Chapter 35 third act
The first scene: a room in the palace
[King, Queen, Polonius, Ophelia, Rawson Crane, and Gaiden Stearn]
Wang: {To Luo and Gai} And you can't find out in the conversation why he behaved so fascinated,
To disturb its peace with violent and dangerous madness?
Luo: He also admitted that he was in a trance, but he refused to say the reason.
Guy: And he is not willing to accept our discussion.
When we wanted to pry into his truth, he cunningly avoided asking.
Post: Is he willing to meet with you?
Luo: Very polite, like a gentleman.
Guy: But it is also very reluctant.
Luo: He was very reticent, but he also answered our request clearly.
Queen: Did you spy on him for any entertainment?
Luo: Madam, when we went to meet him, we surpassed a group of actors.
When we told him about it, he seemed happy to hear it.
They are at the palace now, and I believe they have been hired to play for him tonight.
Bo: These are absolutely correct.And he also asked me to invite the two Majesties to watch the play together.
Wang: I am very happy and glad that he has such a hobby.
{To Luo and Gai}
Gentlemen, please encourage him to develop in this entertainment.
Luo: We will, my lord.
[Rosen Crane and Gaiden Stern enter the scene]
King: Sweet Gertrude, please leave us for a while,
Because we have secretly planned to call Hamlet here, so that he can run into Ophelia as if by chance.
At that time, I can hide in a secret place with her father and be a legal observer,
Make a candid judgment of this encounter without showing up, watch his manners,
To see if what he was really suffering from was lovesickness.
Queen: I will obey your will.
As for Ophelia, I hope your beauty is indeed the cause of Hamlet's madness,
I also hope that your virtues will enable them to regain their minds and share these two beauties.
Ou: Madame, I also wish the same.
[queen out]
Bo: Ophelia, come here.
{to the king, point to a hideout}
Your Majesty, I have wronged you, we can hide here.
{Turns to Ophelia, hands her a book of poetry}
Please read this book of poetry, so that you seem more alone here.
{again to the king}
We too often commit this crime, and there are many examples of this:
Use divine gestures and pious movements to conceal the work of the devil.
Wang: [dark thinking]
Ah, indeed! What a lash to my conscience!
powdered cheeks of a whore
It is not necessarily uglier than my false behavior covered up by whitewashing language.
Ah, what a heavy burden!
Bo: I hear him coming, let us step down, my lord.
[The King and Polonius out]
[Enter Hamlet]
Ha: {talking to myself}
To be or not to be, this is the question that must be answered:
Should we silently endure the merciless blows of harsh fate,
Or should we fight against the endless suffering as deep as the sea,
and overcome it.
Of these two choices, which one is more noble?
Death is sleep, it is nothing more than that!
If a single sleep can end the pain of the mind and the troubles of the body,
Well, this ending is to be expected!
die, sleep...
But there may be dreams in sleep, ah, here's the hindrance:
When we are free from this dying skin,
What dreams come in death's sleep?
it makes us hesitate,
so that we willingly endure long-term disasters,
Otherwise, who would tolerate all kinds of torture in the world,
Such as the government of a tyrant, the pride of the arrogant, the pain of a lost love, the arrogance of laws and regulations, the insult of corrupt officials, or the humiliation of mediocrity,
What if he could simply cut it off?
Who else would be willing to be an ox and a horse, and spend his life in labor,
silently enduring its sufferings, instead of flying far away, floating in the ambiguous realm,
Had he not been held back by fear of what was behind him?
This land is a country that no one knows, and no one has returned since ancient times.
So "reason" can make us cowards,
And "worries" can make our originally brilliant aspirations dull, like a sick man.
Furthermore, these things can spoil big things, mess up big plans, and make them lose their courage.
{Meet Ophelia}
Oh, whisper.
Fair Ophelia, sweet lady, in your prayers do not forget my sins.
Ou: How has your Highness been these few days?
HA: I humbly thank you; very good.
Ou: Your Highness, here are some souvenirs you gave me in the past, I always want to return them to you,
Hope you take them.
Hal: No, no, I never gave you anything.
O: Your Majesty, you know you have had,
And you added your sweet words at that time, making it extra precious.
Now that this fragrance is gone, you can take it back.
For lovers, if the giver is not sincere, the gift will lose its meaning.
Take it, Your Highness.
Ha: Haha, do you have any chastity? {Pay close attention}
Ou: {Surprised} Your Highness?
Ha: Are you beautiful?
Ou: What does Your Highness mean?
Hal: If you have chastity and beauty, let your chastity have nothing to do with your beauty.
Ou: Beauty and chastity, can there be a more perfect combination than this, Your Highness?
Ha: Of course there is: beauty corrupts chastity, makes it sensual;
It's easier than chastity can affect beauty.
This was unthinkable before, but now it has been proven by time.
I have loved you, before.
Ou: You did make me think so, Your Highness.
HA: You shouldn't have believed me then:
May the branch of virtue be grafted on the stem of iniquity,
But its fruit will still have the bitterness of sin {Note 1}.
That is not love.
Ou: You really lied to me.
Ha: You go to the nunnery!
Do you want to be the birth mother of a brood of sinners?
I'm still a bit of a moral person,
But I can name my many faults,
Makes me feel like my mother shouldn't have given birth to me.
I am proud, vengeful, and ambitious;
The evil potential hidden in my heart is so huge that I can't imagine it, and so many that I have no time to practice it.
What's the use of a guy like me living between heaven and earth?
We're all bad guys, don't trust us.
You go to the nunnery.
Where is your father?
O: At home, Your Highness.
Hal: Let him be locked up there, so he'll just be a fool in his own house.
goodbye.
O: Ah, God, please help him!
Ha: If you will get married in the future, then let me send you a bad word to marry you:
Even if you are as virtuous as ice and as chaste as snow, you will not be able to escape the slander of gossip.
You go into the nunnery! Goodbye.
If you must marry, marry a fool,
Because smart people know you'll make them look like a turtle.Please hurry to the nunnery!
goodbye.
O: May the power of God make him well.
Hal: I've heard about those rouge ornaments of yours,
God gave you a face, but you want to dress it up like a face.
You are coquettish, you are pretentious, you are glib, you are hypocritical.
Enough, let's not talk, I am angry.I said, we are not allowed to have any more marriages in the future.
Married persons may go on living, except for one,
Other people should maintain the status quo and not allow marriage.
You go to the nunnery, let's go!
[Hamlet out]
O: Ah, the noble soul has lost all reason!
The appearance of a courtier, the martial arts of a military officer, the eloquence of a scholar, the brilliant future of a king,
The elegant demeanor of the role model of thousands of people, the eminent supreme dignity, all of these are ruined, all ruined!
I am the saddest, most unfortunate woman.I have heard his words as sweet as honey,
But now to see him lose his sublime reason, like a string of bells going up and down,
lost their harmony.The supreme model of youth was thus destroyed in madness.
Ah, what I have seen, and what I see now, they pain me!
[Enter Polonius and the King]
Wang: Infatuation? His expression does not seem to have such a tendency;
What he said, although incoherent, does not necessarily mean that he is a madman.
Something is troubling him deep down, and I think it's going to involve something sinister.
To prevent this, I have resolved to this course: Send him immediately to England,
Let him collect the tribute owed to our country,
I also hope that this sea trip, new environment and new affairs can make him get rid of this strange worry.
What do you think?
Bo: That's a great idea.However, I still think,
The reason for his sorrow is still because he has not been loved.
Well, Ophelia, you don't need to tell us what Your Highness Hamlet said,
We heard it all.
Your Majesty, you may do as you please; but if you agree,
After watching the play, let him have a private conversation with his mother and ask him to reveal the reasons for his sorrow.
Let her have a frank interview with him. At that time, if you allow me, I can hide in a place and eavesdrop on their words.
If she can't find out why, send him to England,
Or imprison him wherever you want.
Wang: That's it.The madness of noble people must not be underestimated!
[All out]
Translator's note:
(1). Bad roots are hard to change.
Scene 2: A room in the castle
[Hamlet and the three actors enter]
{Hamlet is teaching them how to act}
Ha: When you recite this line, you should follow my instructions and spit it out clearly word by word through the heel of your tongue.
If you can only scream -- some of us actors do --
Then I'd rather let the city's proclamation and tolerance play that role.
And don't wave your hands in the air -- as if {gesturing} -- but be subtle,
For when your emotions run like a torrent, like a storm, like a whirlwind,
You must have considerable self-control, so that the play can be expressed smoothly and smoothly.
What I hate the most is seeing a bad actor with a wig and a shrill voice on stage
Tore a lyrical line to shreds like a piece of rag,
To curry favor with those standing voters who are mostly only qualified to watch inexplicable pantomime and absurd farce. {note 1}
I should give this guy a good whip, when he went too far playing Termagen{Note 2}
The cruelty of King Herod {Note 3} is mild in comparison.
I hope you guys avoid these.
Actor 1: Certainly, Your Highness.
Hal: But don't be too meek.Be careful to do it yourself,
Let the action match the lines, and the lines also match the actions. Don't play too much,
For any such performance would be contrary to the purpose of the theater: that from ancient times to the present imitates fact,
Demonstrate morality, expose ugliness, and faithfully reflect social life.
A performance that is too much or not enough may amuse the ignorant audience,
But it will also make the connoisseurs groan and cry.Their comments, you should admit,
In contrast, it is far more weighty.
Well, I've seen a lot of empty-headed actors -- and I don't mean to be disrespectful --
They act like people and ghosts.They swaggered on stage,
The appearance of chirping and screaming made me wonder if human beings are rotten goods created by the creator's apprentices,
Because they played humans so vilely.
Actor One: I hope we've improved considerably on this, sir.
Hal: Ah, to be radically improved.
Also, please limit your buffoons to the lines they are given.
Some clowns will cheer and laugh on the stage, making a group of ignorant audiences giggle with them,
And ignore the important plot.This behavior is inexcusable,
It shows the despicable ambition of the buffoon.
You should prepare well.
[Actors out]
[Entered by Polonius, Rawson Crane, and Gaiden Stearns]
How, sir, will the king come to see the play?
Bo: The queen will too, and they will be here soon.
HA: Please tell the actors to hurry up.
[Polonier out]
Can you two go and tell them to hurry?
Luo: Yes, Your Highness.
[Exit by Rosen Crane and Gaiden Steng]
H: Hi, Horatio!
[Herixiu enters]
He: Here! Your Majesty, at your service.
H: You're the most stable person I've ever dated.
He: {Excuse me} Oh, my dear Highness.
Hal: No, don't think I'm flattering you,
The only wealth you have is your kind heart, what benefits can I get?
What reason is there to curry favor with a pauper?
Forget it, let's leave the sweet talk of the flatterer to the vain ones,
Because there is hope for some sweetness by kowtowing to them.
Are you listening? Ever since I was sensible and able to distinguish between good and evil,
You are the one chosen by my heart.
You have gone through vicissitudes and tasted the joys and sorrows of life.
May God bless such people, because their blood and reason have been adjusted harmoniously,
They will not accept the teasing and manipulation of fate silently,
I will not act rashly or act rashly.
Give me a man who is not a slave to feelings,
And I'll tie him fast to the heart, yes, to the heart of the heart,
as I do to you...
Well, that's too much to say.
There's a play tonight in the king's presence,
One of the scenes will involve what I told you about my father's death.
I beg you, when you see this act, watch my uncle carefully.
If the crime he hides is not exposed in a line,
So, what we saw was indeed a demon,
And my paranoid heart is really dirtier than Vulcan's anvil.
Keep an eye on him.My eyes would be nailed to his face too.
In hindsight we can compare what we said about his performance.
H: Well, Your Majesty, if he does anything sneaky in this play and goes undetected,
Then I will pay for my loss.
{Drums approaching}
Ha: They are coming to the theater, I should play dumb, you can find a seat.
[The King, Queen, Polonius, Ophelia, Rawson Crane, Gaiden Stern, and all the nobles and attendants enter.
The King's Guard holds a blazing torch. ]
Wang: How is my nephew Hamlet?
Ha: Great, like a chameleon, sucking air and kongnuo (Note 4),
You can't feed capons this kind of feed.
King: I don't understand what you're answering, Hamlet; that's not my language.
H: Yes, at the moment it is not my language either.
[to Polonius]
Sir, I heard you acted in college?
Bo: I have acted, Your Highness, and I am quite a good actor.
H: Who did you play?
Bo: I played Julius.Caesar; I was stabbed in the Senate, and Brutus killed me.
Ha: How reckless he was to kill such a big fool.
Are the actors ready?
Luo: Yes, Your Highness, they are waiting for your order.
After: Come here, dear Hamlet, come and sit beside me.
H: No, mother, there are more magnets here. [turns to Ophelia]
Bo: [privately with the king] Oh, huh, did you see it?
Ha: [Lying at Ophelia's feet] Miss, may I lie in your arms?
Ou: No, Your Highness.
HA: I mean, 'May I put my head on your lap. 』
Ou: Well, Your Highness.
Hal: You think I'm talking about that village thing?
O: I have no such idea.
HA: What a wonderful idea that is, in girl's legs.
O: What, Your Highness?
H: Nothing.
O: Are you happy, Your Highness?
H: Who, me?
O: Yes, Your Highness.
HA: Oh my gosh, I'm your only funny character! How can you not be happy?
You see how happy my mother is,
And my father died just two hours ago.
Ou: No, it is already double the amount of two months, Your Highness.
Ha: How long has it been?
That being the case, let the devil wear the black filial piety,
I'm going to wear that mink coat!
Goodness, died two months ago and has not been forgotten!
So, then, when a great man dies,
It is hoped that his memories will last for half a year longer.
But, Holy Mother, he'll build more temples,
Otherwise, he may get the same experience as the prop Trojan horse.
Its tombstone is inscribed: "Woohoo, woohoo, wooden horse, forgotten..."
[Trumpet sounds, pantomime begins]
[Actor King and Actress Empress come on stage.They hugged each other affectionately first, then the queen knelt down,
To express her love for the king.The king lifted her up, put his head on her neck first,
Then lie down in a cluster of flowers.The queen left after seeing him sleeping soundly.
In a moment, one person enters.He first took off the king's crown and kissed it,
Then pour a vial of venom into the sleeper's ear, and leave.
When the queen returned, she found the king dead, and mourned greatly.
The poisoner and three or four relatives re-entered, and they also mourned together.
After the king's body was carried away, the poisoner brought out gifts to court the queen.
The queen was reluctant at first, but finally agreed. ]
[Casts out]
O: What does this mean, Your Highness?
Ha: This is called "creating evil", evil deeds too!
Ou: This seems to have indicated the outline of the play.
[To the Opener]
HA: This guy will let us know; actors can't keep secrets, they'll tell.
Ou: Will he tell us the meaning of the performance just now?
HA: Yes, or any show--
As long as you are not shy to perform, he will not be shy to tell you what it means.
O: You are so bad, you are so bad.I went to the theater.
Speaker: For our tragedy tonight,
Bow down and ask to contain more,
I beg you to listen patiently.
[out]
H: Is this the prologue or the motto engraved on the ring?
O: It's really short, Your Highness.
Ha: Like a woman's love.
[The king of actors and the queen of actors enter]
King Ling: "The sun has circled the earth for thirty years,
across the plains and across the sea.
The moon lends light to the dark night,
Unchanged for decades.
Nianqing and I formed an alliance,
Thirty years have passed in a flash. 』
Empress Dowager: "I only hope that this love will not end,
The day can be like the old moon.
But now my concubine is deeply terrified,
All because of her husband's physical illness.
Melancholy and joyless,
Not to mention the gradual weakening of body drive.
Caring comes from love,
Please don't be suspicious.
A woman's worries are like her love,
If it is not enough, it will be redundant.
The love for you has long been proved,
It's not a mystery in every possible way.
The deeper the love, the deeper the thought,
This is not surprising. 』
King Ling: "I will never love you again,
This drive has lost its vitality.
Those who enjoy the glory of the world,
Only beautiful women are left to guard the world of mortals.
May heaven be blessed,
Assistant to ask for a good husband. 』
Empress Dowager: "Your Majesty, don't say such things,
The concubine has absolutely no desire to betray her husband.
If a concubine marries again, she will be condemned,
Wan Shi reviled and suspected of killing her husband. 』
Ha: [Privately] It's bitter, bitter.
Empress Dowager: "Remarriage is usually not for love,
All out of lust for glory.
That day we slept together on the queen-husband's couch,
It's like killing the husband again. 』
Acting King: "Undoubtedly, the truth now,
But people often regret their promises.
Volunteers are memory slaves,
Followed by light is normal.
Just like a green fruit hanging on a branch,
When the fruit is ripe, there is no need to shake it.
At that time, I forgot to take care of the preface,
The enthusiasm of the past took a shower early.
When joy and sorrow are excited,
All can destroy reason.
Joy and sorrow are endless,
Grief can turn into carnival.
The human affairs in this world do not last forever,
What is so strange about love at will?
Who can solve this riddle today,
Which comes first, love or fate?
The ruined rich lost relatives and friends,
If you are lucky, the poor and the enemy will disappear.
From this point of view, love follows luck:
There is no shortage of wine and meat customers in the rich family,
It is difficult to make friends with the hungry people.
Let me get down to business:
Will and destiny are always opposite,
The result is difficult to be the same as the purpose,
Plans are often overturned.
You swear not to marry your second husband,
I'm afraid that my husband will break his promise to death. 』
Empress Ling: "The land can exhaust my food,
God can make me never have light,
The day troubles me,
I have no peace at night.
Destroy my faith and hope,
make my life miserable,
God can frustrate my ambition,
Punish me forever to lose my joy,
Hugh can have peace in this life.
If you become a lonely and widow in the future,
I swear never to be a wife again!"
Ha: If she breaks the oath!
Acting King: "You are worthy of saying it with your heart and soul!"
My dear, I am tired now,
For the time being, please leave me, madam,
Wait for me to rest and recover. 』
Empress Dowager: "Husband, even if you sleep peacefully,
Bad luck can hardly lead to double divorce. 』
[out.Ling Wang sleeps]
Ha: Mother, what do you think of this girl?
Queen: I think that woman took the oath too hard.
H: Oh, but she'll keep her word.
Wang: Have you heard the plot of this play? Is there anything unpleasant about it?
HA: No, no, they were just kidding - the poison was fun,
No offense intended.
Wang: What is the name of the play?
Huh: It's called a "mousetrap" - a good metaphor indeed!
The play alludes to a murder that once took place in Vienna.
The duke's name was Gonzhago, and his wife Battista.
You'll see right away that this is a provocative act; but who cares?
His Majesty shares our innocence, and it will not affect us.
Make the guilty person uneasy, it has nothing to do with us.
[The actor who accompanied Luciano appears]
This man is Luciano, nephew of the king.
Ou: You are like a narrator of the plot, Your Highness.
Hal: If I ever see a puppet act out that thing between you and your lover, I can explain it too.
Ou: You are so sharp (Note 5), Your Highness, you are so sharp.
Hal: If I'm going to be blunt, I'll have to teach you to moan for a while.
Ou: You get worse, from good to bad...
Ha: It's like marrying a husband with false affection (Note 6)...
{shouting to the stage}
Let's begin, murderer, don't show your nasty face any more!
Let's do it! The quacking crow is already roaring for revenge! (Note 7)
Lu: {Muttering words in mouth}
"The black heart is hot and the poison is gone,
No one sees a good time,
The poisonous chain comes from the night grass,
Witch god three curses and add disease,
To emit magic power,
If you touch it, you will die immediately!"
[Pours venom into Sleeper's ear]
Ha: {shouting from the audience}
He poisoned him in the garden for coveting his property.
{Point to the deceased} His name is Brother Gong Cha, this is a recent case,
There are Italian records as evidence.
You will soon see how the murderer gets the love of Gong Cha's widow!
O: The king has stood up.
Ha: What, frightened by an empty gun?
Empress: {To the King} What's the matter, Your Majesty?
Bo: Stop acting!
Wang: Bring the torch, let's go!
Bo: Torch! Torch! Torch!
[All out, only Hamlet and Horatio]
Ha: {singing loudly}
"The wounded doe goes to cry,
The stag swims unharmed as before,
Some are asleep and some are awake,
There is nothing surprising about reincarnation. 』
Sir, if my fortune should turn bad in the future,
Do you think I could be a member of the troupe with some feathers in my hat and two big bows on my shoes?
He: You can get half salary.
HA: I'll get a full salary.
{sing again}
"Dear Damon you should know, (Note 8)
The monarch of this country is not a god,
On the throne is a branch - a peacock (Note 9). 』
H: You should rhyme it (Note 10).
Hal: Ah, good Horatio, I'll wager a thousand pounds on the ghost's word, see you?
H: See clearly, Your Highness.
Ha: When the performance reaches poisoning?
He: I observed him very carefully.
Ha: Ah, ha! Come on, play music! Flute player, come on!
"If Your Majesty does not like comedy,
Then he really can't appreciate it!"
Come on, play music!
[Entered by Rosen Crane and Gaiden Steng]
Guy: Your Highness, please allow me to have a word with you.
H: You can talk about the whole history if you want.
Gai: Sir, Your Majesty, he...
Hal: Yes sir, what's the matter with him?
Guy: He was very uncomfortable after returning to the dormitory.
H: Too much to drink, sir?
Guy: No, Your Highness, he lost his temper.
Hal: If you are wise, you should tell this to his physician,
Because if you want me to clean his stomach (Note 11), I'm afraid it will only make him lose his temper.
Gai: My lord, can you be more rational and stop talking nonsense?
H: I'm fine.You go on talking.
Guy: Your mother - Her Majesty the Queen - sent me here in great anxiety.
Hal: I welcome you.
Guy: No, my lord, this courtesy is wrong.
If you are willing to answer me well, then I will convey her intention to you;
Otherwise, your forgiveness plus my return will be the end of the matter.
Hal: I can't, sir.
Luo: Can't what, Your Highness?
Hal: To give you a good answer; there's something wrong with my head.However, sir,
All I can answer is what you will get, which is what my mother will get.
Let's not talk about these, let's get down to business.my mother, you said...
Luo: She said this: Your recent behavior has surprised and annoyed her.
H: What a son can astonish his mother so much.
But is there nothing else but mother's astonishment? Please tell me.
Luo: She hopes you can talk to her in her bedroom before going to bed.
Ha: The prince will obey her, even if she is ten times my mother.
What else do you need to tell the prince? {Put out the prince's car}
Luo: Your Highness, I once fell in love with you wrongly...
H: Still, I swear by my pickpocketing hands. {raise hands}
Luo: My good lord, what is driving you mad?
If you are unwilling to discuss your concerns with your friends, you will undoubtedly imprison yourself.
Hal: Sir, I'm short of a promotion.
Luo: How is that possible? You also heard the king personally mentioning that you will inherit the throne.
HA: Yes, sir, as the old saying goes: "When the grass grows..." (Note 12)
[actors enter with flutes]
Ah, Muxiao, let me see. {an actor hands a flute to Hamlet}
{To Rosen Crane}Let's talk privately:
Why do you always lie at my disadvantage, as if trying to chase me into a snare?
Guy: Oh, my lord, if we have ever behaved abruptly, it is because we love you too much.
HA: I don't understand that.
Can you blow this flute?
Gai: Your Highness, I will not.
HA: I beg you.
Guy: Trust me, I won't.
Hal: I beg you sincerely.
Guy: I don't understand its fingering.
Huh: it's as easy as lying:
You control the holes with your fingers first, then you blow with your mouth,
It will naturally emit beautiful music.
You see, its finger holes are here.
Guy: But I can't make it play harmonious music, because I lack this skill.
Ha: What's the matter, look, how you underestimated me!
You want to play with me as if you already knew my finger holes;
You want to dig out the mysteries of my heart, you want to teach me to play my whole scale;
However, here is a small wooden flute, although it has infinite music and wonderful singing voice,
You cannot make it speak.Damn! Do you think I'm easier to play with than a wooden pipe?
You can treat me like any musical instrument, but you can't play with me!
[Enter Polonius]
{to Polonius}God bless you, sir.
Bo: Your Highness, the Empress would like to speak to you—right away.
Hal: Have you seen that cloud in the sky? It looks like a camel. {point to a cloud in the sky}
Bo: God, it sure looks like a camel.
Hal: I think it looks rather like a weasel.
Bo: It's hunched over like a weasel.
H: Or like a whale.
Bo: Also like a whale.
Hal: Well, I'll go see my mother right away.
[Privately] They screwed me over.
[to Polonius] I'll be right there.
Bo: That's what I preach.
[Polonier out]
Ha: "Come right away" is easy to say.
{to Luo and Guy}Go out, friends.
[All out, only Hamlet]
Now is the night when the witches go out,
The dry tombs in the cemetery are all open, and hell is also spewing plagues on the world.
Now I can drink my blood, I can do that dreadful work that makes the day shudder.
Hold on, let me go see my mother first...
O my heart, let me not lose my conscience,
Don't let Revenant of King Nero (Note 13) sneak into this bosom.
I can be cruel, but I can't be heartless.
I may pierce her with the sword of words, but never with the real one.
My tongue and soul should now imitate the hypocrite:
No matter how harshly I condemn her,
My heart will not allow me to fulfill them.
[out]
Translator's note:
(1). Standing tickets for the theater are cheaper, and the general standard of the audience is lower.
(2). Termagant: A Muslim god created by the gods.A loud, uninhibited character in early plays.
(3). King Herod (Herod): The famous tyrant of Judea.
(4). Some people think that chameleons swallow air for food.
(5). Sharp (keen), also means to stimulate sexual desire.
(6).Westerners swear when they get married: "It can be good or it can be bad..." Here Hamlet emphasizes the hypocrisy of women.
(7). This sentence comes from a word in a play of the same era as Shakespeare.
(8). Damon: A man in Roman mythology who is famous for his friendship.
(9). Peacocks had a notoriety of promiscuity and cruelty in Shakespeare's time.
(10). After rhyming, "peacock" becomes "donkey".
(11). Another interpretation of "cleansing the intestines" is "purging away sins". Hamlet deliberately uses this double meaning here.
(12). There was a proverb circulating at that time: "When the grass is growing, the horse will starve to death".
(13). King Nero: The tyrant of ancient Rome killed his mother with poison.
The third scene: in the palace
[The King, Rosecrane, and Gaiden Steng enter. ]
Wang: I don't like his appearance; it's not safe to sit back and watch his madness;
Be prepared, therefore; I will order him to go to England with you at once.
I cannot allow the threat he poses to continue to grow.
Cover: I will prepare it myself.
Numerous ordinary people have fed and lodged under His Majesty,
It is our sacred duty to safeguard the livelihood of the people of our country!
Luo: Any living thing will instinctively go all out to protect itself,
This is especially true for the king who is the key to the welfare of the people.
The death of a king is usually not a mere personal death,
But it is like a huge vortex, which can harm all people and involve them together.
It is like a great wheel on the top of a high mountain, with countless small objects hanging from the spokes;
When the huge ship rolls down the mountain with a bang, those small objects will also perish together.
Therefore, the king never sighs alone;
When he does this, the whole country will moan with him.
King: You are ready to set off immediately.
We should have locked up the threat that was at large sooner rather than later.
Luo: We will act as soon as possible.
[Ro and cover out]
[Enter Polonius]
Bo: My lord, he is going to his mother's bedroom now,
I can hide behind the tent and listen to their conversation,
I think she will get to the bottom of it.
As you wisely said, there is nothing wrong with having a third party to listen to this conversation,
Because mothers always protect their sons.
Farewell, my lord, and I will report what I have found before you go to bed.
Wang: Thank you, Xianqing.
[Polonier out]
O, the stench of my crimes rises to the sky.
It bears the original curse of Yuangu (Note 1): an atrocity of killing brothers.
I can't pray, though I really want to;
My strong sense of guilt has crushed this wish,
Just like a person who hesitates when faced with two choices, not knowing which one should be done first,
while ignoring both sides.
If my abominable hands are already covered with a thick layer of brotherly blood, then,
Is there not enough rain in that sweet heaven to wash it white?
Isn't God's mercy used to forgive people's sins?
And don't men pray for its double power:
To prevent the world from falling into sin, and to forgive sinners who have committed it?
I can look up to heaven,
Since I have committed a crime, how should I pray to be forgiven?
"Pray for forgiveness for my vicious murder"? That's impossible,
For I still own what I killed:
My crown, my status, and my queen.
Can a sinner be pardoned if he still has the spoils of his crime?
In this corrupt world, a wealthy prisoner can often bribe officials with ill-gotten gains,
Get pardon.Not in heaven, because there is no such thing as corruption;
There, only the truth is the fact.Then we shall be compelled to testify to all our faults,
So what to do? What other options do I have?
Try the power of repentance -- what can't be undone by repentance?
But what use is it to a man who cannot repent?
Oh, what a dreadful situation! Ah, my heart is as black as death!
My soul is bound, and the more it struggles, the tighter it is bound.
Help me, angels, do what you can!
Bow down, my obstinate knees;
Let my heart of stone be as soft as the skin of a newborn baby.
I still have hope for good results.
[King begins to kneel and pray]
[Enter Hamlet]
Ha: It's easy to do now, when he's praying; I'll kill him now...
[draws sword]
...and then he goes straight to heaven; does that count as revenge? Think twice:
A villain killed my father,
But I - my father's only son - sent this villain to heaven (Note 2);
What, this is tantamount to fulfilling him; this is not considered revenge.
He killed my father when he was unrepentant and sinful;
How does God view his account at this time, who knows except God?
By mortal reasoning, this should be a felony; but,
If I killed him while he was confessing,
Then he has made sufficient preparations for this journey;
Am I getting my revenge? No!
Put back the sheath, sword, let me find a better chance:
When he is drunk, throws a tantrum, seeks pleasure on the couch, gambles and profanes,
or do other things that have no salvation, then I throw him under my feet again,
Teach him to turn his feet up to the sky, and a hell-like black and evil soul will go straight to the Yincao Mansion.
my mother is waiting for me,
This is your lifesaver;
Let you suspend your dog's life!
[out]
King: [stands up] My prayers are already ascending,
But my mind is still stuck on the ground.
If you pray without heart, you will never ascend to heaven.
[out]
Translator's note:
(1). Cain, the eldest son of Adam and Eve in the Bible, killed his younger brother Abel and was exiled to wander. This is the first curse in ancient times.
(2). If a person repents before death, his soul can go straight to heaven.
Scene 4: Queen's bedroom
[Queen and Polonius enter]
Bo: He's coming soon.You have to teach him a good lesson,
Tell him the games he's playing are too much and that you're protecting him too much.
{Pull off the tent hanging in front of the wall}I just hid behind in silence.
Don't be vague about him!
Post: You need not be afraid of these; you can trust me.Hurry up and hide, I heard him coming.
[After Polonius hides in the account]
[Enter Hamlet]
Ha: Mom, what's the matter?
After: Hamlet, you deeply offended your father {referring to his uncle}.
Ha: Mother, you deeply offended my father {referring to his father}.
Later: Come on, come on, don't answer me in that nonsense tone.
Hal: Go, go, don't ask me in that wicked tone.
Post: What did you do, Hamlet?
Ha: What's the matter?
Post: Have you forgotten who I am?
Ha: No! I swear by the cross: You are the queen of a country, the wife of your husband's brother; if it weren't for these, you would also be my mother.
Hou: Well, since you want to do this, then I will find someone who can talk to you.
{Get up angrily and want to leave}
Ha: {stopping her hard}Come here, come here, sit down! Don't move!
Wait until I get a mirror so you can see what's inside of you.
Until then, I won't let you go away!
{pushes her back on the chair}
Post: What are you doing? Want to kill someone? Help! Wow!
Bo: [Behind the tent] What's the matter, hey, help!
Ha: {Turns around} What? There are mice? A dollar is enough to pay for your life, go to hell!
[Pulls out the saber, stabs suddenly into the tent]
Bo: [behind the tent] Oh, I'm dead!
Post: Oh my god! What have you done?
Hal: I don't know; is that the king?
[raises the tent and finds Polonius dead]
Queen: Oh, what a reckless and bloody act!
Ha: A bloody deed, my good mother,
Almost as murdered as a king,
Then marrying his younger brother is equally evil.
After: Murder a monarch?
Hal: Yes, mother, as I said.
{To Polonius' Corpse}
Good-bye, you bloody, thoughtless, meddling fool.
I got the wrong person, so you have to accept your fate.
Now you know the dangers of meddling!
{to the queen}
Stop twisting your hands, be still, sit! Let me twist your heart.
I will, unless your heart is hard as stone, evil and shameless,
And it has reached the point of being impenetrable and unreasonable.
Queen: What have I done that you dare to use such unbridled words against me?
Ha: Your deeds make innocence a dishonor, virtue a hypocrisy, truth a whore, marriage a promise.
Ah, it can annul all solemn oaths under heaven, and reduce pious prayers to a string of madness.
Even the sky will be discolored when it sees it, heartbroken by it, and anxious about the coming of the Judgment Day.
Empress: Oh, what heinous crime have I committed?
Ha: Look at this portrait {take out the small portrait hanging from the necklace around your neck},
See also this {grab another small portrait hanging from the necklace around the Queen's neck},
This is a portrait of two brothers.
In this picture, his appearance is as solemn as a god, with the bun of the sun god,
The forehead of the king of heaven, the eyes of the all-powerful god of war, and the heroic appearance of the angel descending on the mountain.
The composition of these is the human model recognized by the gods, that is, your ex-husband.
Look at this next picture: This is your current husband.
Like a rotten ear of corn, he spoiled his strong brother.
Don't you have eyes?
难道你愿意走离这座丰裕美好的高山{指著其父之绘像},
而觅食於如此贫脊之不毛之地?{指著叔父之绘像}
哈,你瞎了眼吗?
你不能说那是为了爱情,因为依你之年纪,
情欲应已被减弱,应已被驯服,应已被理智取代,
但是,什么样的理智会使你由此{指其父}转至此{指其叔}?
当然你也有知觉,否则你怎能行动?
不过,你的这些知觉一定早已中风麻痹,
因为连个疯子都不会犯如此的大错,
理智也不会如此的被情欲驾驭,无能作所抉择。
你是中了什么邪,它能使你如此的被蒙骗,
你的视、触、听、嗅觉如此的被混淆?
天晓得,只要有半个健全的感官存在,它都足够使你恍悟的。
羞耻啊!你的赧颜在那里呢?
如果地狱之孽火尚能使年长妇人由骨髓内煽起淫念,
那么在青春的狂焰里,贞操岂不是块蜡,它将瞬间熔化?
别再指责少年人之冲动是可耻的了,
当白发人自己的欲火也燃烧得同样猛烈,
而理智亦被贬黜为情欲的淫媒时。
后:啊,哈姆雷特,别再说下去了,
你已让我看清了我的灵魂深处,看见在那里有洗涤不清之污点。
哈:哼,生活在一张汗臭冲鼻,充满油垢的温床里;只知道在腐堕里翻腾,
在龌龊的猪窝里寻欢做爱。
后:啊,别再对我说这些了,这些字句就像利刃般的刺入我的耳内,
请别再说下去了,甜蜜的哈姆雷特!
哈:一个凶手、恶徒,一个不如你前夫二百分之一之佣奴,
一个王者中之丑角,一个篡夺江山、王位之贼子;
他把那珍贵的王冠由架上窃去,放入他的口袋中。
后:请别再说下去了!
哈:他是个破烂、褴褛之王。
[ghost entry]
拯救我,神圣的天使呀,用您的翅膀来遮护我;
陛下有何指示?
后:{看不见鬼魂}唉,他疯了。
哈:您是不是来责骂您那怠惰的儿子,
因他对您尊旨之执行有所耽误,有所缺诚,而乱了大事?
请说呀!
鬼:记住,我这次的造访只是来磨利你那已钝的心志。
且看,你的母亲心神已乱,你应为她内心之争扎给与帮助;
弱者特别容易受到幻念激动。和她说话罢,哈姆雷特。
哈:您还好吧,娘?
后:唉,你自己还好吧?
何事会使你如此地眼望虚无,对无形的空气喃喃有语?
你的双眼放射出狂乱的光芒,就像个刚被警报惊醒的士兵;
你本来整齐的头发也一根根的直竖起来,就像活过来般。
我的好儿子啊,请在扰乱你心神的烈焰中浇与清凉的镇静剂罢!
你究竟在看些什么呢?
哈:看他!看他!看他惨淡的目光;
看他之模样,看他之冤情,连顽石都会为之打动。
[对鬼魂]
别望著我了,否则您那可怜的模样会使我失去我的狠酷决心,
使我对我必做之事失去心志--由复仇转至流泪。
后:你在向谁说这些话?
哈:难道您看不见吗?
后:什么都没有呀!能看到的,我都看到了。
哈:您也听不到任何声音?
后:除了我们之外无其它声音。
哈:看呀,您看,在那里,我的父亲,穿著他在世时的衣裳。
看,他浮走了,他马上就要出门去了。
[ghost out]
后:这完全是你脑子所虚构之物,疯症所善造之无体幻觉。
哈:疯症?我的心脉也跳动得和您同样平稳,相同的奏出健康之音乐;
我所说的这些不是疯言狂呓,
不信您可以考验我:我能把这些话一字不漏的重复一遍,
我若是真疯了,那我必然无法如此办到。
娘呀,为了老天爷之慈悲,别在您的良心上自敷安慰的膏药了;
别只怪是我口出狂言,而不承认是自己的过错。
您这样做,只能暂时在那溃烂的毒疮上盖层皮膜,
但是,在您看不见之深处,腐败恶臭将依然如旧。
向天忏悔罢,反悔了昔日之过错,以避来日之报应。
别再往杂草丛上浇粪,继续的加深您罪恶之臭了。
请原谅我这些正义的申求,因为在此放纵无羁的时代,
连美德都需要和罪恶求恕;
是的,它需俯首屈膝的去恳求罪恶采纳它的忠言。
后:唉,哈姆雷特,你已把我的心剖为两半。
哈:啊,把那腐坏的一半扔掉,去用另一半来过纯洁的生活罢。
晚安...可是别去我叔父的寝床那儿。
就算您已毫无贞操,但是您也可以装个样子。
习性是个可畏的魔鬼:它能把人类反抗邪恶之良知食净罄;
但它亦能作个神圣的天使:它能使善行习以为常。
您今夜之抑制,能使明夜之节禁来之稍为容易,後天的更加容易。
反复的行事能改变一人之天性:
它能让恶魔留宿於人们心内,
但是也能坚决的把它从人们的心灵中驱逐出去。
让我再度的向您道个晚安。当您有心忏悔时,我也会来向您求个祝福的。
{对著波隆泥尔之尸首}
对他,我深感懊悔。这是上帝给我之惩罚,就像我也是上帝给他之惩罚;
我只不过是个上天的鞭子、判官。
我应去处理这具尸首,为他之死做个交代。
再一次的,晚安。
为了要行善,我必须狠毒。
这是个不好的开始,更坏的还在後头呢。
还有一句话,母亲。
后:你要我怎样?
哈:无论如何,别做这件事情:
别让那脑满肠肥的国王再度勾引您上床,然後淫秽的捏您的面颊,
称呼您为他的宝贝儿。
更勿在他的几个污秽的亲吻或一阵爱抚後,把事情的真相全盘招出,
说我不是真正的发狂,而只是装疯而已。
{讥讽的}您是有责任告诉他这些的,
一个这么美丽、清醒、聪明的皇后怎能把这么重要的一件事藏匿起来,
而不去告诉给那支蛤蟆、蝙蝠、公猫听呢?有谁会去干这种傻事?
不,您可以学那寓言里的猴子,
您可以不顾情理、毫不谨慎的把屋顶上的鸟笼打开,把鸟儿都放走,
然後为了想学飞,一头钻进鸟笼里,
最後连笼子一起把脖子给摔断{注1}。
后:你可以放心,如果语言乃气息之呵出,而气息乃出自生命,
那么,我无足够的生命来呵出你刚才所说的那些话。
哈:我即将被遣送至英格兰,您晓得吗?
后:唉,我都忘了,此事是如此决定的。
哈:我的两位同学们携有一封密函;
我信任他们,就像我信任两条长有利牙的毒蛇一般:
他们心怀鬼胎的想把我送进一个圈套里。
这也罢,见到一个炮手被自己的炮轰,倒也是挺有趣的。
他们会埋藏地雷,但是我能埋得比他们更深一尺,把他们给炸到月亮上去。
以计攻计,才真妙哉!
{对著波隆尼尔的尸首}
此人会使我提早我的行程;我把他抬至隔壁的房间罢。
娘呀,我再度的向您请安。
这位大臣生前是个愚蠢、饶舌的家伙,
现在他却变得多么的安静、谨慎、与庄重。
来呀,先生,把咱们的事情办完罢。
晚安,母亲。
[哈姆雷特拖著波隆尼尔的尸首出场;留皇后於室]
{第三幕完}
Translator's note:
(1).欧洲中古时代之寓言,详细情节现已失传。