LESSON 89

THE FOLLY OF INTOXICATION

愚人的陶醉

Iago. What, are you hurt, lieutenant?

Cassio. Ay, past all surgery.

Iago. Marry, heaven forbid!

Cas. Reputation, reputation, reputation! Oh, I have lost my reputation! I have lost the immortal part of myself, and what remains is bestial. My reputation! Iago, my reputation!

Iago. As I am an honest man, I thought you had received some bodily wound; there is more sense in that than in reputation. Reputation is an idle and most false imposition: oft got without merit, and lost without deserving: you have lost no reputation at all, unless you repute yourself such a loser. What, man! there are ways to recover the general again. Sue to him again, and he’s yours.

Cas. I will rather sue to be despised than to deceive so good a commander with so slight, so drunken, and so indiscreet an officer. Drunk? and speak parrot? and squabble? swagger? swear? and discourse fustian with one’s own shadow? O thou invisible spirit of wine, if thou hast no name to be known by, let us call thee devil!

Iago. What was he that you followed with your sword? What had he done to you?

Cas. I know not.

Iago. Is’t possible?

Cas. I remember a mass of things, but nothing distinctly; a quarrel, but nothing wherefore. Oh that men should put an enemy in their mouths to steal away their brains! that we should, with joy, revel, pleasure, and applause, transform ourselves into beasts!

Iago. Why, but you are now well enough: how came you thus recovered?

Cas. It hath pleased the devil, Drunkenness, to give place to the devil, Wrath; one unperfectness shows me another, to make me frankly despise myself.

Iago. Come, you are too severe a moraler. As the time, the place, and the condition of this country stands, I could heartily wish this had not befallen; but since it is as it is, mend it for your own good.

Cas. I will ask him for my place again: he shall tell me I am a drunkard! Had I as many mouths as Hydra, such an answer would stop them all. To be now a sensible man, by and by a fool, and presently a beast! Oh strange!—Every inordinate cup is unblessed, and the ingredient is a devil!

Iago. Come, come; good wine is a good familiar creature, if it be well used; exclaim no more against it. And, good lieutenant, I think you think I love you.

Cas. I have well approved it, sir,—I, drunk!

Iago. You or any man living may be drunk at a time, man. I’ll tell you what you shall do. Our general’s wife is now the general. Confess yourself freely to her; importune her help to put you in your place again. She is of so free, so kind, so apt, so blessed a disposition, she holds it a vice in her goodness not to do more than she is requested. This broken joint between you and her husband, entreat her to splinter; and, my fortunes against any lay worth naming, this crack of your love shall grow stronger than it was before.

Cas. You advise me well.

Iago. I protest in the sincerity of love and honest kindness.

Cas. I think it freely, and betimes in the morning, I will beseech the virtuous Desdemona to undertake for me; I am desperate of my fortunes if they check me here.

Iago. You are in the right. Good night, lieutenant, I must to the watch.

Cas. Good night, honest Iago.

Shakespeare.—Othello, Act ii, Scene iii.

【中文阅读】

伊阿古 怎么了，副官，你受伤了？

凯西奥 哎，所有治疗方法都用过了。

伊阿古 天啊，上天保佑你不会有事！

凯西奥 名誉，名誉，名誉！啊，我的名誉已经全都失去了！我已经失去我的生命中不朽的那部分，留下来的只是畜生一样的皮囊罢了。我的名誉，伊阿古，我的名誉啊！

伊阿古 我是个诚实的人，我以为你身体上受了什么伤害呢，那可比名誉的丧失更叫人痛苦。名誉是一件无聊透顶而又假得不能再假的东西，得到的人常常没有德行，失去它的人也谈不上值不值得。你的名誉没有什么损失，除非你以为自己就是个名誉扫地的人。无所谓，朋友！要让主帅再对你信任的话，办法多的是。再恳求一下他，他一定转怒为喜。

凯西奥 我宁愿恳求他鄙视我，也不愿欺骗一位像他那么善良的主帅，竟有像我这样轻薄酗酒而又轻率失德的手下。狂饮无度！胡言乱语！与人吵架！漫天吹牛！赌咒发誓！跟自己的影子说些不着边际的话！啊，你被看不见的酒精灵施了魔法，倘若你还没有一个为世人认识的名字，我们就叫你魔鬼吧！

伊阿古 你提着剑在后面追赶的那个人是谁？他怎么你了？

凯西奥 我不知道啊。

伊阿古 你会不知道？

凯西奥 一大堆的事情在我脑子里，可没有一件是清晰的；好像与人争吵来着，可是不知道原因。啊，有人居然会把一个敌人放进自己的嘴里，竟任凭他偷走自己的头脑！我们竟然喜不自胜，鼓着掌把自己变成了畜生！

伊阿古 不过，你现在清醒得很呢；你是怎么恢复过来的？

凯西奥 酒鬼为了取悦魔鬼，就让位了；一桩过失紧接着另一桩过失，老实讲连我也瞧不起自己了。

伊阿古 算了吧，你也太道学了吧。按照此时此地，以及这个国家的情形看，但愿这种事情别落在我头上；可是既然已经这样了，为自己的出路尽量弥补吧。

凯西奥 我请他让我官复原职；他会对我说，我就是一个酒鬼而已！即使我像蛇怪海德拉有一百张嘴，这样一个答复也会都封住的，即使现在脑子还很清楚，不一会儿就变成一个傻子了，马上又变成一头畜生！啊，真奇怪！每一杯过量的酒都该诅咒，都是魔鬼的饕餮。

伊阿古 算了，算了；好酒得有好人用；不要那么诅咒它了。我的好副官，我想你一准把我当作一个好朋友看待吧？

凯西奥 当然没得说，我绝对赞成。我，醉了！

伊阿古 不管你还是别人一时多喝了几杯，难免的。我告诉你该怎么办吧。我们将军的夫人现在是说话好使；你只要在她面前坦白，求她帮你官复原职，这事准成。她这人无拘无束，慷慨仁慈，又那么替别人着想，性情好得没的说。别人请她帮忙，她要是没做到好上加好，就觉得好像对不起人家似的。你请她替你弥合一下你跟她丈夫之间的这一道裂痕；我可以拿我的全部财产打赌，你们的裂痕不但会弥合，而且交情会比从前更好的。

凯西奥 你的主意真的很棒呢。

伊阿古 我发誓这番话完全出于我们的交情和诚心。

凯西奥 当然相信你了，明天一早我就去请贤德的苔丝狄蒙娜为我说情。要是我在这儿就这样了的话，我的前途也就完蛋了。

伊阿古 你说得很对。晚安，副官，我还要去查夜呢。

凯西奥 晚安，诚实的伊阿古！

（莎士比亚《奥赛罗》第二幕第三场）