Chapter 20 Act V, Scene 1 Belmont.The Boulevard to Portia's House

Enter Lorenzo and Jessica. Lorenzo, what a bright moonlight!The breeze gently kissed the branches without making a sound; I think it was on such a night that Troilus climbed the walls of Troy, looked at the camp of the Greeks where Cressida was lodged, and uttered The lament of his deep heart. It was on such a night that Jessica stepped on the dew tremblingly to go to her lover's rendezvous, and fled away in fright at the sight of a lion. Lorenzo It was on such a night that Dido, standing with a willow branch in her hand, stood on the vast seashore, beckoning her lover back to Carthage.

It was on such a night that Jessica gathered the ganoderma lucidum to rejuvenate the aging Aisun. ⒀ Lorenzo It was on such a night that Jessica escaped from the Jewish rich man's house and followed a worthless lover from Venice to Belmont. Jessica It was on such a night that young Lorenzo swore that he loved her, and stole her soul with many faithful words, none of which was true. Lorenzo It was on such a night that sweet Jessica, like a little shrew, slandered her lover, but he forgave her. Jessica If someone hadn't come, I could tell more stories about the night than you know.But listen!Isn't this the sound of a person's footsteps?

Lorenzo, who runs so fast in this quiet night? A friend of Stephano. Lorenzo a friend!What friend?May I ask your friend's name? Stephano My name is Stephano, and I've come to tell you that my mistress is coming to Belmont before daybreak; and she stops and kneels when she sees the Holy Cross. Pray, praying for a happy marriage. Lorenzo Who will come with her? Stephano was nobody but a monastic hermit and her maid.May I ask if my master has come back? Lorenzo he has not returned, nor have we heard from him.But, Jessica, let us go in; let us, according to the etiquette, prepare some ceremony to welcome the mistress of the house.

Enter Launcelot. Launcelot Sola!Sola!Oh ha ha!Sola!Sola! Lorenzo Who's shouting there? Launcelot Sola!Do you see Master Lorenzo?Lord Lorenzo!Sola!Sola! Lorenzo Hush, friend; here he is. Launcelot Sola!where?where? Lorenzo here. Launcelot told him that my master's sent a man with good news; and he'll be home before daybreak. (Down.) Lorenzo My dear, let us go in and wait for them to come back.No, you still don't have to go in.Stephano, my friend, go in and tell the people at home that your mistress is coming, and tell them to get their instruments ready and meet them at the door. (Exit STEPHANO) How peacefully the moonlight sleeps on the hillside!Here we sit and let the sound of music whisper to our ears; the soft silence and night are the most sufficient to set off the sweetness of music.Sit down, Jessica.Behold, how many golden cymbals the heavens are filled with; and every tiny orb you see, as it turns, it sings with an angelic song, ever to the song of the tender-eyed celestial child.There is such a music in the immortal soul too, but when it is clothed in this vulgar and perishable skin of clay, we hear it no more.

Enter the musicians. Come Lorenzo!Sing a hymn to awaken Diana; pour into the ears of your mistress the softest rhythms, and let her be drawn back by the music. (music.) Jessica I always feel a little melancholy when I hear soft music. Lorenzo It is because you have a sensitive soul.You only need to watch a herd of unruly beasts, or that untamed pony, galloping and galloping and neighing loudly in their unrestrained blood, and if you hear a horn now and then, or any tune, you will Standing together, their wild eyes turned into gentle gazes because of the charm of music.That's why poets make up stories about Orpheus moving wood and rocks with music, calming wind and waves, because no matter how hard, stubborn and violent things are, music can change their nature at once; Those who speak but do not move are good at doing evil and deceitful; their souls are as dark as the night, and their feelings are as dark as the haunted world; such people cannot be trusted.Listen to this music!

PORTIA and NERISSA enter from a distance. PORTIA That light comes from my house.How far does the light of a tiny candle shine!A good deed, like this candle, shines as broadly in this wicked world. Nerissa When the moon is bright, we cannot see the lights. It was in this way that Portia's small glory was overshadowed by a greater one.The authority of the regent is like a sovereign when the king is away, but when the king returns, his authority is gone, like the trickle of the brook to the sea.music!listen! Miss Nerissa, this is music in our house. Portia There is no merit without comparison; I think it sounds much better than in the day.

Miss Nerissa, that is because the night is quieter than the day. If Portia is unappreciated, the crow sings as much as the lark; and if the nightingale sings by day amid the din of geese, it will never be thought more beautiful than the wren.How many things can reach the state of perfection and win proper praise because of favorable circumstances!Hey, calm down!The moon is sleeping soundly with her lover in her arms, and she will wake up if she refuses. (Music stops.) Lorenzo If I hear you right, this is Portia's voice. PORTIA My voice is so bad that he recognizes it at once, as a blind man recognizes a cuckoo.

Good lady Lorenzo, welcome home! PORTIA We are outside praying for the safety of our husbands, and may they be blessed by our prayers.Are they back yet? They haven't come, Madame Lorenzo; but a letter has just been delivered that they are coming. Go in, Portia, Nerissa, and tell my servants to act as if we had never been out; Lorenzo, keep my secret; Jessica, say nothing more. (Horn sound.) Lorenzo Your husband is coming, I hear his trumpet.We are not gossips, ma'am, don't worry. A night like Portia's was like a drowsy day, but a little bleaker; and a sunless day looked like that.

Enter Bassanio, Antonio, Gratiano, and Attendants. Bassanio If you walk where there is no sun, we shall share the day with those on the other side of the earth. PORTIA Let me shine, but let me not be light like light; For a light wife makes a husband's heart heavy, And I would not have Bassanio's heart heavy for me.But everything is up to God!Welcome home, sir! Bassanio Thank you, madam.Welcome my friend; this is Antonio, from whom I have been inexhaustible. PORTIA He has done you well, For I hear you have done him badly. Antonio nothing, now everything has been satisfactorily resolved.

You are most welcome, Mr. Portia; but empty words do not convey sincerity, so I will refrain from all civilities. GRATIANO (to Nerissa) I swear by the moon over there, you wronged me, and I did send it to the judge's clerk.Good man, since you take this matter so seriously, I hope the person who took it was a man who had his dick cut off. O Portia!Already fighting?For what? Graciano gave me a worthless ring for a gold circle, and the poem engraved on it was similar to those engraved on knives by those knifesmiths, "Love me and never give up". Nerissa, do you care what verse it is, what is valuable or not?When I gave it to you, you swore to me that you would wear it till you die, and be buried with you in the grave; It values ​​it and keeps it well.To a judge's clerk!Pooh!God can judge for me, the clerk who took this ring must have a face that never grows hair.

Graciano: He will grow a beard naturally when he grows up. Nerissa Can a woman grow into a man? Gratiano I swear by my hands, I did give it to a young man, a small, stunted child; he was no taller than you, the judge's clerk.He is a talkative boy, and he insisted that I give him this ring as a reward, and I am ashamed not to give it to him. PORTIA Excuse me for being rude, but it is your fault; how can you give your wife's first present so casually?You have sworn it on your finger, it is an inseparable part of you.I once gave my love a ring, and made him swear never to throw it away; and here he is, and I swear on his behalf, that he would not throw it away or give him all the riches in the world. Take it off his fingers.Verily, Gratiano, you have done too much to your wife; if it had been me, I would have lost my temper. Bassanio (aside) Well, I should have cut off my left hand, then I can swear, because the bandit wants my ring, and I won't give it to him, so I cut off my hand too. Monsieur Graciano Bassanio also gave the judge his ring, because the judge insisted on asking him for it;The child, the judge's clerk, asked for my ring as a reward for writing a few words.Both master and servant don't want anything, just these two rings. PORTIA My lord, what ring did you give?I don't think it's the one I gave you? Bassanio If I could aggravate my fault by lying, I'd deny it; but you see I don't have a ring on my finger; it's gone. PORTIA Just as there is no truth in your hypocritical heart.I swear to God, I'll never sleep with you again until I see this ring. Nerissa I will never sleep with you again if I do not see my ring. Bassanio Dear Portia, if you know to whom I give this ring, if you know for whom I give it, if you can think of what reason I give it, I am How much I can't let go of this ring, but they don't want anything, they must have this ring, then you won't be so angry. PORTIA If you knew the ring's value, or half the benefits of the one who gave it to you, or the honor of keeping it for yourself, You wouldn't throw it away.As long as you are willing to explain a few words to him with a little sincerity, how can there be such an unreasonable person in the world who would be ashamed to force him to keep something as a souvenir?What Nerissa said was true, and I can swear on my life that some woman must have taken this ring. Bassanio No, madam, I swear by my honor and my soul, It was not taken by some woman, but indeed to the Doctor of Laws; I refused to ask for this ring, so he went there unhappy.It was he who saved my dear friend's life; what shall I say, good lady?I have no choice but to be pursued and given to him; favor and politeness compel me to do so, and I cannot allow my reputation to be stained with ingratitude.Forgive me, good lady, and by the lamp of heaven, if you had been there then, I think you would have begged me to give this ring to the wise doctor. Portia told the doctor never to come near my house again.Since he has taken what I cherished, and what you swore to keep for me forever, I will be as generous as you; I will give him all I have, even if he wants my body, Or my husband's bed, I will not deny him.I'll know him one day, I'm sure; you'd better not leave the house a night, and watch over me like a hundred-eyed monster; otherwise I swear by my virginity not lost, if You left me alone at home, I must sleep with this doctor. Nerissa I share my bed with his clerk; so take care not to leave my side. Gratiano Well, do as you please, as long as I don't touch him; if I catch him, I'll break the pen of the boy secretary. Antonio is all my fault for causing this quarrel among you. It has nothing to do with you, Mr. Portia; you are very welcome to come to us. Bassanio Portia, pardon me for this blunder of necessity, I swear to you in the presence of so many friends, with your beautiful eyes, in which I can see myself— PORTIA Listen to him!I also have him in my left eye, and I also have him in my right eye; you swear by your dual personality, can I still trust you? Bassanio No, listen to me.Forgive my mistake this time, and I swear by my soul that I will never break my oath to you again. ANTONIO I once pledged my own body for his happiness, but for the man who took your husband's ring, I almost lost my life; now I dare make another contract, and my soul as Guarantee that your husband will never commit willful breach of trust again. PORTIA Then beg you to be his surety, and give him this to keep better than the last one. Antonio Take it, Bassanio; swear to keep this ring forever. Goodness Bassanio!This is the one I gave to the Dr! Portia I took it from him.Forgive me, Bassanio, for with this ring the doctor has slept with me. Nerissa Forgive me, my good Gratiano; that stunted child, the doctor's clerk, slept with me last night because I asked him for this ring. Gratiano Oh, it's like remaking a well-paved road in summer.Hey!Are we just going to be obnoxious like this? PORTIA Don't speak so harshly.You are all a little puzzled; here is a letter, read slowly, from Bellario from Padua, from which you will know that the doctor is Portia, her The secretary is this Nerissa.Lorenzo can testify to you that I set off as soon as you set off; I haven't been home long, and I haven't even entered the gate.Antonio, you are very welcome to come here; I also bring you some good news that you didn't expect, please open this letter, and you can know that you have three merchant ships, which have returned with full load and are about to arrive in port up.You will never again imagine how this letter came into my hands by such a coincidence. Antonio I have nothing to say. Bassanio You are the doctor, do I not know you? Gratiano, are you the secretary who wants me to be the bastard? Nerissa Yes, but unless the clerk grows into a man, he can no longer call you a bastard. Good doctor Bassanio, sleep with me to-night; in my absence you may sleep in my wife's bed. Antonio Good lady, you have saved my life, and given me another means of life; and this letter I have sure news that my ship has arrived safe and sound. PORTIA Hello, Lorenzo!My secretary also has something nice to give you. Nerissa Yes, I can give it to him without any charge.Here is a deed of inheritance signed by the rich Jewish man, declaring that after his death, the entire estate will pass to you and Jessica, please accept it. Lorenzo, two good ladies, you are like angels who scatter manna⒁, helping the hungry people. PORTIA It is nearly daylight, but I know you want to know more of these things.Let's all go in; if you have any doubts, just ask us again, and we will answer all questions honestly. Graciano is very well, the first question I want my Nerissa to answer on oath is that it is only two hours before daylight, shall we go to bed, or sleep till tomorrow night?Exactly--not afraid of the approaching dusk, but worrying about the long days; the elegant secretary is handsome, and I am happy to share the same bed tonight.Between the fingers of the golden ring, the radiance is brilliant and self-generated, lest my wife scold me, I will never abandon the road. (Exit.)