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