amphitryon-第7部分

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horror；　it　is　a　crime　that　offends　men　and　Gods；　in　short；　as

punishment　for　my　insolence　I　deserve　that　your　hatred　should　vent

its　utmost　upon　me。　I　beg　your　forgiveness；　I　beg　it　upon　my　knees；

I　beg　it　for　the　sake　of　the　most　lively　passion；　of　the　tenderest

love　for　you；　which　has　ever　been　kindled　in　a　human　breast。　If；

charming　Alcmene；　your　heart　refuses　me　the　pardon　which　I　have　the

audacity　to　seek；　then　shall　a　well…aimed　stroke　put　an　end　to　my

life；　and　release　me　from　the　harsh　severity　of　a　penalty　which　I

can　no　longer　bear。　Yes；　this　state　of　things　drives　me　to　despair。

Do　not　think；　Alcmene；　that；　enamoured　as　I　am　of　your　celestial

charms；　I　can　live　a　day　under　your　wrath。　Even　these　moments'　agony

is　barbarously　prolonged　and　my　sad　heart　sinks　under　their　mortal

blows。　The　cruel　wounds　of　a　thousand　vultures　are　not　comparable　in

any　way　to　my　lively　grief。　Alcmene；　you　have　but　to　tell　me　I　need

not　hope　for　pardon：　and　immediately　this　sword；　by　a　happy　thrust；

shall　pierce　the　heart　of　a　miserable　wretch　before　your　eyes。　This

heart；　this　traitorous　heart；　too　deserving　of　death；　since　it　has

offended　an　adorable　being；　will　be　happy　if；　in　descending　into　the

place　of　shades；　my　death　appeases　your　anger；　and；　after　this

wretched　day；　it　leaves　in　your　soul　no　impression　of　hatred　in

remembering　my　love！　This　is　all　I　ask　as　a　sovereign　favour。



ALC。　Ah！　Cruel　husband。



JUP。　Speak；　Alcmene；　speak。



ALC。　Must　I　still　keep　some　kindness　for　you；　who　insult　me　by　so

many　indignities？



JUP。　Whatever　resentment　an　outrage　causes　us；　can　it　hold　out

against　the　remorse　of　a　heart　deeply　in　love？



ALC。　A　heart　full　of　passion　would　rather　expose　itself　to　a

thousand　deaths；　than　offend　the　object　beloved。



JUP。　The　more　one　loves；　the　easier　it　is



ALC。　No；　do　not　speak　to　me　any　longer　about　it；　you　deserve　my　hatred。



JUP。　You　hate　me　then？



ALC。　I　make　every　effort　to　do　so；　and　it　annoys　me　to　feel　that　all

your　insults　do　not　yet　carry　my　vengeance　so　far　as　yield　to　it。



JUP。　But　why　this　violence；　since　I　offer　to　kill　myself　to　satisfy

your　revenge？　Pronounce　the　sentence　and　immediately　I　will　obey。



ALC。　It　is　impossible　to　wish　for　another's　death　if　hatred　be　absent。



JUP。　I　cannot　live　unless　you　abandon　the　wrath　that　overwhelms　me；

and　unless　you　grant　me　the　favour　of　a　pardon　which　I　beg　at　your

feet。　Decide　to　do　one　or　the　other　quickly：　to　punish；　or　to　absolve。



ALC。　Alas！　The　only　resolution　I　can　take　is　but　too　clearly

apparent。　My　heart　has　too　plainly　betrayed　me；　for　me　to　wish　to

maintain　this　anger：　is　it　not　to　say　we　pardon；　when　we　say　we　cannot　hate？



JUP。　Ah；　charming　Alcmene；　overwhelmed　with　delight　I　must。。。



ALC。　Forbear：　I　hate　myself　for　such　weakness。



JUP。　Go；　Sosie；　make　haste；　a　sweet　joy　fills　my　soul。　See　what

officers　of　the　army　you　can　find；　and　ask　them　to　dine　with　me。

（Softly　aside。）　Mercury　can　fill　his　post；　while　he　is　away　from　here。



SCENE　VII



CLEANTHIS；　SOSIE



SOS。　Come！　Now；　you　see；　this　couple；　Cleanthis。　Will　you　follow

their　example；　and　let　us　also　make　peace？　Indulge　in　some　slight

reconciliation？



CLE。　For　the　sake　of　your　lovely　mug；　Oh　yes！　I　will；　and　no　mistake。



SOS。　What？　You　will　not？



CLE。　No。



SOS。　It　doesn't　matter　to　me。　So　much　the　worse　for　you。



CLE。　Well；　well；　come　back。



SOS。　No；　not；　likely！　I　shall　not　do　anything　of　the　kind；　I　shall

be　angry。　I　turn　now。



CLE。　Go　away；　you　villain；　let　me　alone；　one　gets　tired　now　and　then

of　being　an　honest　woman。



END　OF　THE　SECOND　ACT



ACT　III



SCENE　I



AMPHITRYON



Yes；　so　doubt　fate　hides　him　purposely　from　me；　at　last　am　I　tired

of　trying　to　find　him。　I　do　not　know　anything　that　can　be　more　cruel

than　my　lot。　In　spite　of　all　my　endeavours；　I　cannot　find　him　whom　I

seek；　all　those　I　do　not　seek　I　find。　A　thousand　tiresome　bores；　who

do　not　think　they　are　so；　drive　me　mad　with　their　congratulations　on

our　feats　of　arms；　although　they　know　little　of　me。　In　the　cruel

embarrassment　and　anxiety　that　troubles　me；　they　all　burden　me　with

their　attentions；　and　their　rejoicings　make　my　uneasiness　worse。　In

vain　I　try　to　pass　them　by；　to　flee　from　their　persecutions；　their

killing　friendship　stops　me　on　all　sides；　whilst　I　reply　to　the

ardour　of　their　expressions　by　a　nod　of　the　head；　I　mutter　under　my

breath　a　hundred　curses　on　them。　Ah！　How　little　we　are　flattered　by

praise；　honour　and　all　that　a　great　victory　brings；　when　inwardly　we

suffer　keen　sorrow！　How　willingly　would　I　exchange　all　this　glory　to

have　peace　of　mind！　At　every　turn　my　jealousy　twits　me　with　my

disgrace；　the　more　my　mind　ponders　over　it；　the　less　can　I　unravel

its　miserable　confusion。　The　theft　of　the　diamonds　does　not　astonish

me；　seals　may　be　tampered　with　unperceived；　but　my　most　cruel

torment　is　that　she　insists　I　gave　the　gift　to　her　personally

yesterday。　Nature　oftentimes　produces　resemblances；　which　some

impostors　have　adopted　in　order　to　deceive；　but　it　is　inconceivable

that；　under　these　appearances；　a　man　should　pass　himself　off　as　a

husband；　there　are　a　thousand　differences　in　a　relationship　such　as

this　which　a　wife　could　easily　detect。　The　marvellous　effects　of

Thessalian　magic　have　at　all　times　been　renowned；　but　I　have　always

looked　upon　as　idle　tales　the　famous　stories　everyone　talks　of。　　It

would　be　a　hard　fate　if　I；　after　so　glorious　a　victory　elsewhere；

should　be　compelled　to　believe　them　at　the　cost　of　my　own　honour。　I

will　question　her　again　upon　this　wretched　mystery；　and　see　if　it　is

not　a　silly　fancy　that　has　taken　advantage　of　her　disordered　brain。

O　righteous　Heaven；　may　this　thought　be　true；　and　may　she　even　have

lost　her　senses；　so　that　I　may　be　happy！



SCENE　II



MERCURY；　AMPHITRYON



MERC。　Since　love　does　not　offer　me　any　pleasure　here；　I　will　at

least　enjoy　myself　in　another　way；　and　enliven　my　dismal　leisure　by

putting　Amphitron　out　of　all　patience。　This　may　not　be　very

charitable　in　a　God；　but　I　shall　not　bother　myself　about　that；　my

planet　tells　me　I　am　somewhat　given　to　malice。



AMPH。　How　is　it　that　the　door　is　closed　at　this　hour？



MERC。　Hullo！　Gently；　gently！　Who　knocks？



AMPH。　I。



MERC。　Who；　I？



AMPH。　Ah！　Open。



MERC。　What　do　you　mean　by　'open'？　Who　are　you；　pray；　to　make　such　a

row；　and　speak　like　that？



AMPH。　So？　You　do　not　know　me？



MERC。　No；　nor　have　I　the　least　wish　to。



AMPH。　Is　every　one　losing　his　senses　today？　Is　the　malady　spreading？

Sosie！　Hullo；　Sosie！



MERC。　Come；　now！　Sosie：　that　is　my　name；　are　you　afraid　I　shall　forget　it？



AMPH。　Do　you　see　me？



MERC。　Well　enough。　What　can　possess　your　arm　to　make　such　an　uproar？

What　do　you　want　down　there？



AMPH。　I；　you　gallows…bird！　What　do　I　want？



MERC。　What　do　you　not　want　then？　Speak；　if　you　want　to　be　understood。



AMPH。　Listen；　you　villain：　I　will　come　up　with　a　stick　to　make　you

understand；　and　give　you　a　fine　lesson。　How　dare　you　speak　to　me　like　that？



MERC。　Softly；　softly！　If　you　make　the　least　attempt　to　create　an

uproar；　I　shall　send　you　down　some　messengers　who　will　annoy　you。



AMPH。　Oh　Heavens！　Did　anyone　ever　conceive　such　insolence？　And　from

a　servant；　from　a　beggar？



MERC。　Come；　now！　What　is　the　matter？　Have　you　gone　over　everything

correctly？　Have　your　big　eyes　taken　everything　in？　He　glares；　so

savage　he　looks！　If　looks　could　bite；　he　would　have　torn　me　to　shreds　by　now。



AMPH。　I　tremble　at　what　you　are　bringing　upon　yourself　with　all　this

impudent　talk。　What　a　frightful　storm　you　are　brewing　for　yourself！

What　a　tempest　of　blows　will　storm　down　on　your　back！



MERC。　If　you　do　not　soon　disappear　from　here；　my　friend；　you　may

come　in　for　some　mauling。



AMPH。　Ah！　You　villain；　you　shall　know　to　your　confusion　what　it　is

for　a　valet　to　attack　his　master。



MERC。　You；　my　master？



AMPH。　Yes；　rascal。　Do　you　dare　to　say　you　do　not　recognise　me？



MERC。　I　do　not　recognise　any　other　master　than　Amphitryon。



AMPH。　And　who；　besides　myself；　may　this　Amphitryon　be？



MERC。　Amphitryon？



AMPH。　Certainly。



MERC。　Ah！　What　an　illusion！　Come；　tell　me　in　what　decent　tavern　you

have　addled　your　brain？



AMPH。　What？　Again？



MERC。　Was　it　a　feast…day　wine？



AMPH。　Heavens！



MERC。　Was　it　old　or　new？



AMPH。　What　insults！



MERC。　New　goes　to　one's　head；　if　drunk　without　water。



AMPH。　Ah！　I　shall　tear　your　tongue　out　soon。



MERC。　Pass　on；　my　dear　friend；　believe　me；　no　one　here　will　listen

to　you。　I　respect　wine。　Go　away；　make　yourself　scarce；　and　leave

Amphitryon　to　the　pleasures　which　he　is　tasting。



AMPH。　What！　Is　Amphitryon　in　there？



MERC。　Rather：　covered　with　the　laurels　of　his　fine　victory；　he　is

side　by　side　with　the　lovely　Alcmene　enjoying　the　delights　of　a

charming　tete…a…tete。　They　are　tasting　the　pleasures　of　being

reconciled；　now　their　love…tiff　has　blown　over。　Take　care　how　you

disturb　their　sweet　privacy；　unless　you　wish　him　to　punish　you　for

your　excessive　rashness。



SCENE　III



AMPHITRYON



Ah！　What　a　frightful　blow　he　has　given　me！　How　cruelly　has　he　put　me

to　confusion！　If　matters　are　as　this　villain　says；　to　what　a　state

are　my　honour　and　my　affection　reduced？　What　course　can　I　adopt？　Am

I　to　noise　it　abroad　or　keep　it　secret？　Ought　I；　in　my　anger；　to

keep　the　dishonour　of　my　house　to　myself　or　make　it　public？　Come！

Must　one　even　think　what　to　do　in　so　gross　an　affront？　I　have　no

standing；　nothing　to　hope　for；　all　my　anxiety　now　shall　be　how　to

avenge　myself。



SCENE　IV



SOSIE；　NAUCRATES；　POLIDAS；　AMPHITRYON



SOS。　All　I　have　been　able　to　do；　Monsieur；　with　all　my　diligence；　is

to　have　brought　these　gentlemen　here。



AMPH。　Ah！　You　are　here？



SOS。　Monsieur。



AMPH。　Insolent；　bold　rascal！