The battle of the Greek tragedies - Melanie Sirof

譯者: CHEN KaiWei 審譯者: Regina Chu

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.

午安各位先生女士

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

歡迎您參加偉大悲劇作家 戲劇戰役的最後一天

It is a spring day here in Ancient Greece.

在古希臘的春日

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

將近一萬七千位觀眾 正排隊進入狄俄倪索斯劇場

to watch top playwrights,

等著觀賞最頂尖的劇作家

including favorites Aeschylus and Sophocles duke it out

包括人氣最高的埃斯庫羅斯 和索福克勒斯一決高下

to see whose hero may be deemed most tragic,

看誰筆下的人物 是最悲劇的英雄

whose story most awful.

誰寫的故事最為糟糕

Well Seacrestopolis,

嗯，西克雷斯特波里斯 （諷刺某著名娛樂新聞主持人）

in last week's battle of the choruses,

上一周的歌隊戰役中

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

每位劇作家的 50 名歌隊成員 在台上來回穿梭

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

吟唱著正旋舞歌及回舞歌 訴說著不可考的悲慘故事

Today's first chorus is entering through the parados,

今天的第一組歌隊正在入場

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

在舞台下的樂隊席就位

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

馬力歐羅培多奇亞 （諷刺另一名娛樂新聞人）

這真是前所未見的景況

All 50 members speaking from the depths of their souls.

50 位成員 從靈魂深處娓娓唱來

Wait, what is this?

等等，這是什麼？

I've not seen this before, Seacrestopolis.

我從未見過這個 西克雷斯特波里斯

There is one actor stepping out of choral formation,

有一位演員從歌隊裡走了出來

assuming an independent role in this play.

好像是這場演出的獨立角色

Can you make out who it is?

你能辨識出他是誰嗎？

That looks like Thespis.

這看起來像狄斯比斯

It seems he's changing his mask,

他好像正在換面具

and taking on the role of another character.

飾演另一位角色

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

真不敢相信

狄斯比斯一定會被記載為 史上第一位演員

He has changed the face of theater forever.

他永久改變了戲劇的樣貌

And that was just the warm-up act.

而這只是暖身操

On to the main attraction.

現在來看主要演出的地方

Aeschylus will have the stage first.

埃斯庫羅斯會先上台

Let's see what he does.

讓我們看看他要做什麼

We expect great things.

我們期待好東西

Last competition, Sophocles beat him by a smidge,

上次比賽 索福克勒斯以些微之差贏了他

but Aeschylus is still considered the Father of Tragedy.

但埃斯庫羅斯 仍被視為悲劇之父

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

埃斯庫羅斯常常來 「城市酒神節」比賽

Though his plays are violent,

雖然他的戲劇很暴力

the bloodshed is never seen by the audience,

但是觀眾看不到流血

which allows the dramatic tension to take center stage.

這使舞台充滿戲劇張力

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

讓我們看看他今天會用 什麼方式把他的稱號贏回來

Here comes Aeschylus's chorus,

埃斯庫羅斯的歌隊來了

but they seem to be missing quite a few people.

但他們似乎少了一些人

What is going on here?

發生了什麼事？

Not only are they down a few people.

他們不只降低了人數

There are two actors taking center stage.

還有兩位演員站在舞台中心

This is absolutely unheard of.

這絕對是前所未聞

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

他把狄斯比斯的想法發揚光大 還多了第二角色

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

埃斯庫羅斯 要靠這兩個人說故事

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

悲劇中可能出現的對話 現在比歌隊更重要了

No wonder he drastically shrunk its size.

難怪他大符縮小其規模

This applause is well deserved.

這掌聲真是當之無愧

The crowd has hushed.

人群安靜了下來

Sophocles's actors and chorus

索福克勒斯的演員和歌隊

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

正在舞台上演出 「伊底帕斯王」

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

一如往常 歌隊在樂隊席上就位

And what's this?

這是什麼？

Sophocles has added a third actor.

索福克勒斯加了第三名演員

Will this one-upmanship never end?

這種勝人一籌（每次多一個人） 伎倆是否永無止境？

Three actors,

三位演員！

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

他們一直換面具 飾演不同的角色

as they weave the tale of Oedipus,

編織著伊底帕斯的故事

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

他是個好人，卻弒父娶母

Kills his father and marries his mother.

殺了他的父親 娶了他的母親

That sounds pretty tragic to me.

聽起來真的很慘

It is most tragic, Mario Lopedokia.

慘到最高點 馬力歐羅培多奇亞

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

你可以說我瘋了 但我敢打賭未來世代

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

一定會推崇這部戲劇 為完美的悲劇典範

Excuse me, Seacrestopolis.

抱歉打斷一下 西克雷斯特波里斯

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

伊底帕斯知道伊俄卡斯忒 是他的妻子與母親後離開了舞台

Where has he gone?

他去了哪裡？

I can't even imagine.

我無法想像

Wait. The messenger has stepped on stage

等等 信使走上了舞台

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

告訴我們這位 偉大的國王做了什麼

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

他說自從伊底帕斯發現他的母親 還是妻子？管他的，就是伊俄卡斯忒

dead of her own hand in their incestuous bedroom,

在他們亂倫的臥房內自殺身亡後

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

就從她的衣服上取下胸針 不斷地刺自己的眼睛

You can't blame the guy, can you?

真的不能怪這傢伙，是吧？

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

跟自己的母親上了床 殺了自己的父親

還是自己孩子的父親兼哥哥

I might do the same.

我可能也會做一樣的事

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

我的朋友 我相信我們什麼都看過了

Indeed, we have.

的確如此

There is nothing more tragic than Oedipus.

沒有什麼比伊底帕斯 更悲慘的了

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

果然，這些從全希臘 抽選出來的評審

are ready to announce the winner.

準備好要宣布贏家

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

噢，各位！ 這是史上重要的一刻

Dark horse playwright, Philocles, has taken first prize.

黑馬劇作家弗樂克勒斯 贏了第一大獎

What an upset. What a tragedy.

真是意外！真是悲慘！

What a night, folks.

真是精彩的一晚 鄉親們

We have witnessed the laying of the foundation of modern theater

我們見證了現代戲劇的基礎

and some great innovations:

和偉大的創新

the shrinking of the chorus,

編制縮小的歌隊

the addition of three actors,

增加了三位演員

and such catharsis.

和如此的心靈淨化

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

偉大的悲劇不就是 要讓你感覺煥然一新？

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

一定會的 但是我們的時間到了

I'm Seacrestopolis,

我是西克雷斯特波里斯

and I'm Mario Lopedokia.

我是馬力歐羅培多奇亞

Peace, love and catharsis.

和平，愛和心靈淨化