minna von barnhelm-第6节
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MIN。 I have found him again!Am I alone?I will not be alone to no purpose。 (Clasping her hands。) Yet I am not alone! (Looking upwards。) One single grateful thought towards heaven; is the most perfect prayer! I have found him! I have found him! (With outstretched arms。) I am joyful and happy! What can please the Creator more than a joyful creature! (Franziska returns。) Have you returned; Franziska? You pity him! I do not pity him。 Misfortune too is useful。 Perhaps heaven deprived him of everything to give him all again; through me!
FRAN。 He may be here at any moment。You are still in your morning dress; my lady。 Ought you not to dress yourself quickly?
MIN。 Not at all。 He will now see me more frequently so; than dressed out。
FRAN。 Oh! you know; my lady; how you look best。
MIN。 (after a pause)。 Truly; girl; you have hit it again。
FRAN。 I think women who are beautiful; are most so when unadorned。
MIN。 Must we then be beautiful? Perhaps it was necessary that we should think ourselves so。 Enough for me; if only I am beautiful in his eyes。 Franziska; if all women feel as I now feel; we arestrange things。 Tender hearted; yet proud; virtuous; yet vain; passionate; yet innocent。 I dare say you do not understand me。 I do not rightly understand myself。 Joy turns my head。
FRAN。 Compose yourself; my lady; I hear footsteps。
MIN。 Compose myself! What! receive him composedly?
SCENE VIII。 Major von Tellheim; Landlord; Minna; and Franziska
MAJ。 T。 (walks in; and the moment he sees Minna rushes towards her)。 Ah! my Minna!
MIN。 (springing towards him)。 Ah! my Tellheim!
MAJ。 T。 (starts suddenly; and draws back)。 I beg your pardon; Fraulein von Barnhelm; but to meet you here
MIN。 Cannot surely be so unexpected! (Approaching him; whilst he draws back still more。) Am I to pardon you because I am still your Minna? Heaven pardon you; that I am still Fraulein von Barnhelm!
MAJ。 T。 Fraulein 。 。 。 (Looks fixedly at the Landlord; and shrugs his shoulders。)
MIN。 (sees the Landlord; and makes a sign to Franziska)。 Sir
MAJ。 T。 If we are not both mistaken
FRAN。 Why; Landlord; whom have you brought us here? Come; quick! let us go and look for the right man。
LAND。 Is he not the right one? Surely!
FRAN。 Surely not! Come; quick! I have not yet wished your daughter good morning。
LAND。 Oh! you are very good (still does not stir)。
FRAN。 (takes hold of him)。 Come; and we will make the bill of fare。 Let us see what we shall have。
LAND。 You shall have first of all
FRAN。 Stop; I say; stop! If my mistress knows now what she is to have for dinner; it will be all over with her appetite。 Come; we must talk that over in private。 (Drags him off。)
SCENE IX。 Minna; Major von Tellheim
MIN。 Well; are we still both mistaken?
MAJ。 T。 Would to heaven it were soBut there is only one Minna; and you are that one。
MIN。 What ceremony! The world might hear what we have to say to one another。
MAJ。 T。 You here? What do you want here; Madam?
MIN。 Nothing now (going to him with open arms)。 I have found all that I wanted。
MAJ。 T。 (drawing back)。 You seek a prosperous man; and one worthy of your love; and you find a wretched one。
MIN。 Then do you love me no longer? Do you love another?
MAJ。 T。 Ah! he never loved you; who could love another afterwards。
MIN。 You draw but one dagger from my breast; for if I have lost your heart; what matters whether indifference or more powerful charms than mine have robbed me of it? You love me no longer; neither do you love another? Wretched man indeed; if you love nothing!
MAJ。 T。 Right; the wretched must love nothing。 He merits his misfortunes; if he cannot achieve this victory over himselfif he can allow the woman he loves to take part in his misfortune 。 。 。 Oh! how difficult is this victory! 。 。 。 Since reason and necessity have commanded me to forget Minna von Barnhelm; what pains have I taken! I was just beginning to hope that my trouble would not for ever be in vainand you appear。
MIN。 Do I understand you right? Stop; sir; let us see what we mean before we make further mistakes。 Will you answer me one question?
MAJ。 T。 Any one。
MIN。 But will you answer me without shift or subterfuge? With nothing but a plain 〃Yes;〃 or 〃No?〃
MAJ。 T。 I willif I can。
MIN。 You can。 Well; notwithstanding the pains which you have taken to forget me; do you love me still; Tellheim?
MAJ。 T。 Madam; that question
MIN。 You have promised to answer Yes; or No。
MAJ。 T。 And added; If I can。
MIN。 You can。 You must know what passes in your heart。 Do you love me still; Tellheim? Yes; or No?
MAJ。 T。 If my heart
MIN。 Yes; or No?
MAJ。 T。 Well; Yes!
MIN。 Yes?
MAJ。 T。 Yes; yes! Yet
MIN。 Patience! You love me still; that is enough for me。 Into what a mood have we fallen! an unpleasant; melancholy; infectious mood! I assume my own again。 Now; my dear unfortunate; you love me still; and have your Minna still; and are unhappy? Hear what a conceited; foolish thing your Minna wasis。 She allowedallows herself; to imagine that she makes your whole happiness。 Declare all your misery at once。 She would like to try how far she can outweigh it。Well?
MAJ。 T。 Madam; I am not accustomed to complain。
MIN。 Very well。 I know nothing in a soldier; after boasting; that pleases me less than complaining。 But there is a certain cold; careless way of speaking of bravery and misfortune
MAJ。 T。 Which at the bottom is still boasting and complaining。
MIN。 You disputant! You should not have called yourself unhappy at all then。 You should have told the whole; or kept quiet。 Reason and necessity commanded you to forget me? I am a great stickler for reason; I have a great respect for necessity。 But let me hear how reasonable this reason; and how necessary this necessity may be。
MAJ。 T。 Listen then; Madam。 You call me Tellheim; the name is correct。 But suppose I am not that Tellheim whom you knew at home; the prosperous man; full of just pretensions; with a thirst for glory; the master of all his faculties; both of body and mind; before whom the lists of honour and prosperity stood open; who; if he was not then worthy of your heart and your hand; dared to hope that he might daily become more nearly so。 This Tellheim I am now; as little as I am my own father。 They both have been。 Now I am Tellheim the discharged; the suspected; the cripple; the beggar。 To the former; Madam; you promised your hand; do you wish to keep your word?
MIN。 That sounds very tragic 。 。 。 Yet; Major Tellheim; until I find the former one againI am quite foolish about the Tellheimsthe latter will have to help me in my dilemma。 Your hand; dear beggar! (Taking his hand)。
MAJ。 T。 (holding his hat before his face with the other hand; and turning away from her)。 This is too much! 。 。 。 What am I? 。 。 。 Let me go; Madam。 Your kindness tortures me! Let me go。
MIN。 What is the matter? Where would you go?
MAJ。 T。 From you!
MIN。 From me (drawing his hand to her heart)? Dreamer!
MAJ。 T。 Despair will lay me dead at your feet。
MIN。 From me?
MAJ。 T。 From you。 Never; never to see you again。 Or at least determined; fully determined; never to be guilty of a mean action; never to cause you to commit an imprudent one。 Let me go; Minna! (Tears himself away; and Exit。)
MIN。 (calling after him)。 Let you go; Minna? Minna; let you go? Tellheim! Tellheim!
ACT III。
SCENE I。 The Parlour。 Just (with a letter in his hand)
JUST。 Must I come again into this cursed house! A note from my master to her ladyship that would be his sister。 I hope nothing will come of this; or else there will be no end to letter carrying。 I should like to be rid of it; but yet I don't wish to go into the room。 The women ask so many questions; and I hate answeringAh! the door opens。 Just what I wanted; the waiting puss!
Scene II Franziska and Just
FRAN。 (calling through the door by which she has just entered)。 Fear not; I will watch。 See! (observing Just) I have met with something immediately。 But nothing is to be done with that brute。
JUST。 Your servant。
FRAN。 I should not like such a servant。
JUST。 Well; well; pardon the expression! There is a note from my master to your mistressher ladyshiphis sister; wasn't it?sister。
FRAN。 Give it me! (Snatches it from his hand。)
JUST。 You will be so good; my master begs; as to deliver it。 Afterwards you will be so good; my master begs; as not to think I ask for anything!
FRAN。 Well?
JUST。 My master understands how to manage the affair。 He knows that the way to the young lady is through her maid; methinks。 The maid will therefore be so good; my master begs; as to let him know whether he may not have the pleasure of speaking with the maid for a quarter of an hour。
FRAN。 With me?
JUST。 Pardon me; if I do not give you your right title。 Yes; with you。 Only for one quarter of an hour; but alone; quite alone; in private tete…a… tete。 He has something very particular to say to you。
FRAN。 Very well! I have also much to say to him。 He may come; I shall be at his service。
JUST。 But when can he come? When is it most convenient for you; young woman? In the evening?
FRAN。 What do you mean? Your master can come when he pleases; and now be of