第 4 节
作者:
莫莫言 更新:2021-02-27 02:48 字数:8580
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THE MERCHANT OF VENICE
me this: If he should break his day; what should I gain By the exaction of
the forfeiture? A pound of man's flesh taken from a man Is not so
estimable; profitable neither; As flesh of muttons; beefs; or goats。 I say; To
buy his favour; I extend this friendship; If he will take it; so; if not; adieu;
And; for my love; I pray you wrong me not。 ANTONIO。 Yes; Shylock; I
will seal unto this bond。 SHYLOCK。 Then meet me forthwith at the
notary's; Give him direction for this merry bond; And I will go and purse
the ducats straight; See to my house; left in the fearful guard Of an
unthrifty knave; and presently I'll be with you。 ANTONIO。 Hie thee;
gentle Jew。 Exit SHYLOCK The Hebrew will turn Christian: he grows
kind。 BASSANIO。 I like not fair terms and a villain's mind。 ANTONIO。
Come on; in this there can be no dismay; My ships come home a month
before the day。 Exeunt
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ACT II。
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SCENE I。 Belmont。 PORTIA'S house
Flourish of cornets。 Enter the PRINCE of MOROCCO; a tawny Moor
all in white; and three or four FOLLOWERS accordingly; with PORTIA;
NERISSA; and train
PRINCE OF Morocco。 Mislike me not for my complexion; The
shadowed livery of the burnish'd sun; To whom I am a neighbour; and near
bred。 Bring me the fairest creature northward born; Where Phoebus' fire
scarce thaws the icicles; And let us make incision for your love To prove
whose blood is reddest; his or mine。 I tell thee; lady; this aspect of mine
Hath fear'd the valiant; by my love; I swear The best…regarded virgins of
our clime Have lov'd it too。 I would not change this hue; Except to steal
your thoughts; my gentle queen。 PORTIA。 In terms of choice I am not
solely led By nice direction of a maiden's eyes; Besides; the lott'ry of my
destiny Bars me the right of voluntary choosing。 But; if my father had not
scanted me; And hedg'd me by his wit to yield myself His wife who wins
me by that means I told you; Yourself; renowned Prince; then stood as fair
As any comer I have look'd on yet For my affection。 PRINCE OF
MOROCCO。 Even for that I thank you。 Therefore; I pray you; lead me to
the caskets To try my fortune。 By this scimitar; That slew the Sophy and a
Persian prince; That won three fields of Sultan Solyman; I would o'erstare
the sternest eyes that look; Outbrave the heart most daring on the earth;
Pluck the young sucking cubs from the she…bear; Yea; mock the lion when
'a roars for prey; To win thee; lady。 But; alas the while! If Hercules and
Lichas play at dice Which is the better man; the greater throw May turn by
fortune from the weaker band。 So is Alcides beaten by his page; And so
may I; blind Fortune leading me; Miss that which one unworthier may
attain; And die with grieving。 PORTIA。 You must take your chance; And
either not attempt to choose at all; Or swear before you choose; if you
choose wrong; Never to speak to lady afterward In way of marriage;
therefore be advis'd。 PRINCE OF MOROCCO。 Nor will not; come; bring
me unto my chance。 PORTIA。 First; forward to the temple。 After dinner
Your hazard shall be made。 PRINCE OF MOROCCO。 Good fortune then;
To make me blest or cursed'st among men! 'Cornets; and exeunt'
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SCENE II。 Venice。 A street
Enter LAUNCELOT GOBBO
LAUNCELOT。 Certainly my conscience will serve me to run from
this Jew my master。 The fiend is at mine elbow and tempts me; saying to
me 'Gobbo; Launcelot Gobbo; good Launcelot' or 'good Gobbo' or 'good
Launcelot Gobbo; use your legs; take the start; run away。' My conscience
says 'No; take heed; honest Launcelot; take heed; honest Gobbo' or; as
aforesaid; 'honest Launcelot Gobbo; do not run; scorn running with thy
heels。' Well; the most courageous fiend bids me pack。 'Via!' says the fiend;
'away!' says the fiend。 'For the heavens; rouse up a brave mind' says the
fiend 'and run。' Well; my conscience; hanging about the neck of my heart;
says very wisely to me 'My honest friend Launcelot; being an honest man's
son' or rather 'an honest woman's son'; for indeed my father did something
smack; something grow to; he had a kind of taste… well; my conscience
says 'Launcelot; budge not。' 'Budge;' says the fiend。 'Budge not;' says my
conscience。 'Conscience;' say I; (you counsel well。' 'Fiend;' say I; 'you
counsel well。' To be rul'd by my conscience; I should stay with the Jew my
master; who… God bless the mark!… is a kind of devil; and; to run away
from the Jew; I should be ruled by the fiend; who… saving your reverence!…
is the devil himself。 Certainly the Jew is the very devil incarnation; and; in
my conscience; my conscience is but a kind of hard conscience to offer to
counsel me to stay with the Jew。 The fiend gives the more friendly counsel。
I will run; fiend; my heels are at your commandment; I will run。
Enter OLD GOBBO; with a basket
GOBBO。 Master young man; you; I pray you; which is the way to
master Jew's? LAUNCELOT。 'Aside' O heavens! This is my true…begotten
father; who; being more than sand…blind; high…gravel blind; knows me not。
I will try confusions with him。 GOBBO。 Master young gentleman; I pray
you; which is the way to master Jew's? LAUNCELOT。 Turn up on your
right hand at the next turning; but; at the next turning of all; on your left;
marry; at the very next turning; turn of no hand; but turn down indirectly
to the Jew's house。 GOBBO。 Be God's sonties; 'twill be a hard way to hit!
Can you tell me whether one Launcelot; that dwells with him; dwell with
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him or no? LAUNCELOT。 Talk you of young Master Launcelot? 'Aside'
Mark me now; now will I raise the waters。… Talk you of young Master
Launcelot? GOBBO。 No master; sir; but a poor man's son; his father;
though I say't; is an honest exceeding poor man; and; God be thanked; well
to live。 LAUNCELOT。 Well; let his father be what 'a will; we talk of
young Master Launcelot。 GOBBO。 Your worship's friend; and Launcelot;
sir。 LAUNCELOT。 But I pray you; ergo; old man; ergo; I beseech you; talk
you of young Master Launcelot? GOBBO。 Of Launcelot; an't please your
mastership。 LAUNCELOT。 Ergo; Master Launcelot。 Talk not of Master
Launcelot; father; for the young gentleman; according to Fates and
Destinies and such odd sayings; the Sisters Three and such branches of
learning; is indeed deceased; or; as you would say in plain terms; gone to
heaven。 GOBBO。 Marry; God forbid! The boy was the very staff of my
age; my very prop。 LAUNCELOT。 Do I look like a cudgel or a hovel…post;
a staff or a prop? Do you know me; father? GOBBO。 Alack the day; I
know you not; young gentleman; but I pray you tell me; is my boy… God
rest his soul!… alive or dead? LAUNCELOT。 Do you not know me; father?
GOBBO。 Alack; sir; I am sand…blind; I know you not。 LAUNCELOT。 Nay;
indeed; if you had your eyes; you might fail of the knowing me: it is a
wise father that knows his own child。 Well