a long time.Then,on September 9th, Amundsen called everyone to the back of the ship.He stood quietly and looked at them.Behind him was a big map.It was not a map of the Arctic.It was a map of Antarctica.
  Bjaaland looked at Helmer Hanssen,and laughed.Then Amundsen began to speak.
  'Boys,'he said.'I know you are unhappy.You often ask me difficult questions,and I don't answer.Well,I'm going to an-swer all those questions now,today.
  We began to work for this journey two years ago.Then,we wanted to be the first men at the North Pole.But last year,Peary,an American,found the North Pole.So America was first to the North Pole,not Norway.We're going there,but we're too late.'
  'I don't understand this,'Bjaaland thought.'Why is Amundsen talking about the North Pole,with a map of Antarctica behind him?'
  Amundsen stopped for a minute,and looked at all the men slowly.No one said anything.
  'We have to go a long way south before we get to Alaska,'he said.'Very near Antarctica,you know.And Captain Scott,the Englishman,is going to the South Pole this year.He wants to put his British flag there.An American flag at the North Pole,a British flag at the South Pole.'
  Bjaaland began to understand.He started to smile and couldn't stop.He was warm and excited.
  'Well,boys,'Amundsen said slowly.'Do we want the British to put their flag at the South Pole first?How fast can we travel?We have a lot of dogs,and some of the most won-derful skiers on earth—Bjaaland here is the best in Norway!So I have an idea,boys.Let's go to the South Pole,and put the Norwegian flag there before the British!What do you say?'
  For a minute or two it was very quiet.Amundsen waited,and the men watched him and thought.Then Bjaaland
  laughed.
  'Yes!'he said.'Why not?It's a ski race,isn't it,and the English can't ski!It's a wonderful idea,of course!Let's go!'


■ 2 比赛
  弗雷门号抵达挪威南部的一个小岛。该岛很小,仅有一间小木屋,两棵树,还有将近100条狗。
  “看那儿!”比阿兰德说,“是座狗岛!海水里有狗,树旁有狗,房顶上有狗,处处都有狗!”
  房内走出两个人。“哈塞尔!林德斯特伦!”阿蒙森呼唤说,“见到你们就好了!你们给我养了多少条狗?”
  “99条,罗阿尔,”哈塞尔说,“99条格陵兰最好的狗。这些狗太好过了,啥事不干,整天好吃好玩!它们正在这儿欢度夏天呢!”
  “好,好,”阿蒙森朗声笑了,“但是现在这一切全结束了。喂,比阿兰德!别笑啦,下船来这儿,帮帮我,把这些狗全弄到船上去!”
  这事并不容易。这些狗又肥又壮,不愿上船。然而在苦干3小时后,所有99条狗全都上船,弗雷门号再度驶向大海。
  船上的人员高兴不起来:气候恶劣,狗群肮脏,而且有人病倒了。于是,他们便开始提出种种问题。
  “我们为什么要带这些狗?”有人提问说,他叫约翰森。“我们即将南行好几千公里,穿越合恩角,然后向北,到阿拉斯加。为什么不等等,等到阿拉斯加后再弄狗?”
  “别问我,”他的朋友赫尔默·汉森说,“我也搞不懂。”
  好长时间内,这些人一直都在议论纷纷。后来,9月9日那天,阿蒙森将所有人员召集到大船尾部。他静静地站着,看着众人。他身后有一大幅地图,然而这不是北极地图,而是南极洲地图。
  比阿兰德看着赫尔默·汉森,笑出声来。这时,阿蒙森开始讲话。
  “伙计们,”他说,“我知道你们心中不满。你们经常问我一些难题,我都没有回答。好吧,今天我当即解答所有的问题。”
  “两年前,我们便开始为这次旅程做准备。当时,我们想成为最先抵达北极的人。然而去年,美国人皮里找到了北极。所以,美国人首先到达了北极,而不是挪威人。我们现在正要去那儿,但为时过晚了。”
  “我听不懂这些话,”比阿兰德心想,“阿蒙森身后挂着南极洲地图,为什么却大谈北极呢?”
  阿蒙森稍作停顿,缓缓地看着全体人员。这时没有任何人多嘴。
  “到阿拉斯加前,还得南行好远的路,”他说。“你们都知道,几乎是到了南极洲。英国人斯科特队长今年正赶往南极。他想将英国国旗插在那儿。美国国旗已经插上了北极,而英国国旗正插向南极。”
  比阿兰德开始省悟了,脸上露出了微笑,难以自制。他浑身暖洋洋的,亢奋不已。
  “好吧,伙计们,”阿蒙森缓缓地说,“眼睁睁地看着英国人将他们的旗帜首先插上南极,我们能同意吗?我们的前行速度非常之快,不是吗?我们不仅带着许多狗,而且拥有地球上最杰出的滑雪能手:我们这儿的比阿兰德便是全挪威最优秀的!所以,我有个主意,伙计们。咱们到南极去,赶在英国国旗之前,将挪威国旗插到那儿去!你们有何看法?”
  一时间,整个场面安静极了。阿蒙森等待着,而这些人看着他,考虑着这些。这时,比阿兰德朗笑出声。
  “对!”他说,“为什么不呢?这是场滑雪比赛,难道不是吗?再说,英国人不会滑雪!这主意绝妙之极!咱们就去那儿!”
葉修

ZxID:8596186


等级: 派派督察
配偶: 周澤楷
人生百年,谁不曾大闹天宫,谁不曾头上紧箍,谁不曾爱上层楼,谁不曾孤独上路。
举报 只看该作者 28楼  发表于: 2014-08-12 0

■ Chapter 3 The Ponies
  On October 27th,the Terra Nova arrived in Wellington,New Zealand.When Scott came off the ship,a newspa-per man walked up to him.
  'Captain Scott!Captain Scott!Can I talk to you,please!'he said.
  Scott stopped and smiled.'Yes,of course,'he said.'What do you want to know?'
  'Are you going to win?'the man asked.
  'Win?'Scott asked.'Win what?'
  'Win the race to the South Pole,of course,'the newspaper man said.'It's a race between you and Amundsen,now.Look at this!'He gave a newspaper to Scott.Scott looked at it.It said:Scott's face went white.'Give me that!'he said.He took the newspaper and read it carefully.The newspaper man watched him,and waited.'Well,Captain Scott,'he said at last.'Who's going to win this race?Tell me that!'
  Scott looked at him angrily.'This is stupid!'he said.'It's not a race!I came here to learn about the Antarctic—I'm not interested in Amundsen,or in races!'Then he walked back on-to his ship,with the newspaper in his hand.
  Later that day,he talked to his men.He gave them the newspaper,and laughed.
  'It doesn't matter,'he said.'We're in front of Amundsen,and we have more men,and more money.He has only eight men,and a lot of dogs.I know about dogs—they don't work in the Antarctic.We have sixteen men and the new motor sledges—they are much better.And tomorrow the ponies are coming.We need ponies,motor sledges,and good strong British men—that's all.Forget about Amundsen!He's not important!'
  Scott asked Oates to look after the ponies,but he did not let Oates buy them.When Oates first saw the ponies,in New Zealand,he was very unhappy.Most of the ponies were old,and some of them were ill.
  'They're beautiful ponies,Titus,'Scott said.'They come from China—they're wonderful ponies!'
  Oates looked at them angrily,and said nothing.Then he asked:'Where is their food,Captain?'
  'Here!'Scott opened a door.
  Oates looked inside.He thought for a minute.'We need more food than this,Captain Scott!These ponies are going to work in the coldest place on earth—they need a lot of food—more than this!'
  Scott smiled quietly.'We can't take more food on this ship,Titus.Where can we put it?But it doesn't matter,old boy.They're very strong ponies,you know.The best ponies on earth.'
  Later that night,Oates wrote a letter to his mother.There are nineteen ponies on the Terra Nova now,he wrote.All the penies are in a small room at the front of the ship.We eat our food in the room under the ponies,so our table is often wet and dirty.Scott makes a lot of mistakes,I think,and Antarc-tica is a very dangerous place.


■ 3 小马
  10月27日,特若·诺瓦号船抵达新西兰的惠灵顿。当斯科特走下船时,一位报社记者迎面走来。
  “斯科特队长!斯科特队长!我能与你谈谈吗?”他说。
  斯科特停下来,面带微笑。“行,当然可以!”他说,“你想知道什么?”
  “你们会是赢家吗?”那人问。
  “赢家?”斯科特问,“什么赢家?”
  “当然是赢得前往南极的竞赛。”报社记者说。“现在这个竞赛在你与阿蒙森之间展开。瞧!”他将一份报纸递给斯科特。斯科特看着报纸。报上是这样写的:
  弗雷门号正与斯科特争先到达南极
  阿蒙森说:“我们将赢得比赛!”
  斯科特脸色变得苍白。“给我报纸!”他说。他拿过报纸认真阅读。记者观察着他,期待着。“那么,斯科特队长,”他最终开口了,“谁将赢得这场比赛?请告诉我!”
  斯科特愤怒地看着他。“真是愚蠢!”他说,“这不是比赛!我来这儿是为了了解南极。我对阿蒙森对比赛都不感兴趣!”然后,他回到船上,手里拿着那张报纸。
  当天晚些时候,他对同行人员讲起这事,将报纸递给他们,并且大笑起来。
  “没关系,”他说,“我们现今还在阿蒙森前面。我们不仅人数占优势,而且钱也更多。他呢,除了许多狗外,只有8个人。我熟悉狗性:它们在南极洲干不了活儿。我们有16个人,还配有新式机动雪橇。这些雪橇比狗好使多了。明天,还有小马送来。我们需要小马、机动雪橇以及身强力壮的英国人!这些就够了。忘了那个阿蒙森!他并不重要!”
  斯科特分配奥茨喂养小马,但不让他负责买马。在新西兰,奥茨一见到这些小马,便大为光火。这些小马大部分都已老态毕呈,有些还是病马。
  “这些都是漂亮的小马,泰特斯,”斯科特说,“纯中国货,匹匹都极为出色!”
  奥茨恼火地看着这些小马,没有说什么。随即他问:“队长,它们的饲料在哪里?”
  “这儿!”斯科特打开一道门。
  奥茨朝里看了看,思索了一会儿。“我们需要更多饲料,斯科特队长!这些小马将在地球上最冷的地区干活儿:它们需要许多饲料,远不止这些!”
  斯科特无声地笑了。“这条船上,我们不可能带许多饲料,泰特斯。往哪放呢?没什么关系,老兄。你看见了,这些马十分壮实,是地球上最好的小马。”
  那天深夜,奥茨给他母亲写了封信。信是这样写的:特若·诺瓦号船上现在有 19匹小马,所有小马都养在船首的小舱里。我们进餐的地方正好位于装运小马的船舱下面。所以我们的餐桌经常湿漉漉、脏兮兮的。我认为,斯科特犯了许多错误。南极洲其实是非常危险的地方。


■ Chapter 4 Food Depots
  The two ships,Terra Nova and fram,arrived in Antarctica,in January 1911,at the end of summer.The Englishmen and the Norwegians wanted to stay on the ice all winter.They wanted to be ready to go to the South Pole at the beglnning of the next Antarctic summer.
  The dogs pulled the Norwegians'sledges.They ran quickly over the snow and pulled the big sledges from the ship onto the ice.The men ran beside them on skis.
  They put a big wooden house on the ice.The house was full of food,and skis,and sledges.They called it Framheim.Out-side the house,the dogs lived in holes under the snow.When the house was ready,the men made their first journey south.
  Before the winter,they wanted to take a lot of food south,and leave it in depots.For the long journey to the Pole,they needed a lot of food,and they couldn't carry it all with them.On February 10th,five men,three sledges,eighteen dogs,and half a tonne of food left Framheim and went south.
  It was easy.The weather was warm for the Antarctic,be-tween—7°Centigrade and—17°Centigrade.The snow was good,and the dogs and skis went fast.They went fifty or sixty kilometres every day.After four days they reached 80°South,and made the first depot.
  Amundsen made his depot very carefully.It was very im-portant to find it again,next summer.So he put a big black flag on top.Then he put ten flags to the east of the depot—each flag half a kilometre from the next—and ten flags to the west.So there were flags for five kilometres to the left of the depot,and five kilometres to the right.
  Then they went back to Framheim,and took some more food south,this time to 82°South.
  This time it was harder.The temperature was sometimes -40°Centigrade,and there were strong winds with a lot of snow.The dogs and men were very tired,and the tents and boots were bad.At the second depot,they put out sixty flags,to help them find it again.
  They came back to Framheim on March 23rd.It was nearly winter in the Antarctic.Their ship Fram was far away now,near South America.They were alone on the ice.
  * * * * *
  Oates went with Scott to make the first British depot.They left Cape Evans on January 25th.There were thirteen men,eight ponies,and twenty-six dogs.The dogs were faster than the ponies—they ran quickly over the top of the snow,but the ponies'feet went through it.Every morning the ponies started first,and the dogs started two hours later,because they ran faster.At night,the dogs made warm holes under the snow,but the ponies stood on top of the snow.It was -20°Centigrade.
  After fifteen days Oates talked to Scott.There was a strong wind,and the two men's faces were white with snow.
  'Three of these ponies are ill,Captain,'Oates said.'They can't go on.'
  'Don't be stupid,Oates,'Scott answered.'They're good strong animals—the best ponies on earth.'
  'Not these three,'Oates said.'They're ill,and unhappy,and now they can't walk.Let's kill them,and leave the meat here,in the snow.We can eat it,or the dogs can.'
  'Of course not!'Scott said angrily.'These ponies are our friends,they work hard for us.I don't kill my friends!'
  Three days later,two of the ponies were dead.
  Scott's men were slower than Amundsen's;it took them twenty-four days to get to 80°South.They made a big depot there,and put one large black flag on top of it.Then they went back to Cape Evans.
  Their camp was on an island in the ice,and the sea ice moved sometimes.There were holes in the ice,and black sea water under it.One day seven ponies went through the ice into the sea,and died.One motor sledge also went into the sea.


■ 4 食品贮藏屋
  两艘船,特若·诺瓦号与弗雷门号都抵达南极洲,时间为1911年1月,夏末。英国人与挪威人均想在这冰封的天地里度过整个冬天。他们都想做好准备工作,以求这儿第二年夏天刚开始时能向南极进军。
  群狗拉着挪威人的雪橇,在雪地上高速奔跑,将从船上卸下来的大雪橇拉到了冰封世界。众人踩着滑雪板滑行在一旁。
  他们在冰封世界上建起一座大木屋。屋子里堆满了食品、滑雪板以及雪橇。他们将这木屋称作弗雷门海姆。木屋外,群狗住在雪下挖出的狗洞里。当木屋准备就绪时,他们开始了首次南行征途。
  在冬天来临之前,他们打算向南方运出许多食物,并将食物放到各个贮藏屋里。因为在奔赴南极的漫长旅程中,他们需要许多食物。他们不可能随身带着所有的食物!2月10日,5个人、3辆雪橇、18条狗、以及半吨食物离开了弗雷门海姆,向南而去。
  事情进行得颇为顺利。此时的南极气候相对来说还算暖和,介于-7℃与-17℃之间。雪地质量不错,狗与雪橇都跑得不慢,每天能走五六十公里。4天之后,他们到达南纬80°的地方,建立了第一个贮藏屋。
  阿蒙森非常精心地修建他的贮藏屋。明年夏天需要再度找到它,这点特别重要。所以,他在贮藏屋顶上插上一面黑旗。随后他在贮藏屋的东边插上10面旗帜:每半公里插一面;在贮藏屋西边也插上10面旗帜。所以,从贮藏屋向左延伸5公里,见得着旗帜;向右延伸5公里,也看得见旗帜。
  随后,他们返回弗雷门海姆,带上更多的食品后,再度南行。这次抵达了南纬82°的地方。
  这次旅程辛苦多了。温度有时低达-40℃。寒风凛冽,雪花漫天。人困狗乏,帐篷与靴子也不顶事了。在第二个贮藏屋附近,他们插了60面旗,目的是帮助他们能再次找到它。
  他们再度回到弗雷门海姆时,已是3月23日。这时南极时近冬天。他们的弗雷门号船早已远驶而去,现在到了南美洲附近。只有他们孤独地留在冰封的天地里。
  * * * * *
  奥茨跟随斯科特,前往修建第一座英国人的贮藏屋。他们于1月25日离开了开普埃文斯。一行13人、8匹小马、26条狗。这些狗比小马要快:它们能够在雪地上快速地奔跑,但是马腿却要陷进雪里。每天早晨,都是小马首先出发。2小时后,狗儿们才上路,因为它们奔跑速度快些。夜里,狗躲进挖在雪下面的温暖的洞里,但是小马只能站在雪地上,承受着-20℃的气温。
  15天后,奥茨向斯科特请示。当时强劲的寒风刮起,两人脸上都沾上一层白雪。
  “队长,有3匹小马病了,”奥茨说,“走不动了。”
  “别犯傻了,奥茨,”斯科特回答说,“它们都是强壮的好畜牲,地球上最好的小马。”
  “这3匹不是,”奥茨说,“它们病歪歪的,无精打采。现在它们根本无法走路。杀了它们吧,将肉留在这儿的雪里。要么我们吃,要么让狗吃。”
  “绝对不行!”斯科特生气地说,“这些小马是我们的朋友,它们拼命地为我们干活儿。我可不想杀掉自己的朋友!”
  3天后,其中有2匹小马死了。
  斯科特的人比阿蒙森的人动作慢。他们花了24天才抵达南纬80”地区。他们在那儿修建了一个大贮藏屋,在棚顶上插了一面大黑旗。然后,他们返回开普埃文斯。
  他们的营地构筑在冰岛上,海冰有时还会移动。冰层中还有些空洞,可以看到冰下的黑色海水。一天,7头小马从冰窟中掉进海里,死了。还有一辆机动雪橇也掉进了海里。
葉修

ZxID:8596186


等级: 派派督察
配偶: 周澤楷
人生百年,谁不曾大闹天宫,谁不曾头上紧箍,谁不曾爱上层楼,谁不曾孤独上路。
举报 只看该作者 29楼  发表于: 2014-08-12 0

■ Chapter 5 A Long Cold Winter
  It was dark for four months.Outside the wooden house at Framheim,it was often -60°Centigrade.The dogs lived in warm holes under the snow.The men stayed in the house,and worked in their rooms under the snow.
  The skis and sledges came from the best shops in Norway,but Bjaaland wasn't happy with them.He changed a lot of things on the skis and sledges.Soon the sledges were stronger than before.The skis were better and faster,too.
  All the Norwegians worked hard.They looked after their dogs,and worked on their equipment—the sledges,skis,tents.Every day they thought about their journey to the Pole,and talked about it.And every day,Amundsen thought about Scott.One day,in midwinter,he talked to his men.
  'Let's start early,before Scott,'Amundsen said.'Remem-ber,Scott has more men than us,and he has motor sledges,too.Perhaps they can go faster than us.'
  Bjaaland laughed.'Oh no,they can't go faster than me,'he said.'On snow,nothing can go faster than a good man on skis.'
  'We don't know,'Amundsen said.'You're the best skier in Norway,but you get tired,and dogs get tired,too.Motor sledges don't get tired.They can go all day and all night.'
  Johansen laughed angrily.'That's stupid,'he said.'Perhaps the motor sledges can go all night,but the Englishmen can't.The English can't win,Roald—they don't understand snow,but we do.And they're too slow.'
  'Perhaps,'Amundsen said.'But I want to win this race.So we're going to start early!Do you understand?'
  It was quiet and warm inside Framheim.Bjaaland looked at Amundsen,and thought about the long,cold journey in front of him.He thought about the dogs in their holes under the snow,and listened to the wind over the house.'When,Roald?'he said quietly.
  'On August 24th.The sun comes back on that day.We start then.'
  'But we can't!'Johansen said.He looked angry,and un-happy.'That's too early!We can't start then—it's danger-ous and stupid!'
  Amundsen looked at Johansen coldly.'You're wrong,Jo-hansen,'he said.'We want to win,remember?So we start on August 24th.'
  Bjaaland listened to the winter wind outside.
  * * * * *
  In Scott's camp,at Cape Evans,no one talked about Amundsen and no one worked hard.They had good food,and they played football on the snow.They wrote a newspaper—The south Polar Times—and read books.No one learnt to ski,no one worked on the motor sledges.Twice,men went for long jour-neys across the snow.They walked,and pulled the sledges themselves.Oates stayed at Cape Evans and looked after his ponies.
  Over the window in Cape Evans,Scott put a map of Antarc-tica.With a pen,he made a line from Cape Evans to the South Pole,and he put a little Britisn Flag at the Pole.Under the map,Scott wrote the day for the start of their journey.
  We start on November 3rd,he wrote.


■ 5 漫长的寒冬
  4个月中不见天日,一片昏暗。在弗雷门海姆木屋外面,气温低到-60℃。狗儿们生活在温暖的雪洞里。众人则留在木屋里,在白雪覆盖下的房间里,忙着各自的活儿。
  尽管滑雪板与雪橇都是从挪威最好的商店内购买的,但是比阿兰德对这些设备并不满意。于是,他在滑雪板与雪橇上换了许多部件。一会儿功夫雪橇变得结实多了。滑雪板变得更好使更快了。
  所有这些挪威人干活儿都很卖力。他们照顾狗群,改良设备:雪橇、滑雪板、帐篷。每天,他们都想着远赴南极的旅程,谈论着这次旅程。每天,阿蒙森脑子里都装着斯科特。隆冬里的一天,他对众人说:
  “我们早些走,赶在斯科特之前。”阿蒙森说,“别忘了,斯科特的人比我们多,他还有机动雪橇。所以,他们可能比我们快。”
  比阿兰德大笑起来。“啊,不,他们不可能比我快,”他说,“在雪地上,没有任何东西能快过优秀的滑雪者。”
  “很难料定。”阿蒙森说,“你虽是挪威最优秀的滑雪者,但是也有累乏的时候,狗也一样。而机动雪橇则不会累,它能没日没夜地跑个不停。”
  约翰森怒极而笑。“真蠢,”他说,“也许机动雪橇可以整夜不停地跑,但是英国人不能啊!英国人不可能赢,罗阿尔。他们不懂雪性,而我们懂。而且他们行进速度非常缓慢。”
  “也许如此,”阿蒙森说,“无论如何我想赢得这次竞赛,所以我们要早些出发!你们理解吗?”
  弗雷门海姆的房内宁静而温暖。比阿兰德看着阿蒙森,思考起摆在面前漫长寒冷的旅程;想着那些躲在雪洞里的狗儿们;听着屋外的寒风。“什么时候出发,罗阿尔?”他轻声地问。
  “8月24日,从那天起就又要出太阳了。我们就在那时出发。”
  “我们不能那时就出发!”约翰森说。他显得很生气,一脸不快。“这太早了!我们不能在那个时候出发,那是危险又愚蠢的做法!”
  阿蒙森冷冷地看着约翰森。“你错了,约翰森,”他说,“别忘了,我们想取得胜利。所以,我们的出发时间为8月 24日。”
  比阿兰德聆听着窗外的寒风。
  * * * * *
  开普埃文斯,斯科特的营地里,没有任何人谈论起阿蒙森的情况,没有任何人在努力地干活儿。他们吃好东西,在雪地上踢足球,编了一份定名为《南极时报》的报纸,翻阅书籍。没有人学滑雪,也没有人保养机动雪橇。这些人两度进行过横穿雪原的漫长旅程。他们走路不算,反而还得拉着雪橇走。奥茨留在开普埃文斯,喂养小马。
  在开普埃文斯的窗户上,斯科特挂着一张南极洲地图。他在开普埃文斯与南极之间,用钢笔划了条线,并将一面小小的英国国旗插在南极上。地图下面,斯科特写下了他们的出发日期。
  我们于11月 3 日出发,他写道。


■ Chapter 6 A Bad Start
  On August 23rd,the Norwegians'sledges were ready.They took them outside,and the dogs pulled them across me ice.The sun came up for half an hour,but it was too cold:-46°Centigrade.They could not travel in that weather.They went back to Framheim and waited.
  They waited two weeks,until September 8th.Then,with the temperature at-37°Centigrade,they started.They ran happily across the snow to the south—eight men,seven sledges,and eighty-six dogs.Only
  Lindstrom,the cook,stayed behind in Framheim.
  At first everything went well.They went twenty-eight kilo-metres on Saturday,and twenty-eight kilometres on Sunday.It was easy.Then,on Monday,the temperature went down—to -56°Centigrade.There was white fog in front of their faces.They couldn't see anything.But they travelled twenty-eight kilometres.
  That night,in their tents,they nearly died of cold.Next day,they stopped and made snow houses.Inside the snow houses,it was warm.But everyone was unhappy.
  'I told you,Roald!'Johansen said.'Even September is too early!We can't travel in this cold.Do you want us to die? Let's go back and wait for better weather.'
  Amundsen was very angry.He was angry with Johansen,buthe was angry with himself,too.He knew Johansen was right.
  'All right,'he said slowly.'We can go on to the depot at 80°South,leave the food there,and then go back.We can't do more than that.'
  It was thirty-seven kilometres to the depot.The wind was in their faces all day.Two dogs died on the way.At the depot,they did not stop.They put out the food and the flags,turned round,and went north.
  At last the wind was behind them.The dogs ran quickly,and the men sat on the empty sledges.They went faster and faster.It was like a race.Amundsen was on Wisting's sledge,and soon he,Wisting,and Hanssen were three or four kilometres in front.Soon they were alone.They travelled seventy-five kilo-metres in nine hours,and they reached Framheim at four o'clock that afternoon.
  Bjaaland arrived two hours later,with two more men.But the last two—Johansen and Prestrud—went more slowly.Their dogs were tired,their feet were wet and cold,they had no food,and they were alone in the dark.The temperature was-51°Centigrade.They reached Framheim at midnight.
  Next morning,Johansen was angry.In front of everyone,he said:'You were wrong,Roald.September was too early.I told you but you didn't listen.And then you left us alone and we nearly died in the cold!You're a bad captain—I'm a better captain than you are!'
  Amundsen was very angry.But at first he said nothing,be-cause he knew that Johansen was right.Then,that evening,he gave a letter to Johansen.It said:
  You aren't coming to the Pole with me.When I go south,you can take some dogs and go east to King Edward Ⅶ Land.You can go with Prestrud and Stubberud.You can be the first men to go there—but not to the South Pole!
  The Norwegians stayed in Framheim and waited.They lay in bed,listened to the wind outside,and thought about Scott and his motor sledges.


■ 6 出师不利
  8月23日,挪威人的雪橇准备就绪。他们将雪橇搬到户外,狗拉着雪橇穿行在冰封的大地上。太阳已升起半小时,但是气候仍旧很冷:-46℃。他们不可能在这种天气上路,只好返回弗雷门海姆,等待着。
  他们又等了两个星期,直至9月8日。他们冒着-37℃的低温,出发了。他们愉快地向南奔去,穿行在雪原之中。这一行共有8个人、7辆雪橇、86条狗。留在身后的只有厨师林德斯特伦,他留守在弗雷门海姆营地。
  起初一切顺利。星期六他们走了28公里,星期天又走了28公里。事情并不难。然而在星期一,温度降到-56℃。眼前是一片白茫茫的浓雾,他们啥也看不到。即使如此,他们还是前进了28公里。
  那天晚上,他们几乎冻死在帐篷里。第二天,他们停了下来,修筑雪屋。尽管雪屋内暖融融的,但是众人的心都很沉重。
  “我给你讲过,罗阿尔!”约翰森说,“即使9月份也为时过早!在这种寒冷的天气下,我们不可能前行。你要我们死吗?咱们回去吧,等气候变好些再走。”
  阿蒙森恼怒至极。他不仅恼恨约翰森,而且还恼恨自己。他心中明白,约翰森是对的。
  “好吧,”他缓缓地说,“我们可以继续前行,到南纬80°的贮藏屋去,把食物留在那儿后,再折回。我们只能做这些事了。”
  离贮藏屋有37公里。寒风扑面,整日不歇,有两条狗死在半路了。到达贮藏屋时,他们没有任何停顿,拿出食物与旗帜后,马上向北调头了。
  他们终于将寒风抛在身后。群狗飞快地跑,众人坐在空雪橇上往回赶。它们速度越来越快,就像进行比赛。阿蒙森坐在威斯丁的雪橇上。很快地,他、威斯丁、汉森就领先了三四公里。再一会儿后,他们已经独领风骚了。9小时内,他们跑了75公里。他们到达弗雷门海姆时,是那天下午4点钟。
  两小时后,比阿兰德与另外两个人赶了回来。最后两人约翰森与普雷斯楚德速度更慢。他们的狗非常疲倦。两个人的脚又湿又冷。他们的食品也光了,孤独地行进在黑暗之中。当时的气温降到-51℃。他们赶回弗雷门海姆时已经是半夜了。
  次日早晨,约翰森大发其火。他当着众人说:“你错了,罗阿尔。9月份太早了。我早告诉过你,可是你听不进去。后来,你又扔下我们,搞得我们孤立无援,几乎冻死在这冰天雪地之中。你是个坏队长,让我当队长也比你强。”
  阿蒙森愤怒至极。但起先一言不发,因为他知道约翰森骂得有理。后来,在那天晚上,他递给约翰森一封信。信中这样写:
  你不必随我去南极了。在我出发南行之时,你可以带几条狗向东,赶到爱德华七世地。普雷斯楚德与斯塔伯鲁德也可以随你同去。你们可能成为首批到那儿的人——但不是南极!
  这些挪威人留在弗雷门海姆,等待着。他们躺在床上,听着屋外的寒风,想着斯科特,想着他的机动雪橇。
葉修

ZxID:8596186


等级: 派派督察
配偶: 周澤楷
人生百年,谁不曾大闹天宫,谁不曾头上紧箍,谁不曾爱上层楼,谁不曾孤独上路。
举报 只看该作者 30楼  发表于: 2014-08-12 0

■ Chapter 7 Motor Sledges and Mountains
  Scott had two motor sledges now.They were the first motor sledges in the Antarctic—the first on earth.On October 24th,the motor sledges started south from Cape Evans.Four men went with them,but Scott stayed at Cape Evans for another week.
  Oates was unhappy.He wrote to his mother:We had a very bad winter here.I don't like Scott.We were here all winter,but he didn't learn to ski,or to drive dogs.Our equipment is bad,and he doesn't think about other people.I'm going to sleep in his tent on the journey,but I don't want to.
  On November lst Scott and Oates and six more men left Cape Evans with eight sledges and eight ponies.The ponies walked slowly because their feet went down into the snow.It was hard work for them and they got tired very quickly.They travelled thirteen or fourteen kilometres in a day.
  Behind the ponies came Meares with one sledge and some dogs.Meares knew how to drive dogs.Every day,Meares started two hours after the ponies,and arrived two hours be-fore them.
  After five days,they found the motor sledges.
  * * * * *
  The Norwegians began again on October 20th.There were five men this time—Amundsen,Bjaaland,Wisting,Hassel,and Hanssen.They had four sledges,and forty-eight dogs.
  There was a lot of wind and fog.On the first day,Wisting's sledge suddenly stopped,and the back went down.'Come on,you dogs!'he said angrily.'Pull!Pull!'At first nothing hap-pened;then,slowly,the sledge moved again.Wisting looked down,over the side of the sledge.Under the snow,there was a fifty metre hole.
  'Did you see that?'Amundsen said.'The ice wants to eat us —men,dogs,sledges,everything.'
  On the fourth day they reached the depot at 80°South.There was a bad snowstorm,but they found the flags easily.Next day the men stayed in their tents,and the dogs played in their holes under the snow.They were all happy.They had a lot of food,they had good equipment,and they were warm. They could travel fast.
  Next morning,the snowstorm stopped,and the journey be-gan again.Today,everything is wonderful,Bjaaland wrote in his diary.But where is Scott?In front of us,or behind?
  * * * * *
  There was no one with the motor sledges;they were broken. Scott looked at them angrily.
  'It doesn't matter,'he said.'Teddy Evans and his men are in front of us.They're good men—they're pulling their sledges themselves.We can get to the Pole on foot.'
  Oates looked at Meares.Oates and the ponies were tired,but Meares and his dogs were not.The snow was home for them.
  That night,Oates wrote:Three motor sledges at£1,000 each,19 ponies at £5 each,32 dogs at £1.50 each.Well,it's not my money,it's Scott's.
  On November 21st,one of the ponies died.
  * * * * *
  On November 11th,the Norwegians saw the mountains.
  The mountains were very high—some of the highest on earth.Bjaaland smiled.
  'There is good skiing up there,Roald,'he said.'But can dogs get up there too?'
  'Of course they can,'Amundsen said.'Come on.'
  They left Hanssen with the dogs,and skied a little way up the mountains.It was difficult,but the mountains were big and beautiful.Behind the mountains,Amundsen thought there was a high plateau of ice.'That's it,'Amundsen said.'That's the road to the Pole.Tomorrow,we can bring the dogs and sledges up here.But now,let's have a ski race.Who can get back to camp first?'
  They laughed,and skied happily down the white snow. 'This is like home,'Bjaaland thought.'But it's bigger than Norway,and better.'
  In the next four days,the dogs pulled the sledges eighty-one kilometres,and went up 3,000 metres.At last,Amundsen and Bjaaland stood on the plateau behind the mountains.They were tired,happy men.
  Bjaaland looked back at the mountains.'Can a motor sledge get up here?'he asked.
  Amundsen smiled.'No,'he said.'I don't think so.And Scott doesn't like dogs.So his men are going to pull their sledges up these mountains themselves.Would you like to do that,Olav?'
  Bjaaland didn't answer.He smiled,and skied happily away across the snow.


■ 7 机动雪橇与大山
  斯科特现有两辆机动雪橇,这两辆机动雪橇不仅在南极洲而且在地球上也是首次出现。10月24日,机动雪橇向南进发,离开了开普埃文斯。4人随雪橇同往,但斯科特在开普埃文斯又逗留了一星期。
  奥茨心中不快。他给母亲写信说:我们在这儿度过了一个极为恶劣的冬天。我不喜欢斯科特。我们整个冬天都在这儿闲着,可是他既不学滑雪,也不学驾驭狗。我们的设备不好,但他是不会为别人着想的。一旦我们踏上旅程,我将与他同睡一个帐篷,这可不是我愿意的。
  11月1日,斯科特、奥茨以及其他6个人离开了开普埃文斯,他们带着8辆雪橇、8匹小马。这些小马走得不快,因为马腿总会踩进雪里。这对它们来说太辛苦了。它们的体力消耗得很快,一天只能走十三四公里。
  在小马后面,是米尔斯。他驾着一辆雪橇与几条狗。米尔斯懂得驾驭狗。每天,小马出发后两小时,米尔斯才上路,而且还比它们先到两小时。
  5天以后,他们追上了机动雪橇。
  * * * * *
  10月20日,挪威人又出发了。这次共5人:阿蒙森、比阿兰德、威斯丁、哈塞尔和汉森。他们带着4辆雪橇和48条狗。
  狂风呼啸,浓雾茫茫。第一天,威斯丁的雪橇忽然停住了,雪橇后部陷了下去。“使劲,你们这些小狗!”他狂怒地说,“拉呀!拉呀!”刚开始时,雪橇一动不动。后来,雪橇缓慢地移动起来。威斯丁从雪橇边探头往下一看。在雪地之下,有个50米深的大洞。
  “你刚才看见这洞吗?”阿蒙森说,“冰窟窿打算将我们全都吃掉:人、狗还有雪橇,所有的一切。”
  第4天,他们到达南纬80°的贮藏屋。虽说恶劣的暴风雪漫天遍野,但是他们还是顺利地找到旗帜。次日,他们呆在帐篷里,小狗也在雪洞里嬉闹。他们的情绪很高:食物充足,设备精良,人也暖洋洋的。他们可以快速前进。
  次日早晨,暴风雪停了,他们又上路了。今天,一切美好极了!比阿兰德在日记里写道。可是斯科特在那儿呢?在我们前面,还是在我们后面?
  * * * * *
  这时,没有任何人驾驶机动雪橇了:全坏了。斯科特生气地看着这些雪橇。
  “没什么关系,”他说,“特迪·埃文斯和他的人在我们前面。他们都很优秀:他们自己正拉着雪橇前进。我们可以凭双脚走到南极。”
  奥茨看着米尔斯。奥茨与他的小马人困马乏,而米尔斯与他的小狗则不同,茫茫雪原对于他和他的小狗来说,就像家一样。
  那晚,奥茨写道:3辆机动雪橇,每辆价值1000英镑;19匹小马,每匹5英镑;32条狗,每条1.5英镑。当然不是我花钱,而是斯科特掏的腰包。
  11月21日,一匹小马死了。
  * * * * *
  11月11日,挪威人见到了群山。
  群山高耸而立,它们属于地球上的一些最高山脉。比阿兰德露出了笑容。
  “在上面可以很好地滑雪,罗阿尔,”他说,“但是狗群也能上得去吗?”
  “当然,它们能上去。”阿蒙森说着,“走吧!”
  他们将狗留给汉森,朝山上滑行了一小段。这可不容易,但群山巍峨秀丽,可以尽情领略。阿蒙森认为群山之后还有一片冰封高原。“就是那儿啦,”阿蒙森说,“那就是通往南极之路。明天,我们可以将狗与雪橇带到这儿来。现在,咱们来一场滑雪比赛,看谁最先回到营地。”
  众人大笑,愉快地在白雪之上飞滑而下。“这仿佛是在家中,”比阿兰德心想,“然而这儿比挪威辽阔、美好。”
  在后来的4天时间内,群狗拉着雪橇跑了81公里,爬了3000米的坡。最终,阿蒙森与比阿兰德站在大山后的高原上,他们虽然累了,但心花怒放。
  比阿兰德回头看了看群山。“机动雪橇能上得来吗?”他问。
  阿蒙森笑了。“不,”他说,“我认为不行。因为斯科特不喜欢狗,所以他的人得靠自己把雪橇拖上山了。你喜欢这样做吗,奥拉夫?”
  比阿兰德没有回答,脸上露出了微笑。他愉快地一滑,又开始横越雪地。


■ Chapter 8 Across the Plateau
  On November 21st,the Norwegians killed thirty dogs. 'They were happy,'Amundsen said.'And now tney're going to die quickly.We need three sledges,and eighteen dogs, to go to the Pole.'
  When the dogs were dead,the other dogs ate them.The men ate them,too.They were good friends,Bjaaland wrote in his diary.And now they are good food.Two days later,the dogs were fst.Then,in a snowstorm,they began the journey again.
  After the snowstorm,there was fog,and in the fog,they got lost on an ice river with hundreds of big holes in it.They could see nothing,and it was very dangerous.In four days they moved nine kilometres.But the ice is beautiful,Bjaaland wrote.Blue and green and white.This is a wonderful place —but I don't want to stay a long time.
  After the ice,there were strong winds and bad snowstorms.They could see nothing in front of them.But every day,they travelled twenty-five or thirty kilometres.Then,on December 9th,the sun came out.They were at 88°23′South—175 kilo-metres from the Pole.
  Five more long days,Bjaaland wrote.That's all now.But where is Scott?
  * * * * *
  For four days,Scott's men stayed in their tents near the mountains.There is a bad snowstorm outside,Oates wrote.It's too cold for the ponies,and our clothes and skis are bad,too.
  On December 9th,Oates killed the ponies.They were tired and ill and they could not walk up to the plateau.Then Meares and his dogs went back to Cape Evans.'We can pull the sledges ourselves,'Scott said.'We can do it—we're all strong men.
  There were two sledges and eight men.They went twenty-four kilometres a day.On December 31st,Scott said to Teddy Evans,and the men on the second sledge:'You can't ski well.Leave your skis here.'So they pulled their sledge twenty-four kilometres without skis.
  Next day,Scott went to Teddy Evans's tent.'You are ill,Teddy,'he said.'You can't come to the Pole.Take two men and go back,tomorrow.'
  Teddy Evans was very unhappy.'Two men,Captain?'he said.'Why not three?'
  'Because Bowers is going to come with me,'Scott said.'He's strong—we need him.'
  'But…you have food on your sledge for four men,notfive!'Evans said.'And Bowers has no skis!'
  'I'm the Captain,Teddy!'Scott said.'You do what I say.Take two men and leave Bowers with me!'
  Oates wrote to his mother:I am going to the Pole with Scott.I am pleased and I fell strong.But in his diary he wrote;My feet are very bad.They are always wet now,and they don't look good.
  On January 4th Scott's men left Teddy Evans and went on.Scott,Oates,Wilson and Edgar Evans had skis,but Bowers did not.They were 270 kilometres from the Pole.
  * * * * *
  December 14th 1911 was a warm,sunny day.Five Norwegians skied over the beautiful white snow.It was very quiet.No one spoke.They were excited,and happy.
  'Six more kilometres,'Bjaaland thought.Is there a British flag?I can't see a flag,but…
  'Look!'Hassel said.'What's that over there?'
  Bjaaland left his sledge and skied quickly away over the snow.'What is it?'he thought.'Is it…?No!'
  'It's nothing!'he called.'There's nothing there… no-thing!'
  Three kilometres,two.'Roald!'Hanssen called to Amund-sen.'Go in front of me,please.It helps my dogs.'
  'That's not true,'Bjaaland thought.'His dogs are running well today.But Hanssen wants Amundsen to be first.The first man at the South Pole!'
  They skied on and on,over the beautiful snow.
  'Stop!'Amundsen said.He waited quietly for his men.'This is it,'he said.
  Bjaaland looked at him.'But there's nothing here,'he said.
  Amundsen smiled.'Oh yes there is,'he said.'There's something very important here,Olav.Very,very important.'
  'What's that,Roald?'
  'Us.We're here now.Isn't that important,Olav?'
  The four men stood on the snow,and looked at him.Then,slowly,they all began to laugh.


■ 8 穿越高原
  11月21日,挪威人杀了30条狗。
  “这些狗活泼欢快,”阿蒙森说,“现在,它们很快就要丧生了。我们只需要3辆雪橇、18条狗,便能到达南极。”
  这些狗处死后,活着的狗吃它们的肉,大家也都吃。它们是我们的好朋友,比阿兰德在日记里这样写道,现在又成为好食物。两天之后,群狗都养胖了。随后,他们冒着暴风雪再度踏上旅程。
  暴风雪过后,浓雾弥漫。在隐有无数大冰洞的冰河上,他们完全被裹在茫茫浓雾之中,什么也看不见。这太危险了。4天内,他们仅前行了9公里。但是这些冰层非常美丽,比阿兰德这样写道,蓝、绿、白三色。这是个迷人的地方,然而我不愿久留。
  走过冰河之后,又遇到凛冽的寒风和可怕的暴风雪。他们眼前一派茫茫,什么也看不见。但是每天,他们仍旧要走25至30公里。当时,也就是12月9日,太阳出来了。他们到达南纬88°23′的地区,距南极175公里。
  再过5个漫长的日子,比阿兰德这样写,一切便完成了。可是斯科特在哪儿呢?
  * * * * *
  4天来,斯科特的人一直留在大山附近的帐篷内。外面下着可怕的暴风雪,奥茨这样写道,这太冷啦,令小马不堪忍受。我们的衣服与滑雪板也都坏了。
  12月9日,奥茨杀了几匹小马。这些马又累又病,不可能登上高原。这时,米尔斯与他的狗群返回开普埃文斯。“我们可以自己拖雪橇,”斯科特说,“我们能够做到:我们个个都是身强力壮。”
  两辆雪橇与8个人,每天走24公里。12月31日,斯科特对特迪·埃文斯以及那些拖着第二辆雪橇的人说:“既然你们不太会滑雪,不如将滑雪板丢在这儿。”于是,他们没穿滑雪板拉雪橇走了24公里。
  第二天,斯科特来到特迪·埃文斯的帐篷内。“你病了,特迪,”他说,“你去不了南极了。明天带着两个人回去吧。”
  特迪·埃文斯非常不满。“两个人,队长?”他说,“为什么不是3个人呢?”
  “因为鲍尔斯将同我一道前进,”斯科特说,“他身体很棒,我们需要他。”
  “但是……你们雪橇上装的食物是供4人食用的,而不是5人!”埃文斯说,“再说鲍尔斯的滑雪板也扔了!”
  “我是队长,特迪!”斯科特说,“你照我的话去做。带两个人走,将鲍尔斯留给我!”
  奥茨给他的母亲写信说:我正跟随着斯科特向南极进发。我感到欣喜,而且感到精力旺盛。但是他在日记里却是这样写的:我的脚已经非常糟糕了,现在总是湿漉漉的,看来状况不妙。
  1月4日,斯科特一行离开了特迪,继续上路了。斯科特、奥茨、威尔逊、埃德加·埃文斯都有滑雪板,然而鲍尔斯没有。他们距南极还有270公里。
  * * * * *
  1911年12月14日,天气暖和,阳光明媚。5个挪威人在美丽的白雪上滑行着,四周非常安静,没人讲话。他们感到兴奋、欣喜。
  “再走6公里,”比阿兰德心想。英国国旗到达那儿了吗?我一面旗帜也没见到,但是……
  “瞧!”哈塞尔说,“那儿是什么?”
  比阿兰德丢下他的雪橇,在雪地上飞快滑行赶去看。“这是什么?”他心想,“难道是……?不!”
  “没东西!”他高声叫着说,“什么东西也没有……啥也没有!”
  还有3公里,还有2公里。“罗阿尔!”汉森高声呼唤着阿蒙森,“请你走在我前头,这对我的狗群有帮助。”
  “不是这回事儿,”比阿兰德心想,“他的狗今天表现不错。汉森是想让阿蒙森成为第一人,第一个到达南极的人!”
  他们继续向前滑行,在这美丽的雪原上滑行。
  “停下!”阿蒙森说。他静静地等着他的属员。“就是这儿,”他说。
  比阿兰德看着他。“可是这儿没有任何东西,”他说。
  阿蒙森笑了笑。“啊,不对,有东西,”他说,“这儿有样非常重要的东西,奥拉夫。非常非常重要。”
  “什么东西,罗阿尔?”
  “我们这些人!我们现在站在这儿,难道还不重要,奥拉夫?”
  4个人站在雪地里,看着他。渐渐地,大家开始大笑起来。


■ Chapter 9 The End of the Race
  The Norwegians stayed two days at the Pole.They left a tent there,with a Norwegian flag on it.Inside the tent,they left some food,a letter for the King of Norway,and a let-ter for Scott.
  They left some more black flags near the Pole,and one twenty-eight kilometres north.Then they skied away,back to the north.
  It's a beautiful day,Bjaaland wrote.The sun is warm,the snow is good.But the dogs run too quickly—I can't get in front,of them!
  They found their depots easily.There were ten between the Pole and Framheim.Each depot had a lot of food.They laughed and skied quickly down the mountains.Often,they skied fifty kilometres a day.On Friday,January 26th,1912,they came back to Framheim.It was four o'clock in the morn-ing.
  Inside the wooden house,Lindstrm,the cook,was asleep.Amundsen walked quietly to his bed.'Good morning,Lindstrm,'he said.'Is our coffee ready?'
  * * * * *
  The black flags waited at the Pole.
  'What's that,Captain?'Bowers said.'Over there?'
  'Where?'Scott asked.'What—oh my God!'
  They all saw me small black flag in the snow,two kilome-tres in front of them.Slowly,they pulled their sledge to it.
  Next day,January 17th 1912,they found the tent and the Norwegian fiag.Near it,Scott took the British flag from under his clothes,and put it up.In his diary,Scott wrote:This is a very bad day.We are all tired,and have cold feet and hands.It is-30°Centigrade and there is a snowstorm.Great God! This is an awful place!
  They turned north.Five tired,unhappy men,in the coldest,emptiest place on earth.
  * * * * *
  On March 13th,1912,Scott's wife Kathleen,looked at her morning newspaper.NORWAY'S FLAG AT SOUTH POLE,it said.She looked at it for a long time,and then began to cry.
  'What's the matter?'her friend asked.
  'My poor,poor husband,'Mrs Scott said.'What's happened to him?Where is he now?'
  * * * * *
  Scott's men were always hungry.There were not many depots and they were difficult to find.We need to find the next depot today,Oates wrote.But how can we find one black flag in all this snow?It's very difficult.And there is food for four men,not five.
  They were all tired and ill,too.Oates's feet were black now,and he could not feel them.On February 16th,Edgar Evans died.
  On the 17th they were past the mountains.At the depot there they ate one of the dead ponies.Then they went on—ten,eleven,twelve kilometres a day.They were ill because their clothes were not warm and they didn't have much food.The temperature was sometimes -40°Centigrade.
  On March 7th Scott looked at Oates's feet.They were big and black.'I can't pull the sledge now,'Oates said.'It's very difficult to walk.Am I going to lose these feet,Captain?'
  Scott looked at Oates's feet,and said nothing.
  On March 9th they found another depot,but there was not much food.Slowly,they walked on.Oates's feet were worse every day.
  March 17th was Oates's birthday.He was thirty-two.He lay in the tent and listened to the wind outside.He was very cold,very hungry,and very very tired.
  He wrote a letter to his mother and gave it to Wilson.Then he got up,and opened the door of the tent.He stopped in the door for a minute.Scott,Wilson,and Bowers looked at him.They didn't speak.
  'I'm going outside for a minute,'Oates said.'I may be some time.'
  They didn't see him again.
  * * * * *
  At Cape Evans,the Englishmen waited.On December 11th,Meares and the dogs came back.On January 3rd,Teddy Evans and his two men arrived at Cape Evans.The Terra Nova came,and went.Winter began.Scott did not come.
  The Englishmen waited all winter at Cape Evans.Then,on October 26th 1912,they started for the south.Two weeks later,they found a tent.
  There were three bodies in the tent—Scott,Wilson,and Bowers.They put the bodies under the snow.Then they took the men's letters and diaries,and went north to Cape Evans again.
  In Scott's diary they read:Oates died like a good English-man.We all did.Please,remember us,and look after our families.We did our best.
  No one found Oates's body.But he is there,somewhere, un-der the snow and the wind,in the coldest,emptiest place on earth.


■ 9 比赛结束
  挪威人在南极逗留了两天。他们在那儿留下一顶帐篷,帐篷顶上插着一面挪威国旗。帐篷里,他们留下一些食物,一封致挪威国王的信,还有一封致斯科特的信。
  他们在南极附近留下更多的黑旗,在南极以北28公里处插一面旗。随后,他们滑行而去,返回北方。
  这天太美好了,比阿兰德这样写,太阳暖融融的,雪原也变得可爱。然而群狗跑得极快,我无法滑行到它们前面!
  他们顺利地找到了自己的贮藏屋。从南极到弗雷门海姆,共有10座贮藏屋。每座贮藏屋都贮藏有许多食物。他们欢声笑语,飞快地向山下滑行而去。他们经常一天滑行50公里。1912年1月26日星期五,他们返回到弗雷门海姆。当时时间为凌晨4点。
  木屋内,厨师林德斯特伦正酣睡着。阿蒙森无声地走到他床前。“早上好,林德斯特伦,”他说,“我们的咖啡准备好了吗?”
  * * * * *
  那些黑色的旗帜在南极等候着。
  “那是什么,队长?”鲍尔斯问,“就在那儿。”
  “哪儿?”斯科特问,“什么?啊,我的上帝!”
  所有人都看见了插在雪地上的小黑旗,位于他们前面两公里处。他们缓慢地拖着雪橇朝那面旗帜走去。
  第二天,1912年1月17日,他们发现了那顶帐篷与挪威国旗。来到帐篷附近,斯科特从衣服内拿出英国国旗,将它挂起来。在他的日记里,斯科特这样写道:这天简直糟糕透了。我们大家都疲惫不堪,手脚冰凉。气温为-30℃。这时又刮起暴风雪。天啊,这地方太可怕了!
  在地球上最寒冷、最空旷的地方,站着5位心力交瘁、情绪低落的人。他们回头向北。
  * * * * *
  1912年3月13日,斯科特的妻子凯思林正阅读着晨报。报纸上登着:挪威国旗插上南极。她长时间注视着这条消息,然后开始哭泣。
  “出什么事啦?”她的朋友问。
  “我好可怜的丈夫,”斯科特夫人说,“他出什么事儿啦?他现在在哪儿?”
  * * * * *
  斯科特的人一直是饥肠辘辘。他们没设多少贮藏屋,而且找起来也很费事。今天,我们必须找到下一个贮藏屋,奥茨这样写,可是在这茫茫雪原之中,我们怎样找到一面黑旗?这太难了,现在的食物只够4个人食用,而不是5个人。
  他们一行人病累交加。奥茨的双脚已经发黑,失去了感觉。2月16日,埃德加·埃文斯又辞世而去。
  17日,他们翻过了大山。在那儿的贮藏屋,他们食用了一匹死马。随后他们继续上路,每天走10公里、11公里、12公里。他们全生病了,因为他们的衣服已经不能保暖,食物也不多。当时的气温有时是-40℃。
  3月7日,斯科特看着奥茨的双脚,又肿又黑。“现在,我拉不动雪橇了,”奥茨说,“就连走路都非常吃力。我这双脚还能保得住吗,队长?”
  斯科特看着奥茨的双脚,什么也说不出来。
  3月9日,他们找到另一个贮藏屋,但是食物并没有多少。他们缓慢地继续走着。奥茨的双脚日渐恶化。
  3月17日是奥茨的生日,他年满32岁。他躺在帐篷里,听着外面的寒风。极度的饥寒交迫,他感到非常非常疲倦。
  他给母亲写了封信,交给了威尔逊。随后,他起身,打开帐篷门,在门前犹豫一会儿。斯科特、威尔逊、鲍尔斯都看着他,谁也没讲话。
  “我出去一会儿,”奥茨说,“或许过一阵子我才能回来。”
  他们再也没见到他。
  * * * * *
  在开普埃文斯,好些英国人在翘首期待着。12月11日这一天,米尔斯与狗群回来了。1月3日这一天,特迪·埃文斯与另外两个人也回到开普埃文斯。特若·诺瓦号船驶来后,又离去了。又是一个寒冬来临,斯科特一直没回来。
  英国人在开普埃文斯等待了整整一个冬天。随后,在1912年10月26日,他们向南出发了。两周后,他们发现一顶帐篷。
  帐篷内有3具遗体:斯科特、威尔逊、鲍尔斯。他们将这些遗体葬在雪地里。随后,他们带着这些人的书信与日记,往北返回开普埃文斯。
  在斯科特的日记里,他们读到这些内容:奥茨死得像个英国汉子。我们大家也不逊色。请记住我们,请照看我们的家人。我们已经尽了全力。
  没人找到奥茨的遗体。但是他就在那儿,在地球上最寒冷、最空旷的地方的风雪里的某处。
葉修

ZxID:8596186


等级: 派派督察
配偶: 周澤楷
人生百年,谁不曾大闹天宫,谁不曾头上紧箍,谁不曾爱上层楼,谁不曾孤独上路。
举报 只看该作者 31楼  发表于: 2014-08-12 0

【02-01】  [威廉·莎士比亚 / 詹妮弗·芭斯特 著]
  William Shakespeare by Jannifer Bassett

■ 简介
  1578年艾汶河畔的斯特拉福镇。有位男孩坐在书桌旁专心地学习,他认真听课、拼命看书。可他在想些什么呢?
  1587年伦敦。一位年轻人首次到伦敦谋生。他听着闹市的喧嚣声,看看伦敦塔雄伟的大墙,望着泰晤士河的淙淙流水。“静谧的泰晤士河,潺潺地流淌,直到我唱完心中的歌。”
  1601年伦敦。泰晤士河上的船夫对人群大声喊着:“快来,快来,快来呀!‘环球剧院’快挤满人啦!”2000多观众渡过河,前来观看莎士比亚的最新一部戏剧——《哈姆雷特》。
  这本讲述莎士比亚生平故事的书是由托比叙述的。托比不是一个真实的人物——或许莎士比亚也曾有过这样一位朋友,不过,我们无法确知。但是书中的其他人物历史上确有其人。他们非常熟悉这位演员、诗人兼剧作家莎士比亚。他们称他“莎士比亚缙绅”,都认为他是英国最杰出的诗人。他的朋友本·琼生曾这样写道:
  “他不属于一个时代,而是属于所有的时代。”
  本书作者詹妮弗·芭斯特是位资历很深的教师和作家。她生活在英国西南的德文郡。

■ 1 Toby remembers
  My name is Toby.I'm an old man,eighty-three this spring.My house is right in the middle of Stratford-upon-Avon,and I can watch the street market from my window.But I live very quietly now.I'm just an old man,sitting in a chair.
  I once knew the greatest man in England.For thirty years I was his friend.I worked with him in the theatre,through the good times and the bad time.He was a good friend to me.He was also the best playwright,the best poet,that ever lived in England.Will Shakespeare was his name.
  I saw all his plays in the theatre.People loved them.They shouted,laughed and cried,ate oranges,and called for more.All kinds of people.Kings,Queens,Princes,great lords and ladies,poor people,the boys who held the horses…everyone.Will Shakespeare could please them all.
  He put me in a play once.Well,he used my name-Toby.Twelfth Night was the play,I remember.Sir Toby Belch.He was a big fat man,who liked drinking too much and having a good time.Queen Elizabeth the First watched that play-on Twelfth Night,the 6th of January,1601.She liked it,too.
  Will's dead now,of course.He's been dead more than thirty years,and no one sees his plays now.The Puritans have closed all the theatres.There's no singing,no dancing,no plays.It wasn't like that in my young days.We had a good time in London,Will and I…
  I've no teeth now,and my hair has all fallen out,but I can still think—and remember.I remember when Will and I were young,just boys really…


■ 1 托比的回忆
  我叫托比,一位年迈的老人,今年春天年过83岁。家住艾汶河畔斯特拉福镇中心,透过窗户,便可以望到街道的闹市。我的生活平和宁静,毕竟我已是一位要在轮椅上安度晚年的老头子了。
  我曾认识英国的一位最伟大的人物。我与他相交30年,同在剧团工作,也共同度过人生中欢乐与艰辛的岁月。他是我的好友,也是英国有史以来最优秀的剧作家,最杰出的诗人。他就是威尔·莎士比亚。
  我看过他所有上演的戏剧。这些戏剧颇受欢迎,也一度令观众狂喜大悲,不过他们都希望能看到他更多的戏剧。形形色色的人,上自国王、王后、王子和豪富名女,下至贫苦百姓和牵马的脚夫……所有的人,威尔·莎士比亚都能令他们开心欢娱。
  他曾将我写进剧本,剧中用了我的原名——托比。我记得剧名为《第十二夜》,剧中的托比·培尔契爵士又大又胖而且喜欢酗酒行乐。女王伊丽莎白一世于1601年1月6号观看了此剧——《第十二夜》,也很喜欢。
  当然威尔现在已不在人世,他过世都30多年了,如今没有人能看到他的戏。自从清教徒关闭了所有的剧院,就不再有歌声、舞蹈和戏剧了。如今的情形同我年轻时与威尔在伦敦度过的快乐时光相比已经大不一样了。
  现在虽然我一副老态,没有牙齿,头发也掉光了,但我还能思考——还能回忆,我记得威尔和我年轻的时候,还是孩子的时候……


■ 2 Stratford-upon-Avon
  It was a sunny day in October 1579 when I first met Will,just outside Stratford,near a big field of apple trees.I saw a boy up in one of the trees.He had red hair and looked about two years older than me.
  ‘What are you doing up there?’I called.
  ‘Just getting a few apples,’he said,smiling
  ‘Those are Farmer Nash's apples,I said,‘and he'll send his dogs after you if he sees you.’
  ‘Mr Nash has gone to market,’the boy said.‘Come on!They're good apples.’
  The next minute I was up the tree with him.But Will was wrong.Farmer Nash wasn't at the market,and a few minutes later we saw his angry red face above the wall on the far side of the field.
  Will and I ran like the wind and only stopped when we reached the river.We sat down to eat our apples.
  Will was fifteen,and lived in Henley Street,he told me.His father was John Shakespeare,and he had a sister,Joan,and two younger brothers,Gilbert and Richard.There was another sister who died,I learnt later.And the next year he had another brother,little Edmund—the baby of the family.
  ‘Now,what about you?’he asked.
  ‘There's only me and my sister,’I said.‘My parents are dead,and we live with my mother's brother:He's a shoe-maker in Ely Street and I work for him.What do you do?’
  ‘I go to Mr Jenkins' school in Church Street,’Will said.‘Every day,from seven o'clock until five o'clock.Not Sundays,of course.’
  I was sorry for him.‘Isn't is boring?’I asked.
  ‘Sometimes.Usually it's all right.’He lay back and put his hands behind his head.‘But we have to read and learn all these Latin writers.I want to read modern writers,and Eng-lish writers,like Geoffrey Chaucer.Can you read?’he asked.
  ‘Of course I can read!’I said.‘I went to school.’
  Will sat up and began to eat another apple.‘I want to be a writer,’he said.‘A poet.I want that more than anything in the world.’
  We were friends from that day,until the day he died.We met nearly every day,and he taught me a lot about books and poetry and writers.He always had his nose in a book.
  When Will left school,he worked for his father in Henley Street.John Shakespeare was a glove-maker,and he had other business too,like buying and selling sheep.But Will wasn't interested.
  ‘What are we going to do,Toby?’he said to me one day.‘We can't spend all our lives making shoes and gloves!’
  ‘Well,’I said,‘we could run away to sea and be sailors.Sail round the world,like Francis Drake.
  Drake sailed back to Plymouth in 1581,after his three-year journey round the world,but we were still in Stratford.We made lots of plans,but nothing ever came of them.
  Will was still reading a lot and he was already writing poems himself.He sometimes showed them to me,and I said they were very good.I didn't really know anything about poetry then,but he was my friend.
  Will was not happy with his writing.‘I've got so much to learn,Toby,’he said.‘So much to learn.’
  Poor Will.He had a lot to learn about women,too.One day in October 1582 he came to my house with a long face.
  ‘I'll never leave Stratford.’he said.
  ‘Why not?’I asked.‘We'll get away one day.You'll see.’
  ‘Perhaps you will,’he said,‘but I'm going to be married in a few weeks' time.To Anne Hathaway.’
  My mouth fell open and stayed open.‘Married!To Anne Hathaway?Is that the Hathaways over at Shottery?’
  ‘Yes,’Will said.I was working on some shoes on the table,and Will picked one up and looked at it.
  ‘Well,er,she's a fine girl,of course,’I said uncomfort-ably.‘But…but,Will,she's twenty-six and you're only eighteen!’
  ‘I know,’Will said.‘But I've got to marry her.’
  ‘Oh no!’I said.‘You mean,she's…’
  ‘That's right,’said Will.‘In about six months' time I'm going to be a father.’


■ 2 艾汶河畔的斯特拉福镇
  我第一次遇见威尔是在1579年10月的一天。那天,阳光明媚,就在斯特拉福镇外一座大苹果园附近,我看见有棵苹果树上坐着一位小男孩,长着红棕色头发,看模样大概大我两岁。
  “你在上边干什么?”我叫道。
  “摘苹果。”他笑着答道。
  “那可是纳什农场主的苹果,”我说,“如果他发现了,就要放狗咬你的。”
  “纳什先生去集市了,”男孩说道,“来吧!苹果不错。”
  一会儿我也上了树。但是威尔错了,纳什先生并没去集市,几分钟后我们看见果园那端墙头露出一张气得发红的脸。
  威尔和我见势撒腿就跑,一口气跑到河边才坐下来吃苹果。
  威尔告诉我,他15岁,住在亨里街。家中有父亲约翰·莎士比亚,妹妹琼和两个弟弟,吉尔伯特和理查。我后来听说他另有一位姐姐死了。第二年他又添了一个弟弟——威尔家的赤子小埃德蒙。
  “那么你呢?”他问道。
  “家里只有我和姐姐,”我说,“父母死后我们住在舅舅家。他是埃利街的一个鞋匠,我为他打工。你现在干什么?”
  “我在教堂街詹金斯先生的学校就读,”威尔说,“每天从上午7点到下午5点上学,当然不包括星期天。”
  我真为他难过。“这难道不乏味吗?”我问道。
  “偶尔有这种感觉,不过通常觉得学校的生活也不错。”他仰身躺下,双手枕着头,“在学校,我们不得不学习所有那些拉丁作家的作品。可我只想阅读现代作家和英国作家的作品,比如杰弗利·乔叟。你会看书吗?”他问道。
  “当然会啦!”我说,“我上过学。”
  威尔坐起来又吃了一个苹果。“我想成为作家,”他继续说道,“诗人。世上再没有比这更令我神往的。”
  自那天起我们就成了莫逆之交,直到他过世。我们几乎每天见面,他教了我许多书本和文学上的知识。他总是埋头博览群书。
  威尔离开学校后就在亨里街帮助父亲料理生意。约翰·莎士比亚是一位手套工匠,同时经营其他生意,如羊的买卖生意。但威尔对做生意却不感兴趣。
  “托比,接下来你有何打算?”有一天他问我。“我们不能一辈子都做鞋和做手套吧!”
  “对呀,”我说,“我们跑到海上当海员会,像弗朗西斯·杜雷克一样环绕地球航行。”
  杜雷克在环绕地球航行三年后于1581年回到普利茅斯,可我们还是呆在斯特拉福镇。尽管也制定了种种计划,但始终未付诸行动。
  这段时间威尔依然博览群书并开始自己写诗,偶尔给我看他写的诗。虽然嘴上我都说他的诗写得好,实际上我对诗歌是一窍不通。只不过他是我的好友我才这么说而已。
  威尔对自己的诗歌并不满意。“托比,我要学的东西太多了。”他说,“实在太多了。”
  可怜的威尔。他还得学会了解每个人。1582年10月的一天他来到我的住处,神情沉郁。
  “我永远不能离开斯特拉福镇了。”他说。
  “为什么不能?”我问道,“总有一天我们会离开此地。你等着瞧。”
  “或许你还行,”他说,“但过几个星期我就要结婚了。同安·哈瑟维结婚。”
  一听此言我张着嘴愣了好久。“结婚。同安·哈瑟维结婚?你是说肖特雷邻乡哈瑟维家的女儿?”
  “没错,”威尔说。当时我在做鞋,威尔拿起桌上一支鞋,看看。
  “当然,嗯,她是个好姑娘,”我同情地说道,“不过……不过,威尔,她已经26岁了,你才18岁呀!”
  “我知道,”威尔说,“但是我非娶她不行。”
  “哦,不可能这样吧!”我说,“你是说,她已经……”
  “你猜对了,”威尔说道,“再过6个月我就要当爸爸了。”
葉修

ZxID:8596186


等级: 派派督察
配偶: 周澤楷
人生百年,谁不曾大闹天宫,谁不曾头上紧箍,谁不曾爱上层楼,谁不曾孤独上路。
举报 只看该作者 32楼  发表于: 2014-08-13 0

■ 3 The actors come to town
  Will married Anne Hathaway in November,and she came to live in Henley Street.John Shakespeare was pleased that his oldest son was married,but I don't think Will's mother wanted him to marry so young.Families cost a lot of money,and John Shakespeare was having a lot of money troubles in those days.Times were hard in Henley Street.
  Susanna was born the next May.All babies look the same to me,but Will was very pleased with her.
  ‘Look,Toby,she's got my eyes,’he said happily.‘She's going to be as beautiful as the Queen of Egypt,and as clever as King Solomon.’
  ‘Oh yes?’I said.‘All parents talk like that about their children.I don't believe a word of it.’
  I didn't see much of Will's wife.I knew she didn't like me.To her,I was one of Will's wild friends,who got him into trouble.She came from a very serious,Puritan family.Lots of church-going,and no singing or dancing.
  Soon there was another baby on the way,and one evening in February 1585 I hurried round to Henley Street to hear the news.Will's sister,Joan,opened the door,and then Will came running down the stairs.
  ‘It's two of them!’he said.‘Twins!A girl and a boy.Isn't that wonderful!’
  Will had some good friends,Hamnet and Judith Sadler,and he called the twins after them.John Shakespeare was very pleased to have his first grandson,and everyone was happy.For a while.
  Will and I still went around together when we could.He was still reading,and writing,and soon I could see a change in him.He was twenty-three now,and he was not happy with his life.
  ‘Stratford's too small,Toby,’he said.‘Too slow.Too quiet.Too boring.I've got to get away.’
  ‘Yes,but how?’I asked.‘You've got a family—three young children,remember.’
  He didn't answer.
  In the summer months companies of players often came to small towns,and in 1587 five different companies came.Will and I always went to see the plays.Will loved to talk to the actors and to listen to all their stories of London
  The Queen's Men came to Stratford in June,and we went to see the play.I don't remember what it was.I know that I laughed a lot,and that Will said it was a stupid play,with not a word of poetry in it.
  ‘Why don't you write a play yourself?’I told him.
  ‘Write a play?’He laughed.‘Anne would never speak to me again.’
  I didn't say anything,and Will looked at me and laughed again.
  It happened a few months later.I walked into the Shakespeares' kitchen one evening,and there was Anne,with a red,angry face,shouting at the top of her voice.
  ‘How can you do this to me?And what about the children—’Then she saw me and stopped.
  Will was sitting at the table,and looked pleased to see me.‘I've told Anne,’he said quietly,‘that I'm going to live in London.I want to be an actor,and to write plays,if I can.’
  ‘Plays!’screamed Anne.‘Acting!Actors are dirty,wicked people!They're all thieves and criminals!They drink all day and they never go to church—’
  ‘Don't be stupid,Anne.You know that's not true.Listen.I'll come home when I can,but I must go to London.I can't do anything in Stratford.’He looked at me across the room.‘Are you coming with me,Toby?’
  ‘How soon can we start?’I said.


■ 3 演员来到镇上
  11月威尔和安·哈瑟维结婚了,安就住进了亨里街。约翰·莎士比亚见长子成家心里很高兴,可我觉得威尔的母亲并不想他这么早就结婚。结婚花了家里不少钱,再加上约翰·莎士比亚那段时间财运不济,这样一来,日子过得有点艰难。
  次年5月女儿苏珊娜出世。对我来说,所有的孩子没什么不一样,但威尔欣喜若狂。
  “托比,你瞧,她的眼睛长得真像我,”他高兴地说着,“长大后,她会美丽如埃及艳后,聪明如所罗门国王。”
  “是吗?”我说,“所有父母都是这么说自己的孩子。我可不信。”
  我不常见到威尔夫人,也清楚她不喜欢我。对她而言,我是威尔的一个粗野朋友,这种朋友只会让他出麻烦。她出生于一个虔诚的清教徒家庭,除了去教堂外根本不懂音乐和舞蹈。
  不久,又一个孩子要出世了。1585年2月的一个夜晚我急匆匆地赶到亨里街去打听消息。威尔的妹妹琼为我开了门,接着就见威尔跑下楼梯。
  “一胎两个呢!”他说道,“是双胞胎!一女一男。真是妙极了!”
  威尔根据好友哈姆奈特和珠迪丝·塞德勒的名字给孪生子女起了名。约翰·莎士比亚见第一个孙子出世,由衷地高兴,有一段时间,每一个人都很快乐。
  只要有机会威尔和我仍然经常来往,他依然读书写作,但是不久,我发现他变了。当时他23岁,但对生活不再知足。
  “托比,斯特拉福镇实在太小了,”他说道,“发展缓慢,生活宁静,日子又单调,我必须离开此地。”
  “是啊,可怎么离开呢?”我问道,“别忘了,你已经成家——还有三个孩子。”
  他没有答话。
  夏天经常有剧团到小镇巡回演出,1587年分别来了五个剧团。威尔和我总是结伴去看戏。威尔爱找演员们交谈,听他们讲发生在伦敦的故事。
  6月“女王剧团”来到斯特拉福镇,我们又去看戏。这出戏的内容我已记不清楚,只记得当时看了直笑,但是威尔说这戏很糟糕,没有一句像样的诗歌。
  “那你为什么不自己动手写剧本呢?”我告诉他。
  “写剧本?”他大笑,“这样的话,安可再也不理我了。”
  我不再说什么,威尔看看我又笑了。
  几个月后事情就发生了。一天晚上我走进莎士比亚家的厨房,只见安涨红着脸,气呼呼地,她高声在嚷着:
  “你怎么能这样对我?孩子怎么办?”这时她瞧见我就将话止住了。
  威尔坐在桌旁,见我来很高兴。“我已经告诉安了。”他平静地说道,“我打算到伦敦去谋生。我想当一名演员,如果行的话,写写剧本。”
  “写剧本!”安尖声叫起来,“去演戏!做演员既丢脸又龌龊,他们都是小偷和罪犯!整天只知道喝酒行乐,也从来不去教堂——”
  “别犯傻了,安。你知道事实并不是这样。听着,一有机会我就回家探望,但我非去伦敦不可。呆在斯特拉福镇我不会有作为的。”他看了看房间对面的我,“托比,你想一起去吗?”
  “什么时候动身?”我说道。


■ 4 A new life in London
  It's two days journey to London by horse,and Will talked all the way.His eyes were bright and excited.He was full of plans,and poems,and a love of life.
  ‘I talked to one of the Queen's Men,’he told me.‘He said that he could find me work in the theatre.Acting,perhaps.Or helping to write some plays.I showed him some of my writing,and he was very interested.
  When we rode into London,I began to feel afraid.This was a big,big city,and we were just two unimportant young men from a small town.I'll never forget the noise,and the smells,and the crowds.There were 200,000 people living in the City of London—I never saw so many people before in my life.
  We went down to the river Thames and saw the famous London Bridge,with all its shops and houses.Down the river was the Tower of London.Enemies of the Queen went into the Tower through the river gate,and mostly came out without their heads.
  We found a small inn in Eastcheap,not too expensive,and had some bread,meat,and beer for our supper.
  ‘Well,we're here!’Will said.‘At last!’
  ‘Mmm,’I said.‘What do we do next?’
  He laughed.‘Everything!’
  The next day we began to look for work.
  Those early years were wonderful.We didn't have much money,of course,and we had to work very hard.A new actor only got six shillings a week,and there wasn't work every week.I decided not to be an actor.
  ‘Why not?’said will.‘It's a great life.’
  We were working that month for the Queen's Men at the theatre called The Curtain up in Shoreditch.Will was acting four small parts in two different plays.He played a soldier and a murderer in one play,and in the other play he was a thief,and also an Italian lord in love with the Queen of the Night.And he loved it.
  ‘I'm not clever like you,I said.‘I can't remember all those words.I forget who I am!I say the soldier's words,when I'm an Italian lord.I come on stage too late, or too soon.I stand in all the wrong places…’
  Will laughed.‘What are you going to do,then?’
  ‘Costumes,’I said.‘And properties.I had a talk with John Heminges,and he said they need a new man to help with all the clothes and the other things.’
  ‘Yes,’Will said slowly.‘You'll be good at that.Now,I've got a fight on stage tomorrow,and I have to die with lots of blood.How are you going to get me some blood?’
  ‘I've already got it!I smiled kindly at him.‘Sheep's blood I got it down at Smithfield market this morning.You can have as much blood as you want.I'm keeping it warm for you!’
  Will was good at acting.Not the best,but good.An actor had to do everything.He had to learn his words,of course—perhaps for six different plays at the same time. No theatre put on the same play every day.He had to dance,and sing,and play music.He had to jump,and fall,and fight.And the fights had to look real.The playgoers of London knew a real fight when they saw one.
  John Heminges of the Queen's Men taught us both a lot.He was a good friend,then and for many years.
  I had a lot to learn,too.I learnt how to make shoes out of brown paper.How to clean the actors hats with a bit of bread.Then they looked like new again.I ran all over London to buy the best hair for the wigs.I learnt how to make fish,and fruit,and a piece of meat out of wood and coloured paper.
  Will was busy day and night.I don't know when he slept.He was acting in plays,he was writing his own plays,he was reading books,he was meeting other writers,making friends…He was learning,learning,learning.
  One day we were having a glass of beer with Richard Burbage at the Boar's Head in Eastcheap.Burbage was an actor with Lord Strange's Men.He was very friendly with Will.
  ‘You've written four plays now,Will,’he said.‘They're good,and you're getting better all the time.And I'm getting better as an actor all the time.Come and work with Lord Strange's Men at the Rose theatre on Bankside.You can write for us.’
  So we both went to the Rose.John Heminges came with us,and Augustine Phillips—he was a good actor,too.
  We worked harder than ever at the Rose.Plays were always in the afternoon,because of the daylight.We had rehearsals in the morning,and by lunch-time people were already coming across the river to get their places for the play.And more and more people came.By 1592 London was hearing the name William Shakespeare again and again.


■ 4 伦敦的新生活
  坐了两天的马车我们抵达伦敦,一路上威尔谈笑风生,双眼熠熠生辉,此时他踌躇满志,对生活无限憧憬。
  “我曾和‘女王剧团’的演员聊过天,”他告诉我,“他说可以帮我在剧团找个活干,或许可以演戏,或者让我帮忙写剧本。我曾给他看过一些我的作品,他很感兴趣。”
  我们驱车进入伦敦城时,我开始感到心慌。这是很大、很大的一座城市,而我们只是两个从小镇来的微不足道的小伙子。城市的拥挤、喧嚣掺和着种种气味至今令我记忆犹新。伦敦市内生活着20万居民——我以前从未见过这么多的人。
  我们来到了泰晤士河,看到了著名的伦敦桥以及商店和住宅鳞次栉比。河下游便是伦敦塔,女王的敌人一旦从河上的闸门进了这座塔,几乎不能生还。
  我们在东切普塞德街找到一处不太贵的小客栈住下,晚饭吃了几块面包、肉,喝了点啤酒。
  “哇,我们终于到了这儿!”威尔说道,“终于!”
  “是啊,”我说,“接下来我们干什么呢?”
  他笑道:“什么都干!”
  第二天我们便出去找活干。
  在伦敦最初几年的情况很好。由于身边钱不多,我们工作很卖劲。因为新演员一星期只能拿到6先令的报酬,更何况并不是每个星期都能上台演出,最后我决定放弃做演员。
  “为什么不干呢?”威尔说道,“这生活不是很好吗。”
  那个月我们工作的“女王剧团”正在滨渠街的“窗帘剧院”演出。威尔分别在两出不同的戏中扮演了四个小角色,在一出戏中扮演士兵和凶杀犯,在另一出戏中同时扮演小偷和一位爱上奈特王后的意大利勋爵,他很喜欢这角色。
  “我不如你聪明,”我说,“我总记不住全部的台词。上了台又忘记自己演的角色!当我演意大利勋爵时我竟背出演士兵的台词。上台不是太迟就是太快,甚至会站错位置。”
  威尔笑道,“那你打算怎么办?”
  “做戏装,”我说,“还有道具。我和约翰·海明谈过了,他说剧团也正需要有个人能帮着安排戏装和其它事情。”
  “那好吧,”威尔慢慢地说道,“你会干好的。对了,明天上台我要参加决斗,并且最后要失血过多而死。你打算怎样弄到血呢?”
  “我早准备好啦!”我温和地笑道,“是羊血。今天早上我跑了一趟伦敦肉市场,你要多少血就有多少血。我会替你保管,不让它冻结。”
  威尔善于演戏。虽称不上最出色,但已算很好的了。做演员真不容易,事事都得干。最起码得学会背台词——有可能同时得背六出不同的戏的台词,因为戏院并非每天上演同一出戏。做演员必须会奏乐,能歌善舞,还要跳跃,摔跤和决斗。决斗必须看起来像真的一样,否则伦敦市内的观众一眼就可以看出真假。
  “女王剧团”的约翰·海明成了我们多年的朋友,他教会我们俩许多东西。
  当然我要学的东西很多。我学会了如何用牛皮纸做鞋,学会了用一点面包洗掉演员帽子上的污渍,使帽子焕然一新。我要跑遍伦敦买到最好的头发制成假发,还要懂得如何用木头和彩色纸做成鱼、水果和肉片。
  威尔夜以继日地忙碌,连我都不知道他什么时候睡觉。他不停地演戏、写他自己的剧本、看书,接触其他作家,结识新朋友……他一直在学习、学习、再学习。
  一天我们在东切普塞德街的公猪头酒吧同理查·白贝芝喝酒。白贝芝是“斯特林奇大臣剧团”的演员,对威尔很友好。
  “威尔,你已经创作了四个剧本,”他说道,“剧本写得不错,你的创作一直在进步,而我的演技也日益精湛。你就到‘斯特林奇大臣剧团’来,在河滨的‘玫瑰剧院’工作吧。你可以为我们写剧本。”
  于是我们俩都进了“玫瑰剧院”。一起过来的还有约翰·海明和奥古斯丁·菲利普——他也是个好演员。
  在“玫瑰剧院”,我们比以往更加努力工作。由于需要日光,我们上午预演,下午演戏。到了吃午饭时,人们已经陆续过河来占位子等候看戏,而且每次来的观众有增无减。时至1592年,威廉·莎士比亚在伦敦已颇具名望。

葉修

ZxID:8596186


等级: 派派督察
配偶: 周澤楷
人生百年,谁不曾大闹天宫,谁不曾头上紧箍,谁不曾爱上层楼,谁不曾孤独上路。
举报 只看该作者 33楼  发表于: 2014-08-13 0

■ 5 The plague years
  Will wrote his play Richard Ⅲ for Richard Burbage,and it was a great success.Richard the Third was a wicked king—a murderer-but he was wonderful on the stage,with Burbage's great voice and fine acting.Soon all London was saying King Richard's famous words when his horse is killed in war:
  A horse!a horse!my kingdom for a horse!
  All kinds of people came to see plays and Will was making a lot of new friends.One day,after the play,he was talking to a young man outside the Rose.He was a very beautiful young man,a bit like a girl,perhaps—but still very good-looking.Later,I asked Will who he was.
  ‘The Earl of Southampton,Will said.He's only eighteen,but he loves poetry and plays.’
  ‘Isn't he a friend of the Earl of Essex?’I asked.Everybody knew the Earl of Essex.He was young and good-looking—and some people said that Queen Elizabeth was in love with him.
  I don't know about that.The Queen was fifty-nine years old,and a very,very clever woman.But it was true that she liked to have good-looking young men around her,and the Earl of Essex was her favourite.Then.It all changed later,of course.‘Yes,he is,’said Will.‘But I think Essex is a dangerous man Henry needs better friends than him.’
  ‘Henry,eh?’I said,surprised.‘My word!Do you really call him Henry?Not Lord Suthampton?’
  ‘Only when other people aren't there.’Will laughed.‘I'm still just an actor from Stratford,Toby.Not very important.Let's go and have a drink at the Boar's Head on our way home.’
  Will was always like that.Quiet,never shouting about himself to the world.
  In the Boar's Head we met some friends and started talking.The talk was all about the plague,which was coming back again into London.
  ‘Have you heard the latest news?said one man.‘They say that more than thirty people are dying every week now.’
  ‘And the City Council,’said another man,wants to close all the theatres.They always do that when the plague comes to London.There'll be no work for any of us actors.’
  ‘But the players can go on tour,surely?’said Will.
  ‘Yes,’said the first man.‘But it's a hard life.A different town,a different inn,a different play,every night.I think I'll stay in London.’
  The plague is terrible in any place,but it was worst in London.In those narrow streets,with houses so close together,and the dirty water running down the middle of the street,there was no escape.When the plague came,it ran like fire through the town.If someone in a house got the plague,then the doors were shut and locked,and a big red cross was put on the door.Nobody could leave the house.You had to stay inside and fight—or die.If you were rich,you left London as fast as you could.
  In September 1592 the City Council closed the theatres.
  ‘Are we going on tour,Will?’I said to him one day.‘Or back to Stratford?We can't stay in London.’
  ‘You go back to Stratford,Toby,’he said slowly.‘I'm going to Lord Southampton's home in Hampshire for a while.He's asked me to go and stay with him.I can do some writing there,read his books,meet a few people.’
  I looked at him.‘There's a woman in this somewhere,isn't there?You've had a strange look in your eyes for weeks.’
  Will laughed,but didn't answer my question.
  The theatres in London didn't open again until June 1594.Will often visited Lord Southampton,but sometimes we went on tour with the company,or spent time at home in Stratford.Will began to spend more time in Stratford,because it was quiet there,and he could do his writing.I never heard what Anne thought about it all.
  During those years Will wrote a lot of poetry.He wrote his beautiful long poem,Venus and Adonis,for his friend Lord Southampton,and he wrote many of his famous short poems,the Sonnets.But they didn't go in a book;they were only for his friends to read.
  One day,when we were back in London,I was reading some of his latest sonnets.Will was out somewhere,and I was at home in our lodgings in Bishopsgate.A lot of the poems were about a woman,a terrible,black-haired,black-eyed woman.She was cold and cruel,then she was true and loving,and then she was cruel again.
  For I have sworn thee fair,and thought thee bright,
  Who art as black as hell,as dark as night.
  Was Will writing about himself here?I asked myself.And who was this woman,this Dark Lady?
  I always like to know what's going on,so I listened,and watched,and looked at all his women friends.
  Then one day I saw her.I was coming in the door at our lodgings,and she was coming downstairs.She had black hair and great stormy black eyes,and there was gold at her ears and round her neck.I stood back and she went past me like a ship sailing into war.She looked wild,and angry,and very,very beautiful.
  ‘Whew!’I said to myself.‘If that's Will's Dark Lady,he'll never have a quiet,easy life!’
  The woman looked Italian,so I went and asked John Florio about her.Florio was Lord Southampton's Italian teacher.We saw a lot of him in those days.
  I described the woman,and he knew her at once.
  ‘Emilia,’he said.‘Emilia Bassano.Now Emilia Lanier,wife to Alphonso Lanier.Before that,she lived with the old Lord Chamberlain.She was not his wife,you understand.But why do you want to know,my friend?’
  ‘If she's a married lady,she doesn't have a lover now,then?’
  Florio laughed loudly.‘Lovers!You don't know Emilia Lanier!She's a bad woman,my friend,a bad woman.’Now he spoke very quietly.‘For a time she was the friend of Lord Southampton.But not now.That is all finished.’
  I didn't ask him about Will.Perhaps Emilia Lanier was Will's Dark Lady,or perhaps Will was just trying to help his friend Lord Southampton.Nobody will ever know now.


■ 5 瘟疫流行时期
  威尔为理查·白贝芝编写了剧本《理查三世》,获得巨大成功。剧中的理查三世是个虚伪狡诈的暴君——一个谋权篡位的凶手——由于白贝芝雄浑的嗓音和精彩的表演使这一形象在舞台上活灵活现。不久全伦敦传遍了理查王在战场上由于战马挨了一刀而摔倒时高喊的那句名言:
  “来一匹马!来一匹马吧!我的王位换一匹马!”
  形形色色的人慕名来看戏,威尔也因此结交了许多新朋友。一天,演出结束后,我看见在“玫瑰剧院”外他正和一个年轻人交谈。这人年少英俊,或许有点像女孩,不过依然相貌堂堂。后来,我向威尔问起这个人。
  “他是索桑普敦伯爵,”威尔说道,“他年仅18岁,酷爱诗歌和戏剧。”
  “他是不是爱塞克斯伯爵的朋友?”我问他。爱塞克斯伯爵无人不晓。他年轻英俊——有人说伊丽莎白女王也爱着他。
  这件事我倒不清楚。女王年已59岁,是个非常非常聪明的女人。但是女王喜欢年轻的、面目俊俏的男人陪伴左右是千真万确的,而爱塞克斯伯爵最得宠。不过后来一切都变了。
  “他的确是这样的人,”威尔说道,“但我认为爱塞克斯是个危险的人物,亨利需要结交比他更好的朋友。”
  “哦,亨利?”我诧异地说道,“真没想到!你真的叫他亨利吗?而不叫索桑普敦伯爵。”
  “只有别人不在时才叫的,”威尔笑了起来,“托比,毕竟我还只是从斯特拉福镇来的一个演员而已,无足轻重。我们回去吧,顺便到公猪头酒吧喝一杯。”
  威尔这人就是这样,处世稳重,从不对世人标榜自己。
  在公猪头酒吧我们遇见几位朋友,便开始高谈阔论起来。话题都是关于伦敦这次卷土重来的瘟疫。
  “你是否听说了最新消息?”有人说道,“他们说,现在每星期都有30多人濒临死亡的危险。”
  “还听说市政参议会,”又有人说道,“准备关闭所有剧院。每回伦敦流行瘟疫他们都这么做。我们这些演员要失业了。”
  “但是我们可以巡回演出吗?”威尔建议道。
  “这主意不错,”第一个开口的人说道,“但生活太苦。我们每晚要颠沛辗转,不同的村庄、不同的旅社、不同的剧目,与其过这种生活,倒不如呆在伦敦。”
  其实,各地瘟疫都很严重,只不过伦敦尤其厉害。狭窄的街道、拥挤的房屋,街道中心污水横流,人们又怎能幸免。瘟疫一来,势不可挡,迅速传遍全城。一旦哪家有人染上了瘟疫,就被封闭房门,贴上红十字。任何人不准踏出房门。只得呆在家里与病魔作斗争——或者等死。如果家境富裕,还是尽早搬离伦敦才为上策。
  1592年9月市政参议会封闭了剧院。
  “威尔,我们是去巡回演出呢?还是回斯特拉福镇?”有一天我问起他,“伦敦不能久留了。”
  “托比,你回斯特拉福镇吧,”他缓缓地说道,“我暂时到汉普郡的索桑普敦勋爵家住一阵。他已经邀我和他同住。在那儿我可以搞搞创作,看看书,会会客人。”
  我看着他说道:“此外也多少有点因为一个女人,是吧?几个星期来,你神情总有点怪怪的。”
  威尔笑起来,但没有回答我的问话。
  伦敦的剧院到1594年6月才重新开放。威尔常去拜访索桑普敦勋爵,偶尔我们也随剧团到各地巡回演出,或者干脆呆在斯特拉福镇家中。威尔开始花更多的时间呆在斯特拉福镇,因为小镇的宁静,他可以安心搞创作。我从没听到安对此作何想法。
  这些年间威尔创作了大量的诗歌。他写了诗体绮丽的长诗《维纳斯与阿童尼》献给好友索桑普敦勋爵,而且也创作了许多著名的短诗,十四行诗。但这些诗歌并没有编辑成书,只供朋友赏读。
  我们又回到伦敦后的一天,威尔出门去了,我一个人呆在“毕晓普门街”的公寓里,翻阅着他最新创作的一些十四行诗。这组诗大都描写一个女人,一个黑头发、黑眼睛的可怕的女人。她性情乖张善变,一会儿冷若冰霜,冷酷无情,一会儿又热情洋溢,真诚多情。
  “因为我曾赌咒说你美,说你璀粲,
  你却是地狱一般黑,夜一般暗。”
  威尔诗中写的是自己吗?我不禁纳闷。这女人是谁?这个黑女人会是谁呢?
  我这人总喜欢将事情弄个水落石出。于是我仔细观察他的每位异性朋友。
  于是有一天我碰见了她。那天我正走进公寓大门,正巧她下楼,只见她一头秀发乌黑发亮,一双眼睛锐利有神,耳朵上戴着金耳环,脖子上挂着金项链。我往后退了几步为她让路,而她犹如一艘负有使命的战舰奔赴战场般风风火火地走过我身旁。看模样她疯狂不羁、一腔怒气,但长得丰姿绰约。
  “哎呀!”我心里想,“如果这就是威尔诗中的那位黑女人,那他的生活就不得安宁了。”
  这女人看上去像意大利人,我便去问约翰·佛罗里欧。佛罗里欧是索桑普敦勋爵的意大利语教师。那些日子我们时常见面。
  我把这女子描述了一番,他立即想起来了。
  “是埃米莉亚,”他说道,“埃米莉亚·巴塞诺。现在叫埃米莉亚·拉尼尔夫人,阿尔索·拉尼尔的妻子。这之前,她曾与那个老的宫内大臣同居。你也清楚她不是他的夫人。但我的朋友,你怎么打听起她来了?”
  “如果她是有夫之妇,那么现在她没有情人吧?”
  佛罗里欧大笑起来。“情人!你还不了解埃米莉亚·拉尼尔的为人吧!我的朋友,她可是个坏女人,一个坏透了的女人。”这时他语气轻缓了下来,“曾有一段时间她和索桑普敦来往甚密。不过不是现在,一切都结束了。”
  我不再向他打听威尔的情况。或许埃米莉亚·拉尼尔就是威尔的黑女人,或许威尔只是想帮助他的好友索桑普敦勋爵。现在也无从确知了。


■ 6 Death in the family
  After the plague years,we were busy all the time.There were new companies of players and Will now belonged to the Lord Chamberlain's Men.The Lord Chamberlain was a very important man,close to the Queen,and we often put on plays for the Queen's court,and in the houses of the great lords of England.We had some very good actors.There was Will,and Richard Burbage,of course,and John Heminges.And there was Augustine Phillips,Henry Condell,and Thomas Pope.There were other actors,too,but those six were the real company.They worked together for more than twenty years.And made a lot of money,too.
  I did the costumes and properties for the Chamberlain's.John Heminges said I was the best properties man in the city.
  Will was special—because he wrote the plays.And what plays they were!He never wrote the same play twice,like some writers.He was always trying something new,something different And he wrote fast,too.
  John Heminges could never understand that.‘How can you write so fast,Will?’he asked him.‘And you never make a mistake or change a word.’
  Will didn't really understand it himself.‘It's all in my head,’he said.‘I think about it,and then it just comes out on paper.’
  He wrote a play about love in 1595.Young love.It was Romeo and Juliet.It was a very sad play,because the young lovers die at the end.But the playgoers loved it.They wanted to see it again and again.
  Will played the part of old Capulet,Juliet's father.One of the boy actors played the part of Juliet.There were no women actors,so boys played all the women's parts.Of course, Will never put real love-making on stage.He did it all with words—clever,beautiful words,and you forgot that the women and girls were really boys in dresses.Some of the boy actors were very good,and went on to play men's parts when they were older.
  We played Romeo and Juliet at Richmond Palace that year.We always played before the Queen at Christmas.She liked to see the new plays,and she paid us £10 a play.We often had to work through the night to get the stage ready in time,but it was exciting to be in one of the Queen's palaces at Christmas.There was a lot of singing and dancing,and eating and drinking.Some years Christmas began in November and didn't finish until February or March.
  The year 1596 began well,but that summer the weather was really bad.Cold.Wet.It never stopped raining,and the plague began to come back into London.We were in Stratford for the summer,but I went down to Hampshire for a few weeks to do some business for Will about some sheep.Will didn't need me at home,because he was busy writing his new play,A Midsummer Night's Dream.
  I came back to Stratford one wet August evening.The house in Henley Street was strangely quiet,and I went round the back and up to Will's room—his writing room, we called it.He was just sitting there not doing anything,just sitting.
  ‘What's the matter,Will?I said.‘Where is everybody?’
  ‘At church.His face was grey,and his eyes looked empty,dead.
  ‘What's happened?’I asked.‘What is it?’
  He looked at me.‘Hamnet… ’he began.‘Hamnet was ill last week,and…and he died,yesterday.He was only eleven,Toby,and he's dead.My boy.My only son.He's dead,Toby.Dead.’He put his face in his hands.
  What Can you say to a man when something like that happens to him?I sat down next to him and put my hand on his arm.We sat together,silently.I knew that Will loved that boy of his—red-haired,bright as a new penny,full of life.Just like his father.
  After a while I said,‘You'll have other sons
  ‘Anne's forty already.’Will's voice was tired.‘She's had no children since the twins.’
  ‘Well,now,you've got two fine girls in Susanna and Judith.They'll marry before long,and then you'll have more grandsons than you can count.You'll see.There'll be boys running up and down stairs,shouting for their Granddad Will!’
  He smiled sadly,but his eyes were not so empty now.Pleased,I went on quickly:
  ‘And there are all your brothers—Gilbert,Richard,Edmund.They'll have sons too.The Shakespeare family will never die out.Think of the family,Will,the family!’
  And he did.He was already a famous poet and playwright,but he was a family man,too.The next year,1597,he bought a new house for his family.It was a big,grand house,called New Place,right in the middle of Stratford.It cost £60—a lot of money—and the townspeople began to say‘Mr Shakespeare’,not‘Young Will the actor’or‘John Shakespeare's boy’.They were happy to do business with him,and to borrow money from him.
  Anne was very pleased with the new house.The wife of Mr Shakespeare of New Place was an important person in Stratford.But she still didn't like Will's work.
  ‘Actors are wild,dangerous people,’she often said to him.‘I'm not interested in plays or the theatre,and I don't want to know anything about your work.’
  But she liked the money,and the new house,and the new dresses—and the six fields of apple trees and the big farm north of Stratford that came a few years later.
  Will never talked much about Hamnet.Life goes on and Will was busier than ever.But I know he thought about his son a lot;his grief was very deep inside him.A year or two later,I was talking to John Heminges abut the costumes for Will's new play,King John.John Heminges was a family man—he had fourteen children in the end.The noise is his house!Shouting and laughing,coming and going…
  John was looking at the playbook.‘You see this bit here,Toby,’he said.‘Will's writing about his son,isn't he?’
  I read the words slowly,and remembered Will's empty eyes that day in August.
  Grief fills the room up of my absent child,
  Lies in his bed,walks up and down with me,
  Puts on his pretty looks,repeats his words…
  Richard Burbage said once that Will's writing changed after Hamnet's death.Will still laughed at people in his plays,but he also felt sorry for them—sorry for all the world,good and bad,rich and poor,young and old.And his people were real.No one was all good, or all bad.
  There was a man called Shylock in his play The Merchant of Venice.This Shylock was a money-lender and a cruel man —everyone hated him.But in the end,when Shylock lost everything,you had to feel sorry for him.He was just a sad old man.
  Perhaps Richard was right.And if anyone understood Will,it was Richard Burbage.


■ 6 幼子夭折
  瘟疫流行过后的几年,我们一直忙个不停。市里又有了几家新剧团,如今威尔属于“宫内大臣剧团”。宫内大臣身居要职,与女王关系亲密。这样一来,我们经常有机会被召进女王的宫廷演戏,或者到英国达官显贵的府邸演戏。我们剧团不乏出色的演员。其中有威尔,理查·白贝芝,约翰·海明,奥古斯丁·菲利普斯,亨利·康德尔和托马斯·蒲伯。当然还有其他演员,只是这六个人是剧团的台柱。他们已经一起合作了20多年,也赚了不少的钱。
  我仍为“宫内大臣剧团”做戏装和道具。约翰·海明说我是伦敦市里最出色的道具师。
  威尔就不同凡响了——因为他会创作剧本。而且写出的剧本让人叫绝!他总能标新立异,与众不同,笔头又快,而且从不像有些作家那样创作雷同的剧本。
  约翰·海明一直感到纳闷。“威尔,你怎会写得这么快?”他问道,“并且你从未出过差错或是改动只言片语。”
  说实在,威尔自己也说不清楚。“一切都已在我的头脑里。”他说,“我一想到,立刻就能跃然纸上。”
  1595年他创作了一部爱情剧,讲述一对年轻的恋人,这就是《罗密欧与朱丽叶》。这是一出非常凄艳动人的悲剧。虽然最终这对年轻的恋人双双殉情而死,但是该剧广受欢迎,观众百看不厌。
  剧中威尔扮演朱丽叶的父亲老凯布。女主角朱丽叶由剧团一位少年扮演。因为当时没有女演员,所以剧中所有的女角色都由少年来扮演。当然,威尔在舞台上对情爱并没有多加渲染,都是通过台词——优美生动的台词使你置身于剧中而忘了台上女角色实际上是化过装的少年。有些少年演员演技很好,年长后可继续上台扮演男角。
  那年我们在里士满宫上演了《罗密欧与朱丽叶》。每逢圣诞节,我们常在女王御前演出,她爱看新剧,而且一出剧付我们10英镑。我们经常得通宵达旦,及时赶搭戏台,但圣诞节时能在女王宫廷内演出倒让人感觉是一件兴奋的事。宫廷内载歌载舞,大摆宴席,觥筹交错。有几年圣诞节11月便开始,一直热闹到次年二三月才结束。
  1596年初风调雨顺,不料夏天天气很糟,潮湿阴冷,又遇连绵大雨,伦敦的瘟疫卷土重来,于是我们回到斯特拉福镇过夏天。威尔家中一时用不着我帮忙,当时他正忙于编写一部新剧本——《仲夏夜之梦》,于是我有几个星期去了汉普郡帮威尔料理羊毛生意。
  八月的一个雨夜,我回到斯特拉福镇。亨里街的宅邸出奇地静,我便绕到后门径直到了威尔的房间——他的“写作室”,我们这样称呼。他正坐在那里,一动不动地只是呆坐着。
  “出了什么事,威尔?”我问道,“其他人呢?”
  “在教堂。”他脸色苍白,眼睛茫然呆滞。
  “发生什么事了?”我问道,“到底怎么了?”
  他望着我。“哈姆奈特……”,他开口说道,“上星期哈姆奈特病倒了,可是……可是他昨天死了。他才11岁呀,托比,可他却死了。我的孩子。我唯一的儿子。托比,他死了,死了。”他双手掩面哭了。
  发生这样的事你又能说什么来安慰他呢?我挨着他坐下,把手放在他的胳膊上,就这样并排静静地坐着。我知道威尔很疼爱这个儿子——他长着红色闪着光泽的头发,聪明伶俐、生气勃勃,很像他父亲。
  稍过片刻我说道:“你还会有儿子的。”
  “安都40岁了,”威尔说这话时,声音充满倦怠,“自孪生子以后,她就没生孩子。”
  “好啦,不用愁的,你还有两个可爱的女儿苏姗娜和珠迪丝。将来她们结婚后,你就有数不清的外孙了。你瞧,到时,这些外孙们会在楼梯上跑上跑下围着你亲热地叫他们的威尔外公。”
  他戚戚地笑了一下,不过现在他的眼神不再那么茫然了。我心中一喜,顺势说道:
  “你还有兄弟——吉尔伯特、理查和埃德蒙。他们也会有儿子的。莎士比亚家族绝不会无后的。想想整个家族吧,威尔,整个家族!”
  他的确振作起来。尽管他已成为颇具名望的诗人和剧作家,但他也是一个关心家庭的人。翌年1597年,他为家庭购置了一座新住宅。这座叫作“新地方”的住宅就在斯特拉福镇中心,规模大且堂皇,花了60英镑——一笔数目可观的钱——于是镇上的居民开始改口称他“莎士比亚绅士”而不再叫”小威尔戏子”或“约翰·莎士比亚的儿子”,而且也乐意同他做生意,向他贷款。
  安很高兴住进新房子,身为“新地方”的莎士比亚的夫人,在斯特拉福镇自然算是一个体面人物,不过她依然不喜欢威尔从事的工作。
  “演员都是些粗野、危险的人。”她常对他这么说,“对戏剧和戏院我毫无兴趣,对你干的事也懒得知道。”
  她感兴趣的只是钱、新房子、新衣服——以及几年后买下的六座苹果园和斯特拉福镇北部的大农场。
  威尔不再多提哈姆奈特,日子照样周而复始,威尔比以往更忙碌。但我知道他很怀念儿子,只不过把悲痛深埋在心里。一两年后,当我与约翰·海明商谈威尔的新剧本——《约翰王》的服装时,我就更有体会。约翰·海明是个爱家的人——他共有14个孩子。孩子们在家又叫又笑,东奔西跑,家里热闹得不得了……
  约翰正在翻阅剧本。“托比,你瞧这段话,’他说道,“威尔分明在写他的儿子,是吗?”
  我细细地回味这段话,眼前又浮现出八月那天威尔一双失神的眼睛。
  “悲哀填满了我那不在跟前的孩子的房间,
  躺在他的床上,陪着我到东到西,
  装扮出他美妙的神情,复述着他的言语……”
  理查·白贝芝也曾讲过。哈姆奈特死后,威尔的创作风格迥然不同。威尔照样在剧本上讥讽世人,但也对人们寄予无限的同情——同情全世界的人,不论好与坏、贫与富、长与幼。他塑造的人物是真实的。世上本无十全十美的好人,也无十恶不赦的坏人。
  《威尼斯商人》一剧就是最好的例证。剧中的夏洛克是个残忍无情的高利贷者——每个人都憎恨他,但故事最终,当夏洛克倾家荡产之后,你又不得不起恻隐之心。他毕竟只是个可悲的老头。
  或许理查说得对,要说世上还有谁了解威尔,也就是理查·白贝芝了。
葉修

ZxID:8596186


等级: 派派督察
配偶: 周澤楷
人生百年,谁不曾大闹天宫,谁不曾头上紧箍,谁不曾爱上层楼,谁不曾孤独上路。
举报 只看该作者 34楼  发表于: 2014-08-13 0

■ 7 Queens,Kings,and Princes
  Every year we took more and more plays to court at Christmas.In 1598 one of Will's plays was Henry IV.A lot of the play was about the King's son and his friend,Sir John Falstaff.Sir John was old,fat,lazy,drank too much,talked too much,laughed too much.But you had to love him.He was a great favourite with the London playgoers,and there were a lot of Falstaff jokes going round at the time.
  After the play,the Queen wanted to speak to Will.
  ‘Why?What have We done wrong?’John Heminges said to me in a very quiet voice.
  ‘We'll find out in a minute,’I said.
  We all watched while Will walked over to the Queen's chair.She was an old woman,she wore a red wig,and she had black teeth.But she was still a very great queen.And if the Queen was not pleased…
  She had a good,strong voice—an actor's voice.We could hear her easily.
  ‘Mr Shakespeare,she began.Then she smiled,and suddenly you knew why all Englishmen loved the Queen.It was like the sun coming out on a spring morning.
  ‘Mr Shakespeare,you are the best playwright in England.I enjoyed your play,and I thought that Sir John Falstaff was very funny.I have known many Englishmen like him.Will you write me another play?I would like to see Sir John in love.’
  When Will came back to us,his eyes were bright,but he was already thinking about it.
  ‘Don't talk to me,’he said.‘I've got a play to write.’
  He wrote it in two weeks,and we took it down to Richmond Palace and played it before the Queen on February the 20th.She laughed and laughed at The Merry Wives of Windsor.
  She didn't have much to laugh about in 1599.There was a lot of trouble in Ireland,and the Queen sent the Earl of Essex with 20,000 men to fight a war.Lord Southampton,Will's friend,went with him.All London came out on to the streets to watch when Essex and his men left for Ireland.Will wrote an exciting play about war that summer,and he put in a word or two about Ireland.That was Henry V,about a very famous English King who fought a war in France.
  But Essex was not Henry the Fifth.He didn't know how to fight a war,and he ran away back to England later that year.The Queen never spoke to him again.
  In September we opened the Globe theatre.It was a grand,new building near the Rose.Will,Richard Burbage,and the others paid for it themselves.It was the best playhouse in London,and soon the most famous.The other companies had good theatres and some good actors,but we had the famous Richard Burbage—and the best plays.
  We put on three new plays by will in the next year,and some plays by other writers.One of the new playwrights was Ben Jonson.He was a clever man and he wrote clever plays,but people still liked Will's plays best.Ben couldn't understand it.He was always arguing with Will about how to write plays.He argued with everyone.He went to prison once because he killed a man in a fight.He was eight years younger than Will,but he and Will were very good friends.
  Will's next play was Hamlet,Prince of Denmark.We all met one day in the Boar's Head to talk about it.There were six of us—me and Will,Richard Burbage,Henry Condell,John Heminges,and Augustine Phillips.
  Will put his pile of papers on the table and sat down.
  ‘Well,’he said.‘You've all read it.What do you think?’
  ‘It's very good,’John Heminges began,‘but it's too long.It'll take about four hours in the theatre.’
  ‘We don't have to use it all,’Will said.‘We can cut it down to three hours,perhaps two and a half.’
  Henry Condell picked up one of the paper from the table.‘Look at this bit,when Ophelia is talking about Hamlet,’he said.‘Hamlet sounds like the Earl of Essex to me.Were you thinking of Essex when you wrote this?’
  Will smiled.‘Perhaps,’he said.‘And perhaps not.’
  ‘Richard will play Prince Hamlet,yes?’said Augustine.
  ‘Of course!’Will said.‘I wrote the part for him.He's our star actor.I'll play the ghost of Hamle's father.’He looked at me.‘Hamlet will wear black,Toby,and Ophelia will wear white.’
  Henry finished his beer.‘It's a good story,Will,with good parts for us all.But will the playgoers like it?It moves very slowly,and they like a play to be fast and exciting.Prince Hamlet knows that his uncle Claudius murdered the king his father.But he doesn't do anything about it for a long time.He just talks about it.And in the end nearly everybody dies,one way or another.’
  Augustine didn't agree with that.‘You haven't understood the play,Henry.It is exciting,very exciting.The play is inside Hamlet himself.He wants to kill his uncle,but he can't Murder is wrong.But he must kill him,because of his father.We can all understand how he feels.’
  All this time Richard Burbage was silent.He was reading bits of the play again.Now he put down the paper in his hand and looked up His eyes were bright,excited.
  ‘Have any of you really listened to the language of this play?This is your best play yet,Will—the best of them all.Just listen to the language,the poetry!’He stood up,and his great voice filled the room.
  To be,or not to be—that is the question…
  We sat and listened,silently,while that wonderful voice brought the words to life.Will watched him,smiling.He knew that Richard,like him,was in love with words.…To die,to sleep—
  To sleep—perchance to dream.Ay,theer's the rub.
  For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
  When we have shuffled off this mortal coil
  Must give us pause.
  Richard Burbage was right,of course.The people loved the play,they loved Burbage as Hamlet,they cried for poor Ophelia's death,and they shouted for the murderer Claudius to die.I think it was Will's most famous play.


■ 7 女王、国王和王子们
  每年圣诞节我们要安排愈来愈多的戏剧进宫演出。1598年上演了威尔的一部历史剧《亨利四世》。剧中大多描写亨利四世之子和他的朋友约翰·福斯泰夫爵士两人。约翰爵士已是垂暮之年,身体肥胖,游手好闲,只会酗酒聊天、寻欢作乐,但这个角色挺招人喜欢。他一度成为最受伦敦观众欢迎的人物,那时街头巷尾到处流传着关于福斯泰夫的种种笑料。
  演完戏后,女王传令召见威尔。
  “怎么啦?我们是否做错事啦?”约翰·海明轻声问我。
  “我们一会儿就知道了。”我说道。
  我们目不转睛地看着威尔走到女王的座椅前。女王已是垂暮之年,戴着红色假发,一口黑齿,但又不失女王风度。如果女王一不高兴……
  女王天生一副演员般的好嗓子,铿锵有力,我们可以很容易地听到她讲话。
  “莎士比亚绅士,”她开口说道,接着启齿一笑,这微笑犹如春天早晨的旭日,我恍然明白,为什么全英国人民如此爱戴女王。
  “莎士比亚绅士,你不愧为英国最杰出的剧作家,我非常欣赏你这部戏剧。我觉得剧中的约翰·福斯泰夫非常滑稽诙谐,我认识不少这样的英国人。你能否为我续写一部喜剧?我想看看福斯泰夫谈情说爱。”
  威尔回到了我们身边,双眼闪闪发亮,看得出他已在构思了。
  “暂且别来找我说话,”他说道,“我得着手续写一部戏剧。”
  两星期后他就把剧本赶写了出来。2月20日我们便到里士满宫为女王演出此剧《温莎的风流娘儿们》,逗得女王开怀大笑。
  但1599年时就没多少事能令她开心了。爱尔兰经常发生动乱,女王派遣爱塞克斯伯爵率兵2万去征战,随同出征的还有威尔的好友索桑普敦勋爵。当爱塞克斯率兵出征爱尔兰时,所有的伦敦市民都走上街头夹道欢送。那年夏天,威尔写了一部关于战争的鼓舞斗志的历史剧《亨利五世》,其中有一两处提到了爱尔兰的动乱。这部历史剧描绘了一位在法国征战的功名显赫的英国君主形象。
  爱塞克斯毕竟不是亨利五世,他压根不懂如何作战,不久就逃回英国,女王也从此不再理他。
  9月我们开放“环球剧院”。这座富丽堂皇的新剧院紧邻“玫瑰剧院”,由威尔,理查·白贝芝和其他股东出资建成,是伦敦当时最好的一座剧院,不久就成为最负盛名的剧院。尽管其它剧团的剧院设备和演员配备都不错,但是我们有著名的理查·白贝芝和最好的剧本。
  第二年我们上演了威尔的三部新剧本和其他剧作家创作的一些剧本。其中一位就是刚出道的剧作家本·琼生。这人机智聪明,剧本也写得好,但人们还是推崇威尔的作品。本真不明白,他时常和威尔就如何创作剧本而争论不休,不过这人就爱与别人辩论。有一次因决斗杀了人,他还蹲过监狱。他比威尔小八岁,但两人是很好的朋友。
  威尔的又一部剧是《丹麦王于哈姆雷特》。一天,我、威尔、理查·白贝芝、亨利·康德尔、约翰·海明和奥古斯丁·菲利普六个人一起聚在公猪头酒吧讨论剧本。
  威尔将那堆手稿放在桌上,坐了下来。
  “好吧,”他说,“剧本大家都看了,谈谈看法吧?”
  “内容很好,”约翰·海明带头说道,“不过剧情太长,在剧院上演要演四个多小时。”
  “我们并不需要全部剧情,”威尔说,“我们可以将剧本删减到三个小时,或者两个半小时也行。”
  亨利·康德尔从桌上拿起一张手稿:“看这一段,奥菲利亚谈论哈姆雷特,”他说道,“我感觉剧中的哈姆雷特酷似爱塞克斯伯爵。你在写这段时是否想到爱塞克斯呢?”
  威尔笑了起来。“或许有,”他说道,“或许也没有。”
  “理查扮演哈姆雷特王子,对吧?”奥古斯丁说。
  “那当然啦!”威尔说道,“这个角色专为他而写的。他是我们剧团的明星。我将扮演哈姆雷特父亲的幽灵。”他看看我,又说,“托比,哈姆雷特要穿黑衣服,而奥菲莉亚就准备白衣吧。”
  亨利喝干了啤酒。“这故事取材不错,威尔,你为大家准备了好角色。不过,剧情进展太慢,观众会喜欢吗?他们看惯了剧情进展快而令人振奋的戏剧。哈姆雷特王子明知道叔父杀了他的父王,但他长时间只是用空话泄气,却没有采取任何行动,再说故事最终人物几乎都这样或那样地死去了。”
  奥古斯丁并不同意这看法。“亨利,你还未真正理解这部戏,它会令人振奋,振奋不已的。这部戏的关键就在于哈姆雷特的内心活动。他想杀死叔父,但却不能,谋杀是不赦之罪,可他为了父王又必须杀死他。我们完全可以理解他的感受。”
  理查·白贝芝一直一言不发。他重新看了看剧本的部分章节,然后放下手中的稿纸,抬起头,双眼奕奕放光、溢着兴奋之情。
  “你们当中有谁真正领会剧中的语言呢?威尔,这是你写的最好的剧本了——所有戏剧中最好的一部。听听剧中的语言,剧中的诗歌吧!”他站起来,顿时整个房间回荡起他雄厚的嗓音。
  “活着还是死亡,这是问题……”
  我们默默地坐着,倾听那绝妙的声音将纸上的文字赋予了生命。威尔望着他,会意地微笑着。他知道,只有理查能如他一样,深深地迷恋着语言的妙处。
  “……死亡,就是睡眠——
  睡眠——也许要做梦,这就麻烦了。
  我们一旦摆脱了尘世的牵缠,在死的睡眠里,还会做些什么梦呢?
  一想到就不能不踌躇。”
  理查真的说对了。观众迷上了这部悲剧,他们迷上了白贝芝扮演的哈姆雷特,他们为可怜的奥菲莉亚的死而哭泣,他们怒吼着让凶手克劳狄斯死去。我认为这的确是威尔最负盛名的戏剧。


■ 8 A Scottish King for England
  Will's father died in September 1601.In his last years John Shakespeare was a happy man.His son was famous,and the Shakespeare family was important again in Stratford.But there weren't many children in the family.Will's sister Joan was married and had a little boy,but Will's brothers didn't have any children.
  Susanna,Will's older daughter,was now eighteen,and Will said to her one day:
  ‘We must find you a husband soon,Susanna.’
  But Susanna shook her head.‘Oh,I don't want to be married,Father,thank you.’
  We all smiled at that,because there was already a young man who was often a visitor at New Place.That was John Hall,a clever young doctor.Will liked him.
  Back in London,the theatres were always full,and actors were now important people in the city.Will and I were now living in very fine lodgings in Silver Street,with the Mountjoy family.The Globe and the Lord Chamberlain's Men were doing very well,and the older actors in the company were making money,and buying houses and land.But some people still thought that actors were dangerous,wicked people.
  Then Queen Elizabeth died,on the 24th of March 1603,at Richmond.I remember the day well.The theatres were closed —you can't have plays when a queen is dying—and we were all at Henry Condell's house.He and John Heminges lived verg near our lodgings in Cripplegate.
  We were all very worried.The new King of England was James the First.He was already King of Scotland,and he had a young wife,Queen Anne of Denmark,and three young children.But what was he like?Would he be a good king?And,most importantly,did he like plays?
  ‘If King James doesn't like plays,’said Henry Condell,‘we're finished.There are already a lot of Puritans on the London City Council,and they'd love to close the theatres down.’
  Henry always looked at the black side of everything.
  ‘Well,he's written a lot of books himself,’said Will ‘Perhaps he'll be interested in plays,too We'll just have to wait and see.’
  We didn't have to wait long.On the 19th of May I was underneath the stage in the Globe.I was trying to mend a bro-ken door in the floor of the stage.We used this door when a ghost came on or went off in a cloud of smoke.Suddenly,I heard feet running across the stage.I looked up through the hole,and saw Will and John Heminges and Richard Burbage.They were all very excited.
  ‘Listen to this,Toby,’said Will.He was holding a piece of paper in his hand.‘It's a letter from King James!From today,we are the King's Men!We're working for the King himself,and he wants to see all the plays.’
  ‘We're going to have new red coats to wear when we go to court,’Richard said.
  ‘And,’John said,‘he's going to pay us 20 for every play at court.What do you think about that,Toby?’
  We were all laughing and smiling now.‘Well,John,’I said.‘If we're so rich,can I have a new door?I can't mend this one again—it's too old.’
  That summer the plague came back.By July a thousand people were dying every week in London.One of them was the little son of Will's friend,Ben Jonson.By the end of the year there were 33,000 dead in England.The theatres closed,and the King's Men went on tour.
  Will and I spent the summer at Stratford.When Christmas came,the King's Men put on a lot of plays at court.The King was at Hampton Court Palace that year,which was outside London,well away from the plague.I couldn't go because I fell off my horse one day and broke my leg.Stupid thing to do!I had to stay at home,but Will told me all about it when he came back.
  ‘The new King and Queen like to enjoy themselves,Toby,’he said.‘They're a happy family.Prince Henry,Who's nine,is very a nice little boy,and his sister Elizabeth is beautiful.Little Prince Charles is only two.’He was silent for a minute.Perhaps he was thinking about Hamnet.Then he went on,‘Qieen Anne likes plays very much.She likes music and dancing,too—she showed her legs in one dance!’
  ‘My word!’I said.‘Things like that never happened at court in Queen,Elizabeth's days.’
  ‘We live in different times,Toby.A lot of things are going to change.’
  But change only comes slowly.The King's Men went from one success to another.At the King's court at Christmas 1604,there were twenty-two plays,and eight of them were Will's.In 1605 there were thirteen plays at court—and ten of them were Will's.
  We always did the plays at the Globe first,before we took them to court.Will was writing more slowly now,but during these years he wrote some of his best plays:Othello,Macbeth,and King Lear.That was a sad,dark play.When King Lear carried his dead daughter Cordelia on to the stage…Well,every man,woman,and child in the Globe was crying.It's true.Richard Burbage played Lear,of course.What an actor he was!


■ 8 苏格兰来的英国国王
  1601年9月威尔的父亲过世了。约翰·莎士比亚安然愉快地度过了晚年。他的儿子出了名,自然莎士比亚家族在斯特拉福镇又风光起来。只是这个家族子嗣不多,威尔的妹妹琼结婚后只生了一个小男孩,而威尔的几个兄弟都后继无人。
  如今,威尔的大女儿,苏姗娜已是一个十八岁的大姑娘。一天,威尔问她:
  “苏珊娜,我们很快该给你物色丈夫啦。”
  苏姗娜拼命摇头,“哦,我还不想结婚呢,爸爸,谢谢你。”
  我们会意地笑了起来,其实有个青年早已成为“新地方”的常客。他叫约翰·霍尔,是个聪明的青年医生。威尔很喜欢他。
  再回到伦敦,形势已明显好转,剧院经常爆满,演员在市里已成为举足轻重的人物。威尔和我住进了银街的豪华住所,同住的是芒特乔伊家。“环球剧院”和“宫内大臣剧院”事业兴隆,剧团中老资格的演员赚了钱,开始买地置产。不过,还有少数人始终认为演员既危险又龌龊。
  1603年3月24日,伊丽莎白女王死于里士满宫。这天我记忆犹新,各家剧院关门息演——女王快要驾崩时,是不许演出的——于是大家都聚到亨利·康德尔家。他和约翰·海明就住在我们住处附近的“克里普勒门”大街。
  大家都忧心忡忡。新继位的英国国王是詹姆士一世。他已经是苏格兰国王了,年轻的妻子是丹麦的安妮王后,膝下有三个孩子。不知这国王为人怎么样?他是不是位好国王呢?最重要的是,他是否爱看戏?
  “万一詹姆士国王不爱看戏,”亨利·康德尔说道,“那我们全完了。伦敦市政参议会中有许多清教徒,他们巴不得关闭剧院呢。”
  亨利总是想到事情的阴暗面。
  “然而,国王他自己也曾写过许多书,”威尔说,“或许他也会对戏剧感兴趣的。我们只能等着瞧。”
  我们并没等多久。5月19日,我正在“环球剧院”的舞台下面修理舞台场地的一扇破门,这扇门是演出时,让幽灵驾着一团烟雾进出用的。突然,我听到一阵脚步声跑过舞台,透过洞眼,向上一看,原来是威尔,约翰·海明和理查·白贝芝,他们欣喜若狂。
  “听着,托比,”威尔手中攥着一张纸条说道,“这是詹姆士国王的亲笔信。从今天起,我们属于“国王剧团”,要专为国王陛下服务,他想看我们所有的戏剧的演出。”
  “这次进宫演出,我们将穿上新的红色大衣。”理查说。
  “还有,”约翰说,“宫里演出费每场20英磅。托比,你觉得这事怎么样?”
  这回我们都开怀大笑。“嗨,约翰,”我说道,要是我们有了钱,可得给我买一扇新门啦?这扇破门再也不能修了——它太旧了。”
  那年夏天,瘟疫卷土重来。到7月,伦敦每星期都有上千人濒临死亡。其中就有威尔好友本·琼生的小儿子。时至年底,英国有3万3千人死于瘟疫。剧院被封,“国王剧团”开始下乡演戏。
  那年夏天,威尔和我返回斯特拉福镇。到圣诞节来临,“国王剧团”入宫演出了很多出戏。那年,国王到伦敦境外的汉普敦宫躲避瘟疫。由于我不幸落马摔断腿而不能入宫。真是倒霉!只得呆在家里,不过,威尔一回来就会告诉我入宫演出的情况:
  “托比,新国王和王后真懂得生活,”他说道,“他们家庭幸福美满,亨利王子,9岁,招人喜爱,女儿伊丽莎白公主长相姣好,还有一个才两岁的查尔斯小王子。”他沉默了片刻,或许又想起爱子哈姆奈特。然后他继续说道,“安妮王后非常爱看戏,还喜爱音乐和舞蹈——一次舞会中居然露出双腿呢!”
  “真没想到!”我说,“伊丽莎白女王在位时,宫中从未发生过这种事呀!”
  “我们已生活在不同的时代了,托比。许多事都将不断变化。”
  但变化只是姗姗而来。“国王剧团”一次又一次取得成功。1604年圣诞节,我们入宫演出了22部戏剧,其中八部是威尔的剧本。1605年,入宫演出了13部戏剧——10部是威尔的剧本。
  入宫演出前,我们通常先在“环球剧院”试演。尽管威尔创作速度已不如当年,但这些年间,他又创作了一些著名的剧本——《奥赛罗》、《麦克佩斯》和《李尔王》。《李尔王》是一部格调低沉的悲剧。当李尔王抱着死去的女儿考迪莉亚走上舞台时……哇,“环球剧院”内不论男女老少都失声痛哭。这可一点不假。当然,还是由理查·白贝芝扮演李尔王,他真是一个了不起的演员!
葉修

ZxID:8596186


等级: 派派督察
配偶: 周澤楷
人生百年,谁不曾大闹天宫,谁不曾头上紧箍,谁不曾爱上层楼,谁不曾孤独上路。
举报 只看该作者 35楼  发表于: 2014-08-13 0

■ 9 The Mermaid Tavern
  During the next few years the plague was always with us.Some years it was bad,other years not so bad.When the theatres in London closed,we went on tour.Well,the King's Men did.Will and I were mostly at home in Stratford in the summers.Will was usually writing,and I did bits of business for him when I could.
  Susanna married Dr John Hall in June,1607,and Will's granddaughter Elizabeth was born in February the next year.We had a very cold winter that year.The river Thames in London froze right up to Westminster.People had parties and cooked sheep over fires on the ice.
  Will's brother Edmund died that winter—he was only twenty-seven—and Will's mother died in September the next year.
  Will was writing a different kind of play at this time.John Heminges said they were dark,cruel plays,and that Will was only looking at the black side of people.But that was the thing about Will.He was still changing,trying new kinds of poetry and stories in his plays all the time.And suddenly,there was a new kind of play,full of laughing and spring flowers and love:The Winter's Tale.
  When we were in London,we often went in the evenings to the Mermaid Tavern in Cheapside it was a very good inn,with good beer,and all the writers and poets in London went there.
  We were there one evening in the winter of 1610,I think it was.A lot of Will's friends were there—actors,writers.Ben Jonson was there,of course.He was a great drinker all his life.He was writing a lot of plays now and was doing very well.But he never had any money—Will always paid for the beer.
  At first,the talk was all about King James and his court.We didn't like the King so much now—he was more interest-ed in horses than in plays.Then Ben remembered something about The Winter's Tale.He knew,really,that Will's plays were the best,but he always liked to find mistakes if he could.
  ‘Now,Why did you put Bohemia by the sea,Will?’he said.‘Bohemia's in the middle of Europe!There's no sea for a hundred miles,you stupid man!’
  ‘Your plays are very clever,Ben,’Richard Burbage said,‘but they smell of the schoolbook,don't they,Will?’
  Will laughed.‘How many people are going to worry about that,Ben?What does it matter?They liked the play at court.The Queen said it was a very sweet play,and the King—’
  ‘The King!’Ben said loudly.His face was red and angry.King James sometimes fell asleep during Ben's plays.‘The King,’he went on excitedly,‘is a very stupid man!I told him,I said it to his face:“Sir,you don't understand poetry!”’
  John Heminges laughed.‘Oh my word!’he said.‘What a terrible man you are,Ben!I don't know how you've lived so long!’
  Will laughed too,but he said,‘Ben,you must be careful.You don't want the King to be your enemy.Don't forget that he pays twice as much as Queen Elizabeth did—and sees twice as many plays.’
  ‘Money?'shouted Bed.He loved to argue about anything.‘We're poets and actors,not businessmen!What does money matter?’
  ‘It puts bread and meat in your stomach,and a coat on your back,’said Will,drinking his beer.‘And you're the first to shout if you haven't got any money.’
  Ben banged his beer glass on the table.‘Now listen,Mr William Shakespeare of Stratford,with your fine big house and your expensive horses,you wrote in your play King Lear that money was—’
  ‘Oh,do stop it,you two!John Heminges said.He turned to talk to me,but a few minutes later Ben was arguing about another of Will's plays.
  ‘And what about Antony and Cleopatra?What kind of writing is that?You never know which place you're in!One minute you're in Egypt,the next minute you're in Rome,then you're at sea on a ship,then back in Egypt again—’
  Richard Burbage didn't like that.‘You're wrong again,Ben.It's only you who can't follow the play.You think Londoners are stupid,but they understand more than you do!And another thing…’
  I decided to go home to bed.Ben's a fine man,but he does talk so much.He goes on and on.When I left,he was calling for more beer.I knew they would be there in the Mermaid for most of the night.


■ 9 美人鱼酒店
  随后的几年里,瘟疫流行不断,有些年份情况很糟,有些年份也好不了多少。只要伦敦内剧院关门停业,我们就下乡巡回演出。当然,国王剧团一直这么做。威尔和我夏天多半呆在斯特拉福镇的家中。威尔通常搞创作,而我则尽可能帮助他打理零碎的生意。
  1607年6月,苏姗娜嫁给约翰·豪尔医生。翌年2月威尔的外孙女伊丽莎白出世。那年冬天,天寒地冻,泰晤士河伦敦河段到西敏斯特河段大面积结冰。人们就在冰上举行盛会,还生起篝火烤羊吃。
  那年冬天,威尔的弟弟埃德蒙去世——年仅27岁——第二年9月,威尔的母亲又不幸过世。
  这一时期,威尔创作风格大有变化。约翰·海明说威尔只看到人们丑陋的一面,使得戏剧带上沉郁、残暴的色彩。不过,他的创作风格一直在变,不断尝试在戏剧中运用新格调的诗歌的故事。出人意料,他又创作出一部新剧本《冬天的故事》,这部戏剧充满欢笑,春天的鲜花和爱情。
  在伦敦时,我们晚上经常到切普塞特街的美人鱼酒店。这家酒店环境舒适,备有好酒,是伦敦文人墨客聚会喝酒的好去处。
  1610年冬天的一个晚上,我们来到这家酒店,我记得没错。威尔的许多朋友——演员和剧作家都在场,当然少不了平生很能喝酒的本·琼生。虽然他创作了大量的剧本,也小有名气,但他还是身无分文——连喝啤酒的钱通常都要威尔掏腰包。
  开始,议题总是关于詹姆士国王和他的宫廷大臣。说实在的,我们现在不大喜欢这位国王了——他爱看赛马已胜过爱看戏。这时,本想起《冬天的故事》剧本中的一些情节。尽管他确实承认威尔的戏剧是最优秀的,不过,他这人就喜欢鸡蛋里挑骨头。
  “嗨,威尔,你怎么把波希米亚这地方说成是在海边呢?”他说道,“波希米亚可是在欧洲中部呀!方圆一百英里根本就没有海,你真糊涂!”
  “本,你创作的剧本确实很妙,”理查·白贝芝说,“不过太书卷气,威尔,你说呢?”
  威尔笑道:“本,会有几个人去深究那些细节呢?这有什么关系呢?在宫廷他们喜欢这部戏。王后说,这部戏剧很甜蜜,而国王——”
  “国王!”本大嚷起来,脸气得发红。因为詹姆士国王看本的戏剧有时打瞌睡。“国王,”他仍然很激动,“简直笨得透顶!我曾告诉他,当面对他说过:‘陛下,你压根不懂诗歌!’”
  约翰·海明听了此话大笑。“噢,真没想到!”他说,“本,你真是无可救药!我真不知道你怎么还能活这么长命!”
  威尔也笑了起来,但他说道:“本,你可要小心呀。你不想与国王为敌吧!别忘了,国王付的报酬是伊丽莎白女王的两倍——看的戏也是她的两倍。”
  “钱?”本大叫起来,他很爱争论事情。我们是诗人,是演员,不是生意人!钱有什么用?”
  “钱可以使你有面包和肉果腹,有衣穿,”威尔喝了一口啤酒,说道,“要是没钱的话,你会第一个破口大骂的!”
  本把啤酒杯砰地放在桌上。“现在听着,斯特拉福镇的威尔·莎士比亚先生,你不就拥有堂皇的居宅,高价的马匹吗?你在《李尔王》一剧中不是写道钱是——”
  “呕,你们两个都住嘴吧!”约翰·海明劝道,然后便转身和我谈话。不过几分钟后,本又在评论威尔的另一部戏剧。
  “《安东尼与克莉奥佩特拉》这部剧怎么样?到底写些什么呀?你根本就不知道自己呆在何处!一会儿在埃及,一会儿在罗马,接着坐船在海上,然后又回到埃及——”
  理查·白贝芝渐生厌恶之情。“本,你又搞错了,只有你才不懂这部戏。你认为伦敦人都傻乎乎的,他们可比你清楚得多。还有……”
  我还是决定回家睡觉。本是个好人,除了话太多之外。他讲得没完没了。在我抽身离开时,他又要了一些啤酒。我知道他们肯定又会在酒店呆上多半夜。


■ 10 Back to Stratford
  ‘You're losing your hair,Will,’I said to him one day.
  ‘We're both getting old,Toby,’he said.‘There's no escape from it.Old and tired.’
  ‘Don't talk like that,’I said.‘You're only forty-seven.There's still some life in you yet.And another twenty plays!’
  ‘No,’he said slowly.‘No,I think the poetry is nearly finished.I'm getting tired,Toby.I need a rest.I think The Tempest is going to be my last play.I'm saying goodbye to the stage.Times are changing,and people want a different kind of play now.There are lots of new,younger writers,who know how to please the playgoer.I'm not modern any more.
  He never usually talked like this,and I didn't like it.
  ‘There's only one Will Shakespeare,’I said,‘and he'll always be modern.Now,I must get on.I've got to go out and buy all the cloth for the new costumes in The Tempest.Why did you have to put it on an island?When the ship goes down,the actors all have to come on stage in wet clothes.It takes a day to dry the costumes,so that means two lots of clothes for everyone—wet and dry!’
  That brought him back to life.‘Can't you read?’he said crossly.‘If you look at Gonzalo's words in Act 2,Toby,you'll see that it's a magic island一and their clothes stay dry all the time.So they'll only need one lot.’
  I laughed,and then he laughed too.
  But it was true,he was tried.I could see it,and others could see it too.But the company was always wanting new plays,and we had two theatres now.There was the Globe,and now we had the Blackfriars theatre.Plays in the Globe were in the open air and always had to be in daylight,but the Blackfriars was a building with a roof.We could put on plays in the evenings and in any weather.It also made more money,because every playgoer had a seat and paid a shilling for it.In the Globe they paid a penny to stand.
  In February 1612 Will's brother Gilbert died in London,and just a year later his brother Richard died in Stratford.That was in February,too.Will was the oldest brother,and he was the only one still alive.We spent most of our time in Stratford these days.Will didn't act in plays now.He went to rehearsals for his new plays,of course,but he was always happy to hurry home again.
  We were riding back to Stratford in the spring of 1613 and Stopped for the night at the Crown Inn in Oxford.Will was very friendly with the landlord John Davenant and his wife Jane.The next morning,when we left,their little son,William,came running out to say goodbye to his good friend Mr Shakespeare.He was a bright boy,about seven years old,with much the same colour hair and eyes as Will.Will talked with him for a few minutes,then gave him a penny.
  Later,when we were riding along the road,I said,‘The last time we were in Oxford,I heard some talk in the town.Someone said that you were the father of Jane Davenant's son.
  Will laughed,‘Well,well,’he said,‘People say that,do they?What will they say next?’
  ‘Jane's a nice-looking woman.’I looked at him out of the corner of my eye.‘Isn't she?’
  ‘Come on,Toby.You know that Jane is a good wife to John.’He was still smiling.‘You mustn't listen to stories like that.’
  I never believed that story myself.But many years after Will died,William Davenant told a lot of people that he was Shakespeare's son.But how did he know?His mother wouldn't tell him!
  Will was happy to get home,to see his daughters and John Hall,and little Elizabeth,who was just five then.He was happy to see Anne,I think.He never said much to her,nor she to him.But after more than thirty years together,you've already said everything,haven't you?
  I think Judith was Will's favourite daughter.Susanna was brighter and cleverer,but Judith was Hamnet's twin,and Will still remembered his son.He wanted a son,or a grandson,so much.Judith was twenty-eight now,and still no husband.But Will told her not to hurry.She must find the right man first.
  Will worked hard all his life,and I think it was all for his family.I remember some lines from his play The Tempest,when Prospero is talking to his daughter Miranda.
  I have done nothing but in care of thee,
  Of thee,my dear one,thee my daughter…


■ 10 退居斯特拉福镇
  “威尔,你掉头发啦。”一天,我对他说道。
  “我们俩都老了,托比,”他说,“谁也躲避不了,又老又不中用了。”
  “别这么说,”我说,“你才47岁,日子还长着呢,还可以再写20部戏剧!”
  “难啦,”他缓缓说道,“难啦,我发觉自己已是江郎才尽,我也感觉累了,托比。我需要休息。我想《暴风雨》将是我最后一部戏剧。我要和舞台告别啦。时代在变化,人们现在需要看些不同风格的戏剧。更何况纷纷涌现出一批年轻的新剧作家,他们懂得如何博得观众的欢心。我再也跟不上时代了。”
  他从来不曾这样说过,我也不爱听。
  “世上只有一位威廉·莎士比亚,”我说,“他永远属于这个时代。好啦,该干活了,我得出去购置《暴风雨》一剧新服装的布料。你为什么要将故事发生在一个荒岛上呢?轮船下沉后,演员们只能穿着湿漉漉的衣服回到舞台。衣服要花一天的时间才能晒干,这就意味着每人都得准备两套衣服——一件湿衣服和一件干衣服。”
  这番话使他又恢复了生机。“你看不懂吗?”他忿忿地说,“托比,你若是看了第二幕贡柴罗那段话,你会觉得那是一座魔岛——他们的衣服一直是干的,所以只需准备一套衣服。”
  我笑了,跟着他也笑了。
  事实的确这样,他累了。我看得出来,别人也看得出来。不过,剧团总需要新剧上演,况且我们现在有两个剧院;“环球剧院”和“黑修士剧院”。“环球剧院”是露天剧院,戏剧通常只能白天演。“黑修士剧院”是有盖顶的剧院,戏剧可以在晚上以及随便什么天气上演,钱也赚得更多,因为每个观众花一先令可以有一个座位,但在“环球剧院”,观众花一便士要站着看。
  1612年2月,威尔的弟弟吉尔伯特死于伦敦。一年后,也在2月份,他弟弟理查死于斯特拉福镇。威尔是家中的长子,而今孑然一身于世上。这些日子,我们多半呆在斯特拉福镇。威尔不再上台演戏,不过他肯定赶去看新剧本的预演,然后,兴致勃勃地赶回家。
  1613年春,我们骑马回斯特拉福镇,途中在牛津的“皇冠客栈”寄宿。威尔对房东约翰·达文南特和他妻子简非常友善。第二天早要离开时,他们的小儿子威廉跑出来向他的好朋友莎士比亚先生告别。这小孩聪明伶俐,大约7岁,发色和眼睛酷似威尔。威尔和他聊了几分钟,然后送给他一便士作纪念。
  当我们策马上路之后,我说道,我们上次在牛津时,我在镇上听到一些闲话。有人说你是简·达文南特儿子的父亲。”
  威尔大笑。“是吗,是吗,”他说,“人们这么说的,是吗?他们还会说什么呢?”
  “简长得美丽动人,”我用眼角看看他,“不是吗?”
  “好啦,托比。简是约翰的贤妻,你知道的。”他仍然微笑着。“你千万不能听信谣言。”
  我才不会相信。但威尔死后的许多年后,威廉·达文南特却告诉许多人,他是莎士比亚的儿子。他又怎么知道的呢?他母亲绝不会告诉他。
  威尔很高兴回家看望女儿和女婿约翰·豪尔以及才5岁的小伊丽莎白。我想他也高兴见到安。他从没对她多说几句话,她也一样。但是30多年的相处,该说的早已说过,不是吗?
  我觉得威尔最宠爱珠迪丝,尽管苏姗娜更聪明伶俐,但是珠迪丝是哈姆奈特的孪生妹妹,威尔仍在怀念爱子,他太想有个儿子或外孙了。珠迪丝现在28岁尚未婚嫁,但威尔劝她不必急,首先得找到中意的人。
  威尔一生勤奋工作,我想,这全都是为了这个家。我还记得在《暴风雨》一剧中,普洛斯彼罗对女儿米兰达讲的那几句话:
  凡我所做的事,无非是为你打算,
  为了你,我的宝贝,我的女儿……
葉修

ZxID:8596186


等级: 派派督察
配偶: 周澤楷
人生百年,谁不曾大闹天宫,谁不曾头上紧箍,谁不曾爱上层楼,谁不曾孤独上路。
举报 只看该作者 36楼  发表于: 2014-08-13 0

■ 11 The last years
  Will did write another play,of course.That was Henry VIII and he wrote it because the King's daughter,Princess Elizabeth,was getting married.The King's Men had to have a new play for a special day like that.
  We were in London for rehearsals at the Globe,and the actors put on the new play for the first time on the 29th of June,1613.I remember the date well.
  It happened soon after the play began.Richard Burbage was on stage and he suddenly looked up and stopped in the middle of a word.
  ‘Fire!’he shouted.‘The theatre's on fire!’
  Wooden buildings burn fast,and Henry Condell shouted,‘Everybody out!Quickly!’
  The crowd of playgoers began to hurry to the doors,and I ran round to open them.We could all see the smoke now,and John Heminges shouted to Will,‘The playbooks!We must get the playbooks out!’
  Everybody got out and no one was hurt.One man's coat caught fire and his friend put the fire out with a bottle of beer.But the Globe burnt right down to the ground in an hour.Poor old John Heminges just stood there and cried.
  But you can't kill a theatre that easily.A year later there was a new blobe in the same place.Bigger and better than the old one.People said it was the finest playhouse in England.
  We didn't often go to London in those last years.Will was happy at home in Stratford with his family.He had time for his garden,time to talk to his Stratford friends,time to play with his granddaughter Elizabeth.He read his plays again,and he and I talked and laughed about the old days.
  Judith got married at last in February 1616.She was thirty-one then,and married a man called Thomas Quiney,who was twenty-six.Will wasn't too happy about it.
  ‘Judith loves him very much,’he said quietly to me.‘But I'm not sure about him.I think she's making a mistake.’
  He was right,of course.Will was usually right about people.Thomas Quiney was lazy,drank too much,and went with other women.
  But Will didn't live to find that out.In March he went to London for a party at the Mermaid Tavern.Ben Jonson was now the play wright for the court of King James.The King was paying him some money every year,and Ben wanted to give a party for his friends.
  It was a good party,I heard.But Will caught a fever and then rode home through the cold spring rain.When he got back to New Place,he was not a well man.
  He died on the 23rd of April,in the year 1616.
  They put his body in Holy Trinity Church,down by the river Avon.It was a bright,windy day,I remember.Ben Jonson came down from London,and cried in the church.He was a wild man,was Ben,always fighting and arguing about plays and poetry.But he loved his friend.He came up to me outside the church.
  ‘Toby,’he said.‘Will was a good,true man,and I loved him.We'll never see another poet like him in England.’


■ 11 退隐的晚年
  威尔又编写了一部戏剧《亨利八世》。此剧是为了庆祝国王之女伊丽莎白公主结婚大典而写的。像这样特殊的日子,“国王剧团”非得推出一部新剧本。
  1613年6月29日,在伦敦的“环球剧院”,我们首次登台预演这一新剧。这个日子我记得一清二楚。
  演出开出不久,意外事故就发生了。理查·白贝芝正在台上演出。突然,他抬起头,台词说到一半。
  “着火啦!”他大嚷起来,“剧院着火啦!”
  木制的房子火势蔓延很快,于是亨利·康德尔大叫着:“大家赶快出去!快出去!”
  看戏的人群开始拼命向门口挤,我赶着打开所有大门疏散人群。这时我们都能看见烟雾弥漫,约翰·海明对威尔喊道,“那些剧本!我们必须把剧本抢出来!”
  最后大家都安然无恙地脱险。有人衣服着了火,但他朋友用一瓶啤酒就给浇灭了。不过“环球剧院”一小时后全部烧毁,夷为平地。可怜的老约翰·海明只能站在那儿,顿足痛哭。
  但是让剧院就此消失并不是轻而易举的事。一年后,在原地又盖起一座新的“环球剧院”,比原来的更大更气派。人们都说这是英国最好的一家剧院。
  在威尔生前的最后几年中,我们不常去伦敦。在斯特拉福镇,他很高兴和家人呆在一起。这样一来,他就有时间搞搞园艺,和斯特拉福镇的朋友聊天,和外孙女伊丽莎白玩耍。他还重读他的剧本,而且与我一回忆起过去的岁月就谈笑风生。
  1616年2月,珠迪丝终于嫁给了一位名叫托马斯·奎尼的男人,当时她31岁,丈夫26岁。威尔为此闷闷不乐。
  “珠迪丝非常爱他,”他平静地对我说,“但我觉得这青年不可靠,我想她犯了一个错误。”
  他确实说准了。威尔对人的直觉通常没错。托马斯·奎尼游手好闲,纵酒,还和其他女人勾勾搭搭。
  但是威尔生前未能知道真相。同年3月,他去伦敦美人鱼酒店参加一个聚会。本·琼生这时已成为詹姆士国王的宫廷剧作家,国王每年付给他一些薪水,于是本决定宴请朋友。
  听说这次聚会很热闹,但威尔不幸感冒发烧,后来骑马回家又淋了雨。当他回到“新地方”家中,人就垮了。
  他于1616年4月23日去世。
  人们将他安葬在艾汶河畔的“圣三一”教堂。我记得,那天天气晴朗,微风习习。本·琼生从伦敦赶来,在教堂内失声痛哭。他真是个古怪的人,唯有本才敢攻击和评论戏剧和诗歌。但他打心底里爱这位朋友。在教堂外面,他走到我身边。
  “托比,”他说道,“威尔是个真正了不起的男子汉,我喜欢他。英国再也不会有像他那样的诗人了。”

■ 12 England will remember
  Well,all that was thirty-three years ago.I'm an old man,and everyone is dying around me.Anne Shakespeare died in 1623,and John Hall went about twelve years later,fighting the plague Susanna's still alive,and Judith.She had three sons,but they all died.So there's no boy in the family to keep poor Will's name alive.Susanna's girl Elizabeth has had no children,and she's forty-one already…Susanna still comes to visit me sometimes,and we talk about the old days.
  We live in sad times now;the Puritans cut King Charles's head off last January.But one day we'll have a king again.Then there'll be singing and dancing and plays.
  You'll see.Oh yes.People won't forget William Shakespeare.In 400 years'time,the theatres will still be full.People will still laugh,and cry,over his plays.He was the finest poet that ever wrote in the English language.I think he knew that himself.There's some lines in one of his sonnets,I remember…
  Not marble,nor the gilded monuments
  Of princes shall outlive this powerful rhyme…

■ 12 英国会永远记住
  可这都是33年前的事了。我已是一个垂暮之年的老人,周围的人纷纷离我而去。1623年,安·莎士比亚去世,大约12年后,约翰·豪尔死于瘟疫,只有苏姗娜和珠迪丝尚健在。珠迪丝生过三个儿子,不幸都夭折了。所以这个家族是无人能将可怜的威尔的名字传下去。苏姗娜的女儿伊丽莎白已经41岁,依然没有一子半女。苏姗娜有时仍过来看我,和我谈谈过去的日子。
  我们如今生活在动荡的年代。去年1月,清教徒把查理国王送上了断头台。但终有一天,我们又会有一位国王,到时又会歌舞升平,又可以看戏了。
  你不久就可以看到的!哦,当然啦,人们不会忘记威廉·莎士比亚。400年后,剧院依然会爆满,观众依然会为他的戏剧欢笑或落泪。他是运用英语语言创作最杰出的诗人。我想这一点,他自己也清楚。我记得在他的十四行涛中曾写下这样的诗句……
  没有大理石或王公们镀金的墓碑
  能够和我这些有力的诗句比寿……
葉修

ZxID:8596186


等级: 派派督察
配偶: 周澤楷
人生百年,谁不曾大闹天宫,谁不曾头上紧箍,谁不曾爱上层楼,谁不曾孤独上路。
举报 只看该作者 37楼  发表于: 2014-08-14 0

【02-02】  [一个国王的爱情故事 / 彼德·戴恩蒂 著]
  The Love of a King by Peter Dainty

■ 简介
  你想当国王、想拥有荣华富贵、名闻天下吗?你希望无论走到哪里都成为众人的中心吗?你希望自己每时每刻、每一天都是人们关注的对象吗?
  国王永远不会独自一人。每时每刻总有人注视着他——有时是他的保镖,有时是街上成千的民众。他永远不会独自一人;每个人都认识他的面孔。他做事必须检点,因为他的所做所为是无法保密的。
  国王今天说了什么,明天全世界的人都会知道。他说话得谨慎;因为总有人在听。
  这可不像一般的工作那样,5点钟就可以下班。国王没有假期。国王永远是国王——每时每刻都是国王。
  国王永远不会独自一人,但他总是感到孤独。谁会是国王的朋友呢?谁会与他共同分担那份孤独呢?
  作者彼德·戴恩蒂从事英语教学多年,目前在伦敦工作。

■ The Duke and Duchess of Windsor
  1894 Edward is born in Richmond, England.
  1896 Wallis is born in Baltimore,USA.
  1911 Edward becomes Prince of Wales.
  1912 Edward enters Oxford University.
  1914 The First World War begins.Edward sees fighing on the front line in Belgium.
  1916 Wallis marries Winfield Spencer.
  1920 Edward begins a five-year journey round the world. He visits 45 countries and travels 240 000 kilometres.
  1927 Wallis divorces Winfield Spencer.
  1928 Wallis marries Ernest Simpson.
  1930 Edward meets Wallis at a weekend house party.
  1936 January King George V dies. Edward is now King.
  June Edward tells his mother that he wants to marry Wallis.
  December Edward gives the crown to his brother and leaves Eng-land.
  1937 Edward and Wallis marry in France. They take the name Duke and Duchess of Windsor.None of the Royal Family come to the wedding.For the next thirty years the Duke and Duchess live out-side England.
  1966 Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ meets the Duke and Duchess at a small party in London.'It's time to forget the past,'she says.
  1972 Edward dies in Paris.His body is buried in England at Windsor Castle.
  1986 Wallis dies in Paris and is buried next to Edward at Windsor.
  IN APRIL 1987, THREE HUNDRED PEOPLE CAME TO A SMALL room in Geneva,Switzerland. There were Presidents and Kings, film stars and millionaires. They came from the four corners of the world, east and west,north and south,and they spoke many languages.
  But they all wanted one thing—to buy some jewellery.It was the jewellery that a man called Edward gave a woman called Wallis.
  One woman,Mrs Namiki from Japan,paid $105 000 for a gold ring.
  'Why did you pay all that money?'a friend asked.'You can buy a gold ring in Tokyo for half that money.'
  'Because Wallis and Edward were special to me,'Mrs Namiki replied. 'I never met them but I'll keep that ring all my life.'
  In the next few hours, in that small room in Geneva, the jew-ellery was sold for$50000000. But who was Wallis? And who was Edward? And why was their love story so special?
  Let's begin at the beginning…

■ 温莎公爵和夫人
  1894 爱德华出生在英国的里士满。
  1896 沃利斯出生在美国巴尔的摩。
  1911 爱德华成为威尔士亲王。
  1912 爱德华进入牛津大学。
  1914 第一次世界大战爆发。爱德华在比利时前线督战。
  1916 沃利斯与温菲尔德·斯潘塞结婚。
  1920 爱德华开始了为期5年的环球旅行。他访问了45个国家,行程达24万公里。
  1927 沃利斯与温菲尔德·斯潘塞离婚。
  1928 沃利斯与欧内斯特·辛普森结婚。
  1930 爱德华在一个周末家庭招待会上与沃利斯相识。
  1936 1月:国王乔治五世逝世。爱德华登基。
  6月:爱德华告诉母亲,他要与沃利斯结婚。
  12月:爱德华将王位让给弟弟,然后离开英国。
  1937 爱德华和沃利斯在法国结婚。他们被封为温莎公爵和夫人。皇族中没有人去参加他们的婚礼。在以后的30年里,公爵和夫人一直在英国以外的国家居住。
  1966 女王伊丽莎白二世在伦敦的一个小型聚会上与温莎公爵和夫人相遇。她说:“现在是忘记过去的时候了。”
  1972 爱德华在巴黎逝世。他的遗体埋葬在英国的温莎城堡。
  1986 沃利斯在巴黎去世,葬在温莎城堡爱德华的墓旁。
  1987年4月,300人来到瑞士日内瓦的一间小屋子。他们当中有总统和国王,影星和百万富翁。他们来自世界各地,天南地北,操着各种语言。
  但他们来的目的只有一个——买珠宝。这些珠宝是一位名叫爱德华的男人送给一位名叫沃利斯的女士的。
  有一位从日本来的并木夫人,出价105 000美元买了一枚金戒。
  “你为什么花那么多钱?”一位朋友问。“在东京,有这一半的钱就能买一枚金戒。”
  并木夫人答道:“因为沃利斯和爱德华对我有特殊的意义,我从未结识过他们,但这枚戒指我将终生珍藏。”
  在随后的几个小时内,这些珠宝在日内瓦的那间小屋子里被拍卖,总额为5000万美元。但是,沃利斯是谁?爱德华又是谁呢?他们的爱情故事为什么那么特别?
  让我们从头说起……


■ 1 A Lonely Child
  Prince Edward was born in 1894.His father,King George V, was a tall, cold man who did not like chil-dren.'Why does Edward talk all the time?'he once said.'He's a very noisy child!'
  His mother,Queen Mary, agreed.'It doesn't matter if Edward is happy or unhappy,' she said.'A child must be silent and strong.'
  The family lived in Buckingham Palace,which had 600 rooms.There were 8 kitchens,19 bathrooms,24 toilets, 11 dining rooms, 17 bedrooms and 21 sitting rooms.
  Edward once told a story about the house :Buckingham Palace was very big, and people sometimes got lost.One night my mother,my father and I were sitting in the dining room.We were waiting for our dinner.We wait-ed and waited, but the food did not come.After twenty minutes my father was very angry. He stood up and went to the kitchen.'Where is the cook?'he shouted,and where is my food?'
  'But, Sir,' the cook replied,'your dinner left the kitchen fifteen minutes ago.Hasn't it arrived yet?'
  'No,it hasn't,'my father shouted, 'and I'm hungry.'
  The King left the kitchen and began to look for the food.Ten minutes later he saw a woman who was carrying three plates of meat and potatoes.'What happened to you?'my father said.'Why didn't you bring us our dinner?'
  'I' m sorry, Sir, 'the woman replied. 'There are a lot of dining rooms. I couldn't remember where to go.But if you return to the table, Sir, this time I can follow you to the right room.'
  Edward did not go to school with other children. He stayed in Buckingham Palace where he had a special classroom just for him.
  This is how Edward described his lessons:
  My teacher, Mr Hansell, was a thin man. He never smiled and his nose was very red.We had lots of books but they were all very boring. They were full of words and they didn't have any pictures.
  Sometimes I stopped reading and looked out dow.Mr Hansell got very angry.He took a stick and hit me on the arm.'Don't look out of the window,little boy,' he shouted.'Look at the book.'He hit me many times and my arm was red.
  Every Friday the teacher took me to my father's room.
  'And what has my son learnt this week,Mr Hansell?'the King asked.
  And the answer was always:'Not very much I'm afraid,Sir.Edward doesn't like his lessons. He never lis-tens to what I say.'
  When Mr Hansell left the room,my father was angry with me.'What's wrong with you, child?'he said.'Are you stupid? Why can't you learn anything?'
  'But the lessons are so boring, Sir,'I replied.'And Mr Hansell hits me.'
  'I don't understand you,Edward.You're a baby.You're so weak.You'll never be a good King. A King must be strong.Go to your room and stay there until the morning.'
  'I spent many days alone in my room,'Edward wrote later.'I never played with other children and I didn't have any friends. I lived in the most beautiful house in England but I was always lonely and sad. I saw my mother once a day at din-ner time and I saw my father three or four times a week,but they never gave me any love.I was afraid of them and every-thing I did was wrong.'


■ 1 一个孤独的孩子
  爱德华王子出生于1894年。他的父亲乔治五世国王身材高大,性情冷漠。他不喜欢孩子。“爱德华为什么总是说个不停?”有一次,他说,“这孩子真闹人!”
  他的母亲玛丽王后也这么想。“爱德华高兴与否并不重要,”她说,“小孩子一定要沉静而坚强。”
  他们一家住在白金汉宫。这座宫殿有600个房间。其中有8个厨房,19间浴室,24个卫生间,11个餐厅,17间卧室和21间起居室。
  有一次,爱德华讲了一个关于这座房子的故事:
  白金汉宫非常大,人们有时会迷路。一天晚上,我和我的父母亲坐在餐厅里等着吃晚饭。我们等呀等呀,但饭菜迟迟没有送上来。等了20分钟,我父亲火了。他起身去厨房。“厨师呢?”他喊道,“我的晚餐在哪儿?”
  “可是,陛下,”厨师说,“您的晚餐15分钟之前就送走了。难道还没有送到吗?”
  “没有,”我父亲高声叫道,“我饿坏了。”
  国王离开厨房,开始去找晚餐。10分钟后,他看见一个女佣正端着3盘子肉和土豆。“你是怎么回事?”我父亲问,“你为什么不把晚餐给我们端来?”
  “对不起,陛下,”女佣回答道,“这儿有很多餐厅。我记不起应该进哪一间。但要是您能回到餐桌旁去,陛下,这次我会跟着您找到该去的餐厅。”
  爱德华没有和其他孩子一起去学校上学。他待在白金汉宫,那儿有他的专用教室。
  爱德华这样形容他的课程:
  我的老师汉塞尔先生人很瘦。他从来不笑,鼻子红红的。我们有很多书,但都枯燥乏味。书里全是字,一幅画儿也没有。
  有时读着读着我会停下来,往窗外看。汉塞尔先生非常生气。他拿起一根小棒儿打我的胳膊。“别往窗外看,小男孩,”他叫道。“看书。”他一下又一下地打我,打得我胳膊都红了。
  每到星期五,老师都把我带到父亲的房间里。
  “汉塞尔先生,这个星期我的儿子学了些什么?”国王问。
  回答总是这样的:“恐怕没学多少,陛下。爱德华不喜欢上课。我讲什么他从来不听。”
  汉塞尔退出房间后,我父亲便对我发火。“孩子,你怎么了?”他说,“你是不是脑子笨?你为什么学不会任何东西?”
  “可是那些课程太没意思了,陛下,”我回答,“汉塞尔先生还打我。”
  “我弄不懂你,爱德华。你真是长不大。你是个软骨头。你永远当不了一个出色的国王。国王必须坚强。回你的房间去,明天早晨以前不许出来。”
  “许多个日子我都是独自一人在自己房间里度过的,”爱德华后来写道,“我从未和其他孩子一起玩过,我也没有朋友。我住在英国最漂亮的房子里,却总是感到寂寞、悲伤。我每天只是在吃饭的时候才见我母亲一面,父亲每星期见三、四面,但他们从不给我爱。我害怕他们,在他们看来,我做的每件事都不对。”

■ 2 The Prince of Wales
  In the spring of 1911 King George called Edward into his room and said:
  'Next month I'll make you Prince of Wales and these are your clothes for the ceremony.'
  The King opened a small cupboard and Edward started to cry.'But father,'he said,'I'm sixteen years old now.I can't wear soft shoes and a skirt. I'll look like a girl. Why can't I dress like other people?'
  'Because you're different and special,'his father replied,'and one day you'll be King.'
  Edward cried for the next two days, but there was noth-ing he could do.
  And so, on 10th June 1911, the family drove to Caernar-von Castle in North Wales and the ceremony began.
  The King put a small gold crown on Edward's head.There was music and dancing and the crowd began to shout.
  The new Prince of Wales closed his eyes.'I feel terrible,' he said.'Can we go home now?'
  'Not yet,' the King replied.'The people want to see you.
  Edward walked to the front of the castle and looked down at the crowd.He was shaking and his face was red.
  'Smile, Edward,'the King said.'You are happy!'
  A few hours later the family were driving back to Windsor.'Wasn't that a lovely day!'Queen Mary said.
  Edward took off his shoes and looked out of the window.'Never again,'he thought. 'Never again!'


■ 2 威尔士亲王
  1911年春天,乔治国王把爱德华叫到自己的房间,说:
  “下个月我要封你为威尔士亲王,这是你要在典礼上穿的衣服。”
  国王打开一个小柜子,爱德华哭了起来。“可是父亲,”他说,“我现在已经16岁了。我不能穿软鞋和裙子。那会使我看上去像个女孩子。为什么我不能穿得像其他人一样?”
  “因为你和他们不一样,你是特别的,”他的父亲回答,“有朝一日你会成为国王。”
  接下来的两天,爱德华哭个不停,但他没有办法。
  就这样,1911年6月10日,王室成员驱车前往北威尔士的卡那封城堡,典礼开始了。
  国王把一顶小号的金冠戴在爱德华的头上。现场有音乐和舞蹈,人群欢呼起来。
  而新封的威尔士亲王却闭上了眼睛。“我觉得很难受,”他说,“现在我们可以回家了吗?”
  “还不能,”国王回答,“人们想看看你。”
  爱德华走到城堡前部,俯视人群。他浑身颤抖,脸涨得通红。
  “笑一笑,爱德华,”国王说,“你应该高兴!”
  几小时后,全家人驱车回到温莎。“多么愉快的一天呀!”玛丽王后说。
  爱德华脱下鞋子,向窗外望去。“我再也不要这样了,”他想,“永远不!”
葉修

ZxID:8596186


等级: 派派督察
配偶: 周澤楷
人生百年,谁不曾大闹天宫,谁不曾头上紧箍,谁不曾爱上层楼,谁不曾孤独上路。
举报 只看该作者 38楼  发表于: 2014-08-14 0

■ 3 The Royal Star
  After a year at Oxford University, Edward went to fight in the First World War.He wrote:
  I lived in a house with twenty-five other soldiers. At night we talked about our lives and our families.It was very inter-esting.
  I could speak freely to different people-rich and poor,young and old. But I also saw the blood and noise of war.
  One day in 1916 my driver took me to the town of Loos in Belgium.I got out of the car and walked to the top of the hill.Down below me there was heavy fighting and I felt very sad.
  An hour later I returned to my car.I'll never forget what I saw.My driver was dead. While I was away,some-body shot him in the neck.
  When the war finished in 1918, Edward returned to Bucking-ham Palace. One night he was talking to his father in the din-ing room.
  'I don't understand why countries fight,'the Prince said.'The war has finished, but nothing has changed.There are still millions of poor and hungry people. It's not right.Somebody must do something!'
  'Well,'King George replied,'you can't change the world if you sit by the fire. You must travel.Meet people.Talk to them.Listen to what they say. And then, when you are King, you can make the world a better place.'
  And so,in 1920,Edward left England again. During the next five years he travelled 240 000 kilometres and visited 45 different countries.
  He saw India, Argentina, Nigeria, Mexico, New Zealand, Germany, and Japan.When he came to Toronto,in Canada, there were 500 000 people in the streets to meet him.Everywhere thousands of people waited to see him—there were crowds of 190 000 in Cape Town, 300 000 in Paris, 500 000 in New York, and 750 000 in Melbourne.
  'Edward is the first royal star,'one newspaper wrote,'and he is now the most famous man in the world.In the old days princes were cold and bored.But Edward is different. He gets out of his car and walks down the street. Every two or three minutes he stops and speaks with the crowd.He laughs.He smiles. He shakes a thousand hands. He is a man of the people with a heart of gold.'


■ 3 皇族明星
  在牛津大学学习了一年之后,爱德华参加了第一次世界大战。他写道:
  我和其他25名士兵住在一间房子里。晚上,我们就谈各自的生活和家庭。谈话十分有趣。
  我可以和各种各样的人随意交谈——无论是富人还是穷人,年轻人还是老年人。但我也领略了战争的血腥和喧嚣。
  1916年的一天,我的司机送我去比利时的卢斯镇。我下了车,往山顶走去。山下正进行着激烈的战斗,我心里十分难过。
  一小时后,我回到汽车上。我永远也忘不了我看到的那一幕。我的司机死了。我离开的时候,有人射中了他的颈部。
  1918年战争结束后,爱德华回到白金汉宫,一天晚上,他在餐厅里同父亲交谈。
  “我不明白国家之间为什么要打仗,”王子说。“战争已经结束了,但一切依旧。还是有许许多多的人生活在贫困中,忍饥挨饿。这不公平。总得有人做些什么!”
  “嗯,”乔治国王答道,“光坐在壁炉旁是不能改变世界的。你得出去走走。去和人们结识一下,与他们谈一谈,听听他们说些什么。这样,当你成为国王的时候,就可以把世界变得更美好。”
  于是,1920年,爱德华再次离开英国。在随后的5年里,他行程达24万公里,访问了45个国家。
  他访问了印度、阿根廷、尼日利亚、墨西哥、新西兰、德国和日本。当他到达加拿大多伦多时,受到50万人的夹道欢迎。每到一处,都有成千上万的人盼着一睹他的风采——在开普敦有19万人,在巴黎有30万人,在纽约有50万人,在墨尔本有75万人。
  “爱德华是第一位皇族明星,”一家报纸这样写道,“他是目前全世界最有名的人。以前的王子都态度冷漠而厌烦。但爱德华不同。他从汽车里出来,在街上走。每隔两三分钟,他就停下来和人们交谈。他有时开怀大笑,有时面露微笑。他和上千人握手。他平易近人,有颗金子般的心。”


■ 4 The Meeting
  In the autumn of 1930 Edward went to stay with his friends Lord and Lady Furness.This is how he described that weekend in a book called A King's Story:
  On Saturday the weather was cold and windy.It was raining heavily so we could not ride our horses. We decided to stay in the house and have an early lunch with some of Lady Furness' friends.
  At one o'clock Wallis arrived with her husband. She was beautifully dressed and she smiled all the time.She spoke with Lord Furness for a few minutes,and then Lady Fur-ness brought her over to see me.
  'Sir,I would like you to meet one of my dearest and sweetest American friends,Mrs Wallis Simpson.'
  'How do you do, Mrs Simpson,'I said.'Please come and sit down.'
  Lady Furness left us and we began to talk.
  I could see that Wallis was not felling very well.She had a bad cold and her eyes were red. 'I'm afraid that our English houses aren't very warm,'I said. 'We don't have American central heating here.'
  There was a long silence.Mrs Simpson turned her face and looked out of the window.Then she said:'You have disappointed me,Sir.'
  'And why is that?'I asked.
  'Because everybody asks me about American central heat-ing.I thought that the Prince of Wales would talk about something more interesting.'
  I began to laugh.
  'What's the matter,Sir?'Wallis asked.'Have I said something wrong?'
  'No,'I replied.'I'm laughing because you didn't lie to me.You told me the truth.'
  'But why is that funny? Doesn't everybody do that?'
  'One day I'll be King of England,' I replied.'And people are afraid of me.If I say that the sky is yellow, they say,“Yes,Sir,you are right”. If I say that Wednesday is the first day of the week, they say,“Yes,Sir,you are right”. And if I say that Scotland is bigger than Canada,they say, “Yes,Sir,you are right”.But you told me that I was boring! You told me the truth.I like that!'
  There was another silence and then Wallis began to laugh.'Can I say one more thing,Sir?'
  'Yes, Mrs Simpson,what is it?'
  'It's your trousers,Sir.'
  'My trousers?'
  'Yes, Sir.They are black and your shoes are brown.'These two colours don't look right together.'
  I stood up and looked in the mirror.'Yes,Mrs Simp-son,you're right.I look very strange.The next time we meet,I will be better dressed.'
  When lunch was ready,we walked through into the dining room.I sat at one end of the table and Wallis sat at the other end.I was watching her very carefully.I thought how beautiful her hands were.She began talking to Lady Furness and then, a few minutes later, she turned and smiled at me.I felt very happy.
  After lunch Wallis came over to say goodbye.'My hus-band and I have to leave now,Sir.We're going to another party in London.'
  I wanted to speak to her but I could not find the right words.I don't know why. We shook hands and Wallis walked away.
  I went into the next room and sat down near Lady Fur-ness.'Tell me about Mrs Simpson,'I said.
  'What would you like to know?'she asked.
  'Everything!' I said.
  'Then perhaps,Sir,you would like to walk in the gar-den.We can talk more freely there.'
  We stood up and left the house by the back door.We walked slowly through the trees,and Lady Furness told me about Wallis…


■ 4 相识
  1930年的秋天,爱德华去他的朋友弗内斯勋爵夫妇那里小住。在《一个国王的故事》一书中,他是这样描述那个周末的:
  星期六,天气很冷,刮着风。雨下得很大,所以我们无法出去骑马。我们决定待在屋里,早点开午饭。与我们共进午餐的是弗内斯勋爵夫人的一些朋友。
  1点钟,沃利斯和她的丈夫来了。她穿得很漂亮,始终面带微笑。她与弗内斯勋爵夫人谈了几分钟,然后弗内斯勋爵夫人把她带到我面前。
  “殿下,我想介绍您认识我的一位最可爱、最甜美的美国朋友,沃利斯·辛普森夫人。”
  “您好,辛普森夫人,”我说,“请过来坐坐。”
  弗内斯勋爵夫人走开了,我们交谈起来。
  我看得出,沃利斯不太舒服。她得了重感冒,眼睛红红的。“恐怕我们英国的房子不够暖和,”我说,“我们这儿没有美国的中央供暖系统。”
  接着是长长的一段沉默。辛普森夫人转头向窗外望去。然后她说:“您让我感到失望,殿下。”
  “为什么?”我问。
  “因为每个人都问我美国中央供暖的事儿。我想,威尔士亲王准会谈些比较有趣的事。”
  我大笑起来。
  “怎么了,殿下?”沃利斯问,“我说错什么了吗?”
  “没有,”我回答,“我笑是因为你没对我说谎。你讲了真话。”
  “可这有什么可笑的?难道大家不都这样吗?”
  “有朝一日我会成为英国的国王,”我答道,“所以人们都怕我。如果我说天是黄的,他们会说,'对,殿下,您说得对'。如果我说星期三是一周里的第一天,他们会说,'对,殿下,您说得对'。如果我说苏格兰比加拿大还要大,他们会说,'对,殿下,你说得对'。可是,您却告诉我,我令人乏味!您讲了真心话。我喜欢这样!”
  又是一段沉默,然后沃利斯笑了起来。“我能再说一件事吗,殿下?”
  “可以,辛普森夫人,什么事?”
  “是您的裤子,殿下。”
  “我的裤子?”
  “是的,殿下。您的裤子是黑色的,鞋却是棕色的。这两种颜色配在一起有点儿不协调。”
  我站起身,照了照镜子。“不错,辛普森夫人,您说得对。我看上去真奇怪。等我们下次见面时,我会穿得更得体些。”
  午餐准备好了,我们走进餐厅。我坐在桌子一头,沃利斯坐在另一头。我仔细地打量她。我想,她的手多美呀!她开始和弗内斯勋爵夫人谈话,几分钟后,她转过头来向我微笑。我觉得很高兴。
  午餐后,沃利斯过来向我道别。“我和我丈夫现在得走了,殿下。我们要去伦敦参加另一个聚会。”
  我想对她说点什么,可一时找不到合适的话。我不懂为什么会这样。我们握了握手,沃利斯走了。
  我走到隔壁房间里,坐在弗内斯夫人身旁。“给我讲讲辛普森夫人的事。”我说。
  “您想知道什么?”她问。
  “她的一切!”我说。
  “那样的话,殿下,也许您会愿意去花园里走走。我们在那儿谈起来会比较自由些。”
  我们起身从后门走出去。我们漫步在树丛中,弗内斯夫人给我讲起了沃利斯的事……
葉修

ZxID:8596186


等级: 派派督察
配偶: 周澤楷
人生百年,谁不曾大闹天宫,谁不曾头上紧箍,谁不曾爱上层楼,谁不曾孤独上路。
举报 只看该作者 39楼  发表于: 2014-08-14 0

■ 5 Wallis
  This is how Lady Furness described Mrs Simpson's early life to Edward:
  Wallis was born in Baltimore.She never knew her father.He died when she was five months old. But her mother was a strong and loving woman, and Wallis was a happy child.
  When she was twenty,she married a man called Win-field Spencer.For the first few years they were happy togeth-er. But one day Winfield lost some money in the street.He was very angry. When he came home, he took a bottle of whisky from a cupbodrd and began to drink.
  That night he hit Wallis in the mouth. She screamed and he hit her again.There was blood on her face and she was shaking like a leaf.' Please, Winfield,'she said.'No more.
  But Winfield took her arm and pulled her up the stairs.'You're my prisoner,'he shouted at her,'and you're not going to leave.'Then he pushed her into the bathroom and locked the door.
  The next morning Wallis went back to her family.'I can't stay with him,'she said.'I want a divorce.'
  'Poor Wallis,'Edward said.'But what happened next,Lady Furness?'
  'Well,'said Lady Furness,'a few months later she met a fine man called Ernest Simpson. He's quiet, but interesting.They got married and they now live in a beautiful flat in the centre of London.'
  'And are they happy?'asked Edward.
  Lady Furness looked at the Prince and smiled.'I don't know,Sir,'she said.'I don' t know.'
  During the next two years the Prince saw Wallis once or twice a week.They had the same friends, and they often met at parties.
  'Mrs Simpson knew a lot about life,'Edward once said.'She loved books, food, people, and travel. She was very beautiful and her eyes were full of fire. She was friendly and easy to talk to and,after a while,I opened up my heart. We had no secrets.I told her everything.And that's how it all began.'
  'His eyes were always sad,'Wallis said about Edward.'And sometimes he looked like a child— so young, so quiet, so weak. He had no real friends. Perhaps people were a little afraid of him. But he was a warm and kind man. When he talked to me, I felt my heart jump.I wanted to be alone with him, but I knew that wasn't possible.Did the Prince love me in those early days? No,I don't think so.But each time we met,we just felt closer and closer.'
  In June 1933 Edward gave a birthday party for Wallis,and during the next few months he visited the Simpson's flat in London almost every day.
  One evening, the Prince asked Wallis and Ernest to go skiing in Austria.'I'm sorry, Sir,'Mr Simpson replied.'I have to go to America on business.But perhaps Wallis and her aunt can come with you.'
  'We went to Kitzbühl as friends,'Wallis wrote later,'but when we came home, we were in love. And a few months later the Prince asked me to marry him. It was just like a dream!'


■ 5 沃利斯
  下面就是弗内斯勋爵夫人给爱德华讲述的辛普森夫人早年的生活:
  沃利斯出生在巴尔的摩。她从不认识自己的父亲。她才5个月大,父亲就去世了。她母亲是个坚强而充满爱心的女人,沃利斯童年很幸福。
  她 20岁时与一位名叫温菲尔德·斯潘塞的人结了婚。在婚后的最初几年里,他们在一起很幸福。可有一天,温菲尔德在街上丢了钱。他很恼怒。回到家,他从柜子里拿出一瓶威士忌,喝了起来。
  那天晚上,他扇了沃利斯一记耳光。她尖叫起来,他又打她。她脸上都是血,身体像一片叶子一样颤抖着。“求求你,温菲尔德,”她说,“别打了。”
  但温菲尔德拽起她的一只胳膊,一直把她拖到楼上。“你是我的囚犯,”他对她吼道,“你别想走。”然后他把她推进浴室,锁上了门。
  第二天早晨,沃利斯回到娘家。“我不能和他在一起生活了,”她说,“我要离婚。”
  “可怜的沃利斯,”爱德华说,“可是后来呢,弗内斯勋爵夫人?”
  “后来,”弗内斯勋爵夫人说,“几个月后她认识了一位叫欧内斯特·辛普森的好人。他很少说话,但很风趣。他们结了婚,现在住在伦敦市中心一套漂亮的公寓里。”
  “那他们在一起快乐吗?”爱德华问。
  弗内斯勋爵夫人看着王子笑了。“我不知道,殿下,”她说,“我不知道。”
  在后来的两年里,王子每星期都能见到沃利斯一两次。他们有共同的朋友,所以经常能在聚会上碰面。
  “辛普森夫人生活阅历丰富,”爱德华有一次说,“她爱看书,喜欢食物,关爱他人,也喜欢旅行。她非常漂亮,眼里总是充满热情。她待人友善,同她谈话很轻松,没多久我就敞开了心扉。我们之间没有秘密。我对她无所不谈。一切就是这样开始的。”
  “他的眼神总是那么忧伤,”沃利斯这样描述爱德华,“有时他看起来像个孩子——那么年轻,那么温文尔雅,那么脆弱。他没有真正的朋友。也许人们有点儿怕他。但他是一个热心而善良的人。当他对我说话时,我能感觉到自己的心在跳。我想和他单独在一起,但我知道那是不可能的。王子在与我初识的那些日子里爱我吗?不,我想他不爱。但每次我们相见,都感到彼此更接近了。”
  1933年6月,爱德华为沃利斯举办了一个生日聚会,在那以后的几个月中,他几乎天天都去辛普森夫妇在伦敦的公寓拜访。
  一天晚上,王子邀请沃利斯和欧内斯特一起去奥地利滑雪。“对不起,殿下,”辛普森先生回答,“我得去美国出差。不过,也许沃利斯和她姨妈能和您一同去。”
  “我们去基特普尔时是朋友,”沃利斯后来写道,“但返回时已经相爱了。几个月后王子便向我求婚,这真像是一场梦!”


■ 6 The King is Dead!Long Live the King!
  In January 1936 Edward went to Windsor for a few weeks. He was tired of town life and he wanted to work in his garden and ride his horses.
  But then,one afternoon,there was a phone call from Queen Mary.'Edward,'she said,'you must come back im-mediately. Your father is very ill and I think he's going to die.'
  When Edward arrived, he went straight to his father's room.He walked to the side of the bed and kissed his father's white face. The King opened his eyes and smiled.Then he took his son's hand and said:'Be a good King,Edward.And be good to your mother.'
  'Yes,father, I will.'
  The King closed his eyes and did not speak again. Just af-ter midnight he died.
  Then Queen Mary took Edward's hand and kissed it.'My child, you are now King,'she said softly.'God be with you.
  His three brothers came to him, one by one, and they each kissed his hand.'The King is dead.Long live the King,'they said.
  At one o'clock Edward left the room to telephone Wallis.“My father is dead,'he said.
  'I'm so sorry, Sir.'
  'I must stay here for a while,'Edward went on.'But I'll phone you at the weekend.Nothing will change between you and me.I love you more than ever,and you will be my Queen.'
  'Let's not talk about that now,'Wallis replied.'You must go back to your family.'
  'But you are my family, Wallis. You are everything to me.Goodnight.Sleep well.'
  When Wallis put the phone down that night, she sudden-ly felt afraid.'Edward is now King,'she thought,'but what will happen to me?'
  6 国王逝世!国王万岁!
  1936年1月,爱德华去温莎小住几个星期。他厌倦了城市生活,只想侍弄侍弄自己的花园,骑骑马。
  然而,一天下午,王后玛丽打来电话。“爱德华,”她说,“你必须马上赶回来。你父亲病得很厉害,我想他快不行了。”
  爱德华一赶到,便径直去了父亲的房间。他走到床边,吻了吻父亲苍白的脸。国王睁开眼睛,微微一笑。他拉住儿子的手,说:“做个出色的国王,爱德华。要好好待你的母亲。”
  “是,父亲,我会的。”
  国王闭上眼睛,再没说什么。午夜刚过,他就去世了。
  玛丽王后握住爱德华的手,吻了吻。“我的孩子,现在你是国王了。”她温柔地说,“愿上帝与你同在。”
  他的3个弟弟先后走过来,吻了他的手。“国王逝世了,国王万岁!”他们说。
  1点钟,爱德华离开父亲的房间,去给沃利斯打电话。“我父亲去世了。”他说。
  “我很难过,殿下。”
  “我必须在这儿待一段时间,”爱德华接着说,“但周末我会给你打电话的。什么也不能改变你我之间的事。我比任何时候都更爱你,你将成为我的王后。”
  “现在我们还是不要谈这些,”沃利斯回答,“你必须回到你的家庭里。”
  “可你就是我的家庭啊,沃利斯。对我而言,你就是一切。晚安。睡个好觉。”
  那天晚上,沃利斯放下电话时,突然觉得很害怕。“爱德华现在是国王了,”她想,“但我会怎样呢?”

发帖 回复