第 14 节
作者:
莫莫言 更新:2021-02-27 02:49 字数:9322
true。 O wise and upright judge; How much more elder art thou than thy
looks! PORTIA。 Therefore; lay bare your bosom。 SHYLOCK。 Ay; his
breast… So says the bond; doth it not; noble judge? 'Nearest his heart;' those
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are the very words。 PORTIA。 It is so。 Are there balance here to weigh The
flesh? SHYLOCK。 I have them ready。 PORTIA。 Have by some surgeon;
Shylock; on your charge; To stop his wounds; lest he do bleed to death。
SHYLOCK。 Is it so nominated in the bond? PORTIA。 It is not so express'd;
but what of that? 'Twere good you do so much for charity。 SHYLOCK。 I
cannot find it; 'tis not in the bond。 PORTIA。 You; merchant; have you
anything to say? ANTONIO。 But little: I am arm'd and well prepar'd。 Give
me your hand; Bassanio; fare you well。 Grieve not that I am fall'n to this
for you; For herein Fortune shows herself more kind Than is her custom。 It
is still her use To let the wretched man outlive his wealth; To view with
hollow eye and wrinkled brow An age of poverty; from which ling'ring
penance Of such misery doth she cut me off。 Commend me to your
honourable wife; Tell her the process of Antonio's end; Say how I lov'd
you; speak me fair in death; And; when the tale is told; bid her be judge
Whether Bassanio had not once a love。 Repent but you that you shall lose
your friend; And he repents not that he pays your debt; For if the Jew do
cut but deep enough; I'll pay it instantly with all my heart。 BASSANIO。
Antonio; I am married to a wife Which is as dear to me as life itself; But
life itself; my wife; and all the world; Are not with me esteem'd above thy
life; I would lose all; ay; sacrifice them all Here to this devil; to deliver
you。 PORTIA。 Your wife would give you little thanks for that; If she were
by to hear you make the offer。 GRATIANO。 I have a wife who I protest I
love; I would she were in heaven; so she could Entreat some power to
change this currish Jew。 NERISSA。 'Tis well you offer it behind her back;
The wish would make else an unquiet house。 SHYLOCK。 'Aside' These
be the Christian husbands! I have a daughter… Would any of the stock of
Barrabas Had been her husband; rather than a Christian!… We trifle time; I
pray thee pursue sentence。 PORTIA。 A pound of that same merchant's
flesh is thine。 The court awards it and the law doth give it。 SHYLOCK。
Most rightful judge! PORTIA。 And you must cut this flesh from off his
breast。 The law allows it and the court awards it。 SHYLOCK。 Most
learned judge! A sentence! Come; prepare。 PORTIA。 Tarry a little; there is
something else。 This bond doth give thee here no jot of blood: The words
expressly are 'a pound of flesh。' Take then thy bond; take thou thy pound
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of flesh; But; in the cutting it; if thou dost shed One drop of Christian
blood; thy lands and goods Are; by the laws of Venice; confiscate Unto the
state of Venice。 GRATIANO。 O upright judge! Mark; Jew。 O learned judge!
SHYLOCK。 Is that the law? PORTIA。 Thyself shalt see the act; For; as
thou urgest justice; be assur'd Thou shalt have justice; more than thou
desir'st。 GRATIANO。 O learned judge! Mark; Jew。 A learned judge!
SHYLOCK。 I take this offer then: pay the bond thrice; And let the
Christian go。 BASSANIO。 Here is the money。 PORTIA。 Soft! The Jew
shall have all justice。 Soft! No haste。 He shall have nothing but the penalty。
GRATIANO。 O Jew! an upright judge; a learned judge! PORTIA。
Therefore; prepare thee to cut off the flesh。 Shed thou no blood; nor cut
thou less nor more But just a pound of flesh; if thou tak'st more Or less
than a just pound… be it but so much As makes it light or heavy in the
substance; Or the division of the twentieth part Of one poor scruple; nay; if
the scale do turn But in the estimation of a hair… Thou diest; and all thy
goods are confiscate。 GRATIANO。 A second Daniel; a Daniel; Jew! Now;
infidel; I have you on the hip。 PORTIA。 Why doth the Jew pause? Take
thy forfeiture。 SHYLOCK。 Give me my principal; and let me go。
BASSANIO。 I have it ready for thee; here it is。 PORTIA。 He hath refus'd it
in the open court; He shall have merely justice; and his bond。 GRATIANO。
A Daniel still say I; a second Daniel! I thank thee; Jew; for teaching me
that word。 SHYLOCK。 Shall I not have barely my principal? PORTIA。
Thou shalt have nothing but the forfeiture To be so taken at thy peril; Jew。
SHYLOCK。 Why; then the devil give him good of it! I'll stay no longer
question。 PORTIA。 Tarry; Jew。 The law hath yet another hold on you。 It is
enacted in the laws of Venice; If it be proved against an alien That by
direct or indirect attempts He seek the life of any citizen; The party 'gainst
the which he doth contrive Shall seize one half his goods; the other half
Comes to the privy coffer of the state; And the offender's life lies in the
mercy Of the Duke only; 'gainst all other voice。 In which predicament; I
say; thou stand'st; For it appears by manifest proceeding That indirectly;
and directly too; Thou hast contrived against the very life Of the defendant;
and thou hast incurr'd The danger formerly by me rehears'd。 Down;
therefore; and beg mercy of the Duke。 GRATIANO。 Beg that thou mayst
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have leave to hang thyself; And yet; thy wealth being forfeit to the state;
Thou hast not left the value of a cord; Therefore thou must be hang'd at the
state's charge。 DUKE OF VENICE。 That thou shalt see the difference of
our spirit; I pardon thee thy life before thou ask it。 For half thy wealth; it is
Antonio's; The other half comes to the general state; Which humbleness
may drive unto a fine。 PORTIA。 Ay; for the state; not for Antonio。
SHYLOCK。 Nay; take my life and all; pardon not that。 You take my house
when you do take the prop That doth sustain my house; you take my life
When you do take the means whereby I live。 PORTIA。 What mercy can
you render him; Antonio? GRATIANO。 A halter gratis; nothing else; for
God's sake! ANTONIO。 So please my lord the Duke and all the court To
quit the fine for one half of his goods; I am content; so he will let me have
The other half in use; to render it Upon his death unto the gentleman That
lately stole his daughter… Two things provided more; that; for this favour;
He presently become a Christian; The other; that he do record a gift; Here
in the court; of all he dies possess'd Unto his son Lorenzo and his daughter。
DUKE OF VENICE。 He shall do this; or else I do recant The pardon that I
late pronounced here。 PORTIA。 Art thou contented; Jew? What dost thou
say? SHYLOCK。 I am content。 PORTIA。 Clerk; draw a deed of gift。
SHYLOCK。 I pray you; give me leave to go from hence; I am not well;
send the deed after me And I will sign it。 DUKE OF VENICE。 Get thee
gone; but do it。 GRATIANO。 In christ'ning shalt thou have two god…
fathers; Had I been judge; thou shouldst have had ten more; To bring thee
to the gallows; not to the font。 Exit SHYLOCK DUKE OF VENICE。 Sir; I
entreat you home with me to dinner。 PORTIA。 I humbly do desire your
Grace of pardon; I must away this night toward Padua; And it is meet I
presently set forth。 DUKE OF VENICE。 I am sorry that your leisure
serves you not。 Antonio; gratify this gentleman; For in my mind you are
much bound to him。 Exeunt DUKE; MAGNIFICOES; and train
BASSANIO。 Most worthy gentleman; I and my friend Have by your
wisdom been this day acquitted Of grievous penalties; in lieu whereof
Three thousand ducats; due unto the Jew; We freely cope your courteous
pains withal。 ANTONIO。 And stand indebted; over and above; In love and
service to you evermore。 PORTIA。 He is well paid that is well satisfied;
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And I; delivering you; am satisfied; And therein do account myself well
paid。 My mind was never yet more mercenary。 I pray you; know me when
w