William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare 26 April 1564 - 23 April 1616 was an English poet, playwright and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the worlds pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called Englands national poet and the Bard of Avon. His extant works, including some collaborations, consist of about 38 plays, 154t sonnets, two long narrative poems, and a few other verses, the authorship of some of which is uncertain. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.
Shakespeare was born and brought up in Stratford-upon-Avon. At the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway, with whom he had three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. Between 1585 and 1592, he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part-owner of a playing company called the Lord Chamberlains Men, later known as the Kings Men. He appears to have retired to Stratford around 1613 at age 49, where he died three years later. Few records of Shakespeares private life survive, and there has been considerable speculation about such matters as his physical appearance, sexuality, religious beliefs, and whether the works attributed to him were written by others.
In the 20th century, his work was repeatedly adopted and rediscovered by new movements in scholarship and performance. His plays remain highly popular today and are constantly studied, performed, and reinterpreted in diverse cultural and political contexts throughout the world.
目錄:
CONTENTS
ALL''S WELL THAT ENDS WELL 1
THE TRAGEDY OF ANTONY AND
CLEOPATRA 107
AS YOU LIKE IT 239
THE COMEDY OF ERRORS 337
THE SONNETS 413
內容試閱:
Is This Book for You?
永远的莎士比亚
最经典英语文库第六辑之《终成眷属》导读
李修利
1604年,莎士比亚已经40岁了,这时,他写出了这部名为终成眷属的剧作。原英语名的意思是:
All''s well that ends well(结局好,一切都好)。这部剧作被收入1623年的First Folio(《第一对开本》)里。从写出并上演到1623年第一次公开出版,整整过去了近20年时间,而莎士比亚也已经过世近七年时间。 《第一对开本》将这部剧作列入莎士比亚喜剧系列名下。但近些年有研究莎士比亚戏剧者另起炉灶,在莎士比亚喜剧、历史剧和悲剧三大系列之外,另造出一个分类,名曰问题戏剧系列,将此剧作列入其中,并附加原因说,此剧作不属于喜剧,更不属于悲剧。是不是喜剧,可以从下面的情节中加以判断。
出身低下的某西班牙女伯爵的侍从海伦娜深深爱上了伯爵儿子贝特兰。但贝特兰却对其反应冷淡。贝特兰随后踏上去法国公干的征程,他要去接替故去的父亲担当的角色:为生病的法国国王当侍卫。海伦娜心生一计,由于自己故去的父亲曾是医生,所以,她也只身前往法国,并向法国国王提出申请,要为国王治病。国王对此表示怀疑。不过,她用身家性命担保,表示愿意承担一切后果。可有一个先决条件:如果她把国王的病治好了,则她可以从宫廷里任意挑选一个人,成为自己的丈夫。 国王大喜过望,当下同意海伦娜的主张。结果国王的病被治好,海伦娜自然而然选贝特兰当自己的丈夫。但贝特兰拒绝了她。原因是她贫穷,地位卑下。这令国王很不高兴。于是,国王强行命令他迎娶海伦娜。结果是,一个结局穿插着另一个结局,令人读后倍感唏嘘,同时也感叹多舛的命运对海伦娜和贝特兰的揶揄与挑战。
这出剧在莎士比亚的全部剧作中,并不是最重要的,但这并不妨碍喜爱莎士比亚的中国读者对这出剧作的欣赏与把玩。《终成眷属》无论是喜剧抑或问题剧,其实,它都应该为今天的国人所理解。因为,门第观念在古老的中国,一直是个极富挑战的话题。中国人自古就有门当户对的观念,只有门当户对了,彼此才能看得顺眼,也因此才能奠定走向幸福未来的基础。否则,门不当,户不对,则会发现,自己有如《终成眷属》里的海伦娜,成为生活中的笑柄,尽管做出各种努力,但终究逃不过被人揶揄与嘲讽的境地。