第 12 节
作者:莫莫言      更新:2021-02-27 02:49      字数:9322
  hope;     neither。    JESSICA。       And    what     hope    is   that;  I   pray    thee?
  LAUNCELOT。 Marry; you may partly hope that your father got you not…
  that you are not the Jew's daughter。 JESSICA。 That were a kind of bastard
  hope     indeed;   so  the   sins  of  my    mother    should    be  visited   upon    me。
  LAUNCELOT。 Truly then I fear you are damn'd both by father and mother;
  thus when I shun Scylla; your father; I fall into Charybdis; your mother;
  well; you are gone both ways。 JESSICA。 I shall be sav'd by my husband;
  he hath made me a Christian。 LAUNCELOT。 Truly; the more to blame he;
  we were Christians enow
  before; e'en as many as could well live one by another。 This making
  of Christians will raise the price of hogs; if we grow all to be pork…eaters;
  we shall not shortly have a rasher on the coals for money。
  Enter   LORENZO   JESSICA。   I'll   tell   my   husband;   Launcelot;   what
  you say; here he comes。 LORENZO。 I shall grow jealous of you shortly;
  Launcelot; if you thus get my wife into corners。 JESSICA。 Nay; you need
  nor fear us; Lorenzo; Launcelot and I are out; he tells me flatly there's no
  mercy for me in heaven; because I am a Jew's daughter; and he says you
  are   no   good   member   of   the   commonwealth;   for   in   converting   Jews   to
  Christians   you   raise   the   price   of   pork。   LORENZO。   I   shall   answer   that
  better   to   the   commonwealth   than   you   can   the   getting   up   of   the   negro's
  belly; the Moor is with child by you; Launcelot。 LAUNCELOT。 It is much
  that the Moor should be more than reason; but if she be less than an honest
  woman; she   is   indeed   more   than   I took   her   for。  LORENZO。   How   every
  fool can play upon the word! I think the best grace of wit will shortly turn
  into silence; and discourse grow  commendable in none only but parrots。
  Go in; sirrah; bid them prepare for dinner。 LAUNCELOT。 That is done; sir;
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  they have all stomachs。 LORENZO。 Goodly Lord; what a wit…snapper are
  you! Then bid them prepare dinner。 LAUNCELOT。 That is done too; sir;
  only     'cover'   is  the   word。     LORENZO。         Will    you   cover;    then;   sir?
  LAUNCELOT。 Not so; sir; neither; I know my duty。 LORENZO。 Yet more
  quarrelling with occasion! Wilt thou show the whole wealth of thy wit in
  an instant? I pray thee understand a plain man in his plain meaning: go to
  thy fellows; bid them cover the table; serve in the meat; and we will come
  in to dinner。 LAUNCELOT。 For the table; sir; it shall be serv'd in; for the
  meat; sir; it shall be cover'd; for your coming in to dinner; sir; why; let it be
  as humours and conceits shall govern。 Exit LORENZO。 O dear discretion;
  how his words are suited! The fool hath planted in his memory An army of
  good   words;   and   I   do   know   A   many   fools   that   stand   in   better   place;
  Garnish'd like him; that for a tricksy word Defy the matter。 How cheer'st
  thou; Jessica? And now; good sweet; say thy opinion; How dost thou like
  the Lord   Bassanio's   wife? JESSICA。   Past   all   expressing。   It is very  meet
  The Lord Bassanio live an upright life; For; having such a blessing in his
  lady; He finds the joys of heaven here on earth; And if on earth he do not
  merit   it;   In   reason   he   should   never   come   to   heaven。   Why;   if   two   gods
  should   play   some   heavenly   match;   And   on   the   wager   lay   two   earthly
  women; And   Portia   one;   there   must   be   something   else   Pawn'd   with   the
  other; for the poor rude world Hath not her fellow。 LORENZO。 Even such
  a husband Hast thou of me as she is for a wife。 JESSICA。 Nay; but ask my
  opinion   too   of   that。   LORENZO。   I   will   anon;   first   let   us   go   to   dinner。
  JESSICA。 Nay; let me praise you while I have a stomach。 LORENZO。 No;
  pray thee; let it serve for table…talk; Then howsome'er thou speak'st; 'mong
  other things I shall digest it。 JESSICA。 Well; I'll set you forth。 Exeunt
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  ACT IV。
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  SCENE I。 Venice。 The court of justice
  Enter     the  DUKE;     the   MAGNIFICOES;          ANTONIO;        BASSANIO;
  GRATIANO; SALERIO; and OTHERS
  DUKE OF VENICE。 What; is Antonio here? ANTONIO。 Ready; so
  please your Grace。 DUKE OF VENICE。 I am sorry for thee; thou art come
  to answer A stony adversary; an inhuman wretch; Uncapable of pity; void
  and empty From any dram of mercy。 ANTONIO。 I have heard Your Grace
  hath ta'en great pains to qualify His rigorous course; but since he stands
  obdurate; And that no lawful means can carry me Out of his envy's reach; I
  do    oppose   My    patience   to  his  fury;  and   am   arm'd   To   suffer  with   a
  quietness of spirit The very tyranny and rage of his。 DUKE OF VENICE。
  Go one; and call the Jew into the court。 SALERIO。 He is ready at the door;
  he comes; my lord。
  Enter SHYLOCK
  DUKE OF VENICE。 Make room; and let him stand before our face。
  Shylock; the  world thinks;  and I  think so  too; That   thou but   leadest this
  fashion of thy malice To the last hour of act; and then; 'tis thought; Thou'lt
  show thy mercy and remorse; more strange Than is thy strange apparent
  cruelty; And where thou now exacts the penalty; Which is a pound of this
  poor merchant's flesh; Thou wilt not only loose the forfeiture; But; touch'd
  with    human    gentleness    and   love;  Forgive    a  moiety    of  the  principal;
  Glancing an eye of pity on his losses; That have of late so huddled on his
  back… Enow to press a royal merchant down; And pluck commiseration of
  his   state   From   brassy   bosoms   and   rough   hearts   of   flint;   From   stubborn
  Turks   and    Tartars;   never  train'd  To  offices  of  tender   courtesy。   We   all
  expect a gentle answer; Jew。 SHYLOCK。 I have possess'd your Grace of
  what I purpose; And by our holy Sabbath have I sworn To have the due
  and   forfeit   of   my   bond。   If   you   deny   it;   let   the   danger   light   Upon   your
  charter and your city's freedom。 You'll ask me why I rather choose to have
  A weight of   carrion   flesh than to receive Three thousand   ducats。   I'll   not
  answer that; But say it is my humour… is it answer'd? What if my house be
  troubled with a rat; And I be pleas'd to give ten thousand ducats To have it
  ban'd? What; are you answer'd yet? Some men there are love not a gaping
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  pig; Some that are mad if they behold a cat; And others; when the bagpipe
  sings   i'   th'   nose;   Cannot   contain   their   urine;   for   affection;   Mistress   of
  passion; sways it to the mood Of what it likes or loathes。 Now; for your
  answer: As there is no firm reason to be rend'red Why he cannot abide a
  gaping pig; Why he; a harmless necessary cat; Why he; a woollen bagpipe;
  but   of   force   Must   yield   to   such   inevitable   shame As   to   offend;   himself
  being offended; So can I give no reason; nor I will not; More than a lodg'd
  hate and a certain loathing I bear Antonio; that I follow thus A losing suit
  against   him。   Are   you   answered?   BASSANIO。   This   is   no   answer;   thou
  unfeeling man; To excuse the current of thy cruelty。 SHYLOCK。 I am not
  bound to please thee with my answers。 BASSANIO。 Do all men kill the
  things they do not love? SHYLOCK。 Hates any man the thing he would
  not   kill?   BASSANIO。   Every   offence   is   not   a   hate   at   first。   SHYLOCK。
  What;   wouldst   thou   have   a   serpent   sting   thee   twice? ANTONIO。   I   pray
  you; think you question with the Jew。 You may as well go stand upon the
  beach And bid the main flood bate his usual height; You may as well use
  question with the wolf; Why he hath made the ewe bleat for the lamb; You
  may as well forbid the mountain pines To wag their high tops and to make
  no noise When they are fretten with the gusts of heaven; You may as well
  do anything most hard As seek to soften that… than which what's harder?…
  His jewish heart。 Therefore; I do beseech you; Make no moe offers; use no
  farther   means;   But   with     all   brief   and   plain   conveniency   Let    me   have
  judgment;      and   the   Jew   his  will。  BASSANIO。         For   thy   three  thousand
  ducats here is six。 SHYLOCK。 If every ducat in six thousand ducats Were
  in six parts; and every part a ducat; I would not draw them; I would have
  my bond。 DUKE OF VENICE。 How shalt thou hope for mercy; rend'ring
  none?   SH