cyrano de bergerac-第10节
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their spunk; Give rendezvous in broil and fray; 'Pink…your…Doublet' and 'Slit…your…Trunk' Are their gentlest sobriquets!
What; ho! Cadets of Gascony! All jealous lovers are sport for you! O Woman! dear divinity! What; ho! Cadets of Gascony! Whom scowling husbands quake to see。 Blow; 'taratara;' and cry 'Cuckoo。' What; ho! Cadets of Gascony! Husbands and lovers are game for you!
DE GUICHE (seated with haughty carelessness in an armchair brought quickly by Ragueneau): A poet! 'Tis the fashion of the hour! Will you be mine?
CYRANO: No; Sir;no man's!
DE GUICHE: Last night Your fancy pleased my uncle Richelieu。 I'll gladly say a word to him for you。
LE BRET (overjoyed): Great Heavens!
DE GUICHE: I imagine you have rhymed Five acts; or so?
LE BRET (in Cyrano's ear): Your play!your 'Agrippine!' You'll see it staged at last!
DE GUICHE: Take them to him。
CYRANO (beginning to be tempted and attracted): In sooth;I would。 。 。
DE GUICHE: He is a critic skilled: He may correct a line or two; at most。
CYRANO (whose face stiffens at once): Impossible! My blood congeals to think That other hand should change a comma's dot。
DE GUICHE: But when a verse approves itself to him He pays it dear; good friend。
CYRANO: He pays less dear Than I myself; when a verse pleases me I pay myself; and sing it to myself!
DE GUICHE: You are proud。
CYRANO: Really? You have noticed that?
A CADET (entering; with a string of old battered plumed beaver hats; full of holes; slung on his sword): See; Cyrano;this morning; on the quay What strange bright…feathered game we caught! The hats O' the fugitives。 。 。
CARBON: 'Spolia opima!'
ALL (laughing): Ah! ah! ah!
CUIGY: He who laid that ambush; 'faith! Must curse and swear!
BRISSAILLE: Who was it?
DE GUICHE: I myself。 (The laughter stops): I charged themwork too dirty for my sword; To punish and chastise a rhymster sot。
(Constrained silence。)
The CADET (in a low voice; to Cyrano; showing him the beavers): What do with them? They're full of grease!a stew?
CYRANO (taking the sword and; with a salute; dropping the hats at De Guiche's feet): Sir; pray be good enough to render them Back to your friends。
DE GUICHE (rising; sharply): My chair therequick!I go! (To Cyrano passionately): As to you; sirrah!。 。 。
VOICE (in the street): Porters for my lord De Guiche!
DE GUICHE (who has controlled himselfsmiling): Have you read 'Don Quixote'?
CYRANO: I have! And doff my hat at th' mad knight…errant's name。
DE GUICHE: I counsel you to study。 。 。
A PORTER (appearing at back): My lord's chair!
DE GUICHE: 。 。 。The windmill chapter!
CYRANO (bowing): Chapter the Thirteenth。
DE GUICHE: For when one tilts 'gainst windmillsit may chance。 。 。
CYRANO: Tilt I 'gainst those who change with every breeze?
DE GUICHE: 。 。 。That windmill sails may sweep you with their arm Downin the mire!。 。 。
CYRANO: Or upwardto the stars!
(De Guiche goes out; and mounts into his chair。 The other lords go away whispering together。 Le Bret goes to the door with them。 The crowd disperses。)
Scene 2。VIII。
Cyrano; Le Bret; the cadets; who are eating and drinking at the tables right and left。
CYRANO (bowing mockingly to those who go out without daring to salute him): Gentlemen。 。 。Gentlemen。 。 。
LE BRET (coming back; despairingly): Here's a fine coil!
CYRANO: Oh! scold away!
LE BRET: At least; you will agree That to annihilate each chance of Fate Exaggerates。 。 。
CYRANO: Yes!I exaggerate!
LE BRET (triumphantly): Ah!
CYRANO: But for principleexample too; I think 'tis well thus to exaggerate。
LE BRET: Oh! lay aside that pride of musketeer; Fortune and glory wait you!。 。 。
CYRANO: Ay; and then?。 。 。 Seek a protector; choose a patron out; And like the crawling ivy round a tree That licks the bark to gain the trunk's support; Climb high by creeping ruse instead of force? No; grammercy! What! I; like all the rest Dedicate verse to bankers?play buffoon In cringing hope to see; at last; a smile Not disapproving; on a patron's lips? Grammercy; no! What! learn to swallow toads? With frame aweary climbing stairs?a skin Grown grimed and horny;here; about the knees? And; acrobat…like; teach my back to bend? No; grammercy! Or;double…faced and sly Run with the hare; while hunting with the hounds; And; oily…tongued; to win the oil of praise; Flatter the great man to his very nose? No; grammercy! Steal soft from lap to lap; A little great man in a circle small; Or navigate; with madrigals for sails; Blown gently windward by old ladies' sighs? No; grammercy! Bribe kindly editors To spread abroad my verses? Grammercy! Or try to be elected as the pope Of tavern…councils held by imbeciles? No; grammercy! Toil to gain reputation By one small sonnet; 'stead of making many? No; grammercy! Or flatter sorry bunglers? Be terrorized by every prating paper? Say ceaselessly; 'Oh; had I but the chance Of a fair notice in the 〃Mercury〃!' Grammercy; no! Grow pale; fear; calculate? Prefer to make a visit to a rhyme? Seek introductions; draw petitions up? No; grammercy! and no! and no again! Butsing? Dream; laugh; go lightly; solitary; free; With eyes that look straight forwardfearless voice! To cock your beaver just the way you choose; For 'yes' or 'no' show fight; or turn a rhyme! To work without one thought of gain or fame; To realize that journey to the moon! Never to pen a line that has not sprung Straight from the heart within。 Embracing then Modesty; say to oneself; 'Good my friend; Be thou content with flowers;fruit;nay; leaves; But pluck them from no garden but thine own!' And then; if glory come by chance your way; To pay no tribute unto Caesar; none; But keep the merit all your own! In short; Disdaining tendrils of the parasite; To be content; if neither oak nor elm Not to mount high; perchance; but mount alone!
LE BRET: Alone; an if you will! But not with hand 'Gainst every man! How in the devil's name Have you conceived this lunatic idea; To make foes for yourself at every turn?
CYRANO: By dint of seeing you at every turn Make friends;and fawn upon your frequent friends With mouth wide smiling; slit from ear to ear! I pass; still unsaluted; joyfully; And cry;What; ho! another enemy?
LE BRET: Lunacy!
CYRANO: Well; what if it be my vice; My pleasure to displeaseto love men hate me! Ah; friend of mine; believe me; I march better 'Neath the cross…fire of glances inimical! How droll the stains one sees on fine…laced doublets; From gall of envy; or the poltroon's drivel! The enervating friendship which enfolds you Is like an open…laced Italian collar; Floating around your neck in woman's fashion; One is at ease thus;but less proud the carriage! The forehead; free from mainstay or coercion; Bends here; there; everywhere。 But I; embracing Hatred; she lends;forbidding; stiffly fluted; The ruff's starched folds that hold the head so rigid; Each enemyanother folda gopher; Who adds constraint; and adds a ray of glory; For Hatred; like the ruff worn by the Spanish; Grips like a vice; but frames you like a halo!
LE BRET (after a silence; taking his arm): Speak proud aloud; and bitter!In my ear Whisper me simply this;She loves thee not!
CYRANO (vehemently): Hush!
(Christian has just entered; and mingled with the cadets; who do not speak to him; he has seated himself at a table; where Lise serves him。)
Scene 2。IX。
Cyrano; Le Bret; the cadets; Christian de Neuvillette。
A CADET (seated at a table; glass in hand): Cyrano! (Cyrano turns round): The story!
CYRANO: In its time!
(He goes up on Le Bret's arm。 They talk in low voices。)
THE CADET (rising and coming down): The story of the fray! 'Twill lesson well (He stops before the table where Christian is seated): This timid young apprentice!
CHRISTIAN (raising his head): 'Prentice! Who?
ANOTHER CADET: This sickly Northern greenhorn!
CHRISTIAN: Sickly!
FIRST CADET (mockingly): Hark! Monsieur de Neuvillette; this in your ear: There's somewhat here; one no more dares to name; Than to say 'rope' to one whose sire was hanged!
CHRISTIAN: What may that be?
ANOTHER CADET (in a terrible voice): See here! (He puts his finger three times; mysteriously; on his nose): Do you understand?
CHRISTIAN: Oh! 'tis the。 。 。
ANOTHER: Hush! oh; never breathe that word; Unless you'd reckon with him yonder!
(He points to Cyrano; who is talking with Le Bret。)
ANOTHER (who has meanwhile come up noiselessly to sit on the tablewhispering behind him): Hark! He put two snuffling men to death; in rage; For the sole reason they spoke through their nose!
ANOTHER (in a hollow voice; darting on all…fours from under the table; where he had crept): And if you would not perish in flower o' youth; Oh; mention not the fatal cartilage!
ANOTHER (clapping him on the shoulder): A word? A gesture! For the indiscr