暴风雨（莎士比亚戏剧故事）

暴风雨

The Tempest

海中有一座岛屿，上面仅有的居民是一位名叫普洛斯彼罗的老人和他的女儿米兰达——一位非常美丽的年轻小姐。

There was a certain island in the sea, the only inhabitants of which were an old man, whose name was Prospero, and his daughter Miranda, a very beautiful young lady.

她来到这座岛上时年纪还太小，以至于除了父亲的面容之外，她完全记不得曾见过任何其他人的面孔。

She came to this island so young, that she had no memory of having seen any other human face than her father’s.

他们住在岩石凿成的一个洞穴或石室里；洞里被隔成了几个房间，其中一间被普洛斯彼罗称为他的书房；他在那里存放着书籍，这些书主要论述魔法——在那个时代，这是一门备受所有博学之士喜爱的学问；而他发现这种法术的知识对自己非常有用。因为机缘巧合，他被抛到了这座岛上，而该岛曾被一个名叫西考拉克斯的女巫施了魔法，她在普洛斯彼罗到达前不久死在了岛上。普洛斯彼罗凭借自己的法术，释放了许多善良的精灵，西考拉克斯曾将他们禁锢在大树干里，因为他们拒绝执行她那些邪恶的命令。

They lived in a cave or cell, made out of a rock; it was divided into several apartments, one of which Prospero called his study; there he kept his books, which chiefly treated of magic, a study at that time much affected by all learned men: and the knowledge of this art he found very useful to him; for being thrown by a strange chance upon this island, which had been enchanted by a witch called Sycorax, who died there a short time before his arrival, Prospero, by virtue of his art, released many good spirits that Sycorax had imprisoned in the bodies of large trees, because they had refused to execute her wicked commands.

自那以后，这些温和的精灵始终顺从普洛斯彼罗的意愿。在他们当中，爱丽儿是首领。

These gentle spirits were ever after obedient to the will of Prospero. Of these Ariel was the chief.

活泼的小精灵爱丽儿本性毫无恶意，只是他极喜折磨一个名叫卡利班的丑陋怪物，因为卡利班是他宿敌西考拉克斯的儿子，所以他一直对他怀恨在心。

The lively little sprite Ariel had nothing mischievous in his nature, except that he took rather too much pleasure in tormenting an ugly monster called Caliban, for he owed him a grudge because he was the son of his old enemy Sycorax.

这卡利班是普洛斯彼罗在林中发现的，是个畸形怪样的人形生物，其模样比猿猴还要缺少人样。普洛斯彼罗把他带回自己的石室，并教他说话；普洛斯彼罗本会对他十分和善，但卡利班从母亲西考拉克斯那里继承的恶劣本性，使他不肯学习任何善良或有用的东西；因此，他像奴隶一样被役使，去打柴并干最繁重的苦工；而爱丽儿则负责强迫他服这些劳役。

This Caliban, Prospero found in the woods, a strange misshapen thing, far less human in form than an ape: he took him home to his cell, and taught him to speak; and Prospero would have been very kind to him, but the bad nature which Caliban inherited from his mother Sycorax, would not let him learn anything good or useful: therefore he was employed like a slave, to fetch wood, and do the most laborious offices; and Ariel had the charge of compelling him to these services.

每当卡利班偷懒怠工时，爱丽儿（除普洛斯彼罗外谁也看不见他）就会悄悄溜过来掐他，有时还把他推倒在烂泥里；然后爱丽儿会变成猿猴的模样，冲他做鬼脸。

When Caliban was lazy and neglected his work, Ariel (who was invisible to all eyes but Prospero’s) would come slily and pinch him, and sometimes tumble him down in the mire; and then Ariel, in the likeness of an ape, would make mouths at him.

接着他又迅速变换形态，化作一只刺猬，蜷缩着挡在卡利班的路上；卡利班害怕刺猬锋利的硬刺会扎破自己的光脚。

Then swiftly changing his shape, in the likeness of a hedgehog, he would lie tumbling in Caliban’s way, who feared the hedgehog’s sharp quills would prick his bare feet.

每当卡利班怠慢普洛斯彼罗吩咐他做的工作时，爱丽儿就会常常用诸如此类的各种恶作剧来折磨他。

With a variety of suchlike vexatious tricks Ariel would often torment him, whenever Caliban neglected the work which Prospero commanded him to do.

由于这些法力高强的精灵听从他的意愿，普洛斯彼罗便能借助他们号令海上的风浪。

Having these powerful spirits obedient to his will, Prospero could by their means command the winds, and the waves of the sea.

在普洛斯彼罗的命令下，他们掀起了一场狂暴的风暴；在暴风雨之中，正当一艘精美的大船在汹涌的海浪中挣扎、时刻有被波涛吞没的危险时，他让女儿看那艘船，并告诉她，船上满是像他们一样的活人。

By his orders they raised a violent storm, in the midst of which, and struggling with the wild sea-waves that every moment threatened to swallow it up, he showed his daughter a fine large ship, which he told her was full of living beings like themselves.

“啊，我亲爱的父亲，”她说，“如果您是用您的法术掀起了这场可怕的风暴，请怜悯他们的悲惨困境吧。看哪！那艘船要被撞成碎片了。可怜的人们！他们都要丧命了。

‘O my dear father,’ said she, ‘if by your art you have raised this dreadful storm, have pity on their sad distress. See! the vessel will be dashed to pieces. Poor souls! they will all perish.

如果我有法力，我宁可把大海沉入地底，也不愿让那艘好船连同船上所有珍贵的生灵一起毁灭。”

If I had power, I would sink the sea beneath the earth, rather than the good ship should be destroyed, with all the precious souls within her.’