OTHELLO

奥赛罗

Her father loved me; oft invited me;

她父亲以前对我很器重；

Still question'd me the story of my life,

常常邀我去他府中，

From year to year, the battles, sieges, fortunes,

每次谈话他总要问起我的成长历程，

That I have passed.

让我逐年讲述我经历过的一次次战争、

I ran it through, even from my boyish days,

四面楚歌以及逆水顺风。

To the very moment that he bade me tell it;

我给他讲了我的一生，

Wherein I spake of most disastrous chances,

一直从孩提时代讲到他让我讲述之时，林林总总；

Of moving accidents by flood and field

最惊世骇俗的灾患厄运，

Of hair-breadth scapes i' the imminent deadly breach,

令人心惊肉跳的奇遇遭逢，

Of being taken by the insolent foe

虎口脱险时的战危兵凶，

And sold to slavery, of my redemption thence

落入傲慢的敌人手中，

And portance in my travels' history:

被俘为奴后如何赎身以及旅途中的见闻：

Wherein of antres vast and deserts idle,

大漠寸草不生、岩崖广漠无垠，

Rough quarries, rocks and hills whose heads touch heaven

岩壁崎岖不平、峰岭巍峨高耸，

It was my hint to speak,--such was the process;

我还告诉过她父亲

And of the Cannibals that each other eat,

那些彼此相食的部落多么残忍，

The Anthropophagi and men whose heads

以及那些肩下长头的人。

Do grow beneath their shoulders. This to hear

每次当我谈起这种事情，

Would Desdemona seriously incline:

黛斯迪蒙娜小姐听得都很认真：

But still the house-affairs would draw her thence:

但因家中事务缠身，

Which ever as she could with haste dispatch,

有时她不得不离开座位，

She'ld come again, and with a greedy ear

可她总能尽快办妥事情回来如饥似渴地听：

Devour up my discourse: which I observing,

我注意到她这种情形，

Took once a pliant hour, and found good means

有一天，我找到一个恰当的机会，

To draw from her a prayer of earnest heart

从她口中得知她的心愿至诚至殷，

That I would all my pilgrimage dilate,

她希望我把我一生的经历原原本本、

Whereof by parcels she had something heard,

一五一十加以复述列陈：

But not intentively: I did consent,

由于她平日所闻支离破碎，

And often did beguile her of her tears,

我便欣然应允，

When I did speak of some distressful stroke

当我说到我少年时代所遭遇的痛苦不幸，

That my youth suffer'd. My story being done,

她潸然泪下，情不自禁。

She gave me for my pains a world of sighs:

我讲完我的故事之后小姐发出一声声嗟叹，无比痛心：

She swore, in faith, twas strange, 'twas passing strange,

连连发誓，说那是惨绝人寰，悲惨万分，

'Twas pitiful, 'twas wondrous pitiful:

离奇至极，令人吃惊：

She wish'd she had not heard it, yet she wish'd

以至她希望自己从未听闻但又希望老天垂恩

That heaven had made her such a man: she thank'd me,

为她造一个这样的夫君：

And bade me, if I had a friend that loved her,

她向我致谢，又告诉我要是我有一个朋友想对她表达一往情深，

I should but teach him how to tell my story.

我只要教他如何讲述我的故事，就能得到她的爱情。

And that would woo her. Upon this hint I spake:

我听了这个暗示提醒，

She loved me for the dangers I had pass'd,

才向她求婚，

And I loved her that she did pity them.

这就是我所用的唯一的幻术，她爱我是因为我经历过的患难种种，

This only is the witchcraft I have used:

我爱她是因为她对我的同情怜悯：

Here comes the lady; let her witness it.

她来了；就让她来为我作证。

Enter DESDEMONA, IAGO, and Attendants（黛斯迪蒙娜，艾阿格及吏役上）

（选自《奥赛罗》第一幕第三场）