女神电子书 > 浪漫言情电子书 > beautiful stories from shakespeare >

第4部分

beautiful stories from shakespeare-第4部分

小说: beautiful stories from shakespeare 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!



he sweet Miranda。

She in very pity would have helped him in his hard work; but he would not let her; yet he could not keep from her the secret of his love; and she; hearing it; rejoiced and promised to be his wife。

Then Prospero released him from his servitude; and glad at heart; he gave his consent to their marriage。

〃Take her;〃 he said; 〃she is thine own。〃

In the meantime; Antonio and Sebastian in another part of the island were plotting the murder of Alonso; the King of Naples; for Ferdinand being dead; as they thought; Sebastian would succeed to the throne on Alonso's death。  And they would have carried out their wicked purpose while their victim was asleep; but that Ariel woke him in good time。

Many tricks did Ariel play them。  Once he set a banquet before them; and just as they were going to fall to; he appeared to them amid thunder and lightning in the form of a harpy; and immediately the banquet disappeared。  Then Ariel upbraided them with their sins and vanished too。

Prospero by his enchantments drew them all to the grove without his cell; where they waited; trembling and afraid; and now at last bitterly repenting them of their sins。

Prospero determined to make one last use of his magic power; 〃And then;〃 said he; 〃I'll break my staff and deeper than did ever plummet sound I'll drown my book。〃

So he made heavenly music to sound in the air; and appeared to them in his proper shape as the Duke of Milan。  Because they repented; he forgave them and told them the story of his life since they had cruelly committed him and his baby daughter to the mercy of wind and waves。  Alonso; who seemed sorriest of them all for his past crimes; lamented the loss of his heir。  But Prospero drew back a curtain and showed them Ferdinand and Miranda playing at chess。  Great was Alonso's joy to greet his loved son again; and when he heard that the fair maid with whom Ferdinand was playing was Prospero's daughter; and that the young folks had plighted their troth; he said

〃Give me your hands; let grief and sorrow still embrace his heart that doth not wish you joy。〃

So all ended happily。  The ship was safe in the harbor; and next day they all set sail for Naples; where Ferdinand and Miranda were to be married。  Ariel gave them calm seas and auspicious gales; and many were the rejoicings at the wedding。

Then Prospero; after many years of absence; went back to his own dukedom; where he was welcomed with great joy by his faithful subjects。  He practiced the arts of magic no more; but his life was happy; and not only because he had found his own again; but chiefly because; when his bitterest foes who had done him deadly wrong lay at his mercy; he took no vengeance on them; but nobly forgave them。

As for Ariel; Prospero made him free as air; so that he could wander where he would; and sing with a light heart his sweet song

   〃Where the bee sucks; there suck I:     In a cowslip's bell I lie;     There I couch when owls do cry。     On the bat's back I do fly     After summer; merrily:     Merrily; merrily; shall I live now;     Under the blossom that hangs on the bough。〃




AS YOU LIKE IT



There was once a wicked Duke named Frederick; who took the dukedom that should have belonged to his brother; sending him into exile。 His brother went into the Forest of Arden; where he lived the life of a bold forester; as Robin Hood did in Sherwood Forest in merry England。

The banished Duke's daughter; Rosalind; remained with Celia; Frederick's daughter; and the two loved each other more than most sisters。  One day there was a wrestling match at Court; and Rosalind and Celia went to see it。  Charles; a celebrated wrestler; was there; who had killed many men in contests of this kind。  Orlando; the young man he was to wrestle with; was so slender and youthful; that Rosalind and Celia thought he would surely be killed; as others had been; so they spoke to him; and asked him not to attempt so dangerous an adventure; but the only effect of their words was to make him wish more to come off well in the encounter; so as to win praise from such sweet ladies。

Orlando; like Rosalind's father; was being kept out of his inheritance by his brother; and was so sad at his brother's unkindness that; until he saw Rosalind; he did not care much whether he lived or died。  But now the sight of the fair Rosalind gave him strength and courage; so that he did marvelously; and at last; threw Charles to such a tune; that the wrestler had to be carried off the ground。 Duke Frederick was pleased with his courage; and asked his name。

〃My name is Orlando; and I am the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys;〃 said the young man。

Now Sir Rowland de Boys; when he was alive; had been a good friend to the banished Duke; so that Frederick heard with regret whose son Orlando was; and would not befriend him。  But Rosalind was delighted to hear that this handsome young stranger was the son of her father's old friend; and as they were going away; she turned back more than once to say another kind word to the brave young man。

〃Gentleman;〃 she said; giving him a chain from her neck; 〃wear this for me。  I could give more; but that my hand lacks means。〃

Rosalind and Celia; when they were alone; began to talk about the handsome wrestler; and Rosalind confessed that she loved him at first sight。

〃Come; come;〃 said Celia; 〃wrestle with thy affections。〃

〃Oh;〃 answered Rosalind; 〃they take the part of a better wrestler than myself。  Look; here comes the Duke。〃

〃With his eyes full of anger;〃 said Celia。

〃You must leave the Court at once;〃 he said to Rosalind。  〃Why?〃 she asked。

〃Never mind why;〃 answered the Duke; 〃you are banished。  If within ten days you are found within twenty miles of my Court; you die。〃

So Rosalind set out to seek her father; the banished Duke; in the Forest of Arden。  Celia loved her too much to let her go alone; and as it was rather a dangerous journey; Rosalind; being the taller; dressed up as a young countryman; and her cousin as a country girl; and Rosalind said that she would be called Ganymede; and Celia; Aliena。  They were very tired when at last they came to the Forest of Arden; and as they were sitting on the grass a countryman passed that way; and Ganymede asked him if he could get them food。  He did so; and told them that a shepherd's flocks and house were to be sold。  They bought these and settled down as shepherd and shepherdess in the forest。

In the meantime; Oliver having sought to take his brother Orlando's life; Orlando also wandered into the forest; and there met with the rightful Duke; and being kindly received; stayed with him。 Now; Orlando could think of nothing but Rosalind; and he went about the forest carving her name on trees; and writing love sonnets and hanging them on the bushes; and there Rosalind and Celia found them。  One day Orlando met them; but he did not know Rosalind in her boy's clothes; though he liked the pretty shepherd youth; because he fancied a likeness in him to her he loved。

〃There is a foolish lover;〃 said Rosalind; 〃who haunts these woods and hangs sonnets on the trees。  If I could find him; I would soon cure him of his folly。〃

Orlando confessed that he was the foolish lover; and Rosalind said〃If you will come and see me every day; I will pretend to be Rosalind; and I will take her part; and be wayward and contrary; as is the way of women; till I make you ashamed of your folly in loving her。〃

And so every day he went to her house; and took a pleasure in saying to her all the pretty things he would have said to Rosalind; and she had the fine and secret joy of knowing that all his love…words came to the right ears。  Thus many days passed pleasantly away。

One morning; as Orlando was going to visit Ganymede; he saw a man asleep on the ground; and that there was a lioness crouching near; waiting for the man who was asleep to wake: for they say that lions will not prey on anything that is dead or sleeping。  Then Orlando looked at the man; and saw that it was his wicked brother; Oliver; who had tried to take his life。  He fought with the lioness and killed her; and saved his brother's life。

While Orlando was fighting the lioness; Oliver woke to see his brother; whom he had treated so badly; saving him from a wild beast at the risk of his own life。  This made him repent of his wickedness; and he begged Orlando's pardon; and from thenceforth they were dear brothers。  The lioness had wounded Orlando's arm so much; that he could not go on to see the shepherd; so he sent his brother to ask Ganymede to come to him。

Oliver went and told the whole story to Ganymede and Aliena; and Aliena was so charmed with his manly way of confessing his faults; that she fell in love with him at once。  But when Ganymede heard of the danger Orlando had been in she fainted; and when she came to herself; said truly enough; 〃I should have been a woman by right。〃

Oliver went back to his brother and told him all this; saying; 〃I love Aliena so well that I will give up my estates to you and marry her; and live here as a shepherd。〃

〃Let your wedding be to…morrow;〃 said Orlando; 〃and I will ask the Duke and his friends。〃

When Orlando told Ganymede how his brother was to be married o

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的