The battle of the Greek tragedies - Melanie Sirof

翻译人员: 宇飞 郑 校对人员: shup2399 shup2399

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.

女士们先生们，下午好，

Let us welcome you to the final day of dramatic battle between great tragedians.

让我们带你走近伟大悲剧家比赛的 最后一天。

It is a spring day here in Ancient Greece.

今天是古希腊春季的一天，

Nearly 17,000 patrons are filing into the Theatre of Dionysus

近17000名观众坐满了 狄奥尼索斯剧场

来看顶尖的剧作家们，

to watch top playwrights,

including favorites Aeschylus and Sophocles duke it out

最受喜爱的埃斯库罗斯和 索福克勒斯将大战一场，

to see whose hero may be deemed most tragic,

来看谁笔下的英雄最悲剧，

whose story most awful.

谁笔下的故事最令人痛惜。

Well Seacrestopolis,

诶，西科利多普利斯，

in last week's battle of the choruses,

在上周的合唱比赛中

all 50 members of each playwright's chorus traveled back and forth across the stage,

每个剧作家笔下合唱团的50个成员 在台上走来走去

singing the strophe and antistrophe, telling misbegotten tales of woe.

唱着诗节和回舞歌， 讲述着悲剧故事。

Today's first chorus is entering through the parados,

今天第一只合唱团从剧院侧面走入，

taking their positions in the orchestra at the bottom of the stage.

在舞台后方的乐队演奏处摆下了阵势。

Mario Lopedokia, this is nothing we haven't seen before.

马里奥·洛佩图吉雅，这没什么新鲜的。

All 50 members speaking from the depths of their souls.

50个人都在用他们的灵魂讲述，

Wait, what is this?

等等，这是什么？

I've not seen this before, Seacrestopolis.

我从没有见过这个，西科利多普利斯。

There is one actor stepping out of choral formation,

有一个演员从阵势中走了出来，

assuming an independent role in this play.

担当起了这个剧里的独立角色。

Can you make out who it is?

你能认出这是谁吗？

像是泰斯庇斯（古希腊诗人）。

That looks like Thespis.

他好像在换面具，

It seems he's changing his mask,

and taking on the role of another character.

然后又演起了另一个角色。

Incredible. Surely, Thespis will go down in history as the very first actor.

难以置信！真的， 泰斯庇斯会成为第一个演员而名垂青史

He has changed the face of theater forever.

他永远地改变了剧院的面貌。

And that was just the warm-up act.

而且那只是热身。

On to the main attraction.

接下来重头戏来了。

Aeschylus will have the stage first.

埃斯库罗斯会先主导这个舞台。

Let's see what he does.

让我们看看他会做什么。

期待他有好表现。

We expect great things.

Last competition, Sophocles beat him by a smidge,

上一场比赛中， 埃斯库罗斯惜败于索福克勒斯。

but Aeschylus is still considered the Father of Tragedy.

却依然被认为是悲剧之父。

Now, Aeschylus frequently competes at this festival, the city Dionysia.

现在，埃斯库罗斯经常在狄奥尼索西亚 这座城市的重大节日上参加比赛。

Though his plays are violent,

虽然他的剧很暴力，

the bloodshed is never seen by the audience,

但是观众们却从未真正见过杀戮。

这也使舞台气氛一直保持紧张。

which allows the dramatic tension to take center stage.

让我们来看看他今天做什么 来赢回他的称号吧。

Let's see what he does today to try to win his title back.

Here comes Aeschylus's chorus,

埃斯库罗斯的合唱团来了。

but they seem to be missing quite a few people.

但是好像少了几个人。

What is going on here?

到底发生了什么？

Not only are they down a few people.

他们不仅少了几个人，

There are two actors taking center stage.

居然还有两个演员站到了舞台中央。

这绝对是从没听说过的。

This is absolutely unheard of.

He has build on Thespis's idea and added a second actor to the mix.

他在泰斯庇斯想法的基础上， 加上了第二个演员。

Aeschylus is relying on the two individuals to tell the story.

埃斯库罗斯靠两个演员来讲这个故事。

悲剧里独有的对话开始主导合唱。

The dialogue possible in tragedy now has taken precedence over the chorus.

怪不得他把合唱团规模减小了。

No wonder he drastically shrunk its size.

This applause is well deserved.

这确实值得热烈的掌声。

The crowd has hushed.

现在，观众安静了下来。

索福克勒斯的演员和合唱团

Sophocles's actors and chorus

开始演绎《俄狄浦斯》

are taking the stage for the play, "Oedipus Rex."

像往常一样，合唱团立在管弦乐队中间。

As usual, the chorus is set up in the orchestra.

And what's this?

诶，这是什么？

索福克勒斯加上了第三个演员。

Sophocles has added a third actor.

一个一个加演员的戏码 是不是不会结束了？

Will this one-upmanship never end?

Three actors,

三个演员，

他们通过不断更换面具， 来演绎不同角色

and they are changing their masks to take on several different roles

在演绎《俄狄浦斯》中

as they weave the tale of Oedipus,

表演那个杀父娶母的好人，

a nice fellow who kills his father and marries his mother.

Kills his father and marries his mother.

杀了自己父亲然后娶了母亲， 我觉得这个好悲剧啊

That sounds pretty tragic to me.

It is most tragic, Mario Lopedokia.

这是最悲剧的吧，马里奥·洛佩图吉雅。

Call me crazy, but I'm willing to bet that future generations

说我疯吧，但是我愿意打赌，

子孙后代会认为这是完美的典型的悲剧。

will hold this play up as the perfect example of tragedy.

Excuse me, Seacrestopolis.

不好意思，西科利多普利斯。

俄狄浦斯知道约卡斯塔是 他的妻子也是他的母亲后，离开了舞台

Oedipus has left the stage after realizing Jocasta was his wife and also his mother.

Where has he gone?

那他去哪儿了呢？

I can't even imagine.

我真的不知道。

等等，信使走上了舞台，

Wait. The messenger has stepped on stage

and is telling us of the great king's actions.

他会告诉我们那个伟大国王的行动。

He says that Oedipus, upon finding his mother, wife, whatever, Jocasta,

他说俄狄浦斯在发现他的母亲， 还是妻子，不管了，

dead of her own hand in their incestuous bedroom,

反正就是 约卡斯塔， 在他们乱伦的房间里自杀时，

took the broaches from her dress and stabbed his eyes repeatedly.

从她的裙子里取下饰针， 不断刺戳自己的眼睛。

You can't blame the guy, can you?

你能怪他吗？能吗？

Bedded his mother, killed his father, is father and brother to his children.

与母亲同房，杀死了父亲， 成为自己孩子的父亲兼兄弟。

I might do the same.

我觉得我要是他，会做同样的事儿。

我的朋友，我相信我们是领教了。

My friend, I do believe we've seen it all.

Indeed, we have.

确实如此。

不会有比俄狄浦斯更悲剧的了。

There is nothing more tragic than Oedipus.

当然，希腊人民通过抽签选出来的判官

And sure enough, the judges who have been chosen by lot from all over Greece

are ready to announce the winner.

也准备好宣布赢家了。

嗨，伙计们！这会是历史性的一刻。

Oh, folks! This is one for the history books.

Dark horse playwright, Philocles, has taken first prize.

黑马剧作家，菲洛克里斯， 获得了第一名。

What an upset. What a tragedy.

这多伤心！多么悲剧的剧啊！

What a night, folks.

多美好一夜啊，朋友们！

We have witnessed the laying of the foundation of modern theater

我们见证了现代剧院奠基的根本。

and some great innovations:

还有一些伟大的创新之举：

不断缩减的合唱团，

the shrinking of the chorus,

the addition of three actors,

新加的三个演员。

还有令人惊叹的情感净化。

and such catharsis.

Doesn't a great tragedy just make you feel renewed and cleansed?

难道伟大的悲剧不能让你耳目一新吗？

It sure does, but now we are out of time.

当然能，只是我们没时间了。

I'm Seacrestopolis,

我是西科利多普利斯。

and I'm Mario Lopedokia.

我是马里奥·洛佩图吉雅。

Peace, love and catharsis.

和平，爱意，情感净化。