Why should you read Shakespeare’s “The Tempest”? - Iseult Gillespie

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

Claps of thunder and flashes of lightning illuminate a swelling sea,

打雷閃電照亮了波濤洶湧的海洋，

as a ship buckles beneath the waves.

一艘船在海浪的打擊下 已經快撐不住了。

This is no ordinary storm, but a violent and vengeful tempest,

這不是一般的風暴， 而是要來暴力復仇的暴風雨，

and it sets the stage for Shakespeare’s most enigmatic play.

它是莎士比亞最讓人費解的 劇作的舞台背景。

As the skies clear, we are invited into a world

當天空放晴， 我們被帶入一個世界，

that seems far removed from our own, but is rife with familiar concerns

它似乎和我們自己的世界相去甚遠， 卻又充滿了熟悉的擔憂感，

about freedom, power, and control.

擔心自由、權力，和控制。

The Tempest is set on a desert island, exposed to the elements

《暴風雨》的場景在一個荒島， 暴露在惡劣天氣之下，

and ruled with magic and might by Prospero, the exiled Duke of Milan.

由被放逐的米蘭公爵普洛斯彼羅 用魔法和強權統治。

Betrayed by his brother Antonio, Prospero has been marooned on the island

普洛斯彼羅被他的兄弟 安東尼奧背叛，

因此他和他的女兒米蘭達 以及他最愛的書籍

for twelve years with his daughter Miranda and his beloved books.

一起被放逐到這座島嶼， 已經十二年。

In this time he’s learned the magic of the island

在這段時間，他學會了 這座島嶼的魔法，

and uses it to harness its elementary spirits.

用這魔法來控制島嶼的初級精靈。

He also rules over the island’s only earthly inhabitant,

他也統治這座島上唯一的地球居民，

the dejected and demonized Caliban.

沮喪又被妖魔化的卡利班。

But after years of plotting revenge, Prospero’s foe is finally in sight.

但在花了幾年時間策劃復仇之後，

普洛斯彼羅的敵手終於臨近了。

With the help of the fluttering sprite Ariel,

在有翅膀的精靈艾瑞爾的協助之下，

the magician destroys his brother’s ship and washes its sailors ashore.

這位魔法師摧毀了他兄弟的船， 把船上的水手沖到岸邊。

Prospero’s plotting even extends to his daughter’s love life,

普洛斯彼羅的計謀甚至 還延伸到他女兒的愛情，

whom he plans to fall for stranded prince Ferdinand.

他計畫要讓女兒愛上 無依無靠的費迪南王子。

And as Prospero and Ariel close in on Antonio,

當普洛斯彼羅和艾瑞爾 逼近安東尼奧，

Caliban joins forces with some drunken sailors,

卡利班和一些喝醉的水手聯手，

who hatch a comic plot to take the island.

他們有個可笑的陰謀， 要拿下這座島嶼。

The play strips society down to its basest desires,

這部劇作赤裸裸地呈現了 社會中最基本的慾望，

with each faction in hot pursuit of power- be it over the land, other people,

每個小團體都熱衷於追求權力，

不論是要掌控土地、

其他人，或是自己的命運。

or their own destiny.

But Shakespeare knows that power is always a moving target;

但，莎士比亞知道權力 是一個不斷移動的目標；

and as he reveals these characters’ dark histories,

隨著他揭露出這些角色的黑暗往事，

we begin to wonder if this vicious cycle will ever end.

我們會開始納悶這個 惡性循環是否會停止。

Although Prospero was wronged by Antonio,

雖然普洛斯彼羅 被安東尼奧惡意對待，

he has long inflicted his own abuses on the island,

他卻長期以來一直 在島嶼上濫用權力，

hoarding its magical properties and natural re-sources for himself.

貯藏島嶼上的魔法資產 及天然資源，通通留給自己。

Caliban especially resents this takeover.

卡利班特別痛恨 這種強行取用的行為。

The son of Sycorax,

這座島嶼先前由卡利班的 女巫母親西考拉克斯統治，

a witch who previously ruled the island,

he initially helped the exiles find their footing.

卡利班一開始協助 被流放的人找到落腳處。

But he’s since become their slave, and rants with furious regret:

卻從此成了他們的奴隸， 所以他憤怒地大聲追悔：

“And then I loved thee,/ And showed thee

「因此我以為你是個好人，

all the qualities o’ th’ isle/ The fresh springs,

把這島上一切的富源 都指點給你知道，

什麼地方是清泉、鹽井， 什麼地方是荒地和肥田。

brine pits, barren place and fertile./

Cursed be I that did so!”

我真該死讓你知道這一切！」

With his thunderous language and seething anger,

以他如雷般的咒罵和沸騰的怒火，

Caliban constantly reminds Prospero of what came before:

卡利班常常提醒普洛斯彼羅 在這之前有什麼：

this island’s mine by Sycorax my mother, Which thou takest from me.

我母親西考拉克斯 在這座島嶼上的礦產，

本來是我的，被你奪去了。

Yet Sycorax also abused the island,

但西考拉克斯也濫用這座島，

and imprisoned Ariel until Prospero released him.

監禁了艾瑞爾， 直到普洛斯彼羅將他釋放。

Now Ariel spends the play hoping to repay his debt and earn his freedom,

現在，艾瑞爾在整部戲中 就是希望能還債並重獲自由，

while Caliban is enslaved indefinitely, or at least as long

而卡利班被永久地奴役了，

as Prospero is in charge.

或者至少在普洛斯彼羅 掌權期間都是如此。

For these reasons and many more,

基於這些理由及其他理由，

The Tempest has often been read as an exploration of colonialism,

《暴風雨》常常被當成是 探索殖民主義

and the moral dilemmas that come with en-counters of “brave new world(s)."

以及《美麗新世界》 所遇到的道德兩難的讀物。

Questions of agency and justice hang over the play:

代理和正義的問題籠罩著整齣戲：

is Caliban the rightful master of the land?

卡利班是這塊土地的正當主人嗎？

Will Ariel flutter free?

艾瑞爾能自由地振翅飛走嗎？

And is Prospero the mighty overseer-

普洛斯彼羅是萬能的監督者嗎？

or is there some deeper magic at work, beyond any one character's grasp?

或是有更深層的魔法在運作，

超出所有角色的掌控？

Throughout the play,

在整齣戲中，

Ariel constantly reminds Prospero of the freedom he is owed.

艾瑞爾不斷提醒普洛斯彼羅 他有義務償還自由。

But the question lingers of whether the invader will be able

但，這位入侵者 將來是否會交出掌控權

to relinquish his grip.

還是沒有確切的答案。

The question of ending one’s reign is particularly potent given that The Tempest

「終結一個人的統治」 這個問題特別強而有力，

is believed to be Shakespeare’s final play.

因為《暴風雨》被認為 是莎士比亞的最後一部劇作。

In many ways Prospero’s actions echo that of the great entertainer him-self,

在許多層面上，

普洛斯彼羅的行為都反應出 這位偉大娛樂家自己的行為，

who hatched elaborate plots, maneuvered those around him,

他設計出了精緻的陰謀， 巧妙操縱他身邊的人，

and cast a spell over characters and audience alike.

並對於角色和觀眾施加咒語。

But by the end of his grand performance of power and control,

但，當他在權力及控制上的 偉大成就到了尾聲時，

Prospero’s final lines see him humbled by his audience -

普洛斯彼羅最後的台詞

顯示他謙遜地面對觀眾

and the power that they hold over his creations.

和後者對其所造之物握有的力量。

"With the help of your good hands./ Gentle breath of yours my sails/

「賴著你們善意殷勤的鼓掌相助；

再煩你們為我吹噓出一口和風，

Must fill or else my project fails,/ Which was to please."

好讓我們的船隻一起鼓滿帆篷。

否則我的計劃便落空。」

This evokes Shakespeare’s own role as the great entertainer

這讓人想起莎士比亞自己的角色，

他身為偉大的娛樂家，

who surrenders himself, ultimately, to our applause.

最終還是向我們的掌聲屈服。