amphitryon-第4部分

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MERC。　Yes；　if　I　were　no　longer　worried　by　your　tongue；　and　if　it

changed　your　temper　and　your　goings…on。　I　prefer　a　convenient　vice；

to　a　fatiguing　virtue。　Adieu；　Cleanthis；　my　dear　soul；　I　must　follow

Amphitryon。　（He　goes　away。）



CLE　Why　has　not　my　heart　sufficient　resolution　to　punish　this

infamous　scoundrel？　Ah；　how　it　maddens　me；　now；　that　I　am　an　honest　woman！



END　OF　THE　FIRST　ACT



ACT　Il



SCENE　I



AMPHITRYON；　SOSIE



AMPH。　Come　here；　you　rascal；　come　here。　Do　you　know；　Master　Villain；

that　your　talk　is　sufficient　to　cause　me　to　knock　you　down；　and　that

my　wrath　waits　only　for　a　stick　to　thrash　you　as　I　intend？



SOS。　If　you　take　it　in　that　way；　Monsieur；　I　have　nothing　more　to

say；　you　will　be　always　in　the　right。



AMPH。　So？　You　scoundrel；　you　wish　to　impose　upon　me　as　truths　tales

which　I　know　to　be　extravagantly　far…fetched？



SOS。　No；　I　am　the　servant；　and　you　are　the　master；　it　shall　not　be

otherwise　than　you　wish　it；　Monsieur。



AMPH。　Come；　I　will　choke　down　the　anger　that　inflames　me；　and　hear

all　you　have　to　say　about　your　mission。　I　must　unravel　this

confusion　before　I　see　my　wife。　Collect　your　senses；　think　well　over

what　you　say；　and　answer　each　question　word　for　word。



SOS。　But；　lest　I　make　a　mistake；　tell　me；　I　beseech　you；　beforehand；

in　what　way　it　would　please　you　to　have　this　affair　healed。　Shall　I

speak；　Monsieur；　according　to　my　conscience；　or　as　usual　when　near

the　great？　Shall　I　tell　the　truth　or　use　a　certain　complaisance？



AMPH。　No；　I　only　wish　you　to　give　me　a　perfectly　unvarnished　account。



SOS。　Good。　That　is　enough；　leave　it　to　me；　you　have；　but　to　interrogate　me。



AMPH。　Upon　the　order　which　I　lately　gave　you　。　。　。



SOS。　I　set　forth　under　skies　veiled　in　black　crape；　swearing

bitterly　against　you　for　this　wretched　martyrdom；　and　cursing　twenty

times　the　order　of　which　you　speak。



AMPH。　What　do　you　mean；　you　villain？



SOS。　You　have　only　to　speak；　Monsieur；　and　I　shall　lie；　if　you　desire　it。



AMPH。　That　is　how　a　valet　shows　his　zeal　for　us。　Never　mind。　What

happened　to　you　on　the　way？



SOS。　I　had　a　mortal　fright　at　the　least　thing　I　met。



AMPH。　Poltroon！



SOS。　Nature　has　her　caprices　in　forming　us；　she　gives　us　differing

inclinations；　some　find　a　thousand　delights　in　exposing　themselves；

I　find　them　in　taking　care　of　myself。



AMPH。　When　you　arrived　at　the　house。。。？



SOS。　When　I　reached　the　door；　I　wished　to　rehearse　to　myself　for　a

short　time；　in　what　tone　and　in　what　manner　I　should　give　a　glorious

account　of　the　battle。



AMPH。　What　followed？



SOS。　Some　one　came　to　annoy　and　trouble　me。



AMPH。　Who　was　he？



SOS。　Sosie；　another　I；　jealous　of　your　orders；　whom　you　sent　to

Alcmene　from　the　port；　and　who　has　as　full　knowledge　of　our　secrets

as　I　who　am　speaking　to　you。



AMPH。　What　nonsense！



SOS。　No；　Monsieur；　it　is　the　simple　truth：　this　I　was　at　your　house

sooner　than　I；　and；　I　swear　to　you；　I　was　there　before　I　had　arrived。



AMPH。　Pray；　where　does　all　this　cursed　nonsense　come　from？　Is　it　a

dream？　Is　it　drunkenness？　Mind…wandering？　Or　a　sorry　joke？



SOS。　No；　it　is　the　thing　as　it　is；　and　by　no　means　an　idle　tale。　I

am　a　man　of　honour；　I　give　you　my　word；　and　you　must　please　believe

it。　I　tell　you；　believing　I　was　but　one　Sosie；　I　found　myself　two　at

your　house；　and　of　these　two　I's；　piqued　with　jealousy；　one　is　at

the　house；　and　the　other　is　with　you；　the　I　who　is　here；　tired　out；

found　the　other　I　fresh；　jolly　and　active；　having　no　other　anxiety

than　to　fight　and　break　bones。



AMPH。　I　confess　I　must　be　of　a　very　placid　temper；　very　peaceable；

very　gentle；　to　permit　a　valet　to　entertain　me　with　such　nonsense！



SOS。　If　you　become　angry；　no　more　conference　between　us：　you　know

all　will　be　over　at　once。



AMPH。　No；　I　will　listen　to　you　without　being　carried　away；　I

promised　it。　But　tell　me　in　good　earnest；　is　there　any　shadow　of

likelihood　in　this　new　mystery　which　you　have　just　told　me？



SOS。　No；　you　are　right；　the　matter　must　appear　to　everyone　past

credit。　It　is　a　fact　past　understanding；　an　extravagant；　ridiculous；

far…fetched　tale：　it　shocks　common　sense；　but　it　is　none　the　less　a　fact。



AMPH。　How　can　anyone　believe　it；　unless　he　has　taken　leave　of　his　senses？



SOS。　I　myself　did　not　believe　it　without　extreme　difficulty：　I

thought　I　was　losing　my　senses　when　I　saw　myself　two；　and；　for　a

long　time；　I　treated　my　other　self　as　an　impostor：　but　he　compelled

me　in　the　end　to　recognise　myself；　I　saw　it　was　I；　without　any

trickery；　from　head　to　foot　he　is　like　me…handsome；　a　noble　air；

well　built；　charming　manners；　in　fact；　two　peas　do　not　resemble　each

other　more；　were　it　not　that　his　hands　are　a　little　too　heavy；　I

should　be　perfectly　satisfied。



AMPH。　I　had　need　exhort　myself　to　patience！　But　did　you　not　in　the

end　go　into　the　house？



SOS。　Good；　go　in！　Ah！　In　what　fashion？　Have　I　never　wished　to　listen

to　reason？　Did　I　not　forbid　myself　to　enter　our　door？



AMPH。　In　what　way？



SOS。　With　a　stick；　my　back　still　aches　from　it。



AMPH。　You　have　been　thrashed？



SOS。　Truly。



AMPH。　And　by　whom？



SOS。　Myself。



AMPH。　You　have　thrashed　yourself？



SOS。　Yes；　I；　not　the　I　who　is　here；　but　the　I　from　the　house；　who

whacks　soundly。



AMPH。　Heaven　confound　you　for　talking　to　me　like　this！



SOS。　I　am　not　joking；　the　I　whom　I　have　just　met　has　great

advantages　over　the　I　who　speaks　to　you。　He　has　a　strong　arm　and

great　courage；　I　have　had　proofs　of　both；　this　devil　of　an　I　has

licked　me　soundly；　he　is　a　fellow　who　can　do　wonders。



AMPH。　Let　us；　cease　this。　Have　you　seen　my　wife？



SOS。　No。



AMPH。　Why　not？



SOS。　For　a　sufficiently　strong　reason。



AMPH。　Who　hindered　you；　scoundrel？　Explain　yourself。



SOS。　Must　I　repeat　the　same　thing　twenty　times？　I；　I　tell　you；　this

I　who　is　more　robust　than　I；　this　I　who　took　possession　of　the　door

by　force；　this　I　who　made　me　slope　off；　this　I　who　wishes　to　be　the

only　I；　this　I　who　is　jealous　of　myself；　this　valiant　I；　whose　anger

made　itself　known　to　this　poltroon　of　an　I；　in　fact；　this　I　who　is

at　our　house；　this　I　who　has　shown　himself　to　be　my　master；　this　I

who　has　racked　me　with　pain。



AMPH。　His　brain　must　be　addled　by　having　had　too　much　to　drink　this　morning。



SOS。　May　I　be　hanged　if　I　have　had　anything　to　drink　but　water：　I

take　my　oath　on　it。



AMPH。　Then　your　senses　must　have　been　fast　asleep：　some　silly　dream

has　shown　you　all　these　fairy　tales　and　confused　mysteries　which　you

wish　me　to　take　for　truths。



SOS。　That　is　just　as　far　away　from　the　truth。　I　have　not　slept；　and

I　do　not　even　feel　inclined　that　way。　I　am　speaking　to　you　wide…

awake；　I　was　wide　awake　this　morning；　upon　my　life！　And　the　other

Sosie　was　also　wide…awake；　when　he　drubbed　me　so　well。



AMPH。　Follow　me；　I　order　you　to　be　silent。　You　tire　my　brain　too

much；　I　must　be　an　out…and…out　fool　to　have　the　patience　to　listen

to　the　nonsense　a　valet　has　to　say。



SOS。　All　talk　is　nonsense　that　comes　from　a　man　who　is　unknown。　If　a

great　man　were　to　say　it；　it　would　be　exquisite　language。



AMPH。　Let　us　go　in　without　waiting　any　longer。　But　here　comes

Alcmene　clothed　in　all　her　charms。　Doubtless　she　does　not　expect　me

so　soon；　and　my　arrival　will　surprise　her。



SCENE　II



ALCMENE；　CLEANTHIS；　AMPHITRYON；　SOSIE



ALC。　Come；　Cleanthis；　let　us　attend　the　Gods；　pay　them　our　homage

for　my　husband's　sake；　and　thank　them　for　the　glorious　success；　of

which　Thebes；　by　his　arm；　reaps　the　advantage。　O　ye　Gods！



AMPH。　Heaven　grant　that　victorious　Amphitryon　may　be　met　with

renewed　pleasure　by　his　wife：　that　this　day　may　be　favourable　to　my

passion；　and　restore　you　to　me　with　the　same　heart：　may　I　again　find

as　much　love　as　my　heart　brings　to　you！



ALC。　Ah！　Have　you　returned　so　soon。



AMPH。　Really；　you　give　me　but　a　sorry　proof　of　your　love；　this；　'Ah！

have　you　returned　so　soon？'　is　scarcely　the　language　a　heart　really

inflamed　with　love　would　use　on　such　an　occasion　as　this。　I　dared　to

flatter　myself　I　had　remained　away　from　you　too　long。　The

expectation　of　an　ardently　longed　for　return　makes　each　moment　seem

of　great　length；　the　absence　of　what　we　love；　however　brief　it　may

be；　is　always　too　long。



ALC。　I　do　not　see　。　。　。



AMPH。　No；　Alcmene；　time　is　measured　in　such　cases　by　one's

impatience；　you　count　the　moments　of　absence　as　one　who　does　not

love。　When　we　really　love；　the　slightest　separation　kills　us；　the

one　whom　we　love　to　see　never　returns　too　soon。　I　confess　that　the

love　I　bear　you　has　cause　to　complain　of　your　reception；　I　expected

different　expressions　of　joy　and　tenderness　from　your　heart。



ALC。　I　cannot　understand　on　what　you　found　the　words　you　have　just

uttered；　if　you　complain　of　me；　upon　my　word　I　do　not　know　what

would　satisfy　you。　I　think　I　showed　a　sufficiently　tender　joy　last

night；　at　your　happy　return；　my　heart　responded　by　every　means　you

could　wish　to　the　claims　of　your　affection。



AMPH。　In　what　way？



ALC。　Did　I　not　clearly　show　the　sudden　transports　of　a　perfect　joy？

Could　a　heart's　feelings　be　better　expressed　at　the　return　of　a

husband　who　is　tenderly　loved？



AMPH。　What　do　you　say？



ALC。　That　even　your　affection　showed　an　inconceivable　joy　at　my

reception；　and　that；　as　you　left　me　at　break　of　day；　I　do　not　see

that　my　surprise　at　this　sudden　return　is　so　guilty。



AMPH。　Did　you；　in　a　dream　last　night；　Alcmene；　anticipate　in　idea

the　reality　of　my　hastened　return；　and　having；　perhaps；　treated　me

kindly　in　your　sleep；　does　your　heart　think　it　has　fully　acquitted

itself　of　its　duty　to　my　passion？



ALC。　Has　some　malignant　vapour　in　your　mind；　Amphitryon；　clouded　the

truth　of　last　night's　return？　Does　your　heart　pretend　to　take　away

from　me　the　credit　of　all　the　gentle　affection　I　showed