Ｗｉｌｌｉａｍ?。拢酰簦欤澹颉。伲澹幔簦?BR> 前情提要：
《理想的丈夫》一文講述的故事發(fā)生在上個世紀末維多利亞時代的倫敦。羅伯特?奇爾頓爵士（Sir Robert Chiltern）是一名仕途得意的議會議員和完美無瑕的體面紳士，擁有光明的政治前途，是女人們心目中的理想丈夫。奇爾頓和他那優(yōu)雅迷人的妻子是一對人人羨慕的神仙眷侶。然而，奇爾頓的發(fā)跡是極不光彩的。1875年，英國政府決定購買蘇伊士運河股票。奇爾頓意料到這一決定公布之后，運河股票必將猛漲，在公布之前買下大量股票者定能賺到一筆巨款，于是他將英國政府的這一機密賣給了一個外國銀行家，并從中得到了巨額酬金，從此一躍成為富翁。然而，他寫給銀行家的信落到了女騙子徹弗莉夫人（Mrs. Cheveley）的手里。有一天，在奇爾頓太太舉辦的一個社交晚會上，徹弗莉夫人突然出現(xiàn)在奇爾頓面前。她出于私利逼迫奇爾頓支持一項旨在詐騙錢財?shù)倪\河計劃，并威脅他如果不就范，就將他不可告人的過去公諸于眾，這足以毀掉奇爾頓如今所擁有的一切……本文所選的是該劇第一幕中徹弗莉夫人要挾奇爾頓，要他幫助她實現(xiàn)詐騙計劃的場景。
[Mrs. Cheveley threatens Sir Robert Chiltern step by step. Sir Robert Chiltern feeels furious and tries hard to refuse her.]…
Sir Robert Chiltern: [rise 3） indignantly] If you will allow me, 4）I will call your carriage for you. You have lived so long abroad, Mrs. Cheveley, that you seem to be unable to realize that you are talking to an English gentleman.
Mrs. Cheveley: [detains him by touching his arm with her fan, and keeping it there while she is talking] I realize that I am talking to a man who laid the foundation of his fortune by selling to a Stock Exchange 5）speculator a 6）Cabinet secret.
Sir Robert Chiltern: [biting his lip] What do you mean?
Mrs. Cheveley: [rising and facing him] I mean that I know the real origin of your wealth and your career, and I have got your letter, too.
Sir Robert Chiltern: What letter?
Mrs. Cheveley: [7）contemptuously] The letter you wrote to 8）Baron Arnheim, when you were 9）Lord Radley's secretary, telling the Baron to buy 10）Suez Canal shares—a letter written three days before the Government announced its own purchase.
Sir Robert Chiltern: [11）hoarsely] It is not true.
Mrs. Cheveley: You thought that letter had been destroyed. How foolish of you! It is in my possession.
Sir Robert Chiltern: The affair to which you 12）allude was no more than a speculation.13）The House of Commons had not yet passed the bill; it might have been rejected.
Mrs. Cheveley: It was a swindle, Sir Robert. 14）Let us call things by their proper names. It makes everything simpler. And now I am going to sell you that letter, and the price I ask for it is your public support of 15）the Argentine scheme. You made your own fortune out of one canal. You must help me and my friends to make our fortunes out of another!
Sir Robert Chiltern: It is 16）infamous, what you propose—infamous!
Mrs. Cheveley: Oh, no! This is the game of life as we all have to play it, Sir Robert, sooner or later!
Sir Robert Chiltern: I cannot do what you ask me.
Mrs. Cheveley: You mean you cannot help doing it. You know you are standing on the edge of a 17）precipice. And it is not for you to 18）make terms. It is for you to accept them. Supposing you refuse—
Sir Robert Chiltern: What then?
Mrs. Cheveley: My dear Sir Robert, what then? You are ruined, that is all! …And what is the result? You all 19）go over like ninepins—one after the other. … Scandals used to lend charm, or at least interest, to a man—now they crush him. And yours is a very 20）nasty scandal. You couldn't survive it. If it were known that as a young man, secretary to a great and important minister, you sold a Cabinet secret for a large sum of money, and that that was the origin of your wealth and career, you would 21）be hounded out of 22）public life, you would disappear completely. And after all, Sir Robert, why should you sacrifice your entire future rather than deal 23）diplomatically with your enemy? For the moment I am your enemy. I admit it! And I am much stronger than you are. You have a splendid position, but it is your splendid position that makes you so vulnerable. You can't defend it! And I am in attack. Of course I have not talked morality to you. You must admit in fairness that I have spared you that. Years ago you did a clever, 24）unscrupulous thing; it turned out a great success. You owe to it your fortune and position. And now you have got to pay for it. Sooner or later we have all to pay for what we do. You have to pay now. Before I leave you tonight, you have got to promise me to suppress your report, and to speak in the House in favor of this scheme.
Sir Robert Chiltern: What you ask is impossible.
Mrs. Cheveley: You must make it possible. You are going to make it possible. Sir Robert, you know what your English newspapers are like. Suppose that when I leave this house I drive down to some newspaper office, and give them this scandal and the proofs of it! Think of their 25）loathsome joy, of the delight they would have in dragging you down, of the mud and 26）mire they would plunge you in. Think of the hypocrite with his 27）greasy smile 28）penning his 29）leading article, and arranging the 30）foulness of the public 31）placard.
Sir Robert Chiltern: Stop! You want me to withdraw the report and to make a short speech stating that I believe there are possibilities in the scheme?
Mrs. Cheveley: [sitting down on the sofa] Those are my 32）terms.
Sir Robert Chiltern: [in a low voice] I will give you any sum of money you want.
Mrs. Cheveley: Even you are not rich enough, Sir Robert, to buy back your past. No man is.
Sir Robert Chiltern: I will not do what you ask me. I will not.
Mrs. Cheveley: You have to. If you don't…… [rises from the sofa]
Sir Robert Chiltern: [bewildered and 33）unnerved] Wait a moment! What did you propose? You said that you would give me back my letter, didn't you?
Mrs. Cheveley: Yes. That is agreed. I will be in 34）the Ladies' Gallery tomorrow night at half-past eleven. If by that time—and you will have had 35）heaps of opportunity—you have made an announcement to the House in the terms I wish, I shall hand you back your letter with the prettiest thanks, and the best, or at any rate the most suitable, compliment I can think of…
Sir Robert Chiltern: You must let me have time to consider your proposal. Give me a week—three days!
Mrs. Cheveley: No, you must settle now! I have got to telegraph to 36）Vienna tonight. [moves towards the door]
Sir Robert Chiltern: Don't go. I consent. The report shall be withdrawn. I will arrange for a question to be put to me on the subject.
Mrs. Cheveley: Thank you. I knew we should come to an 37）amicable agreement. I understood your nature from the first. I analyzed you, though you did not adore me. And now you can get my carriage for me, Sir Robert.
[Exit Sir Robert Chiltern.] …
《理想的丈夫》一文講述的故事發(fā)生在上個世紀末維多利亞時代的倫敦。羅伯特?奇爾頓爵士（Sir Robert Chiltern）是一名仕途得意的議會議員和完美無瑕的體面紳士，擁有光明的政治前途，是女人們心目中的理想丈夫。奇爾頓和他那優(yōu)雅迷人的妻子是一對人人羨慕的神仙眷侶。然而，奇爾頓的發(fā)跡是極不光彩的。1875年，英國政府決定購買蘇伊士運河股票。奇爾頓意料到這一決定公布之后，運河股票必將猛漲，在公布之前買下大量股票者定能賺到一筆巨款，于是他將英國政府的這一機密賣給了一個外國銀行家，并從中得到了巨額酬金，從此一躍成為富翁。然而，他寫給銀行家的信落到了女騙子徹弗莉夫人（Mrs. Cheveley）的手里。有一天，在奇爾頓太太舉辦的一個社交晚會上，徹弗莉夫人突然出現(xiàn)在奇爾頓面前。她出于私利逼迫奇爾頓支持一項旨在詐騙錢財?shù)倪\河計劃，并威脅他如果不就范，就將他不可告人的過去公諸于眾，這足以毀掉奇爾頓如今所擁有的一切……本文所選的是該劇第一幕中徹弗莉夫人要挾奇爾頓，要他幫助她實現(xiàn)詐騙計劃的場景。
[Mrs. Cheveley threatens Sir Robert Chiltern step by step. Sir Robert Chiltern feeels furious and tries hard to refuse her.]…
Sir Robert Chiltern: [rise 3） indignantly] If you will allow me, 4）I will call your carriage for you. You have lived so long abroad, Mrs. Cheveley, that you seem to be unable to realize that you are talking to an English gentleman.
Mrs. Cheveley: [detains him by touching his arm with her fan, and keeping it there while she is talking] I realize that I am talking to a man who laid the foundation of his fortune by selling to a Stock Exchange 5）speculator a 6）Cabinet secret.
Sir Robert Chiltern: [biting his lip] What do you mean?
Mrs. Cheveley: [rising and facing him] I mean that I know the real origin of your wealth and your career, and I have got your letter, too.
Sir Robert Chiltern: What letter?
Mrs. Cheveley: [7）contemptuously] The letter you wrote to 8）Baron Arnheim, when you were 9）Lord Radley's secretary, telling the Baron to buy 10）Suez Canal shares—a letter written three days before the Government announced its own purchase.
Sir Robert Chiltern: [11）hoarsely] It is not true.
Mrs. Cheveley: You thought that letter had been destroyed. How foolish of you! It is in my possession.
Sir Robert Chiltern: The affair to which you 12）allude was no more than a speculation.13）The House of Commons had not yet passed the bill; it might have been rejected.
Mrs. Cheveley: It was a swindle, Sir Robert. 14）Let us call things by their proper names. It makes everything simpler. And now I am going to sell you that letter, and the price I ask for it is your public support of 15）the Argentine scheme. You made your own fortune out of one canal. You must help me and my friends to make our fortunes out of another!
Sir Robert Chiltern: It is 16）infamous, what you propose—infamous!
Mrs. Cheveley: Oh, no! This is the game of life as we all have to play it, Sir Robert, sooner or later!
Sir Robert Chiltern: I cannot do what you ask me.
Mrs. Cheveley: You mean you cannot help doing it. You know you are standing on the edge of a 17）precipice. And it is not for you to 18）make terms. It is for you to accept them. Supposing you refuse—
Sir Robert Chiltern: What then?
Mrs. Cheveley: My dear Sir Robert, what then? You are ruined, that is all! …And what is the result? You all 19）go over like ninepins—one after the other. … Scandals used to lend charm, or at least interest, to a man—now they crush him. And yours is a very 20）nasty scandal. You couldn't survive it. If it were known that as a young man, secretary to a great and important minister, you sold a Cabinet secret for a large sum of money, and that that was the origin of your wealth and career, you would 21）be hounded out of 22）public life, you would disappear completely. And after all, Sir Robert, why should you sacrifice your entire future rather than deal 23）diplomatically with your enemy? For the moment I am your enemy. I admit it! And I am much stronger than you are. You have a splendid position, but it is your splendid position that makes you so vulnerable. You can't defend it! And I am in attack. Of course I have not talked morality to you. You must admit in fairness that I have spared you that. Years ago you did a clever, 24）unscrupulous thing; it turned out a great success. You owe to it your fortune and position. And now you have got to pay for it. Sooner or later we have all to pay for what we do. You have to pay now. Before I leave you tonight, you have got to promise me to suppress your report, and to speak in the House in favor of this scheme.
Sir Robert Chiltern: What you ask is impossible.
Mrs. Cheveley: You must make it possible. You are going to make it possible. Sir Robert, you know what your English newspapers are like. Suppose that when I leave this house I drive down to some newspaper office, and give them this scandal and the proofs of it! Think of their 25）loathsome joy, of the delight they would have in dragging you down, of the mud and 26）mire they would plunge you in. Think of the hypocrite with his 27）greasy smile 28）penning his 29）leading article, and arranging the 30）foulness of the public 31）placard.
Sir Robert Chiltern: Stop! You want me to withdraw the report and to make a short speech stating that I believe there are possibilities in the scheme?
Mrs. Cheveley: [sitting down on the sofa] Those are my 32）terms.
Sir Robert Chiltern: [in a low voice] I will give you any sum of money you want.
Mrs. Cheveley: Even you are not rich enough, Sir Robert, to buy back your past. No man is.
Sir Robert Chiltern: I will not do what you ask me. I will not.
Mrs. Cheveley: You have to. If you don't…… [rises from the sofa]
Sir Robert Chiltern: [bewildered and 33）unnerved] Wait a moment! What did you propose? You said that you would give me back my letter, didn't you?
Mrs. Cheveley: Yes. That is agreed. I will be in 34）the Ladies' Gallery tomorrow night at half-past eleven. If by that time—and you will have had 35）heaps of opportunity—you have made an announcement to the House in the terms I wish, I shall hand you back your letter with the prettiest thanks, and the best, or at any rate the most suitable, compliment I can think of…
Sir Robert Chiltern: You must let me have time to consider your proposal. Give me a week—three days!
Mrs. Cheveley: No, you must settle now! I have got to telegraph to 36）Vienna tonight. [moves towards the door]
Sir Robert Chiltern: Don't go. I consent. The report shall be withdrawn. I will arrange for a question to be put to me on the subject.
Mrs. Cheveley: Thank you. I knew we should come to an 37）amicable agreement. I understood your nature from the first. I analyzed you, though you did not adore me. And now you can get my carriage for me, Sir Robert.
[Exit Sir Robert Chiltern.] …