第 7 节
作者:扑火      更新:2022-04-08 21:01      字数:9322
  CLEOPATRA。 I am not afraid。 A queen must not be afraid。 Eat my
  husband there; if you like: he is afraid。
  CAESAR (starting)。 Your husband! What do you mean?
  CLEOPATRA (pointing to Ptolemy)。 That little thing。
  The two Romans and the Briton stare at one another in amazement。
  THEODOTUS。 Caesar: you are a stranger here; and not conversant
  with our laws。 The kings and queens of Egypt may not marry except
  with their own royal blood。 Ptolemy and Cleopatra are born king
  and consort just as they are born brother and sister。
  BRITANNUS (shocked)。 Caesar: this is not proper。
  THEODOTUS (outraged)。 How!
  CAESAR (recovering his self…possession)。 Pardon him。 Theodotus:
  he is a barbarian; and thinks that the customs of his tribe and
  island are the laws of nature。
  BRITANNUS。 On the contrary; Caesar; it is these Egyptians who are
  barbarians; and you do wrong to encourage them。 I say it is a
  scandal。
  CAESAR。 Scandal or not; my friend; it opens the gate of peace。
  (He rises and addresses Pothinus seriously。) Pothiuus: hear what
  I propose。
  RUFIO。 Hear Caesar there。
  CAESAR。 Ptolemy and Cleopatra shall reign jointly in Egypt。
  ACHILLAS。 What of the King's younger brother and Cleopatra's
  younger sister?
  RUFIO (explaining)。 There is another little Ptolemy; Caesar: so
  they tell me。
  CAESAR。 Well; the little Ptolemy can marry the other sister; and
  we will make them both a present of Cyprus。
  POTHINUS (impatiently)。 Cyprus is of no use to anybody。
  CAESAR。 No matter: you shall have it for the sake of peace。
  BRITANNUS (unconsciously anticipating a later statesman)。
  Peace with honor; Pothinus。
  POTHINUS (mutinously)。 Caesar: be honest。 The money you demand is
  the price of our freedom。 Take it; and leave us to settle our own
  affairs。
  THE BOLDER COURTIERS (encouraged by Pothinus's tone and Caesar's
  quietness)。 Yes; yes。 Egypt for the Egyptians!
  The conference now becomes an altercation; the Egyptians
  becoming more and more heated。 Caesar remains unruffled; but
  Rufio grows fiercer and doggeder; and Britannus haughtily
  indignant。
  RUFIO (contemptuously)。 Egypt for the Egyptians! Do you forget
  that there is a Roman army of occupation here; left by Aulus
  Gabinius when he set up your toy king for you?
  ACHILLAS (suddenly asserting himself)。 And now under my command。
  I am the Roman general here; Caesar。
  CAESAR (tickled by the humor of the situation)。 And also the
  Egyptian general; eh?
  POTHINUS (triumphantly)。 That is so; Caesar。
  CAESAR (to Achillas)。 So you can make war on the Egyptians in the
  name of Rome and on the Romanson me; if necessaryin the name
  of Egypt?
  ACHILLAS。 That is so; Caesar。
  CAESAR。 And which side are you on at present; if I may presume to
  ask; general?
  ACHILLAS。 On the side of the right and of the gods。
  CAESAR。 Hm! How many men have you?
  ACHILLAS。 That will appear when I take the field。
  RUFIO (truculently)。 Are your men Romans? If not; it matters not
  how many there are; provided you are no stronger than 500 to ten。
  POTHINUS。 It is useless to try to bluff us; Rufio。 Caesar has
  been defeated before and may be defeated again。 A few weeks ago
  Caesar was flying for his life before Pompey: a few months hence
  he may be flying for his life before Cato and Juba of Numidia;
  the African King。
  ACHILLAS (following up Pothinus's speech menacingly)。 What can
  you do with 4;000 men?
  THEODOTUS (following up Achillas's speech with a raucous squeak)。
  And without money? Away with you。
  ALL THE COURTIERS (shouting fiercely and crowding towards
  Caesar)。 Away with you。 Egypt for the Egyptians! Begone。
  Rufio bites his beard; too angry to speak。 Caesar sits on
  comfortably as if he were at breakfast; and the cat were
  clamoring for a piece of Finnan…haddie。
  CLEOPATRA。 Why do you let them talk to you like that Caesar? Are
  you afraid?
  CAESAR。 Why; my dear; what they say is quite true。
  CLEOPATRA。 But if you go away; I shall not be Queen。
  CAESAR。 I shall not go away until you are Queen。
  POTHINUS。 Achillas: if you are not a fool; you will take that
  girl whilst she is under your hand。
  RUFIO (daring them)。 Why not take Caesar as well; Achillas?
  POTHINUS (retorting the defiance with interest)。 Well said;
  Rufio。 Why not?
  RUFIO。 Try; Achillas。 (Calling) Guard there。
  The loggia immediately fills with Caesar's soldiers; who stand;
  sword in hand; at the top of the steps; waiting the word to
  charge from their centurion; who carries a cudgel。 For a moment
  the Egyptians face them proudly: then they retire sullenly to
  their former places。
  BRITANNUS。 You are Caesar's prisoners; all of you。
  CAESAR (benevolently)。 Oh no; no; no。 By no means。 Caesar's
  guests; gentlemen。
  CLEOPATRA。 Won't you cut their heads off?
  CAESAR。 What! Cut off your brother's head?
  CLEOPATRA。 Why not? He would cut off mine; if he got the chance。
  Wouldn't you; Ptolemy?
  PTOLEMY (pale and obstinate)。 I would。 I will; too; when I grow
  up。
  Cleopatra is rent by a struggle between her newly…acquired
  dignity as a queen; and a strong impulse to put out her tongue at
  him。 She takes no part in the scene which follows; but watches it
  with curiosity and wonder; fidgeting with the restlessness of a
  child; and sitting down on Caesar's tripod when he rises。
  POTHINUS。 Caesar: if you attempt to detain us
  RUFIO。 He will succeed; Egyptian: make up your mind to that。 We
  hold the palace; the beach; and the eastern harbor。 The road to
  Rome is open; and you shall travel it if Caesar chooses。
  CAESAR (courteously)。 I could do no less; Pothinus; to secure the
  retreat of my own soldiers。 I am accountable for every life among
  them。 But you are free to go。 So are all here; and in the palace。
  RUFIO (aghast at this clemency)。 What! Renegades and all?
  CAESAR (softening the expression)。 Roman army of occupation and
  all; Rufio。
  POTHINUS (desperately)。 Then I make a last appeal to Caesar's
  justice。 I shall call a witness to prove that but for us; the
  Roman army of occupation; led by the greatest soldier in the
  world; would now have Caesar at its mercy。 (Calling through the
  loggia) Ho; there; Lucius Septimius (Caesar starts; deeply
  moved): if my voice can reach you; come forth and testify before
  Caesar。
  CAESAR (shrinking)。 No; no。
  THEODOTUS。 Yes; I say。 Let the military tribune bear witness。
  Lucius Septimius; a clean shaven; trim athlete of about 40; with
  symmetrical features; resolute mouth; and handsome; thin Roman
  nose; in the dress of a Roman officer; comes in through the
  loggia and confronts Caesar; who hides his face with his robe for
  a moment; then; mastering himself; drops it; and confronts the
  tribune with dignity。
  POTHINUS。 Bear witness; Lucius Septimius。 Caesar came hither in
  pursuit of his foe。 Did we shelter his foe?
  LUCIUS。 As Pompey's foot touched the Egyptian shore; his head
  fell by the stroke of my sword。
  THEODOTUS (with viperish relish)。 Under the eyes of his wife and
  child! Remember that; Caesar! They saw it from the ship he had
  just left。 We have given you a full and sweet measure of
  vengeance。
  CAESAR (with horror)。 Vengeance!
  POTHINUS。 Our first gift to you; as your galley came into the
  roadstead; was the head of your rival for the empire of the
  world。 Bear witness; Lucius Septimius: is it not so?
  LUCIUS。 It is so。 With this hand; that slew Pompey; I placed his
  head at the feet of Caesar。
  CAESAR。 Murderer! So would you have slain Caesar; had Pompey been
  victorious at Pharsalia。
  LUCIUS。 Woe to the vanquished; Caesar! When I served Pompey; I
  slew as good men as he; only because he conquered them。 His turn
  came at last。
  THEODOTUS (flatteringly)。 The deed was not yours; Caesar; but
  oursnay; mine; for it was done by my counsel。 Thanks to us; you
  keep your reputation for clemency; and have your vengeance too。
  CAESAR。 Vengeance! Vengeance!! Oh; if I could stoop to vengeance;
  what would I not exact from you as the price of this murdered
  man's blood。 (They shrink back; appalled and disconcerted。) Was
  he not my son…in…law; my ancient friend; for 20 years the master
  of great Rome; for 30 years the compeller of victory? Did not I;
  as a Roman; share his glory? Was the Fate that forced us to fight
  for the mastery of the world; of our making? Am I Julius Caesar;
  or am I a wolf; that you fling to me the grey head of the old
  soldier; the laurelled conqueror; the mighty Roman; treacherously
  struck down by this callous ruffian; and then claim my gratitude
  for it! (To Lucius Septimius) Begone: you fill me with horror。
  LUCIUS (cold and undaunted)。 Pshaw! You have seen severed heads
  before; Caesar; and severed right hands too; I think; some
  thousands of them; in Gaul; after you vanquished Vercingetorix。
  Did you spare him; with all your clemency? Was that vengeance?
  CAESAR。 No; by the gods! Would that it had been! Vengeance at
  least is human。 No; I say: those severed right hands; and the
  brave Vercingetorix basely strangled in a vault beneath the
  Capitol; were (with shuddering satire) a wise severity; a
  necessary protection to the commonwealth; a duty of
  statesmanshipfollies and fictions ten times bloodier than
  honest vengeance! What a fool was I then! To think that
  me