playboy of the western world-第1章

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The　Playboy　of　the　Western　World



by　J。　M。　Synge






A　COMEDY　IN　THREE　ACTS










PREFACE



In　writing　THE　PLAYBOY　OF　THE　WESTERN　WORLD；　as　in　my　other　plays；　I　have　used

one　or　two　words　only　that　I　have　not　heard　among　the　country　people　of

Ireland；　or　spoken　in　my　own　nursery　before　I　could　read　the　newspapers。　　A

certain　number　of　the　phrases　I　employ　I　have　heard　also　from　herds　and

fishermen　along　the　coast　from　Kerry　to　Mayo；　or　from　beggar…women　and

balladsingers　nearer　Dublin；　and　I　am　glad　to　acknowledge　how　much　I　owe　to

the　folk　imagination　of　these　fine　people。　　Anyone　who　has　lived　in　real

intimacy　with　the　Irish　peasantry　will　know　that　the　wildest　sayings　and　ideas

in　this　play　are　tame　indeed；　compared　with　the　fancies　one　may　hear　in　any

little　hillside　cabin　in　Geesala；　or　Carraroe；　or　Dingle　Bay。　　All　art　is　a

collaboration；　and　there　is　little　doubt　that　in　the　happy　ages　of　literature；

striking　and　beautiful　phrases　were　as　ready　to　the　story…teller's　or　the

playwright's　hand；　as　the　rich　cloaks　and　dresses　of　his　time。　　It　is　probable

that　when　the　Elizabethan　dramatist　took　his　ink…horn　and　sat　down　to　his　work

he　used　many　phrases　that　he　had　just　heard；　as　he　sat　at　dinner；　from　his

mother　or　his　children。　　In　Ireland；　those　of　us　who　know　the　people　have　the

same　privilege。　　When　I　was　writing　〃The　Shadow　of　the　Glen；〃　some　years　ago；

I　got　more　aid　than　any　learning　could　have　given　me　from　a　chink　in　the　floor

of　the　old　Wicklow　house　where　I　was　staying；　that　let　me　hear　what　was　being

said　by　the　servant　girls　in　the　kitchen。　　This　matter；　I　think；　is　of

importance；　for　in　countries　where　the　imagination　of　the　people；　and　the

language　they　use；　is　rich　and　living；　it　is　possible　for　a　writer　to　be　rich

and　copious　in　his　words；　and　at　the　same　time　to　give　the　reality；　which　is

the　root　of　all　poetry；　in　a　comprehensive　and　natural　form。　　In　the　modern

literature　of　towns；　however；　richness　is　found　only　in　sonnets；　or　prose

poems；　or　in　one　or　two　elaborate　books　that　are　far　away　from　the　profound

and　common　interests　of　life。　　One　has；　on　one　side；　Mallarme　and　Huysmans

producing　this　literature；　and　on　the　other；　Ibsen　and　Zola　dealing　with　the

reality　of　life　in　joyless　and　pallid　words。　　On　the　stage　one　must　have

reality；　and　one　must　have　joy；　and　that　is　why　the　intellectual　modern　drama

has　failed；　and　people　have　grown　sick　of　the　false　joy　of　the　musical　comedy；

that　has　been　given　them　in　place　of　the　rich　joy　found　only　in　what　is　superb

and　wild　in　reality。　　In　a　good　play　every　speech　should　be　as　fully　flavoured

as　a　nut　or　apple；　and　such　speeches　cannot　be　written　by　anyone　who　works

among　people　who　have　shut　their　lips　on　poetry。　　In　Ireland；　for　a　few　years

more；　we　have　a　popular　imagination　that　is　fiery　and　magnificent；　and　tender；

so　that　those　of　us　who　wish　to　write　start　with　a　chance　that　is　not　given　to

writers　in　places　where　the　springtime　of　the　local　life　has　been　forgotten；

and　the　harvest　is　a　memory　only；　and　the　straw　has　been　turned　into　bricks。

J。　M。　S。　　　

January　21st；　1907。





PERSONS



CHRISTOPHER　MAHON。　

OLD　MAHON；　his　father；　a　squatter。

MICHAEL　JAMES　FLAHERTY　（called　MICHAEL　JAMES）；　a　publican。

MARGARET　FLAHERTY　（called＇　PEGEEN　MIKE）；　his　daughter。

WIDOW　QUIN；　a　woman　of　about　thirty。

SHAWN　KEOUGH；　her　cousin；　a　young　farmer。

PHILLY　CULLEN　AND　JIMMY　FARRELL；　small　farmers。

SARA　TANSEY；　SUSAN　BRADY；　AND　HONOR　BLAKE；　village　girls。

A　BELLMAN。

SOME　PEASANTS。





The　action　takes　place　near　a　village；　on　a　wild　coast　of　Mayo。　　The　first　Act

passes　on　an　evening　of　autumn；　the　other　two　Acts　on　the　following　day。





THE　PLAYBOY　OF　THE　WESTERN　WORLD

　__________



ACT　I。





SCENE：　＇Country　public…house　or　shebeen；　very　rough　and　untidy。　　There　is　a

sort　of　counter　on　the　right　with　shelves；　holding　many　bottles　and　jugs；　just

seen　above　it。　　Empty　barrels　stand　near　the　counter。　　At　back；　a　little　to

left　of　counter；　there　is　a　door　into　the　open　air；　then；　more　to　the　left；

there　is　a　settle　with　shelves　above　it；　with　more　jugs；　and　a　table　beneath　a

window。　　At　the　left　there　is　a　large　open　fire…place；　with　turf　fire；　and　a

small　door　into　inner　room。　　Pegeen；　a　wild　looking　but　fine　girl；　of　about

twenty；　is　writing　at　table。　　She　is　dressed　in　the　usual　peasant　dress。＇



PEGEEN　　＇slowly　as　she　writes。＇　　Six　yards　of　stuff　for　to　make　a　yellow

gown。　　A　pair　of　lace　boots　with　lengthy　heels　on　them　and　brassy　eyes。　　A　hat

is　suited　for　a　wedding…day。　　A　fine　tooth　comb。　　To　be　sent　with　three

barrels　of　porter　in　Jimmy　Farrell's　creel　cart　on　the　evening　of　the　coming

Fair　to　Mister　Michael　James　Flaherty。　　With　the　best　compliments　of　this

season。　　Margaret　Flaherty。



SHAWN　KEOGH　　＇a　fat　and　fair　young　man　comes　in　as　she　signs；　looks　round

awkwardly；　when　he　sees　she　is　alone。＇　　Where's　himself？



PEGEEN　　＇without　looking　at　him。＇　　He's　coming。　　（She　directs　the　letter。）　

To　Mister　Sheamus　Mulroy；　Wine　and　Spirit　Dealer；　Castlebar。



SHAWN　　＇uneasily。＇　　I　didn't　see　him　on　the　road。



PEGEEN。　　How　would　you　see　him　（licks　stamp　and　puts　it　on　letter）　and　it　dark

night　this　half　hour　gone　by？



SHAWN　　＇turning　towards　the　door　again。＇　　I　stood　a　while　outside

wondering　would　I　have　a　right　to　pass　on　or　to　walk　in　and　see　you；　Pegeen

Mike　（comes　to　fire）；　and　I　could　hear　the　cows　breathing；　and　sighing　in　the

stillness　of　the　air；　and　not　a　step　moving　any　place　from　this　gate　to　the

bridge。



PEGEEN　　＇putting　letter　in　envelope。＇　　It's　above　at　the　cross…roads　he

is；　meeting　Philly　Cullen；　and　a　couple　more　are　going　along　with　him　to　Kate

Cassidy's　wake。



SHAWN　　＇looking　at　her　blankly。＇　　And　he's　going　that　length　in　the　dark

night？



PEGEEN　　＇impatiently。＇　　He　is　surely；　and　leaving　me　lonesome　on　the　scruff

of　the　hill。　　（She　gets　up　and　puts　envelope　on　dresser；　then　winds　clock。）　

Isn't　it　long　the　nights　are　now；　Shawn　Keogh；　to　be　leaving　a　poor　girl　with

her　own　self　counting　the　hours　to　the　dawn　of　day？



SHAWN　　＇with　awkward　humour。＇　　If　it　is；　when　we're　wedded　in　a　short

while　you'll　have　no　call　to　complain；　for　I've　little　will　to　be　walking　off

to　wakes　or　weddings　in　the　darkness　of　the　night。



PEGEEN　　＇with　rather　scornful　good　humour。＇　　You're　making　mighty　certain；

Shaneen；　that　I'll　wed　you　now。



SHAWN。　　Aren't　we　after　making　a　good　bargain；　the　way　we're　only　waiting

these　days　on　Father　Reilly's　dispensation　from　the　bishops；　or　the　Court　of

Rome。



PEGEEN　　＇looking　at　him　teasingly；　washing　up　at　dresser。＇　　It's　a　wonder；

Shaneen；　the　Holy　Father'd　be　taking　notice　of　the　likes　of　you；　for　if　I　was

him　I　wouldn't　bother　with　this　place　where　you'll　meet　none　but　Red　Linahan；

has　a　squint　in　his　eye；　and　Patcheen　is　lame　in　his　heel；　or　the　mad

Mulrannies　were　driven　from　California　and　they　lost　in　their　wits。　　We're　a

queer　lot　these　times　to　go　troubling　the　Holy　Father　on　his　sacred　seat。



SHAWN　　＇scandalized。＇　　If　we　are；　we're　as　good　this　place　as　another；

maybe；　and　as　good　these　times　as　we　were　for　ever。



PEGEEN　　＇with　scorn。＇　　As　good；　is　it？　Where　now　will　you　meet　the　like　of

Daneen　Sullivan　knocked　the　eye　from　a　peeler；　or　Marcus　Quin；　God　rest　him；

got　six　months　for　maiming　ewes；　and　he　a　great　warrant　to　tell　stories　of

holy　Ireland　till　he'd　have　the　old　women　shedding　down　tears　about　their

feet。　　Where　will　you　find　the　like　of　them；　I'm　saying？



SHAWN　　＇timidly。＇　　If　you　don't　it's　a　good　job；　maybe；　for　（with　peculiar

emphasis　on　the　words）　Father　Reilly　has　small　conceit　to　have　that　kind

walking　around　and　talking　to　the　girls。



PEGEEN　　＇impatiently；　throwing　water　from　basin　out　of　the　door。＇　　Stop

tormenting　me　with　Father　Reilly　（imitating　his　voice）　when　I'm　asking　only

what　way　I'll　pass　these　twelve　hours　of　dark；　and　not　take　my　death　with　the

fea