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第8章

cyrano de bergerac-第8章

小说: cyrano de bergerac 字数: 每页4000字

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ell to alternate his long lines of verse with the short ones; thus shall your roasts; in strophes; turn before the flame!

ANOTHER APPRENTICE (also coming up with a tray covered by a napkin):   Master; I bethought me erewhile of your tastes; and made this; which will please you; I hope。

(He uncovers the tray; and shows a large lyre made of pastry。)

RAGUENEAU (enchanted):   A lyre!

THE APPRENTICE:   'Tis of brioche pastry。

RAGUENEAU (touched):   With conserved fruits。

THE APPRENTICE:   The strings; see; are of sugar。

RAGUENEAU (giving him a coin):   Go; drink my health! (Seeing Lise enter):   Hush!  My wife。  Bustle; pass on; and hide that money! (To Lise; showing her the lyre; with a conscious look):   Is it not beautiful?

LISE:   'Tis passing silly!

(She puts a pile of papers on the counter。)

RAGUENEAU:   Bags?  Good。  I thank you。 (He looks at them):   Heavens! my cherished leaves!  The poems of my friends!  Torn; dismembered; to make bags for holding biscuits and cakes!。 。 。Ah; 'tis the old tale again。 。 。Orpheus and the Bacchantes!

LISE (dryly):   And am I not free to turn at last to some use the sole thing that your wretched scribblers of halting lines leave behind them by way of payment?

RAGUENEAU:   Groveling ant!。 。 。Insult not the divine grasshoppers; the sweet singers!

LISE:   Before you were the sworn comrade of all that crew; my friend; you did not call your wife ant and Bacchante!

RAGUENEAU:   To turn fair verse to such a use!

LISE:   'Faith; 'tis all it's good for。

RAGUENEAU:   Pray then; madam; to what use would you degrade prose?



Scene 2。II。

The same。  Two children; who have just trotted into the shop。

RAGUENEAU:   What would you; little ones?

FIRST CHILD:   Three pies。

RAGUENEAU (serving them):   See; hot and well browned。

SECOND CHILD:   If it please you; Sir; will you wrap them up for us?

RAGUENEAU (aside; distressed):   Alas! one of my bags! (To the children):   What?  Must I wrap them up? (He takes a bag; and just as he is about to put in the pies; he reads):   'Ulysses thus; on leaving fair Penelope。 。 。'   Not that one! (He puts it aside; and takes another; and as he is about to put in the pies; he reads):   'The gold…locked Phoebus。 。 。'   Nay; nor that one!。 。 。

(Same play。)

LISE (impatiently):   What are you dallying for?

RAGUENEAU:   Here! here! here (He chooses a third; resignedly):   The sonnet to Phillis!。 。 。but 'tis hard to part with it!

LISE:   By good luck he has made up his mind at last! (Shrugging her shoulders):   Nicodemus!

(She mounts on a chair; and begins to range plates on a dresser。)

RAGUENEAU (taking advantage of the moment she turns her back; calls back the children; who are already at the door):   Hist! children!。 。 。render me back the sonnet to Phillis; and you shall have six pies instead of three。

(The children give him back the bag; seize the cakes quickly; and go out。)

RAGUENEAU (smoothing out the paper; begins to declaim):   'Phillis!。 。 。'  On that sweet name a smear of butter!  'Phillis!。 。 。'

(Cyrano enters hurriedly。)



Scene 2。III。

Ragueneau; Lise; Cyrano; then the musketeer。

CYRANO:   What's o'clock?

RAGUENEAU (bowing low):   Six o'clock。

CYRANO (with emotion):   In one hour's time!

(He paces up and down the shop。)

RAGUENEAU (following him):   Bravo!  I saw。 。 。

CYRANO:   Well; what saw you; then?

RAGUENEAU:   Your combat!。 。 。

CYRANO:   Which?

RAGUENEAU:   That in the Burgundy Hotel; 'faith!

CYRANO (contemptuously):   Ah!。 。 。the duel!

RAGUENEAU (admiringly):   Ay! the duel in verse!。 。 。

LISE:   He can talk of naught else!

CYRANO:   Well!  Good! let be!

RAGUENEAU (making passes with a spit that he catches up):   'At the envoi's end; I touch!。 。 。At the envoi's end; I touch!'。 。 。'Tis fine; fine! (With increasing enthusiasm):   'At the envoi's end'

CYRANO:   What hour is it now; Ragueneau?

RAGUENEAU (stopping short in the act of thrusting to look at the clock):   Five minutes after six!。 。 。'I touch!' (He straightens himself):   。 。 。Oh! to write a ballade!

LISE (to Cyrano; who; as he passes by the counter; has absently shaken hands with her):   What's wrong with your hand?

CYRANO:   Naught; a slight cut。

RAGUENEAU:   Have you been in some danger?

CYRANO:   None in the world。

LISE (shaking her finger at him):   Methinks you speak not the truth in saying that!

CYRANO:   Did you see my nose quiver when I spoke?  'Faith; it must have been a monstrous lie that should move it! (Changing his tone):   I wait some one here。  Leave us alone; and disturb us for naught an it were not for crack of doom!

RAGUENEAU:   But 'tis impossible; my poets are coming。 。 。

LISE (ironically):   Oh; ay; for their first meal o' the day!

CYRANO:   Prythee; take them aside when I shall make you sign to do so。 。 。What's o'clock?

RAGUENEAU:   Ten minutes after six。

CYRANO (nervously seating himself at Ragueneau's table; and drawing some paper toward him):   A pen!。 。 。

RAGUENEAU (giving him the one from behind his ear):   Herea swan's quill。

A MUSKETEER (with fierce mustache; enters; and in a stentorian voice):   Good…day!

(Lise goes up to him quickly。)

CYRANO (turning round):   Who's that?

RAGUENEAU:   'Tis a friend of my wifea terrible warriorat least so says he himself。

CYRANO (taking up the pen; and motioning Ragueneau away):   Hush! (To himself):   I will write; fold it; give it her; and fly! (Throws down the pen):   Coward!。 。 。But strike me dead if I dare to speak to her;。 。 。ay; even one single word! (To Ragueneau):   What time is it?

RAGUENEAU:   A quarter after six!。 。 。

CYRANO (striking his breast):   Aya single word of all those here! here!  But writing; 'tis easier done。 。 。 (He takes up the pen):   Go to; I will write it; that love…letter!  Oh!  I have writ it and rewrit it in my own mind so oft that it lies there ready for pen and ink; and if I lay but my soul by my letter…sheet; 'tis naught to do but to copy from it。

(He writes。  Through the glass of the door the silhouettes of their figures move uncertainly and hesitatingly。)



Scene 2。IV。

Ragueneau; Lise; the musketeer。  Cyrano at the little table writing。  The poets; dressed in black; their stockings ungartered; and covered with mud。

LISE (entering; to Ragueneau):   Here they come; your mud…bespattered friends!

FIRST POET (entering; to Ragueneau):   Brother in art!。 。 。

SECOND POET (to Ragueneau; shaking his hands):   Dear brother!

THIRD POET:   High soaring eagle among pastry…cooks! (He sniffs):   Marry! it smells good here in your eyrie!

FOURTH POET:   'Tis at Phoebus' own rays that thy roasts turn!

FIFTH POET:   Apollo among master…cooks

RAGUENEAU (whom they surround and embrace):   Ah! how quick a man feels at his ease with them!。 。 。

FIRST POET:   We were stayed by the mob; they are crowded all round the Porte de Nesle!。 。 。

SECOND POET:   Eight bleeding brigand carcasses strew the pavements thereall slit open with sword…gashes!

CYRANO (raising his head a minute):   Eight?。 。 。hold; methought seven。

(He goes on writing。)

RAGUENEAU (to Cyrano):   Know you who might be the hero of the fray?

CYRANO (carelessly):   Not I。

LISE (to the musketeer):   And you?  Know you?

THE MUSKETEER (twirling his mustache):   Maybe!

CYRANO (writing a little way off:he is heard murmuring a word from time to time):   'I love thee!'

FIRST POET:   'Twas one man; say they all; ay; swear to it; one man who; single…handed; put the whole band to the rout!

SECOND POET:   'Twas a strange sight!pikes and cudgels strewed thick upon the ground。

CYRANO (writing):   。 。 。'Thine eyes'。 。 。

THIRD POET:   And they were picking up hats all the way to the Quai d'Orfevres!

FIRST POET:   Sapristi! but he must have been a ferocious。 。 。

CYRANO (same play):   。 。 。'Thy lips'。 。 。

FIRST POET:   'Twas a parlous fearsome giant that was the author of such exploits!

CYRANO (same play):   。 。 。'And when I see thee come; I faint for fear。'

SECOND POET (filching a cake):   What hast rhymed of late; Ragueneau?

CYRANO (same play):   。 。 。'Who worships thee'。 。 。 (He stops; just as he is about t

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