coriolanus(科利奥兰纳斯)-第7章
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CORIOLANUS
ACT II。
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CORIOLANUS
SCENE I。 Rome。 A public place
Enter MENENIUS; with the two Tribunes of the people; SICINIUS
and BRUTUS
MENENIUS。 The augurer tells me we shall have news tonight。
BRUTUS。 Good or bad? MENENIUS。 Not according to the prayer of the
people; for they love not Marcius。 SICINIUS。 Nature teaches beasts to
know their friends。 MENENIUS。 Pray you; who does the wolf love?
SICINIUS。 The lamb。 MENENIUS。 Ay; to devour him; as the hungry
plebeians would the noble Marcius。 BRUTUS。 He's a lamb indeed; that
baas like a bear。 MENENIUS。 He's a bear indeed; that lives like a lamb。
You two are old men; tell me one thing that I shall ask you。 BOTH
TRIBUNES。 Well; sir。 MENENIUS。 In what enormity is Marcius poor in
that you two have not in abundance? BRUTUS。 He's poor in no one fault;
but stor'd with all。 SICINIUS。 Especially in pride。 BRUTUS。 And topping
all others in boasting。 MENENIUS。 This is strange now。 Do you two know
how you are censured here in the city… I mean of us o' th' right…hand file?
Do you? BOTH TRIBUNES。 Why; how are we censur'd? MENENIUS。
Because you talk of pride now… will you not be angry? BOTH TRIBUNES。
Well; well; sir; well。 MENENIUS。 Why; 'tis no great matter; for a very
little thief of occasion will rob you of a great deal of patience。 Give your
dispositions the reins; and be angry at your pleasures… at the least; if you
take it as a pleasure to you in being so。 You blame Marcius for being
proud? BRUTUS。 We do it not alone; sir。 MENENIUS。 I know you can do
very little alone; for your helps are many; or else your actions would grow
wondrous single: your abilities are too infant…like for doing much alone。
You talk of pride。 O that you could turn your eyes toward the napes of
your necks; and make but an interior survey of your good selves! O that
you could! BOTH TRIBUNES。 What then; sir? MENENIUS。 Why; then
you should discover a brace of unmeriting; proud; violent; testy
magistrates…alias fools… as any in Rome。 SICINIUS。 Menenius; you are
known well enough too。 MENENIUS。 I am known to be a humorous
patrician; and one that loves a cup of hot wine with not a drop of allaying
Tiber in't; said to be something imperfect in favouring the first complaint;
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hasty and tinder…like upon too trivial motion; one that converses more with
the buttock of the night than with the forehead of the morning。 What I
think I utter; and spend my malice in my breath。 Meeting two such
wealsmen as you are… I cannot call you Lycurguses… if the drink you give
me touch my palate adversely; I make a crooked face at it。 I cannot say
your worships have deliver'd the matter well; when I find the ass in
compound with the major part of your syllables; and though I must be
content to bear with those that say you are reverend grave men; yet they
lie deadly that tell you you have good faces。 If you see this in the map of
my microcosm; follows it that I am known well enough too? What harm
can your bisson conspectuities glean out of this character; if I be known
well enough too? BRUTUS。 Come; sir; come; we know you well enough。
MENENIUS。 You know neither me; yourselves; nor any thing。 You are
ambitious for poor knaves' caps and legs; you wear out a good wholesome
forenoon in hearing a cause between an orange…wife and a fosset…seller;
and then rejourn the controversy of threepence to a second day of audience。
When you are hearing a matter between party and party; if you chance to
be pinch'd with the colic; you make faces like mummers; set up the bloody
flag against all patience; and; in roaring for a chamber…pot; dismiss the
controversy bleeding; the more entangled by your hearing。 All the peace
you make in their cause is calling both the parties knaves。 You are a pair of
strange ones。 BRUTUS。 Come; come; you are well understood to be a
perfecter giber for the table than a necessary bencher in the Capitol。
MENENIUS。 Our very priests must become mockers; if they shall
encounter such ridiculous subjects as you are。 When you speak best unto
the purpose; it is not worth the wagging of your beards; and your beards
deserve not so honourable a grave as to stuff a botcher's cushion or to be
entomb'd in an ass's pack…saddle。 Yet you must be saying Marcius is proud;
who; in a cheap estimation; is worth all your predecessors since Deucalion;
though peradventure some of the best of 'em were hereditary hangmen。
God…den to your worships。 More of your conversation would infect my
brain; being the herdsmen of the beastly plebeians。 I will be bold to take
my leave of you。 'BRUTUS and SICINIUS go aside'
Enter VOLUMNIA; VIRGILIA; and VALERIA
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How now; my as fair as noble ladies… and the moon; were she earthly;
no nobler… whither do you follow your eyes so fast? VOLUMNIA。
Honourable Menenius; my boy Marcius approaches; for the love of Juno;
let's go。 MENENIUS。 Ha! Marcius coming home? VOLUMNIA。 Ay;
worthy Menenius; and with most prosperous approbation。 MENENIUS。
Take my cap; Jupiter; and I thank thee。 Hoo! Marcius coming home!
VOLUMNIA; VIRGILIA。 Nay; 'tis true。 VOLUMNIA。 Look; here's a
letter from him; the state hath another; his wife another; and I think there's
one at home for you。 MENENIUS。 I will make my very house reel to…
night。 A letter for me? VIRGILIA。 Yes; certain; there's a letter for you; I
saw't。 MENENIUS。 A letter for me! It gives me an estate of seven years'
health; in which time I will make a lip at the physician。 The most
sovereign prescription in Galen is but empiricutic and; to this preservative;
of no better report than a horse…drench。 Is he not wounded? He was wont
to come home wounded。 VIRGILIA。 O; no; no; no。 VOLUMNIA。 O; he is
wounded; I thank the gods for't。 MENENIUS。 So do I too; if it be not too
much。 Brings a victory in his pocket? The wounds become him。
VOLUMNIA。 On's brows; Menenius; he comes the third time home with
the oaken garland。 MENENIUS。 Has he disciplin'd Aufidius soundly?
VOLUMNIA。 Titus Lartius writes they fought together; but Aufidius got
off。 MENENIUS。 And 'twas time for him too; I'll warrant him that; an he
had stay'd by him; I would not have been so fidius'd for all the chests in
Corioli and the gold that's in them。 Is the Senate possess'd of this?
VOLUMNIA。 Good ladies; let's go。 Yes; yes; yes: the Senate has letters
from the general; wherein he gives my son the whole name of the war; he
hath in this action outdone his former deeds doubly。 VALERIA。 In troth;
there's wondrous things spoke of him。 MENENIUS。 Wondrous! Ay; I
warrant you; and not without his true purchasing。