第 16 节
作者:
莫莫言 更新:2021-02-27 02:49 字数:9322
that virtue on it; madam。 PORTIA。 The crow doth sing as sweetly as the
lark When neither is attended; and I think ne nightingale; if she should
sing by day; When every goose is cackling; would be thought No better a
musician than the wren。 How many things by season season'd are To their
right praise and true perfection! Peace; ho! The moon sleeps with
Endymion; And would not be awak'd。 'Music ceases' LORENZO。 That is
the voice; Or I am much deceiv'd; of Portia。 PORTIA。 He knows me as the
blind man knows the cuckoo; By the bad voice。 LORENZO。 Dear lady;
welcome home。 PORTIA。 We have been praying for our husbands' welfare;
Which speed; we hope; the better for our words。 Are they return'd?
LORENZO。 Madam; they are not yet; But there is come a messenger
before; To signify their coming。 PORTIA。。 Go in; Nerissa; Give order to
my servants that they take No note at all of our being absent hence; Nor
you; Lorenzo; Jessica; nor you。 'A tucket sounds' LORENZO。 Your
husband is at hand; I hear his trumpet。 We are no tell…tales; madam; fear
you not。 PORTIA。 This night methinks is but the daylight sick; It looks a
little paler; 'tis a day Such as the day is when the sun is hid。
Enter BASSANIO; ANTONIO; GRATIANO; and their followers
BASSANIO。 We should hold day with the Antipodes; If you would
walk in absence of the sun。 PORTIA。 Let me give light; but let me not be
light; For a light wife doth make a heavy husband; And never be Bassanio
so for me; But God sort all! You are welcome home; my lord。 BASSANIO。
I thank you; madam; give welcome to my friend。 This is the man; this is
Antonio; To whom I am so infinitely bound。 PORTIA。 You should in all
sense be much bound to him; For; as I hear; he was much bound for you。
ANTONIO。 No more than I am well acquitted of。 PORTIA。 Sir; you are
very welcome to our house。 It must appear in other ways than words;
Therefore I scant this breathing courtesy。 GRATIANO。 'To NERISSA' By
yonder moon I swear you do me wrong; In faith; I gave it to the judge's
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clerk。 Would he were gelt that had it; for my part; Since you do take it;
love; so much at heart。 PORTIA。 A quarrel; ho; already! What's the matter?
GRATIANO。 About a hoop of gold; a paltry ring That she did give me;
whose posy was For all the world like cutler's poetry Upon a knife; 'Love
me; and leave me not。' NERISSA。 What talk you of the posy or the value?
You swore to me; when I did give it you; That you would wear it till your
hour of death; And that it should lie with you in your grave; Though not
for me; yet for your vehement oaths; You should have been respective and
have kept it。 Gave it a judge's clerk! No; God's my judge; The clerk will
ne'er wear hair on's face that had it。 GRATIANO。 He will; an if he live to
be a man。 NERISSA。 Ay; if a woman live to be a man。 GRATIANO。 Now
by this hand I gave it to a youth; A kind of boy; a little scrubbed boy No
higher than thyself; the judge's clerk; A prating boy that begg'd it as a fee;
I could not for my heart deny it him。 PORTIA。 You were to blame; I must
be plain with you; To part so slightly with your wife's first gift; A thing
stuck on with oaths upon your finger And so riveted with faith unto your
flesh。 I gave my love a ring; and made him swear Never to part with it;
and here he stands; I dare be sworn for him he would not leave it Nor
pluck it from his finger for the wealth That the world masters。 Now; in
faith; Gratiano; You give your wife too unkind a cause of grief; An 'twere
to me; I should be mad at it。 BASSANIO。 'Aside' Why; I were best to cut
my left hand off; And swear I lost the ring defending it。 GRATIANO。 My
Lord Bassanio gave his ring away Unto the judge that begg'd it; and
indeed Deserv'd it too; and then the boy; his clerk; That took some pains in
writing; he begg'd mine; And neither man nor master would take aught But
the two rings。 PORTIA。 What ring gave you; my lord? Not that; I hope;
which you receiv'd of me。 BASSANIO。 If I could add a lie unto a fault; I
would deny it; but you see my finger Hath not the ring upon it; it is gone。
PORTIA。 Even so void is your false heart of truth; By heaven; I will ne'er
come in your bed Until I see the ring。 NERISSA。 Nor I in yours Till I
again see mine。 BASSANIO。 Sweet Portia; If you did know to whom I
gave the ring; If you did know for whom I gave the ring; And would
conceive for what I gave the ring; And how unwillingly I left the ring;
When nought would be accepted but the ring; You would abate the
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strength of your displeasure。 PORTIA。 If you had known the virtue of the
ring; Or half her worthiness that gave the ring; Or your own honour to
contain the ring; You would not then have parted with the ring。 What man
is there so much unreasonable; If you had pleas'd to have defended it With
any terms of zeal; wanted the modesty To urge the thing held as a
ceremony? Nerissa teaches me what to believe: I'll die for't but some
woman had the ring。 BASSANIO。 No; by my honour; madam; by my soul;
No woman had it; but a civil doctor; Which did refuse three thousand
ducats of me; And begg'd the ring; the which I did deny him; And suffer'd
him to go displeas'd away… Even he that had held up the very life Of my
dear friend。 What should I say; sweet lady? I was enforc'd to send it after
him; I was beset with shame and courtesy; My honour would not let
ingratitude So much besmear it。 Pardon me; good lady; For by these
blessed candles of the night; Had you been there; I think you would have
begg'd The ring of me to give the worthy doctor。 PORTIA。 Let not that
doctor e'er come near my house; Since he hath got the jewel that I loved;
And that which you did swear to keep for me; I will become as liberal as
you; I'll not deny him anything I have; No; not my body; nor my husband's
bed。 Know him I shall; I am well sure of it。 Lie not a night from home;
watch me like Argus; If you do not; if I be left alone; Now; by mine
honour which is yet mine own; I'll have that doctor for mine bedfellow。
NERISSA。 And I his clerk; therefore be well advis'd How you do leave me
to mine own protection。 GRATIANO。 Well; do you so; let not me take him
then; For; if I do; I'll mar the young clerk's pen。 ANTONIO。 I am th'
unhappy subject of these quarrels。 PORTIA。 Sir; grieve not you; you are
welcome not withstanding。 BASSANIO。 Portia; forgive me this enforced
wrong; And in the hearing of these many friends I swear to thee; even by
thine own fair eyes; Wherein I see myself… PORTIA。 Mark you but that! In
both my eyes he doubly sees himself; In each eye one; swear by your
double self; And there's an oath of credit。 BASSANIO。 Nay; but hear me。
Pardon this fault; and by my soul I swear I never more will break an oath
with thee。 ANTONIO。 I once did lend my body for his wealth; Which; but
for him that had your husband's ring; Had quite miscarried; I dare be
bound again; My soul upon the forfeit; that your lord Will never more
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break faith advisedly。 PORTIA。 Then you shall be his surety。 Give him this;
And bid him keep it better than the other。 ANTONIO。 Here; Lord Bassanio;
swear to keep this ring。 BASSANIO。 By heaven; it is the same I gave the
doctor! PORTIA。 I had it of him。 Pardon me; Bassanio; For; by this ring;
the doctor lay with me。 NERISSA。 And pardon me; my gentle Gratiano;
For that same scrubbed boy; the doctor's clerk; In lieu of this; last night did
lie with me。 GRATIANO。 Why; this is like the mending of highways In
summer; where the ways are fair enough。 What; are we cuckolds ere we
have deserv'd it? PORTIA。 Speak not so grossly。 You are all amaz'd。 Here
is a letter; read it at your leisure; It comes from Padua; from Bellario;
There you shall find that Portia was the doctor; Nerissa there her clerk。
Lorenzo here Shall witness I set for