Why should you read "Macbeth"? - Brendan Pelsue

譯者: Crystal Yip 審譯者: Helen Chang

There's a play so powerful that an old superstition says

有一齣劇的魔力十足

古老的迷信甚至說

its name should never even be uttered in a theater,

不應在劇場提到它的名字

a play that begins with witchcraft and ends with a bloody severed head,

以巫術開始

以血淋淋砍掉的頭顱結束的一齣劇

a play filled with riddles, prophesies, nightmare visions,

充滿謎語、預言、惡夢驚兆

and lots of brutal murder,

以及連串殘忍謀殺的一齣劇

a play by William Shakespeare sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Play"

莎士比亞所寫的一齣劇 有時稱為「那部蘇格蘭話劇」

or the "Tragedy of Macbeth."

或「馬克白悲劇」

First performed at the Globe Theater in London in 1606,

於 1606 年在倫敦環球劇場首演

"Macbeth" is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy.

《馬克白》是莎士比亞最短的悲劇

It is also one of his most action-packed.

亦是動作最密集的一部

In five acts, he recounts a story of a Scottish nobleman

五幕內，它敘述 一位蘇格蘭貴族的故事

who steals the throne,

偷奪王位

presides over a reign of terror,

展開恐怖統治

and then meets a bloody end.

最終面對血腥的結局

Along the way, it asks important questions about ambition,

過程中問及一些重要問題

關於野心

power,

權力

and violence

和暴力

that spoke directly to the politics of Shakespeare's time

直接回應莎士比亞當時的政治情況

and continue to echo in our own.

並在我們的時代迴響不斷

England in the early 17th century was politically precarious.

17 世紀初，英格蘭政局不穩

Queen Elizabeth I died in 1603 without producing an heir,

女王伊莉莎白一世 於 1603 年去世，膝下無子

and in a surprise move,

而意外地

her advisors passed the crown to James Stewart, King of Scotland.

她的親信傳位予 蘇格蘭國王詹姆士 · 斯圖亞特

Two years later, James was subject to an assassination attempt

兩年後，詹姆士成為暗殺的目標

called the Gunpowder Plot.

此事件稱為「火藥陰謀」

Questions of what made for a legitimate king

成為正當國王的條件

were on everyone's lips.

是人人談論的話題

So Shakespeare must have known he had potent material

所以莎士比亞一定知道 大眾會對他的材料感興趣

when he conflated and adapted the stories

當他拼湊和改編

of a murderous 11th century Scottish King named Macbeth

這些關於 11 世紀 蘇格蘭的國王馬克白

and those of several other Scottish nobles.

和其他數個蘇格蘭貴族的故事

He found their annals in Hollinshed's "Chronicles,"

他在霍林斯赫德的《編年史》 找到相關記錄

a popular 16th century history of Britain and Ireland.

那是一本流行歷史書 記載 16 世紀的英國和愛爾蘭

Shakespeare would also have known he needed to tell his story

莎士比亞亦知道他說故事的方式

in a way that would immediately grab the attention

需要能即時吸引注意

of his diverse and rowdy audience.

吸引各個階層、吵鬧粗魯的觀眾

The Globe welcomed all sections of society.

環球劇場歡迎社會各階層人士進場

Wealthier patrons watched the stage from covered balconies

較富有的贊助人在樓座包廂裡看戲

while poorer people paid a penny to take in the show

而較貧窮的人花一便士

在露天區域（pit）觀看

from an open-air section called the pit.

Talking, jeering, and cheering was common during performances.

表演期間，談話、 起鬨、歡呼是常見之事

There are even accounts of audiences throwing furniture when plays were flops.

甚至當台上的戲爛透了時 觀眾會摔桌椅

So "Macbeth" opens with a literal bang.

因此「馬克白」開場便轟然一聲

Thunder cracks and three witches appear.

雷聲裂天，三個女巫出現

They announce they're searching

她們宣告她們正在尋找

for a Scottish nobleman and war hero named Macbeth,

一位名叫馬克白的 蘇格蘭貴族、戰爭英雄

then fly off while chanting a curse that predicts a world gone mad.

然後飛去，唸著咒語 預言世界將捲入瘋狂

"Fair is foul and foul is fair. Hover through the fog and filthy air."

「美即醜惡醜即美 翱翔毒霧妖雲裹」

As seen later, they find Macbeth and his fellow nobleman Banquo.

之後，她們找到馬克白和 他的貴族跟隨者班戈

"All hail Macbeth," they prophesize, "that shalt be king hereafter!"

「萬歲，馬克白！」她們預言

「你會成為未來的國王！」

"King?" Macbeth wonders.

「國王？」馬克白忖思著

Just what would he have to do to gain the crown?

他要如何獲取王位？

Macbeth and his wife Lady Macbeth

馬克白和他的妻子馬克白夫人

soon chart a course of murder, lies, and betrayal.

很快便策劃連串謀殺、謊言和背叛

In the ensuing bloodbath,

隨之發生的血腥事件

Shakespeare provides viewers with some of the most memorable passages

莎士比亞為觀眾帶來 英國文學中一些最難忘的段落

in English literature.

"Out, damned spot! Out, I say!" Lady Macbeth cries when she believes

馬克白夫人叫喊：「去， 該死的血跡！去，我命令！」

她臆斷她未能抺去 手上她殺死人時沾上的血

she can't wipe her victim's blood off her hands.

Her obsession with guilt is one of many themes that runs through the play,

自纏的罪疚是此劇中其中一個主題

along with the universal tendency to abuse power,

其餘包括濫用權力的普遍傾向

the endless cycles of violence and betrayal,

暴力和背叛的無盡循環

the defying political conflict.

對抗政權的政治鬥爭

As is typical with Shakespeare's language,

一如其他莎士比亞的劇作

a number of phrases that got their start in the play

一些在劇中新創的語句

have been repeated so many times that they now feel commonplace.

被反覆重覆，現已成平常用語

They include "the milk of human kindness,"

包括「人類的善良天性」 （the milk of human kindness）

"what's done is done,"

「事已至此」 （what's done is done）

and the famous witches' spell,

以及著名的女巫咒語

"Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and caldron bubble."

「不憚辛勞不憚煩 釜中沸沫已成瀾」

而莎士比亞把最深刻的留給馬克白

But Shakespeare saves the juiciest bit of all for Macbeth himself.

Towards the end of the play, Macbeth reflects on the universality of death

在戲劇尾聲， 馬克白反思無可避免的死亡

and the futility of life.

以及生命的枉然

"Out, out, brief candle!" he laments.

他哀歎：「熄滅了吧！ 熄滅了吧！短促的燭光！」

"Life's but a walking shadow,

「人生不過是一個行走的影子

a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage

一個在舞台上比手劃腳的伶人

登場了片刻

and then is heard no more.

就在無聲中悄然退下

It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury

它是一個愚人所講的故事 充滿著喧嘩和騷動

signifying nothing."

找不到一點意義。」

Life may be a tale told my an idiot, but "Macbeth" is not.

生命或許是愚人所講的故事

但《馬克白》不是

Shakespeare's language and characters have entered our cultural consciousness

莎士比亞的語言和角色 融入了我們的文化意識

to a rare extent.

達少見之程度

Directors often use the story to shed light on abuses of power,

導演經常透過這故事 來揭示權力的濫用

ranging from the American mafia

從美國的黑手黨

to dictators across the globe.

至世界各地的獨裁者

The play has been adapted to film many times,

此劇多次被改編成電影

including Akira Kurosawa's "Throne of Blood,"

包括黑澤明的《蜘蛛巢城》

which takes place in feudal Japan,

場景設定於日本戰國時代

and a modernized version called "Scotland, PA,"

和一個現代版本《蘇格蘭場》

in which Macbeth and his rivals

講述馬克白和他的對手

are managers of competing fast food restaurants.

是互相競爭的快餐店經理

No matter the presentation,

不論呈現方式如何

questions of morality,

對於道德

politics,

政治

and power are still relevant today,

權力的探問 時至今天仍然相關

and so, it seems, is Shakespeare's "Macbeth."

莎士比亞的《馬克白》似乎亦然