埃及女王克莉奥佩特拉 ( Cleopatra ) 是位很有戏剧性的历史人物。以托勒密王朝继承人的女王之尊,相继为凯撒和安东尼两位伟大的罗马领袖侍寝,并生儿育女。因此影响了当年的世界格局。用帕斯卡儿《沉思录》中的话说,“克莉奥佩特拉的鼻子,假如长得短些,那末世界的整个面貌都会改观。” 在意大利时,看到几幅以克莉奥佩特拉为主题的油画。想找些相关的书看看,居然没有。虽然普鲁塔克的《名人传》中凯撒和安东尼传记中应该有相应内容。先看了部莎士比亚的悲剧《安东尼和克莉奥佩特拉 ( Antony and Cleopatra ) 》。偷些儿懒,看的朱生豪先生译的人民文学版《莎士比亚全集》,有些内容核对了牛津标准版的 William Shakespeare: Complete Works 。 开篇是安东尼在埃及首都亚历山大里亚与女王克莉奥佩特拉寻欢作乐。传来罗马共和国种种威胁和安东尼其子妻子富尔维娅去世信息,安东尼不顾女王不快而回到罗马。与同为罗马执政官的屋大维·凯撒和莱必多斯结盟,并同意续弦屋大维之妹正在寡居中的奥克泰维娅。克莉奥佩特拉在埃及得知后震怒。三执政同小庞贝 ( 凯撒的对手庞贝之子 ) 达成妥协。安东尼征讨帕提亚后驻雅典。屋大维在罗马罢黜了莱必多斯。面对安东尼和屋大维两雄对峙,奥克泰维娅去罗马为哥哥和丈夫之间劝和。她一走,安东尼立即回到亚历山大里亚克莉奥佩特拉的身旁。战事终于不可避免。安东尼和屋大维两军在希腊西岸开战。安东尼固执地放弃陆上优势,选择在海上决战,埃及六十只战舰参战。海战中,克莉奥佩特拉所在的船掉头逃遁,安东尼所乘旗舰尾随而去。主帅临阵脱逃,舰队大败。安东尼回到亚历山大里亚后,一度想重整旗鼓。安东尼的陆军一度小胜,但埃及海军舰队再次避战,安东尼部下纷纷倒戈。屋大维派人招降克莉奥佩特拉,女王没有解决拒绝。安东尼震怒。克莉奥佩特拉讹传自己已死,安东尼殉情自尽,重伤未死。克莉奥佩特拉躲入反锁的墓室,和临死的安东尼诀别。屋大维派人安抚女王,其实准备把她带到罗马,在自己的凯旋游行中作为俘虏示众。克莉奥佩特拉在自己的陵墓中,用尼罗河特产的剧毒小蛇自杀。屋大维允许克莉奥佩特拉与安东尼同葬,并进行隆重葬礼。 整个故事中,克莉奥佩特拉并没有女王尤其是东方君主的威严,更像是恋爱中的小女人,用各种小花招折腾安东尼。她自称“我们这些以恋爱为职业的人 (II5) ”。安东尼也有些英雄气短儿女情长,与《 裘力斯·凯撒 》中的智勇双全判若两人。屋大维倒是少年老成深谋远虑。所以,他最终颠覆了罗马共和国而建立罗马帝国。 朱生豪先生译文华丽流畅,但与原文还是有些差别。抄录些我欣赏的句子比较。英文没有像原文中那样分行。 “ The nature of bad news infects the teller. 人们因为不爱听恶消息,往往会连带憎恨那报告恶消息的人。 (I2) ” “ His faults in him seem as the spots of heaven, More fiery by night's blackness; hereditary, Rather than purchased; what he cannot change, Than what he chooses. 他的过失就像天空中的星点一般,因为夜间的黑暗而格外显著;它们是与生俱来的,不是有意获得的;他这是连自己也无能为力,决不是存心如此。 (I4) ”这是说安东尼,虽然在这部剧本中,他主要表现出的是过失。 “ Beg often our own harms, which the wise powers Deny us for our good; so find we profit By losing of our prayers. 我们昧于利害,往往所祈求的反而对我们自己有损无益;聪明的天神拒绝我们的祷告,正是玉成我们的善意;我们虽然所愿不遂,其实还是实受其利。 (II1) ” “ All men's faces are true, whatsome'er their hands are. 人们的手尽管不老实,他们的脸总是老实的。 (II6) ” “ Ah, this thou shouldst have done, And not have spoke on't! In me 'tis villany; In thee't had been good service. Thou must know, 'Tis not my profit that does lead mine honour; Mine honour, it. Repent that e'er thy tongue Hath so betray'd thine act: being done unknown, I should have found it afterwards well done; But must condemn it now. 这件事你应该自己去干,不该先来告诉我。我干了这事,人家要说我不顾信义;你去干了,却是为主尽忠。你必须知道,我不能把利益放在荣誉的前面,我的荣誉是比利益更重要的。你应该懊悔让你的舌头说出了你的计谋;要是趁我不知道的时候干了,我以后会觉得你这件事情干得很好,可是现在我必须斥责这样的行为。 (II7) ”这是小庞贝的部将打算一并暗算对手罗马三执政,来请示庞贝。庞贝否定了,毕竟他是罗马人,有罗马人的荣誉观。 “ Ventidius, that Without the which a soldier, and his sword, Grants scarce distinction. 一个军人要是不能审察利害,那就跟他的剑没有分别了。 (III1) ”这是安东尼手下的部将所说,他们打了胜仗,但情愿归功于安东尼,以免功高震主。 “ Celerity is never more admired Than by the negligent. 因循观望的人,最善于惊叹他人的敏捷。 (III7) ”这是克莉奥佩特拉批评安东尼的话,安东尼连连称是。 “ women are not In their best fortunes strong; but want will perjure The ne'er touch'd vestal. 女人在最幸福的环境里,也往往抵抗不了外界的诱惑;一旦到了困穷无告的时候,一尘不染的贞女也会失足堕落。 (III10) ”这是屋大维对女性的看法,或许也是莎士比亚的看法。 “ I see men's judgments are A parcel of their fortunes; and things outward Do draw the inward quality after them, To suffer all alike. 看来人们的理智也是他们命运中的一部分,一个人倒了楣,他的头脑也就跟着糊涂了。 (III11) ”这是安东尼部将对安东尼想与屋大维个人决斗的嘲讽。 “ The loyalty well held to fools does make Our faith mere folly; yet he that can endure To follow with allegiance a fall'n lord, Does conquer him that did his master conquer And earns a place i' the story. 我们的忠诚不过是愚蠢,因为只有愚人才会尽忠到底;可是谁要是死心塌地追随一个失势的主人,那么他的主人虽然被他的环境征服了,他却能够征服那种环境而不为所屈,这样的人是应该在历史上永远占据一个地位的。 (III11) ”这是安东尼部将的独白。 “ Wisdom and fortune combating together, If that the former dare but what it can, No chance may shake it. 智慧和命运互相冲突的时候,要是智慧有胆量贯彻它的主张,没有意外的机会可以摇动它的。 (III11) ”这是屋大维的使者劝降克莉奥佩特拉的话。 “ When one so great begins to rage, he's hunted Even to falling. Give him no breath, but now Make boot of his distraction: never anger Made good guard for itself. 一个伟大的人物开始咆哮的时候,就是势穷力迫、快要堕下陷阱的预兆。不要给他喘息的机会,利用他的狂暴焦躁的心理;一个发怒的人,总是疏于自卫的。 (IV1) ”这是屋大维的部将对安东尼的判断。确实,高声恶气往往是虚弱的象征。
如莎翁剧本 Julius Caesar 所述,布鲁图斯竭力维持罗马共和政体,为此不惜诛杀有恩于他也是他所敬爱的功勋卓著的凯撒。在历史上仍未能避免凯撒的养子屋大维登基加冕,改制为罗马帝国。布鲁图斯犹豫不决时, Cassius 这样激励布鲁图斯 O, you and I have heard our fathers say, There was a Brutus once that would have brook’d The eternal devil to keep his state in Rome As easily as a king.(I2: 154-157) 其中父辈之口代代传颂的让罗马没有帝王的 a Brutus , 就是布鲁图斯的祖先老布鲁图斯。 大约在剧中恺撒时代五百年前,罗马王国就是在 Brutus 祖先鲁基乌斯·尤尼乌斯·布鲁图斯 ( Lucius Junius Brutus ) 手中颠覆,诞生了罗马共和国。老布鲁图斯堪称罗马共和国国父。米开朗基罗雕塑了布鲁图斯的胸像 ( 原作在佛罗伦萨巴格洛宫国家博物馆,似乎是米开朗基罗唯一的胸像 ) ,无疑是这位老布鲁图斯。照片不是我拍摄,取自网络。 Brutus (1538) by Michelangelo 莎士比亚的叙事长诗《鲁克丽丝受辱记》记载此事。老布鲁图斯从被国王强奸而自杀的贵妇鲁克丽丝身上拔下尖刀,率众宣誓 ( 朱生豪先生译文 ) 既然罗马的尊严被这帮恶人污损, 那就请天神俯允:让我们兴动刀兵, 从罗马干净的街衢上,把恶人驱除干净。 现在,凭着我们崇奉的卡庇托大寺, 凭着给丰腴的大地孳育了五谷的红日, 凭着罗马国土上留存的公理和法制, 凭着鲁克丽丝方才的申诉和嘱示, 凭着她不昧的精魂,这横遭玷辱的血渍, 凭着这血染的尖刀,我们在此宣誓: 要为这忠贞的妻子,洗雪这强加的羞耻。 于是众贵族推翻国王,有了罗马共和国。元老院、执政官和部族会议三权分立,布鲁图斯就任罗马首位执政官。 历史书 ( 可能是李维的《罗马史》 ) 还记载了布鲁图斯的誓词 ( 我从英译文翻译 ) 。 首先发誓不接受任何人统治罗马,渴望新自由的民众不许被国王们的威胁和贿赂所左右。 (First of all, by swearing an oath that they would suffer no man to rule Rome, it forced the people, desirous of a new liberty, not to be thereafter swayed by the entreaties or bribes of kings.) 无以罪之血,在国王不正义前发誓,并以你们和众神为见证,我要尽全力用剑、用火、用任何手段,推翻路修斯·塔昆纽斯·苏佩布斯 ( 自大狂 ) 及其邪恶妻子和所有孩子的统治,他们或者任何人都不能再统治罗马。 (By this guiltless blood before the kingly injustice I swear – you and the gods as my witnesses – I make myself the one who will prosecute, by what force I am able, Lucius Tarquinius Superbus along with his wicked wife and the whole house of his freeborn children by sword, by fire, by any means hence, so that neither they nor any one else be suffered to rule Rome.) 后来为了捍卫共和,老布鲁图斯不得不处死了自己两个儿子。这也是诸多美术作品的题材。 Julius Caesar 中布鲁图斯捍卫共和的想法,与其祖先一脉相承。可惜,民意有了变化。 老布鲁图斯的故事见于普鲁塔克《名人传》的普布利科拉篇,但没有独立的篇章。
Julius Caesar ( 《尤里斯·凯撒》 ) 是莎翁剧本中相对容易的一部。这次重读的是商务的“莎士比亚注释丛书”版,裘克安先生注释。该书与牛津版全集在分场方面有些差别。不久前在古罗马广场看过当年停放遇刺的凯撒遗体之处,现在是凯撒神庙遗址,读剧本尤其觉得亲切。 剧本的情节比较简单。 Caesar 在罗马民众中威望日高,已经是终身执政,还有意加冕称王。与 Caesar 有私怨的 Cassius 策划行刺 Caesar 的阴谋。他成功地说服了正直有威望的名门之后 Brutus 加盟,他受 Caesar 恩惠,但愿意为保卫共和诛杀 Caesar 。 Caesar 感受到种种凶兆,在妻子 Calpurnia 劝阻下本来打算缺席元老院的会议,但反对者以可能授予他王权为由诱使他到元老院。在那里,十余人按计划杀死 Caesar 。 Cassius 劝 Brutus 同时也杀了 Caesar 的爱将 Antony ,但 Brutus 拒绝。 Antony 表示如果他们向罗马市民解释杀死 Caesar 的理由充分,他愿意与他们合作。在 Caesar 葬礼上, Brutus 先演讲, 赢得罗马公民支持。 Antony 接着演讲,改变了听众的看法,罗马市民转而对暗杀 Caesar 的人怒火万丈,他们马上逃出罗马。最后 Antony 等的军队打败了 Brutus 召集的军队, Brutus 自杀。 Antony 等承认, Brutus 是反对 Caesar 团伙中唯一正直的人,他参与谋杀,确实是为了罗马,而不是为了自己。 This was the noblest Roman of them all; All the conspirators save only he Did that they did in envy of great Caesar; He only, in a general honest thought And common good to all, made one of them. His life was gentle, and the elements So mix'd in him that Nature might stand up And say to all the world, ‘This was a man!’ (V2: 216-213) 剧本中,安葬 Caesar 时的演讲很有意思。主旨爱 Caesar 但更爱罗马,为了捍卫罗马的共和,只能杀掉想称王的 Caesar 。 Brutus 的演讲有逻辑的力量,修辞也华丽,结尾如下 Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more. Had you rather Caesar were living, and die all slaves, than that Caesar were dead, to live all free men? As Caesar loved me, I weep for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honour him; but, as he was ambitious, I slew him. There is tears for his love; joy for his fortune: honour for his valour; and death for his ambition. Who is here so base that would be a bondman? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so rude that would not be a Roman ? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so vile that will not love his country? If any, speak; for him have I offended. I pause for a reply. (III2: 21-34) 虽然在论证 Caesar 有称帝野心时证据并不充分。但罗马群众都没有注意到这个问题,而致以热烈欢迎。 Antony 的演讲更侧重利用群众的情感,除了说 Caesar 的贡献外,特别提到 Caesar 的遗嘱赠每位市民笔钱,他的私人住宅可以作为公共花园。结果也更成功,改变了群众的看法。演讲实在太长,我就不抄了。 剧本最引人注目的是对命运的讨论。 Cassius 强调命运掌握在自己手中,居于人下错在自己而非命运 Men at some time are masters of their fates: The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings. (I2: 135-137) Caesar 觉得命运无处逃避 What can be avoided Whose end is purpos'd by the mighty gods? (II2: 27-28) 因此不妨直面死亡。 Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once. Of all the wonders that I yet have heard, It seems to me most strange that men should fear; Seeing that death, a necessary end, Will come when it will come. (II2: 33-37) 她妻子对这种自信表示忧虑,觉得会把他弄糊涂。 Your wisdom is consum'd in confidence. (II2: 49) 还有 Brutus 对命运的看法,我在《 命运如潮 》中抄过,时不我待,乘势而上。 There is a tide in the affairs of men, Which, taken at the flood, leads on the fortune; Omitted, all the voyage of their life Is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat, And we must take the current when it serves Or lose our ventures. (IV3: 216-222) 此外, Caesar 对行刺的主谋 Cassius 的看法也耐人寻味,为阴谋家画幅速写。博览群书,洞悉人性,很少娱乐,不苟言笑,心胸狭隘。 He reads much; He is a great observer, and he looks Quite through the deeds of men; he loves no plays, As thou dost, Antony; he hears no music; Seldom he smiles, and smiles in such a sort As if he mock'd himself, and scorn'd his spirit That could be mov'd to smile at any thing. Such men as he be never at heart's ease Whiles they behold a greater than themselves, And therefore are they very dangerous. (I2: 197-206) Julius Caesar 是历史剧,剧情主要出自普鲁塔克《名人传》。 Caesar 其实并非是剧中的主要人物,主要人物是被推举为行刺 Caesar 小团伙的首领 Brutus ,以及在为 Caesar 复仇名义下攫取最高权力的 Antony 。三人在《名人传》中都有专门传记。 Caesar 的最为正面,与亚历山大并列为“继往开来者”,我理解就是大征服者。 Brutus 则是在弑杀君父者,虽然对他个人道德操守还是有好评;而 Antony 更是因美色而亡者,对他个人品质评价也不高。这三位的传记我准备以后阅读一下。