油墨里独自芬芳的香芹:爱情围猎
(四)爱情围猎
莎翁的那个年代,男人们在外喝酒狂欢、追逐名利和女人,往往被认为是一种社交时尚。他们把向女人求爱视为狩猎。《驯悍记》第五幕第二场,几个男人在聚会上的一席对话充分显现了这个观点,现将部分片段翻译如下:
卞卡:
“我是你的鸟吗?我要另择新枝了,你就张弓搭箭在后面追吧。欢迎各位。”
(BIANCA
Am I your bird? I mean to shift my bush,
And then pursue me as you draw your bow.—
You are welcome all.)
卞卡、凯瑟琳娜及寡妇下。
(Exeunt BIANCA, KATHERINE and WIDOW)
彼特鲁乔:
“她走了。特拉尼奥先生,她也是你瞄准的鸟儿,尽管你没击中 — 为那些射而不中的人干一杯吧。”
(PETRUCHIO
She hath prevented me. Here, Signior Tranio,
This bird you aimed at, though you hit her not.—
Therefore a health to all that shot and missed.)
特拉尼奥:
“喔,先生,路森修先生把我当成他的灵缇犬,不停奔波,为主人获取猎物。”
(TRANIO
Oh, sir, Lucentio slipped me like his greyhound,
Which runs himself and catches for his master.)
彼特鲁乔:
“一个急智的好比喻,但有点粗俗。”
(PETRUCHIO
A good swift simile, but something currish.)
特拉尼奥:
“还是您好,先生,自己亲手打猎,可是人家都说您那头鹿儿把您逼得走头无路呢。”
(TRANIO
'Tis well, sir, that you hunted for yourself.
'Tis thought your deer does hold you at a bay.)
巴普提斯塔:
“哈哈,彼特鲁乔!特拉尼奥说中你的要害了。”
(BAPTISTA
Oh, Oh, Petruchio! Tranio hits you now.)
路森修:
“讽刺的好,特拉尼奥,我要谢谢你。”
(LUCENTIO
I thank thee for that gird, good Tranio.)
霍坦西奥:
“招了吧,招了吧,他是不是击中了你的要害?”
(HORTENSIO
Confess, confess, hath he not hit you here?)
彼特鲁乔:
“我承认他让我有点难受,他的玩笑的的确确打我身边擦过,十有八九彻底伤着的是你们两位。”
(PETRUCHIO
He has a little galled me, I confess.
And, as the jest did glance away from me,
'Tis ten to one it maimed you two outright.)
巴普提斯塔:
“不开玩笑,彼特鲁乔贤婿,我认为你娶着了一个最泼悍的女人。”
(BAPTISTA
Now, in good sadness, son Petruchio,
I think thou hast the veriest shrew of all.)
路森修的仆人特拉尼奥说的“At bay”是一句打猎术语,指的是被猎犬狂追的鹿儿突然转身面对猎犬。他在嘲笑彼特鲁乔并未真正将悍妻困住,这促使彼特鲁乔挑战其他新婚丈夫,以证明自己的妻子是三位妻子中最听话的。
而且在大庭广众之下,彼特鲁乔无论是开玩笑还是假装疯狂,都故意将妻子凯瑟琳娜与家畜或无生命体征的财产视为同类。
比如,第三幕第二场,彼特鲁乔在婚礼上说:“凯特,他们必须听你的命令,你叫他们入席。大家听新娘的话,去参加宴会吧,痛痛快快地喝酒狂欢,为她的贞洁干杯,疯狂一把,快乐一把,不然你们就给我上吊去。但我那娇滴滴的凯特必须和我一起去。哎呀,不要睁大眼睛、不要顿足,不要紧紧盯着我,不要恼怒,我的东西我做主。她是我的商品,我的动产,她是我的房子,我的家庭用品,我的田地,我的谷仓,我的马,我的牛,我的驴,我的一切。她站在这里,谁敢碰她一下。哪个最胆大的要是在帕多瓦挡住我的去路,我就不客气了。— 葛鲁米奥,拿出你的武器来,我们被一群小偷包围了,如果你还是男人的话,快去把你的女主人救出来。— 别怕,好娘们,他们不会碰你的,凯特。就算他们是百万大军,我也会保护你的。”
(PETRUCHIO
They shall go forward, Kate, at thy command.—
Obey the bride, you that attend on her.
Go to the feast, revel and domineer,
Carouse full measure to her maidenhead,
Be mad and merry, or go hang yourselves.
But for my bonny Kate, she must with me.
Nay, look not big, nor stamp, nor stare, nor fret;
I will be master of what is mine own.
She is my goods, my chattels; she is my house,
My household stuff, my field, my barn,
My horse, my ox, my ass, my anything.
And here she stands, touch her whoever dare.
I’ll bring mine action on the proudest he
That stops my way in Padua.—Grumio,
Draw forth thy weapon, we are beset with thieves.
Rescue thy mistress if thou be a man.—
Fear not, sweet wench, they shall not touch thee, Kate.
I’ll buckler thee against a million.)
从婚礼开始,彼特鲁乔就开始了精心策划的“去悍”疗程。他用蛮横无理的态度迫使妻子在寒冷的天气和他一起骑马回家。妻子中途落马,跌在泥泞里,又脏又湿,又累又饿。回到家,专横的彼特鲁以琐事为借口打了仆人,还说仆人把肉烤得太熟了,借故不让妻子吃东西。他故意将屋子弄得乱七八糟,在妻子昏昏欲睡时大声吵闹。
第四幕第一场,彼特鲁乔有一段独白:
“好吧,我以一个经过深思熟虑的计划开始了我的统治,希望能圆满成功。我的猎鹰现在非常饥饿,没有吃东西,在她俯冲夺取食物前,不能让她吃饱,否则她就不再关注诱饵。 我还有另一个计划制服我那只母鹰,让她识别主人的呼唤,招之即来,挥之即去。那就是不让她睡觉,拿她当一只扑着翅膀不肯顺服的幼鹰一样对待。今天她没有吃肉,以后也不给她吃。昨夜她没有睡觉,今夜我也不让她睡。就像故意挑剔肉食一样,我会故意嫌被褥铺的得不好,把枕头、枕垫、被单、床垫到处乱扔,还说都是为了爱惜她才这样做。总之让她整夜不能合眼,倘若她犯困,我会大吼大叫,吵得她睡不着。这是以体贴为名消灭她的野性和任性,如果有谁知道更好的驯悍妙法,请他大声说出来,本人不胜感激。”
(PETRUCHIO
Thus have I politicly begun my reign,
And ’tis my hope to end successfully.
My falcon now is sharp and passing empty,
And, till she stoop, she must not be full-gorged,
For then she never looks upon her lure.
Another way I have to man my haggard,
To make her come and know her keeper’s call.
That is, to watch her, as we watch these kites
That bate and beat and will not be obedient.
She ate no meat today, nor none shall eat.
Last night she slept not, nor tonight she shall not.
As with the meat, some undeservèd fault
I’ll find about the making of the bed,
And here I’ll fling the pillow, there the bolster,
This way the coverlet, another way the sheets.
Ay, and amid this hurly I intend
That all is done in reverend care of her.
And, in conclusion, she shall watch all night,
And if she chance to nod I’ll rail and brawl,
And with the clamor keep her still awake.
This is a way to kill a wife with kindness,
And thus I’ll curb her mad and headstrong humor.
He that knows better how to tame a shrew,
Now let him speak; ’tis charity to show.)
用猎鹰狩猎是英国上流社会时髦的运动,彼特鲁乔具有丰富的驯鹰知识,这说明了他的优越的家庭出身。他用驯服悍鹰的那一套来对付自己的妻子,通过控制食物和睡眠在心理和生理上折磨妻子,从而巩固夫权统治。- 这些细节都让今天的读者感到不自在,对践踏女性尊严的父权和夫权产生极大的厌恶。