Previous Story
为避免不必要的麻烦，Romeo一行决定戴上面具在晚宴后悄悄加入舞会。Old Capulet作了简短致辞后，舞会便开始了。
Romeo and Juliet
– Chapter 5 –
But Romeo’s mind was elsewhere.
“Who is that lady of there, on the arm of that lucky young gentleman?” he asked a servant, pointing at Juliet,
And said, as if in a trance(出神),
Oh, she can teach the torches(火炬) to burn bright!
It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night
Like a rich jewel(宝石) in an Ethiop’s ear—
Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear!
That fair girl now among these ladies shows
As shines a snowy dove among the crows(乌鸦).
The dancing done, I’ll see where she will stand
And, touching hers, so bless my own rude hand.
Did my heart love till now? She shines so bright!
I never saw true beauty till this night.
But Tybalt overheard(无意中听到) him, came up to Old Capulet, and said,
“I recognize that voice—that is a Montague!
How dare he come here, hidden behind a mask, and try to ruin our celebration?
Servant, bring me my sword!
By my honor, I shall strike him dead!”
“I think that is young Romeo, is it not?” asked Old Capulet.
“It is indeed that villain(恶棍), Romeo!” Tybalt replied.
“Cousin, please do not get so worked up about it,” Old Capulet replied.
“He is known all through Verona as a respectable and well-mannered young man.
To do him any wrong, here in my own house where he is our guest, would bring shame on our family.
So please, take no notice of him, calm down(冷静), and do not show us such an angry face.
It does not suit such a happy occasion.”
“I have every right to be angry, when such an evil(邪恶的) man is our guest!” Tybalt replied.
“I cannot bear him!”
“I am afraid you will have to,” Old Capulet replied.
“Because this is my house, and I am the master in it.
I do not want you making trouble with so many of our guests here, and that is the end of it.”
“To let them come into our house without challenging them would bring shame to our family!” said Tybalt.
“You think you’re so brave, don’t you?
Well, your so-called bravery may come back to bite you one of these days.
But I have an older and wiser head than yours.
You dare to defy(违抗) me in my own house!
Perhaps it’s time I taught you a lesson . . .”
But here he broke off and spoke reassuringly(令人宽慰地) to some of the other guests, who had heard angry voices raised, “Be merry, my friends!”
And to the servants he said, “Bring more lights!”
Before continuing more calmly, “Tybalt, be quiet now, or I shall have to force you to be quiet.”
So Tybalt reluctantly(不情愿地) went away, his body trembling(颤抖) with the effort of controlling his warring feelings(情绪).
On the outside he tried to appear calm, but inwardly(在内心) he was planning revenge(复仇).
But elsewhere in the room, the mood(氛围) was completely different.
Romeo went up to Juliet, took her hand, and said:
Romeo: If I profane(亵渎) with my unworthy hand
This holy place, the penalty(处罚) is this:
My lips, two blushing(含羞的) pilgrims(朝圣者), ready stand
To smooth that rough touch with a tender(温柔的) kiss.
Juliet: Good pilgrim, do not blame your hand too much—
Your kindness and devotion show in this.
For saints(圣人) have hands that pilgrims’ hands may touch,
And hand to hand is holy pilgrims’ kiss.
Romeo: And saints have lips, and holy pilgrims too.
Juliet: Yes, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer.
Romeo: Saint, may our lips now do what hands may do—
Now touch, and greet; please, save me from despair(绝望)!
Juliet: Saints do not move, though grant(准许) for prayers’ sake(看在…的份上).
Romeo: Then move not, while that tender kiss I take.
And so Romeo reached forward and kissed her.
“And so, by the action of my lips, my hand’s sin(罪孽) is forgiven,” he said.
“Say rather that your sin has passed from your lips to mine,” Juliet replied.
“Then give my sin back to me,” Romeo asked, and kissed Juliet again.
At that moment Juliet’s nurse interrupted them.
“Juliet, your mother would like a word with you,” she said.
“Who is her mother?” asked Romeo.
“Didn’t you know, young man? Her mother is the lady of the house—a wise and kind lady she is, too.
And I am nurse to her daughter, with whom you were just talking.
And I think that whoever marries her daughter will do very well for himself.”
Then Romeo suddenly realized, “A Capulet! There will be a heavy reckoning(算总账) for this.
Now my heart is in the power of my family’s enemies!”
Then Benvolio came to Romeo and said, “Why don’t we leave now? It’s always best to leave before the fun wears off(逐渐消失).”
“Perhaps you’re right,” said Romeo.
“In the rest of my life, there may never be a moment as wonderful as this.”
Seeing them about to leave, Old Capulet invited them to stay a little longer:
“Don’t leave soon, gentlemen! We have a few late night treats prepared for you.
Oh, must you really go? Then good night, and thank you so much for joining us.”
As the guests were leaving and Old Capulet was going to bed, tired but happy, Juliet asked her nurse,
“Who was that young gentleman?”—pointing to one of the guests.
“That is Tiberio’s eldest son.”
“And that gentleman there?”—pointing to another.
“I think that is young Petruchio.”
“And how about the young man behind him, just going through the door—the one who would not dance?”
“I’m sorry, I don’t know him,” the nurse replied.
“Please ask his name,” Juliet asked the nurse, thinking to herself.
“If he is married, what should I do? Kill myself?”
The nurse soon returned: “His name is Romeo, and he is a Montague—the only son of your father’s greatest enemy.”
Then Juliet said aloud,
My only love, sprung from my only hate!
Too early seen unknown, and known too late!
The strangest birth of love is this for me,
That I must love a hated enemy!
“What did you say?” said the nurse, confused(感到困惑的).
“Oh, it’s nothing,” Juliet replied.
“Just a little rhyme(押韵诗) that I learned from one of my dancing partners.”
ACT II
Scene I.
No sooner had Romeo, Benvolio, and Mercutio left Old Capulet’s house than Romeo started to feel very uneasy.
“I am going in the wrong direction,” he thought to himself.
“How can I go away, when my heart is here?”
They were just outside the high wall that surrounded(环绕) Old Capulet’s garden.
So without a word to the others, Romeo suddenly climbed the wall and jumped down on the inside.
“Where did he go?” asked Benvolio.
“If he is wise, he must have rushed home to bed,” replied Mercutio.
“I don’t think so—he must have climbed this garden wall. Mercutio, call out to him!”
“I know how to get him to answer me,” said Mercutio to Benvolio, and then loudly.
“Romeo, you moody(喜怒无常的) and passionate(充满激情的) lover, what has happened to you? Are you all right?
Just give a lover’s sigh, or try to rhyme(使押韵) ‘love’ with ‘dove,’ or talk of Cupid, and I will know that it is really you!
Tell me about Cupid, so old and yet so young—that wise god who made King Cophetua fall in love with the beggar girl!”
“Nothing. He does not speak; he does not move. Let me try again.”
“By Rosaline’s bright eyes, by her high forehead and tempting(诱人的) lips,
by her fine feet, her long legs, and her quivering(发抖的) thighs(大腿), I conjure(恳求) you now to appear before us!”
“Don’t you think it will upset him to hear you talk about his Rosaline like that?” asked Benvolio.
“I hope it does,” Mercutio replied; “then he will come back here to tell me how upset he is.”
“He must have hidden himself among the trees,” said Benvolio.
“His love is blind, and so it prefers the dark.”
“Then let us go to bed,” said Mercutio.
“There is no point waiting here in the dark for someone who prefers not to be found.”
读完了，去做题 ❯