江苏省响水中学高中英语美文阅读WilliamShakespeare.docx

江苏省响水中学高中英语美文阅读WilliamShakespeare.docx

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江苏省响水中学高中英语美文阅读WilliamShakespeare

江苏省响水中学高中英语美文阅读WilliamShakespeare

1Tobyremembers

    MynameisToby．I'manoldman，eighty-threethisspring．MyhouseisrightinthemiddleofStratford-upon-Avon，andIcanwatchthestreetmarketfrommywindow．ButIliveveryquietlynow．I'mjustanoldman，sittinginachair．

    IonceknewthegreatestmaninEngland．ForthirtyyearsIwashisfriend．Iworkedwithhiminthetheatre，throughthegoodtimesandthebadtime．Hewasagoodfriendtome．Hewasalsothebestplaywright，thebestpoet，thateverlivedinEngland．WillShakespearewashisname．

    Isawallhisplaysinthetheatre．Peoplelovedthem．Theyshouted，laughedandcried，ateoranges，andcalledformore．Allkindsofpeople．Kings，Queens，Princes，greatlordsandladies，poorpeople，theboyswhoheldthehorses…everyone．WillShakespearecouldpleasethem

all．

    Heputmeinaplayonce．Well，heusedmyname-Toby．TwelfthNightwastheplay，Iremember．SirTobyBelch．Hewasabigfatman，wholikeddrinkingtoomuchandhavingagoodtime．QueenElizabeththeFirstwatchedthatplay-onTwelfthNight，the6thofJanuary，1601．Shelikedit，too．

    Will'sdeadnow，ofcourse．He'sbeendeadmorethanthirtyyears，andnooneseeshisplaysnow．ThePuritanshaveclosedallthetheatres．There'snosinging，nodancing，noplays．Itwasn'tlikethatinmyyoungdays．WehadagoodtimeinLondon，WillandI…

  2Stratford-upon-Avon

    ItwasasunnydayinOctober1579whenIfirstmetWill，justoutsideStratford，nearabigfieldofappletrees．Isawaboyupinoneofthetrees．Hehadredhairandlookedabouttwoyearsolderthanme．

    ‘Whatareyoudoingupthere？

’Icalled．

    ‘Justgettingafewapples，’hesaid，smiling

    ‘ThoseareFarmerNash'sapples，Isaid，‘andhe'llsendhisdogsafteryouifheseesyou．’

    ‘MrNashhasgonetomarket，’theboysaid．‘Comeon！

They'regoodapples．’

    ThenextminuteIwasupthetreewithhim．ButWillwaswrong．FarmerNashwasn'tatthemarket，andafewminuteslaterwesawhisangryredfaceabovethewallonthefarsideofthefield．

    WillandIranlikethewindandonlystoppedwhenwereachedtheriver．Wesatdowntoeatourapples．

    Willwasfifteen，andlivedinHenleyStreet，hetoldme．HisfatherwasJohnShakespeare，andhehadasister，Joan，andtwoyoungerbrothers，GilbertandRichard．Therewasanothersisterwhodied，Ilearntlater．Andthenextyearhehadanotherbrother，littleEdmund—thebabyofthefamily．

    ‘Now，whataboutyou？

’heasked．

    ‘There'sonlymeandmysister，’Isaid．‘Myparentsaredead，andwelivewithmymother'sbrother：

He'sashoe-makerinElyStreetandIworkforhim．Whatdoyoudo？

’

    ‘IgotoMr.Jenkins'schoolinChurchStreet，’Willsaid．‘Everyday，fromseveno'clockuntilfiveo'clock．NotSundays，ofcourse．’

    I

wassorryforhim．‘Isn'tisboring？

’Iasked．

    ‘Sometimes．Usuallyit'sallright．’Helaybackandputhishandsbehindhishead．‘ButwehavetoreadandlearnalltheseLatinwriters．Iwanttoreadmodernwriters，andEnglishwriters，likeGeoffreyChaucer．Canyouread？

’heasked．

    ‘OfcourseIcanread！

’Isaid．‘Iwenttoschool．’

    Willsatupandbegantoeatanotherapple．‘Iwanttobeawriter，’hesaid．‘Apoet．Iwantthatmorethananythingintheworld．’

    Wewerefriendsfromthatday，untilthedayhedied．Wemetnearlyeveryday，andhetaughtmealotaboutbooksandpoetryandwriters．Healwayshadhisnoseinabook．

    WhenWillleftschool，heworkedforhisfatherinHenleyStreet．JohnShakespearewasaglove-maker，andhehadotherbusinesstoo，likebuyingandsellingsheep．ButWillwasn'tinterested．

    ‘Whatarewegoingtodo，T

oby？

’hesaidtomeoneday．‘Wecan'tspendallourlivesmakingshoesandgloves！

’

    ‘Well，’Isaid，‘wecouldrunawaytoseaandbesailors．Sailroundtheworld，likeFrancisDrake．

    DrakesailedbacktoPlymouthin1581，afterhisthree-yearjourneyroundtheworld，butwewerestillinStratford．Wemadelotsofplans，butnothingevercameofthem．

    Willwasstillreadingalotandhewasalreadywritingpoemshimself．Hesometimesshowedthemtome，andIsaidtheywereverygood．Ididn'treallyknowanythingaboutpoetrythen，buthewasmyfriend．

    Willwasnothappywithhiswriting．‘I'vegotsomuchtolearn，Toby，’hesaid．‘Somuchtolearn．’

    PoorWill．Hehadalottolearnaboutwomen，too．OnedayinOctober1582hecametomyhousewithalongface．

    ‘I'llneverleaveStratford．’hesaid．

    ‘Whynot？

’Iasked．‘We'llgetawayoneday．You'llsee．’

    ‘Perhapsyouwill，’hesaid，‘butI'mgoingtobemarriedinafewweeks'time．ToAnneHathaway．’

    Mymouthfellopenandstayedopen．‘Married！

ToAnneHathaway？

IsthattheHathawaysoveratShottery？

’

    ‘Yes，’Willsaid．Iwasworkingonsomeshoesonthetable，andWillpickedoneupandlookedatit．

    ‘Well，er，she'safinegirl，ofcourse，’Isaiduncomfortably．‘But…but，Will，she'stwenty-sixandyou'reonlyeighteen！

’

    ‘Iknow，’Willsaid．‘ButI'vegottomarryher．’

    ‘Ohno！

’Isaid．‘Youmean，she's…’

3The

actorscometotown

    WillmarriedAnneHathawayinNovember，andshecametoliveinHenleyStreet．JohnShakespearewaspleasedthathisoldestsonwasmarried，butIdon'tthinkWill'smotherwantedhimtomarrysoyoung．Familiescostalotofmoney，andJohnShakespearewashavingalotofmoneytroublesinthosedays．TimeswerehardinHenleyStreet．

    SusannawasbornthenextMay．Allbabieslookthesametome，butWillwasverypleasedwithher．

    ‘Look，Toby，she'sgotmyeyes，’hesaidhappily．‘She'sgoingtobeasbeautifulastheQueenofEgypt，andascleverasKingSolomon．’

    ‘Ohyes？

’Isaid．‘Allparentstalklikethatabouttheirchildren．Idon'tbelieveawordofit．’

    Ididn'tseemuchofWill'swife．Iknewshedidn'tlikeme．Toher，IwasoneofWill'swildfriends，whogothimintotrouble．Shecamefromaveryserious，Puritanfamily．Lotsofchurch-going，andnosingingordancing．

    Soontherewasanotherbabyontheway，andoneeveninginFebruary1585IhurriedroundtoHenleyStreettohearthenews．Will'ssister，Joan，openedthedoor，andthenWillcamerunningdownthestairs．

    ‘It'stwoofthem！

’hesaid．‘Twins！

Agirlandaboy．Isn'tthatwonderful！

’

    Willhadsomegoodfriends，HamnetandJudithSadler，andhecalledthetwinsafterthem．JohnShakespearewasverypleasedtohavehisfirstgrandson，andeveryonewashappy．Forawhile．

    WillandIstillwentaroundtogetherwhenwecould．Hewasstillreading，andwriting，andsoonIcouldseeachangeinhim．Hewastwenty-threenow，andhewasnothappywithhislife．

    ‘Stratford'stoosmall，Toby，’hesaid．‘Tooslow．Tooquiet．Tooboring．I'vegottogetaway．’

    ‘Yes，buthow？

’Iasked．‘You'vegotafamily—threeyoungchildren，remember．’

    Hedidn'tanswer．

    Inthesummermonthscompaniesofplayersoftencametosmalltowns，andin1587fivedifferentcompaniescame．WillandIalwayswenttoseetheplays．WilllovedtotalktotheactorsandtolistentoalltheirstoriesofLondon

    TheQueen'sMencametoStratfordinJune，andwewenttoseetheplay．Idon'trememberwhatitwas．IknowthatIlaughedalot，andthatWillsaiditwasastupidplay，withnotawordofpoetryinit．

    ‘Whydon'tyouwriteaplayyourself？

’Itoldhim．

    ‘Writeaplay？

’Helaughed．‘Annewouldneverspeaktomeagain．’

    Ididn'tsayanything，andWilllookedatmeandlaughedagain．

    Ithappenedafewmonthslater．IwalkedintotheShakespeare’s'kitchenoneevening，andtherewasAnne，withared，angryface，shoutingatthetopofhervoice．

    ‘Howcanyoudothistome？

Andwhataboutthechildren—’Thenshesawmeandstopped．

    Willwassittingatthetable，andlookedpleasedtoseeme．‘I'vetoldAnne，’hesaidquietly，‘thatI'mgoingtoliveinLondon．Iwanttobeanactor，andtowriteplays，ifIcan．’

    ‘Plays！

’screamedAnne．‘Acting！

Actorsaredirty，wickedpeople！

They'reallthievesandcriminals！

Theydrinkalldayandtheynevergotochurch—’

    ‘Don'tbestupid，Anne．Youknowthat'snottrue．Listen．I'llcomehomewhenIcan，butImustgotoLondon．Ican'tdoanythinginStratford．’Helookedatmeacrosstheroom．‘Areyoucomingwithme，Toby？

’

 4AnewlifeinLondon

    It'stwodaysjourneytoLondonbyhorse，andWilltalkedalltheway．Hiseyeswerebrightandexcited．Hewasfullofplans，andpoems，andaloveoflife．

    ‘ItalkedtooneoftheQueen'sMen，’hetoldme．‘Hesaidthathecouldfindmeworkinthetheatre．Acting，perhaps．Orhelpingtowritesomeplays．Ishowedhimsomeofmywriting，andhewasveryinterested．

    WhenwerodeintoLondon，Ibegantofeelafraid．Thiswasabig，bigcity，andwewerejusttwounimportantyoungmenfromasmalltown．I'llneverforgetthenoise，andthesmells，andthecrowds．Therewere200，000peoplelivingintheCityofLondon—Ineversawsomanypeoplebeforeinmylife．

    WewentdowntotheriverThamesandsawthefamousLondonBridge，withallitsshopsandhouses．DowntheriverwastheTowerofLondon．EnemiesoftheQueenwentintotheTowerthroughtherivergate，andmostlycameoutwithouttheirheads．

    WefoundasmallinninEastcheap，nottooexpensive，andhadsomebread，meat，andbeerforoursupper．

    ‘Well，we're

here！

’Willsaid．‘Atlast！

’

    ‘Mmm，’Isaid．‘Whatdowedonext？

’

    Helaughed．‘Everything！

’

    Thenextdaywebegantolookforwork．

    Thoseearlyyearswerewonderful．Wedidn'thavemuchmoney，ofcourse，andwehadtoworkveryhard．Anewactoronlygotsixshillingsaweek，andtherewasn'tworkeveryweek．Idecidednottobeanactor．

    ‘Whynot？

’saidwill．‘It'sagreatlife．’

    WewereworkingthatmonthfortheQueen'sMenatthetheatrecalledTheCurtainupinShoreditch．Willwasac