第 18 节
作者:扑火      更新:2022-04-08 21:01      字数:9322
  THE MAJOR…DOMO。 Caesar will deign to choose his wine? Sicilian;
  Lesbian; Chian
  RUFIO (contemptuously)。 All Greek。
  APOLLODORUS。 Who would drink Roman wine when he could get Greek?
  Try the Lesbian; Caesar。
  CAESAR。 Bring me my barley water。
  RUFIO (with intense disgust)。 Ugh! Bring ME my Falernian。 (The
  Falernian is presently brought to him。)
  CLEOPATRA (pouting)。 It is waste of time giving you dinners;
  Caesar。 My scullions would not condescend to your diet。
  CAESAR (relenting)。 Well; well: let us try the Lesbian。 (The
  Major…Domo fills Caesar's goblet; then Cleopatra's and
  Apollodorus's。) But when I return to Rome; I will make laws
  against these extravagances。 I will even get the laws carried
  out。
  CLEOPATRA (coaxingly)。 Never mind。 To…day you are to be like
  other people: idle; luxurious; and kind。 (She stretches her hand
  to him along the table。)
  CAESAR。 Well; for once I will sacrifice my comfort (kissing her
  hand) there! (He takes a draught of wine。) Now are you satisfied?
  CLEOPATRA。 And you no longer believe that I long for your
  departure for Rome?
  CAESAR。 I no longer believe anything。 My brains are asleep。
  Besides; who knows whether I shall return to Rome?
  RUFIO (alarmed)。 How? Eh? What?
  CAESAR。 What has Rome to show me that I have not seen already?
  One year of Rome is like another; except that I grow older;
  whilst the crowd in the Appian Way is always the same age。
  APOLLODORUS。 It is no better here in Egypt。 The old men; when
  they are tired of life; say 〃We have seen everything except the
  source of the Nile。〃
  CAESAR (his imagination catching fire)。 And why not see
  that? Cleopatra: will you come with me and track the flood
  to its cradle in the heart of the regions of mystery? Shall
  we leave Rome behind usRome; that has achieved greatness only
  to learn how greatness destroys nations of men who are not great!
  Shall I make you a new kingdom; and build you a holy city there
  in the great unknown?
  CLEOPATRA (rapturously)。 Yes; Yes。 You shall。
  RUFIO。 Ay: now he will conquer Africa with two legions before we
  come to the roast boar。
  APOLLODORUS。 Come: no scoffing; this is a noble scheme: in it
  Caesar is no longer merely the conquering soldier; but the
  creative poet…artist。 Let us name the holy city; and consecrate
  it with Lesbian Wineand Cleopatra shall name it herself。
  CLEOPATRA。 It shall be called Caesar's Gift to his Beloved。
  APOLLODORUS。 No; no。 Something vaster than thatsomething
  universal; like the starry firmament。
  CAESAR (prosaically)。 Why not simply The Cradle of the Nile?
  CLEOPATRA。 No: the Nile is my ancestor; and he is a god。 Oh! I
  have thought of something。 The Nile shall name it himself。 Let us
  call upon him。 (To the Major…Domo) Send for him。 (The three men
  stare at one another; but the Major…Domo goes out as if he had
  received the most matter…of…fact order。) And (to the retinue)
  away with you all。
  The retinue withdraws; making obeisance。
  A priest enters; carrying a miniature sphinx with a tiny tripod
  before it。 A morsel of incense is smoking in the tripod。 The
  priest comes to the table and places the image in the middle of
  it。 The light begins to change to the magenta purple of the
  Egyptian sunset; as if the god had brought a strange colored
  shadow with him。 The three men are determined not to be
  impressed; but they feel curious in spite of themselves。
  CAESAR。 What hocus…pocus is this?
  CLEOPATRA。 You shall see。 And it is NOT hocus…pocus。 To do it
  properly; we should kill something to please him; but perhaps he
  will answer Caesar without that if we spill some wine to him。
  APOLLODORUS (turning his head to look up over his shoulder at
  Ra)。 Why not appeal to our hawkheaded friend here?
  CLEOPATRA (nervously)。 Sh! He will hear you and be angry。
  RUFIO (phlegmatically)。 The source of the Nile is out of his
  district; I expect。
  CLEOPATRA。 No: I will have my city named by nobody but my dear
  little sphinx; because it was in its arms that Caesar found me
  asleep。 (She languishes at Caesar; then turns curtly to the
  priest。) Go; I am a priestess; and have power to take your charge
  from you。 (The priest makes a reverence and goes out。) Now let us
  call on the Nile all together。 Perhaps he will rap on the table。
  CAESAR。 What! Table rapping! Are such superstitions still
  believed in this year 707 of the Republic?
  CLEOPATRA。 It is no superstition: our priests learn lots of
  things from the tables。 Is it not so; Apollodorus?
  APOLLODORUS。 Yes: I profess myself a converted man。 When
  Cleopatra is priestess; Apollodorus is devotee。 Propose the
  conjuration。
  CLEOPATRA。 You must say with me 〃Send us thy voice; Father Nile。〃
  ALL FOUR (holding their glasses together before the idol)。 Send
  us thy voice; Father Nile。
  The death cry of a man in mortal terror and agony answers them。
  Appalled; the men set down their glasses; and listen。 Silence。
  The purple deepens in the sky。 Caesar; glancing at Cleopatra;
  catches her pouring out her wine before the god; with gleaming
  eyes; and mute assurances of gratitude and worship。 Apollodorus
  springs up and runs to the edge of the roof to peer down and
  listen。
  CAESAR (looking piercingly at Cleopatra)。 What was that?
  CLEOPATRA (petulantly)。 Nothing。 They are beating some slave。
  CAESAR。 Nothing!
  RUFIO。 A man with a knife in him; I'll swear。
  CAESAR (rising)。 A murder!
  APOLLODORUS (at the back; waving his hand for silence)。 S…sh!
  Silence。 Did you hear that?
  CAESAR。 Another cry?
  APOLLODORUS (returning to the table)。 No; a thud。 Something fell
  on the beach; I think。
  RUFIO (grimly; as he rises)。 Something with bones in it; eh?
  CAESAR (shuddering)。 Hush; hush; Rufio。 (He leaves the table and
  returns to the colonnade: Rufio following at his left elbow; and
  Apollodorus at the other side。)
  CLEOPATRA (still in her place at the table)。 Will you leave me;
  Caesar? Apollodorus: are you going?
  APOLLODORUS。 Faith; dearest Queen; my appetite is gone。
  CAESAR。 Go down to the courtyard; Apollodorus; and find out what
  has happened。
  Apollodorus nods and goes out; making for the staircase by which
  Rufio ascended。
  CLEOPATRA。 Your soldiers have killed somebody; perhaps。 What does
  it matter?
  The murmur of a crowd rises from the beach below。 Caesar and
  Rufio look at one another。
  CAESAR。 This must be seen to。 (He is about to follow Apollodorus
  when Rufio stops him with a hand on his arm as Ftatateeta comes
  back by the far end of the roof; with dragging steps; a drowsy
  satiety in her eyes and in the corners of the bloodhound lips。
  For a moment Caesar suspects that she is drunk with wine。 Not so
  Rufio: he knows well the red vintage that has inebriated her。)
  RUFIO (in a low tone)。 There is some mischief between those two。
  FTATATEETA。 The Queen looks again on the face of her servant。
  Cleopatra looks at her for a moment with an exultant reflection
  of her murderous expression。 Then she flings her arms round her;
  kisses her repeatedly and savagely; and tears off her jewels and
  heaps them on her。 The two men turn from the spectacle to look at
  one another。 Ftatateeta drags herself sleepily to the altar;
  kneels before Ra; and remains there in prayer。 Caesar goes to
  Cleopatra; leaving Rufio in the colonnade。
  CAESAR (with searching earnestness)。 Cleopatra: what has
  happened?
  CLEOPATRA (in mortal dread of him; but with her utmost cajolery)。
  Nothing; dearest Caesar。 (With sickly sweetness; her voice almost
  failing) Nothing。 I am innocent。 (She approaches him
  affectionately) Dear Caesar: are you angry with me? Why do you
  look at me so? I have been here with you all the time。 How can I
  know what has happened?
  CAESAR (reflectively)。 That is true。
  CLEOPATRA (greatly relieved; trying to caress him)。 Of course it
  is true。 (He does not respond to the caress。) You know it is
  true; Rufio。
  The murmur without suddenly swells to a roar and subsides。
  RUFIO。 I shall know presently。 (He makes for the altar in the
  burly trot that serves him for a stride; and touches Ftatateeta
  on the shoulder。) Now; mistress: I shall want you。 (He orders
  her; with a gesture; to go before him。)
  FTATATEETA (rising and glowering at him)。 My place is with the
  Queen。
  CLEOPATRA。 She has done no harm; Rufio。
  CAESAR (to Rufio)。 Let her stay。
  RUFIO (sitting down on the altar)。 Very well。 Then my place is
  here too; and you can see what is the matter for yourself。 The
  city is in a pretty uproar; it seems。
  CAESAR (with grave displeasure)。 Rufio: there is a time for
  obedience。
  RUFIO。 And there is a time for obstinacy。 (He folds his arms
  doggedly。)
  CAESAR (to Cleopatra)。 Send her away。
  CLEOPATRA (whining in her eagerness to propitiate him)。 Yes; I
  will。 I will do whatever you ask me; Caesar; always; because I
  love you。 Ftatateeta: go away。
  FTATATEETA。 The Queen's word is my will。 I shall be at hand for
  the Queen's call。 (She goes out past Ra; as she came。)
  RUFIO (following her)。 Remember; Caesar; YOUR bodyguard also is
  within call。 (He follows her out。)
  Cleopatra; presuming upon Caesar's submission to Rufio; leaves
  the table and sits down on the bench in the colonnade。
  CLEOPATRA。 Why do you allow Rufio to treat