第 6 节
作者:扑火      更新:2022-04-08 21:01      字数:9320
  took Berenice my sister and struck her head off。 And now that my
  father is dead yet another of his daughters; my sister Cleopatra;
  would snatch the kingdom from me and reign in my place。 But the
  gods would not suffer (Pothinus coughs admonitorily)the gods
  the gods would not suffer
  POTHINUS (prompting)。will not maintain
  PTOLEMY。 Oh yeswill not maintain such iniquity; they will give
  her head to the axe even as her sister's。 But with the help of
  the witch Ftatateeta she hath cast a spell on the Roman Julius
  Caesar to make him uphold her false pretence to rule in Egypt。
  Take notice then that I will not sufferthat I will not suffer
  (pettishly; to Pothinus)What is it that I will not suffer?
  POTHINUS (suddenly exploding with all the force and emphasis of
  political passion)。 The King will not suffer a foreigner to take
  from him the throne of our Egypt。 (A shout of applause。) Tell the
  King; Achillas; how many soldiers and horsemen follow the Roman?
  THEODOTUS。 Let the King's general speak!
  ACHILLAS。 But two Roman legions; O King。 Three thousand soldiers
  and scarce a thousand horsemen。
  The court breaks into derisive laughter; and a great chattering
  begins; amid which Rufio; a Roman officer; appears in the loggia。
  He is a burly; black…bearded man of middle age; very blunt;
  prompt and rough; with small clear eyes; and plump nose and
  cheeks; which; however; like the rest of his flesh; are in
  ironhard condition。
  RUFIO (from the steps)。 Peace; ho! (The laughter and chatter
  cease abruptly。) Caesar approaches。
  THEODOTUS (with much presence of mind)。 The King permits the
  Roman commander to enter!
  Caesar; plainly dressed; but; wearing an oak wreath to conceal
  his baldness; enters from; the loggia; attended by Britannus; his
  secretary; a Briton; about forty; tall; solemn; and already
  slightly bald; with a heavy; drooping; hazel…colored moustache
  trained so as to lose its ends in a pair of trim whiskers。 He
  is carefully dressed in blue; with portfolio; inkhorn; and reed
  pen at his girdle。 His serious air and sense of the importance
  of the business in hand is in marked contrast to the kindly
  interest of Caesar; who looks at the scene; which is new to him;
  with the frank curiosity of a child; and then turns to the King's
  chair: Britannus and Rufio posting themselves near the steps at
  the other side。
  CAESAR (looking at Pothinus and Ptolemy)。 Which is the King? The
  man or the boy?
  POTHINUS。 I am Pothinus; the guardian of my lord the King。
  Caesar (patting Ptolemy kindly on the shoulder)。 So you are the
  King。 Dull work at your age; eh? (To Pothinus) your servant;
  Pothinus。 (He turns away unconcernedly and comes slowly along the
  middle of the hall; looking from side to side at the courtiers
  until he reaches Achillas。) And this gentleman?
  THEODOTUS。 Achillas; the King's general。
  CAESAR (to Achillas; very friendly)。 A general; eh? I am a
  general myself。 But I began too old; too old。 Health and many
  victories; Achillas!
  ACHILLAS。 As the gods will; Caesar。
  CAESAR (turning to Theodotus)。 And you; sir; are?
  THEODOTUS。 Theodotus; the King's tutor。
  CAESAR。 You teach men how to be kings; Theodotus。 That is very
  clever of you。 (Looking at the gods on the walls as he turns away
  from Theodotus and goes up again to Pothinus。) And this place?
  POTHINUS。 The council chamber of the chancellors of the King's
  treasury; Caesar。
  CAESAR。 Ah! That reminds me。 I want some money。
  POTHINUS。 The King's treasury is poor; Caesar。
  CAESAR。 Yes: I notice that there is but one chair in it。
  RUFIO (shouting gruffly)。 Bring a chair there; some of you; for
  Caesar。
  PTOLEMY (rising shyly to offer his chair)。 Caesar
  CAESAR (kindly)。 No; no; my boy: that is your chair of state。 Sit
  down。
  He makes Ptolemy sit down again。 Meanwhile Rufio; looking about
  him; sees in the nearest corner an image of the god Ra;
  represented as a seated man with the head of a hawk。 Before
  the image is a bronze tripod; about as large as a three…legged
  stool; with a stick of incense burning on it。 Rufio; with Roman
  resourcefulness and indifference to foreign superstitions;
  promptly seizes the tripod; shakes off the incense; blows away
  the ash; and dumps it down behind Caesar; nearly in the middle of
  the hall。
  RUFIO。 Sit on that; Caesar。
  A shiver runs through the court; followed by a hissing whisper of
  Sacrilege!
  CAESAR (seating himself)。 Now; Pothinus; to business。 I am badly
  in want of money。
  BRITANNUS (disapproving of these informal expressions)。 My master
  would say that there is a lawful debt due to Rome by Egypt;
  contracted by the King's deceased father to the Triumvirate; and
  that it is Caesar's duty to his country to require immediate
  payment。
  CAESAR (blandly)。 Ah; I forgot。 I have not made my companions
  known here。 Pothinus: this is Britannus; my secretary。 He is an
  islander from the western end of the world; a day's voyage from
  Gaul。 (Britannus bows stiffly。) This gentleman is Rufio; my
  comrade in arms。 (Rufio nods。) Pothinus: I want 1;600 talents。
  The courtiers; appalled; murmur loudly; and Theodotus and
  Achillas appeal mutely to one another against so monstrous a
  demand。
  POTHINUS (aghast)。 Forty million sesterces! Impossible。 There is
  not so much money in the King's treasury。
  CAESAR (encouragingly)。 ONLY sixteen hundred talents; Pothinus。
  Why count it in sesterces? A sestertius is only worth a loaf of
  bread。
  POTHINUS。 And a talent is worth a racehorse。 I say it is
  impossible。 We have been at strife here; because the King's
  sister Cleopatra falsely claims his throne。 The King's taxes have
  not been collected for a whole year。
  CAESAR。 Yes they have; Pothinus。 My officers have been collecting
  them all the morning。 (Renewed whisper and sensation; not without
  some stifled laughter; among the courtiers。)
  RUFIO (bluntly)。 You must pay; Pothinus。 Why waste words? You are
  getting off cheaply enough。
  POTHINUS (bitterly)。 Is it possible that Caesar; the conqueror of
  the world; has time to occupy himself with such a trifle as our
  taxes?
  CAESAR。 My friend: taxes are the chief business of a conqueror of
  the world。
  POTHINUS。 Then take warning; Caesar。 This day; the treasures of
  the temples and the gold of the King's treasury will be sent to
  the mint to be melted down for our ransom in the sight of the
  people。 They shall see us sitting under bare walls and drinking
  from wooden cups。 And their wrath be on your head; Caesar; if you
  force us to this sacrilege!
  CAESAR。 Do not fear; Pothinus: the people know how well wine
  tastes in wooden cups。 In return for your bounty; I will settle
  this dispute about the throne for you; if you will。 What say you?
  POTHINUS。 If I say no; will that hinder you?
  RUFIO (defiantly)。 No。
  CAESAR。 You say the matter has been at issue for a year;
  Pothinus。 May I have ten minutes at it?
  POTHINUS。 You will do your pleasure; doubtless。
  CAESAR。 Good! But first; let us have Cleopatra here。
  THEODOTUS。 She is not in Alexandria: she is fled into Syria。
  CAESAR。 I think not。 (To Rufio) Call Totateeta。
  RUFIO (calling)。 Ho there; Teetatota。
  Ftatateeta enters the loggia; and stands arrogantly at the top of
  the steps。
  FTATATEETA。 Who pronounces the name of Ftatateeta; the Queen's
  chief nurse?
  CAESAR。 Nobody can pronounce it; Tota; except yourself。 Where is
  your mistress?
  Cleopatra; who is hiding behind Ftafateeta; peeps out at them;
  laughing。 Caesar rises。
  CAESAR。 Will the Queen favor us with her presence for a moment?
  CLEOPATRA (pushing Ftatateeta aside and standing haughtily on the
  brink of the steps)。 Am I to behave like a Queen?
  CAESAR。 Yes。
  Cleopatra immediately comes down to the chair of state; seizes
  Ptolemy and drags him out of his seat; then takes his place in
  the chair。 Ftatateeta seats herself on the step of the loggia;
  and sits there; watching the scene with sybilline intensity。
  PTOLEMY (mortified; and struggling with his tears)。 Caesar: this
  is how she treats me always。 If I am a King why is she allowed to
  take everything from me?
  CLEOPATRA。 You are not to be King; you little cry…baby。 You are
  to be eaten by the Romans。
  CAESAR (touched by Ptolemy's distress)。 Come here; my boy; and
  stand by me。
  Ptolemy goes over to Caesar; who; resuming his seat on the
  tripod; takes the boy's hand to encourage him。 Cleopatra;
  furiously jealous; rises and glares at them。
  CLEOPATRA (with flaming cheeks)。 Take your throne: I don't want
  it。 (She flings away from the chair; and approaches Ptolemy; who
  shrinks from her。) Go this instant and sit down in your place。
  CAESAR。 Go; Ptolemy。 Always take a throne when it is offered to
  you。
  RUFIO。 I hope you will have the good sense to follow your own
  advice when we return to Rome; Caesar。
  Ptolemy slowly goes back to the throne; giving Cleopatra a
  wide berth; in evident fear of her hands。 She takes his place
  beside Caesar。
  CAESAR。 Pothinus
  CLEOPATRA (interrupting him)。 Are you not going to speak to me?
  CAESAR。 Be quiet。 Open your mouth again before I give you leave;
  and you shall be eaten。
  CLEOPATRA。 I am not afraid。 A queen must not be afraid。 Eat my
  husband there; if you like: he is afraid。