等待戈多
Waitting for Godot
《等待戈多》一剧中,两个主人公在等一个叫戈多的人。他们不知道戈多到底是个什么人,也不知道为什么要等他。不过,他们想既然已经在等待了,就说明这件事情一定是有意义的,所以必须一直等下去,哪怕戈多最终不会来。
Act I
A country road. A tree.
Evening.
Estragon,sitting on a low mound,is trying to take off his boot. He pulls at it with both hands,panting. He gives up,exhausted,rests,tries again. As before. Enter Vladimir.
Estragon:(giving up again) Nothing to be done.
Vladimir:(advancing with short,stiff strides,legs wide apart) I’m beginning to come round to that opinion. All my life I’ve tried to put it from me,saying Vladimir,be reasonable,you haven’t yet tried everything. And I resumed the struggle. (He broods,musing on the struggle. Turning to Estragon.) So there you are again.
Estragon:Am I?
Vladimir:I’m glad to see you back. I thought you were gone forever.
Estragon:Me too.
Vladimir:Together again at last! We’ll have to celebrate this. But how? (He reflects) Get up till I embrace you.
Estragon:(irritably) Not now,not now.
Vladimir:(hurt,coldly) May one inquire where His Highness spent the night?
Estragon:In a ditch.
Vladimir:(admiringly) A ditch! Where?
Estragon:(without gesture) Over there.
Vladimir:And they didn’t beat you?
Estragon:Beat me? Certainly they beat me.
Vladimir:The same lot as usual?
Estragon:The same? I don’t know.
Vladimir:When I think of it... all these years... but for me... where would you be... (decisively) You’d be nothing more than a little heap of bones at the present minute,no doubt about it.
Estragon:And what of it?
Vladimir:(gloomily) It’s too much for one man. (pause,cheerfully) On the other hand what’s the good of losing heart now,that’s what I say. We should have thought of it a million years ago.
Estragon:Ah stop blathering and help me off with this bloody thing.
Vladimir:Hand in hand from the top of the Eiffel Tower,among the first. We were respectable in those days. Now it’s too late. They wouldn’t even let us up. (Estragon tears at his boot) What are you doing?
Estragon:Taking off my boot. Did that never happen to you?
Vladimir:Boots must be taken off every day,I’m tired telling you that. Why don’t you listen to me?
Estragon:(feebly) Help me!
Vladimir:It hurts?
Estragon:(angrily) Hurts! He wants to know if it hurts!
Vladimir:(angrily) No one ever suffers but you. I don’t count. I’d like to hear what you’d say if you had what I have.
Estragon:It hurts?
Vladimir:(angrily) Hurts! He wants to know if it hurts!
Estragon:(pointing) You might button it all the same.
Vladimir:(stooping) True. (He buttons his fly.) Never neglect the little things of life.
Estragon:What do you expect,you always wait till the last moment.
Vladimir:(musingly). The last moment ... (He meditates) Hope deferred maketh the something sick,who said that?
Estragon:Why don’t you help me?
Vladimir:Sometimes I feel it coming all the same. Then I go all queer. (He takes off his hat,peers inside it,feels about inside it,shakes it,puts it on again. ) How shall I say? Relieved and at the same time... (He searches for the word)... appalled,(with emphasis) AP-PAllED. (He takes off his hat again,peers inside it) Funny. (He knocks on the crown as though to dislodge a foreign body,peers into it again,puts it on again.) Nothing to be done. (Estragon with a supreme effort succeeds in pulling off his boot. He peers inside it,feels about inside it,turns it upside down,shakes it,looks on the ground to see if anything has fallen out,finds nothing,feels inside it again,staring sightlessly before him.) Well?
Estragon:Nothing.
Vladimir:Show me.
Estragon:There’s nothing to show.
Vladimir:Try and put it on again.
Estragon:(examining his foot) I’II air it for a bit.
Vladimir:There’s man all over for you,blaming on his boots the faults of his feet.
Estragon:What?
Vladimir:Suppose we repented.
Estragon:Repented what?
Vladimir:Oh ... (He reflects.) We wouldn’t have to go into the details.
Estragon:Our being born?
(Vladimir breaks into a hearty laugh which he immediately stifles,his hand pressed to his pubis,his face contorted.)
Vladimir:One daren’t even laugh any more.
Estragon:Dreadful privation.
Vladimir:Merely smile. (He smiles suddenly from ear to ear, keeps smiling,ceases as suddenly.) It’s not the same thing. Nothing to be done,(pause) Gogo.
Estragon:(irritably) What is it?
Vladimir:Did you ever read the Bible?
Estragon:The Bible ... (He reflects) I must have taken a look at it.
Vladimir:Do you remember the Gospels?
Estragon:I remember the maps of the Holy Land. Coloured they were. Very pretty. The Dead Sea was pale blue. The very look of it made me thirsty. That’s where we’ll go,I used to say,that’s where we’ll go for our honeymoon. We’ll swim. We’ll be happy.
Vladimir:You should have been a poet.
Estragon:I was. (gesture towards his rags) Isn’t that obvious? (silence)
Vladimir:Where was I ... How’s your foot?
Estragon:Swelling visibly.
Vladimir:Ah yes,the two thieves. Do you remember the story?
Estragon:No.
Vladimir:Shall I tell it to you?
Estragon:No.
Vladimir:It’ll pass the time,(pause) Two thieves,crucified at the same time as our Saviour. One?
Estragon:Our what?
Vladimir:Our Saviour. Two thieves. One is supposed to have been saved and the other... (He searches for the contrary of saved) ... damned.
Estragon:Saved from what?
Vladimir:Hell.
Estragon:I’m going. He does not move.
Vladimir:And yet ... (pause) ... how is it his is not boring you I hope? How is it that of the four Evangelists only one speaks of a thief being saved. The four of them were thereabouts? and only one speaks of a thief being saved,(pause) Come on,Didi,return the ball,can’t you,once in a while?
Estragon:(with exaggerated enthusiasm) I find this really most extraordinarily interesting.
Vladimir:One out of four. Of the other three two don’t mention any thieves at all and the third says that both of them abused him.
Estragon:Who?
Vladimir:What?
Estragon:What’s all this about? Abused who?
Vladimir:The Saviour.
Estragon:Why?
Vladimir:Because he wouldn’t save them.
Estragon:From hell?
Vladimir:Imbecile! From death.
Estragon:I thought you said hell.
Vladimir:From death,from death.
Estragon:Well what of it?
Vladimir:Then the two of them must have been damned.
Estragon:And why not?
Vladimir:But one of the four says that one of the two was saved.
Estragon:Well? They don’t agree.
Vladimir:But all four were there. And only one speaks of a thief being saved. Why believe him rather than the others?
Estragon:Who believes ’him?
Vladimir:Everybody. It’s the only version they know.
Estragon:People are bloody ignorant apes.
Vladimir:Pah!
Estragon:Charming spot. (He turns,advances to front,halts facing auditorium.) Inspiring prospects. (He turns to Vladimir.) Let’s go.
Vladimir:We can’t.
Estragon:Why not?
Vladimir:We’re waiting for Godot.
Estragon:(despairingly) Ah! (pause) You’re sure it was here?
Vladimir:What?
Estragon:That we were to wait.
Vladimir:He said by the tree. (They look at the tree.) Do you see any others?
Estragon:What is it?
Vladimir:I don’t know. A willow.
Estragon:Where are the leaves?
Vladimir:It must be dead.
Estragon:No more weeping.
Vladimir:Or perhaps it’s not the season.
Estragon:Looks to me more like a bush.
Vladimir:A shrub.
Estragon:A bush.
Vladimir:A? What are you insinuating? That we’ve come to the wrong place?
Estragon:He should be here.
Vladimir:He didn’t say for sure he’d come.
Estragon:And if he doesn’t come?
Vladimir:We’ll come back tomorrow.
Estragon:And then the day after tomorrow.
Vladimir:Possibly.
Estragon:And so on.
Vladimir:The point is?
Estragon:Until he comes.
Vladimir:You’re merciless.
Estragon:We came here yesterday.
Vladimir:Ah no,there you’re mistaken.
Estragon:What did we do yesterday?
Vladimir:What did we do yesterday?
Estragon:Yes.
Vladimir:Why... (angrily) Nothing is certain when you’re about.
Estragon:In my opinion we were here.
Vladimir:(looking round) You recognize the place?
Estragon:I didn’t say that.
Vladimir:Well?
Estragon:That makes no difference.
Vladimir:All the same ... that tree ... (turning towards auditorium) that bog ...
Estragon:You’re sure it was this evening?
Vladimir:What?
Estragon:That we were to wait.
Vladimir:He said Saturday,(pause) I think.
Estragon:You think.
Vladimir:I must have made a note of it. (He fumbles in his pockets,bursting with miscellaneous rubbish.)
Estragon:(very insidious) But what Saturday? And is it Saturday? Is it not rather Sunday? (pause) Or Monday? (pause) Or Friday?
Vladimir:(looking wildly about him,as though the date was inscribed in the landscape) It’s not possible!
Estragon:Or Thursday?
Vladimir:What’ll we do?
Estragon:If he came yesterday and we weren’t here you may be sure he won’t come again today.
Vladimir:But you say we were here yesterday.
Estragon:I may be mistaken. Let’s stop talking for a minute,do you mind?
Vladimir:(feebly) All right.
(Estragon sits down on the mound. Vladimir paces agitatedly to and fro,halting from time to time to gaze into distance off. Estragon falls asleep. Vladimir halts finally before Estragon.) Gogo! ... Gogo! ... GOGO! (Estragon wakes with a start. )
Estragon:(restored to the horror of his situation). I was asleep! (Despairingly.) Why will you never let me sleep?
Vladimir:I felt lonely.
Estragon:I had a dream.
Vladimir:Don’t tell me!
Estragon:I dreamt that...
Vladimir:Don’t tell me!
Estragon:(gesture toward the universe)This one is enough for you? (silence) It’s not nice of you,Didi. Who am I to tell my private nightmares to if I can’t tell them to you?
Vladimir:Let them remain private. You know I can’t bear that.
Estragon:(coldly) There are times when I wonder if it wouldn’t be better for us to part.
Vladimir:You wouldn’t go far.
Estragon:That would be too bad,really too bad. (pause) Wouldn’t it,Didi,be really too bad?
第一幕
乡村小路。一棵树。
黄昏。
爱斯特拉冈坐在一个小土墩上努力脱靴子。他使劲地扯,直喘气,还是没脱下来。他歇了一会,又继续。像以前一样。这时,弗拉季米尔上场。
爱斯特拉冈:(又停下来)没辙了。
弗拉季米尔:(僵硬地踩着短步,双腿叉开)我要拿定主意了。一辈子我都在对自己说,理智些,弗拉季米尔,你还有好多事没试过!这不,我又投入战斗了(他陷入沉思,琢磨着自己刚刚说的“战斗”二字转向爱斯特拉冈)又是你。
爱斯特拉冈:是我?
弗拉季米尔:很高兴你来了。我还以为你不会来了。
爱斯特拉冈:我也这么想。
弗拉季米尔:最后又在一起了!一定要庆祝一下。但是怎么庆祝呢?(他思忖着)站起来,让我抱抱你。
爱斯特拉冈:(生气地)不,现在不。
弗拉季米尔:(受到伤害,冷冷地)敢问阁下在哪儿过的夜?
爱斯特拉冈:沟里。
弗拉季米尔:(崇拜地)沟里!哪儿?
爱斯特拉冈:(一动不动)那边。
弗拉季米尔:那他们没有打你吗?
爱斯特拉冈:打我?当然打了!
弗拉季米尔:还是一样厉害吗?
爱斯特拉冈:一样的?我不知道。
弗拉季米尔:我一想到这个……这些年一直……可对我……你又在哪儿……(肯定地)毫无疑问,你不过就是一小堆骨头,就在眼下。
爱斯特拉冈:那又怎么样?
弗拉季米尔:(沮丧地)对一个人来说,这太沉重了。(停了一下,高兴地)另一方面,现在灰心有什么用呢, 这是我说的。这个问题我们早在几百年前就该考虑了。
爱斯特拉冈:别胡扯了,帮我把这可恶的靴子扯下来。
弗拉季米尔:当年一起爬上艾菲尔铁塔顶,第一拨啊!那些日子我们多风光啊!现在太晚了,他们都不让上去了。(爱斯特拉冈在拼命地扯靴子)你干什么呢?
爱斯特拉冈:脱靴子。你就不脱吗?
弗拉季米尔:靴子每天都得脱,这种事我才懒得说。你怎么不听我的?
爱斯特拉冈:(筋疲力尽地)帮帮我!
弗拉季米尔:疼吗?
爱斯特拉冈:(生气地)当然疼!这还用问?
弗拉季米尔:(生气地)好像只有你一个人受痛苦,我不是人。我倒想听听如果是你受了我那样的痛苦,你会说些什么。
爱斯特拉冈:你也脚疼?
弗拉季米尔:(生气地)当然疼!这还用问?
爱斯特拉冈:(手指着)那个还是要扣上。
弗拉季米尔:(俯身)对。(扣上)不能忽视生活细节。
爱斯特拉冈:你在等什么,每次都要等到最后?
弗拉季米尔:(琢磨着)最后……(陷入沉思)迟到的希望苦煞人!谁说的来着?
爱斯特拉冈:怎么不帮帮我?
弗拉季米尔:有时我发现希望来了,又觉得不对头。(他摘下帽子,向里面瞅,在里面摸摸,摇摇,又戴上了)怎么说呢?解脱的同时……(一时语塞)……害怕。(强调)害——怕(他又摘下帽子,往里面瞅)可笑。(他敲敲帽顶,好像要赶走什么异物,又朝里面瞅,再带上)没法了。(爱斯特拉冈用尽力气终于扯下靴子。他往里面瞅,摸摸里面,倒过来,摇了摇,抱着往地上看了看,但没有东西掉下来,又在里面摸了摸,两眼无神地盯着前方)怎么样?
爱斯特拉冈:没有。
弗拉季米尔:让我看看。
爱斯特拉冈:没什么好看的。
弗拉季米尔:穿上再试试。
爱斯特拉冈:(仔细检查他的脚)让它透会儿气。
弗拉季米尔:人就是这样,自己的脚有问题,还怪鞋不好。
爱斯特拉冈:呃?
弗拉季米尔:我们忏悔吧。
爱斯特拉冈:忏悔什么?
弗拉季米尔:嗯……(他想了想)没必要说那么具体吧。
爱斯特拉冈:我们的出生?
(弗拉季米尔忽然大笑,赶紧又克制住,手按着肚子,面部扭曲。)
弗拉季米尔:以后连笑都不敢了。
爱斯特拉冈:真是可怕地剥夺!
弗拉季米尔:只能微笑。(他突然咧嘴一笑,笑着笑着突然又停住)两码事,没法了。(停顿)戈戈。
爱斯特拉冈:(不耐烦地)什么事?
弗拉季米尔:你看过《圣经》吗?
爱斯特拉冈:《圣经》……(他思索着)肯定看过一两眼。
弗拉季米尔:记得“福音书”吗?
爱斯特拉冈:我记得圣地地图。彩色的,他们很漂亮。死海是淡蓝色的,见了就叫我口渴。那就是我们要去的,我过去常说,要去那儿过蜜月。我们要游泳,那会很开心。
弗拉季米尔:你该是诗人呐。
爱斯特拉冈:我过去是!(指着身上的破烂衣服)这还不明显吗?(沉默)
弗拉季米尔:我在哪儿……你脚怎样?
爱斯特拉冈:肿得好大。
弗拉季米尔:啊,对了,那两个小偷。你记得那个故事吗?
爱斯特拉冈:不记得了。
弗拉季米尔:要我告诉你吗?
爱斯特拉冈:不要。
弗拉季米尔:这能打发时间。(停顿)两个小偷一起被钉上十字架,就像我们那救世主。一个?
爱斯特拉冈:我们那什么?
弗拉季米尔:我们那救世主。两个小偷,一个得救了,另一个却……(他在想得救的反义词)进了地狱。
爱斯特拉冈:从哪儿救出来的?
弗拉季米尔:地狱。
爱斯特拉冈:我要走,可脚动不了。
弗拉季米尔:但是(停顿)……我想没惹你烦吧?那怎么四个福音书传教士中只有一个说其中一个小偷得救了呢?在场的有四个,只有一个提到一个小偷得救(停顿)好了,狄狄,说点什么不行吗,也给点反应?
爱斯特拉冈:(带着夸张的热情)我想这真是太不可思议了,有趣极了!
弗拉季米尔:四个中只有一个。还有三个,两个根本没提到小偷,第三个说两个小偷都骂了他。
爱斯特拉冈:谁?
弗拉季米尔:什么?
爱斯特拉冈:到底怎么回事?骂了谁?
弗拉季米尔:救世主。
爱斯特拉冈:为什么?
弗拉季米尔:因为他不救他们。
爱斯特拉冈:从地狱?
弗拉季米尔:笨蛋!是死亡。
爱斯特拉冈:我还以为你说的是地狱呢。
弗拉季米尔:是死亡,死亡。
爱斯特拉冈:那会怎样呢?
弗拉季米尔:他们两个一定得下地狱了。
爱斯特拉冈:谁说不是呢!
弗拉季米尔:可四个中有一个说两个小偷中有一个得救了。
爱斯特拉冈:啊?他们不同意。
弗拉季米尔:在场的有四个。只有一个说有一个小偷得救了。为什么要相信,而不相信另外三个呢?
爱斯特拉冈:谁相信了他了?
弗拉季米尔:人人都相信。他们知道的就是这样。
爱斯特拉冈:人只不过是无知的猴子。
弗拉季米尔:呸!
爱斯特拉冈:迷人的场子!(他转身,向前方走,面对观众停下)前途无量啊!(他转向弗拉季米尔)我们走吧。
弗拉季米尔:不行。
爱斯特拉冈:为什么?
弗拉季米尔:我们在等戈多。
爱斯特拉冈:(绝望地)唉!(停顿)你确定是在这里吗?
弗拉季米尔:呃?
爱斯特拉冈:我们等他的地方。
弗拉季米尔:他说在树边。(他们看了看那棵树)你看见其他的了吗?
爱斯特拉冈:那是什么?
弗拉季米尔:不清楚。一棵柳树。
爱斯特拉冈:叶子呢?
弗拉季米尔:这树一定死了。
爱斯特拉冈:别伤心了。
弗拉季米尔:或许是还没到季节。
爱斯特拉冈:我看更像一个灌木丛。
弗拉季米尔:是一棵灌木。
爱斯特拉冈:一个灌木丛。
弗拉季米尔:一个?你想说什么?我们来错地方了?
爱斯特拉冈:他应该会到。
弗拉季米尔:他可没说一定会来。
爱斯特拉冈:他要不来呢?
弗拉季米尔:那我们明天再过来。
爱斯特拉冈:然后是后天。
弗拉季米尔:有可能。
爱斯特拉冈:这样一直下去。
弗拉季米尔:关键是?
爱斯特拉冈:直到他来。
弗拉季米尔:你真没人情味儿!
爱斯特拉冈:我们昨天来的这儿。
弗拉季米尔:不,是你弄错了。
爱斯特拉冈:我们昨天做了什么了?
弗拉季米尔:我们昨天做了什么了?
爱斯特拉冈:是啊。
弗拉季米尔:为什么……(气冲冲地)你一直在这儿就什么都弄不清楚了。
爱斯特拉冈:我想我们是在这儿。
弗拉季米尔:(环顾四周)你认出来了?
爱斯特拉冈:我没那么说。
弗拉季米尔:那?
爱斯特拉冈:这没什么区别。
弗拉季米尔:一直都这样……那树……(转向观众)那沼泽……
爱斯特拉冈:你确定是在黄昏时候吗?
弗拉季米尔:什么?
爱斯特拉冈:我们非得在黄昏时候等吗?
弗拉季米尔:他说星期六,(停顿)我认为。
爱斯特拉冈:你认为。
弗拉季米尔:我一定记下来了。(他在口袋里摸,里面被各色垃圾撑得满满的)
爱斯特拉冈:(阴险地)但是哪个星期六呢?是星期六吗?不是星期天吗?(停顿)或者星期一?(停顿)或者星期五?
弗拉季米尔:(狂乱地环顾四面,好像日期就刻在周围)那不可能。
爱斯特拉冈:或者是星期四?
弗拉季米尔:我们要做什么?
爱斯特拉冈:如果他昨天来了而我们不在,那就肯定他今天不会来了。
弗拉季米尔:你说昨天我们在啊。
爱斯特拉冈:也许我弄错了。我们歇会儿再说,你不介意吧?
弗拉季米尔:(虚弱无力)好的。
(爱斯特拉冈坐在土墩上,弗拉季米尔则焦虑不安地来回踱步,时不时停下来凝视远方。爱斯特拉冈睡着了,弗拉季米尔最后停在他面前)戈戈!……戈戈!……戈戈!(爱斯特拉冈从睡梦中惊醒)
爱斯特拉冈:(回想起刚刚的惊恐)我刚才睡着了啊。(失魂落魄地)你怎么总不让我睡觉?
弗拉季米尔:我一个人孤单。
爱斯特拉冈:我做了个梦。
弗拉季米尔:别告诉我!
爱斯特拉冈:我梦到……
弗拉季米尔:别告诉我!
爱斯特拉冈:(手指向天空)这个够你吼了吧!(沉默)你太不够意思了,狄狄。像噩梦这样私密的事我不告诉你那告诉谁呀?
弗拉季米尔:还是让它们保持私密吧。你知道我受不了那个。
爱斯特拉冈:(冷冷地)有时候我想我们还是分开好一点。
弗拉季米尔:你走不远的。
爱斯特拉冈:真是糟糕,太糟糕了。(停顿)不是吗,狄狄,是不是太糟糕了?
作者介绍
塞缪尔·贝克特(Samuel Beckett),20世纪著名作家。他创作的领域包括戏剧、小说和诗歌,尤以戏剧成就最高。他是荒诞派戏剧的重要代表人物。1969年,他因“以一种新的小说与戏剧的形式,以崇高的艺术表现人类的苦恼”而获得诺贝尔文学奖。
核心单词
embrace [im5breis] v. 拥抱
contort [kEn5tC:t] v. 扭曲;曲解
crucify [5kru:sifai] v. 迫害;折磨;诋毁
insinuating [in5sinjueitiN] adj. 巴结的;谄媚的
nightmare [5naitmeE(r)] n. 恶梦
名词诵读
No one ever suffers but you. I don’t count. I’d like to hear what you’d say if you had what I have.
好像只有你一个人受痛苦,我不是人。我倒想听听如果是你受了我那样的痛苦,你会说些什么。
If he came yesterday and we weren’t here you may be sure he won’t come again today.
如果他昨天来了而我们不在,那就肯定他今天不会来了。
It’s not nice of you,Didi. Who am I to tell my private nightmares to if I can’t tell them to you?
你太不够意思了,狄狄。像噩梦这样私密的事我不告诉你那告诉谁呀?