第 2 节
作者:扑火      更新:2022-04-08 21:01      字数:9322
  breastplates。 Every man of them flung his javelin: the one that
  came my way drove through my shield as through a papyruslo
  there! (he points to the bandage on his left arm) and would have
  gone through my neck had I not stooped。 They were charging at the
  double then; and were upon us with short swords almost as soon as
  their javelins。 When a man is close to you with such a sword; you
  can do nothing with our weapons: they are all too long。
  THE PERSIAN。 What did you do?
  BEL AFFRIS。 Doubled my fist and smote my Roman on the sharpness
  of his jaw。 He was but mortal after all: he lay down in a stupor;
  and I took his sword and laid it on。 (Drawing the sword) Lo! a
  Roman sword with Roman blood on it!
  THE GUARDSMEN (approvingly)。 Good! (They take the sword and hand
  it round; examining it curiously。)
  THE PERSIAN。 And your men?
  BEL AFFRIS。 Fled。 Scattered like sheep。
  BELZANOR (furiously)。 The cowardly slaves! Leaving the
  descendants of the gods to be butchered!
  BEL AFFRIS (with acid coolness)。 The descendants of the gods did
  not stay to be butchered; cousin。 The battle was not to the
  strong; but the race was to the swift。 The Romans; who have no
  chariots; sent a cloud of horsemen in pursuit; and slew
  multitudes。 Then our high priest's captain rallied a dozen
  descendants of the gods and exhorted us to die fighting。 I said
  to myself: surely it is safer to stand than to lose my breath and
  be stabbed in the back; so I joined our captain and stood。 Then
  the Romans treated us with respect; for no man attacks a lion
  when the field is full of sheep; except for the pride and honor
  of war; of which these Romans know nothing。 So we escaped with
  our lives; and I am come to warn you that you must open your
  gates to Caesar; for his advance guard is scarce an hour behind
  me; and not an Egyptian warrior is left standing between you and
  his legions。
  THE SENTINEL。 Woe; alas! (He throws down his javelin and flies
  into the palace。)
  BELZANOR。 Nail him to the door; quick! (The guardsmen rush for
  him with their spears; but he is too quick for them。) Now this
  news will run through the palace like fire through stubble。
  BEL AFFRIS。 What shall we do to save the women from the Romans?
  BELZANOR。 Why not kill them?
  PERSIAN。 Because we should have to pay blood money for some of
  them。 Better let the Romans kill them: it is cheaper。
  BELZANOR (awestruck at his brain power)。 O subtle one! O
  serpent!
  BEL AFFRIS。 But your Queen?
  BELZANOR。 True: we must carry off Cleopatra。
  BEL AFFRIS。 Will ye not await her command?
  BELZANOR。 Command! A girl of sixteen! Not we。 At Memphis ye deem
  her a Queen: here we know better。 I will take her on the crupper
  of my horse。 When we soldiers have carried her out of Caesar's
  reach; then the priests and the nurses and the rest of them can
  pretend she is a queen again; and put their commands into her
  mouth。
  PERSIAN。 Listen to me; Belzanor。
  BELZANOR。 Speak; O subtle beyond thy years。
  THE PERSIAN。 Cleopatra's brother Ptolemy is at war with her。 Let
  us sell her to him。
  THE GUARDSMEN。 O subtle one! O serpent!
  BELZANOR。 We dare not。 We are descended from the gods; but
  Cleopatra is descended from the river Nile; and the lands of our
  fathers will grow no grain if the Nile rises not to water them。
  Without our father's gifts we should live the lives of dogs。
  PERSIAN。 It is true: the Queen's guard cannot live on its pay。
  But hear me further; O ye kinsmen of Osiris。
  THE GUARDSMEN。 Speak; O subtle one。 Hear the serpent begotten!
  PERSIAN。 Have I heretofore spoken truly to you of Caesar; when
  you thought I mocked you?
  GUARDSMEN。 Truly; truly。
  BELZANOR (reluctantly admitting it)。 So Bel Affris says。
  PERSIAN。 Hear more of him; then。 This Caesar is a great lover of
  women: he makes them his friends and counselors。
  BELZANOR。 Faugh! This rule of women will be the ruin of Egypt。
  THE PERSIAN。 Let it rather be the ruin of Rome! Caesar grows old
  now: he is past fifty and full of labors and battles。 He is too
  old for the young women; and the old women are too wise to
  worship him。
  BEL AFFRIS。 Take heed; Persian。 Caesar is by this time almost
  within earshot。
  PERSIAN。 Cleopatra is not yet a woman: neither is she wise。 But
  she already troubles men's wisdom。
  BELZANOR。 Ay: that is because she is descended from the river
  Nile and a black kitten of the sacred White Cat。 What then?
  PERSIAN。 Why; sell her secretly to Ptolemy; and then offer
  ourselves to Caesar as volunteers to fight for the overthrow of
  her brother and the rescue of our Queen; the Great Granddaughter
  of the Nile。
  THE GUARDSMEN。 O serpent!
  PERSIAN。 He will listen to us if we come with her picture in our
  mouths。 He will conquer and kill her brother; and reign in Egypt
  with Cleopatra for his Queen。 And we shall be her guard。
  GUARDSMEN。 O subtlest of all the serpents! O admiration! O
  wisdom!
  BEL AFFRIS。 He will also have arrived before you have done
  talking; O word spinner。
  BELZANOR。 That is true。 (An affrighted uproar in the palace
  interrupts him。) Quick: the flight has begun: guard the door。
  (They rush to the door and form a cordon before it with their
  spears。 A mob of women…servants and nurses surges out。 Those in
  front recoil from the spears; screaming to those behind to keep
  back。 Belzanor's voice dominates the disturbance as he shouts)
  Back there。 In again; unprofitable cattle。
  THE GUARDSMEN。 Back; unprofitable cattle。
  BELZANOR。 Send us out Ftatateeta; the Queen's chief nurse。
  THE WOMEN (calling into the palace)。 Ftatateeta; Ftatateeta。
  Come; come。 Speak to Belzanor。
  A WOMAN。 Oh; keep back。 You are thrusting me on the spearheads。
  A huge grim woman; her face covered with a network of tiny
  wrinkles; and her eyes old; large; and wise; sinewy handed; very
  tall; very strong; with the mouth of a bloodhound and the jaws of
  a bulldog; appears on the threshold。 She is dressed like a person
  of consequence in the palace; and confronts the guardsmen
  insolently。
  FTATATEETA。 Make way for the Queen's chief nurse。
  BELZANOR。 (with solemn arrogance)。 Ftatateeta: I am Belzanor; the
  captain of the Queen's guard; descended from the gods。
  FTATATEETA。 (retorting his arrogance with interest)。 Belzanor: I
  am Ftatateeta; the Queen's chief nurse; and your divine ancestors
  were proud to be painted on the wall in the pyramids of the kings
  whom my fathers served。
  The women laugh triumphantly。
  BELZANOR (with grim humor) Ftatateeta: daughter of a
  long…tongued; swivel…eyed chameleon; the Romans are at hand。 (A
  cry of terror from the women: they would fly but for the spears。)
  Not even the descendants of the gods can resist them; for they
  have each man seven arms; each carrying seven spears。 The blood
  in their veins is boiling quicksilver; and their wives become
  mothers in three hours; and are slain and eaten the next day。
  A shudder of horror from the women。 Ftatateeta; despising them
  and scorning the soldiers; pushes her way through the crowd and
  confronts the spear points undismayed。
  FTATATEETA。 Then fly and save yourselves; O cowardly sons of the
  cheap clay gods that are sold to fish porters; and leave us to
  shift for ourselves。
  BELZANOR。 Not until you have first done our bidding; O terror of
  manhood。 Bring out Cleopatra the Queen to us and then go whither
  you will。
  FTATATEETA (with a derisive laugh)。 Now I know why the gods have
  taken her out of our hands。 (The guardsmen start and look at one
  another)。 Know; thou foolish soldier; that the Queen has been
  missing since an hour past sun down。
  BELZANOR (furiously)。 Hag: you have hidden her to sell to Caesar
  or her brother。 (He grasps her by the left wrist; and drags her;
  helped by a few of the guard; to the middle of the courtyard;
  where; as they fling her on her knees; he draws a murderous
  looking knife。) Where is she? Where is she? or (He threatens to
  cut her throat。)
  FTATATEETA (savagely)。 Touch me; dog; and the Nile will not rise
  on your fields for seven times seven years of famine。
  BELZANOR (frightened; but desperate)。 I will sacrifice: I will
  pay。 Or stay。 (To the Persian) You; O subtle one: your father's
  lands lie far from the Nile。 Slay her。
  PERSIAN (threatening her with his knife)。 Persia has but one god;
  yet he loves the blood of old women。 Where is Cleopatra?
  FTATATEETA。 Persian: as Osiris lives; I do not know。 I chide her
  for bringing evil days upon us by talking to the sacred cats of
  the priests; and carrying them in her arms。 I told her she would
  be left alone here when the Romans came as a punishment for her
  disobedience。 And now she is gonerun awayhidden。 I speak the
  truth。 I call Osiris to witness。
  THE WOMEN (protesting officiously)。 She speaks the truth;
  Belzanor。
  BELZANOR。 You have frightened the child: she is hiding。 Search
  quickinto the palacesearch every corner。
  The guards; led by Belzanor; shoulder their way into the palace
  through the flying crowd of women; who escape through the
  courtyard gate。
  FTATATEETA (screaming)。 Sacrilege! Men in the Queen's chambers!
  Sa (Her voice dies away as the Persian puts his knife to her
  throat。)
  BEL AFFRIS (laying a hand on Ftatateeta's left shoulder)。 Forbear
  her