英语阅读英文原著The SeaGull海鸥.docx

英语阅读英文原著The SeaGull海鸥.docx

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英语阅读英文原著TheSeaGull海鸥

TheSea-Gull

byAntonCheckov

CHARACTERS

IRINAABKADINA,anactressCONSTANTINETREPLIEFF,herson

PETERSORIN,herbrother

NINAZARIETCHNAYA,ayounggirl,thedaughterofarichlandowner

ILIASHAMRAEFF,themanagerofSORIN'SestatePAULINA,hiswife

MASHA,theirdaughterBORISTRIGORIN,anauthorEUGENEDORN,adoctor

SIMONMEDVIEDENKO,aschoolmasterJACOB,aworkman

ACOOK

AMAIDSERVANT

ThesceneislaidonSORIN'Sestate.Twoyearselapsebetweenthethirdandfourthacts.

ACTI

ThesceneislaidintheparkonSORIN'Sestate.Abroadavenueoftreesleadsawayfromtheaudiencetowardalakewhichlieslostinthedepthsofthepark.Theavenueisobstructedbyaroughstage,temporarilyerectedfortheperformanceofamateurtheatricals,andwhichscreensthelakefromview.Thereisadensegrowthofbushestotheleftandrightofthestage.Afewchairsandalittletableareplacedinfrontofthestage.Thesunhasjustset.JACOBandsomeotherworkmenareheardhammeringandcoughingonthestagebehindtheloweredcurtain.

MASHAandMEDVIEDENKOcomeinfromtheleft,returningfromawalk.

MEDVIEDENKO.Whydoyoualwayswearmourning?

MASHA.Idressinblacktomatchmylife.Iamunhappy.

MEDVIEDENKO.Whyshouldyoubeunhappy?

[Thinkingitover]Idon'tunderstandit.Youarehealthy,andthoughyourfatherisnotrich,hehasagoodcompetency.Mylifeisfarharderthanyours.Ionlyhavetwenty-threeroublesamonthtoliveon,butIdon'twearmourning.[Theysitdown].

MASHA.Happinessdoesnotdependonriches;poormenareoftenhappy.

MEDVIEDENKO.Intheory,yes,butnotinreality.Takemycase,forinstance;mymother,mytwosisters,mylittlebrotherandImustalllivesomehowonmysalaryoftwenty-threeroublesamonth.Wehavetoeatanddrink,Itakeit.Youwouldn'thaveusgowithoutteaandsugar,wouldyou?

Ortobacco?

Answermethat,ifyoucan.

MASHA.[Lookinginthedirectionofthestage]Theplaywillsoonbegin.

MEDVIEDENKO.Yes,NinaZarietchnayaisgoingtoactinTreplieff'splay.Theyloveoneanother,andtheirtwosoulswilluniteto-nightintheefforttointerpretthesameideabydifferentmeans.Thereisnogroundonwhichyoursoulandminecanmeet.Iloveyou.Toorestlessandsadtostayathome,Itramphereeveryday,sixmilesandback,tobemetonlyby

yourindifference.Iampoor,myfamilyislarge,youcanhavenoinducementtomarryamanwhocannotevenfindsufficientfoodforhisownmouth.

MASHA.Itisnotthat.[Shetakessnuff]Iamtouchedbyyouraffection,butIcannotreturnit,thatisall.[Sheoffershimthesnuff-box]Willyoutakesome?

MEDVIEDENKO.No,thankyou.[Apause.]

MASHA.Theairissultry;astormisbrewingforto-night.Youdonothingbutmoraliseorelsetalkaboutmoney.Toyou,povertyisthegreatestmisfortunethatcanbefallaman,butIthinkitisathousandtimeseasiertogobegginginragsthanto--Youwouldn'tunderstandthat,though.

SORINleaningonacane,andTREPLIEFFcomein.

SORIN.Forsomereason,myboy,countrylifedoesn'tsuitme,andIamsureIshallnevergetusedtoit.LastnightIwenttobedattenandwokeatninethismorning,feelingasif,fromoversleep,mybrainhadstucktomyskull.[Laughing]AndyetIaccidentallydroppedofftosleepagainafterdinner,andfeelutterlydoneupatthismoment.Itislikeanightmare.

TREPLIEFF.Thereisnodoubtthatyoushouldliveintown.[HecatchessightofMASHAandMEDVIEDENKO]Youshallbecalledwhentheplaybegins,myfriends,butyoumustnotstayherenow.Goaway,please.

SORIN.MissMasha,willyoukindlyaskyourfathertoleavethedogunchained?

Ithowledsolastnightthatmysisterwasunabletosleep.

MASHA.Youmustspeaktomyfatheryourself.Pleaseexcuseme;Ican'tdoso.[ToMEDVIEDENKO]Come,letusgo.

MEDVIEDENKO.Youwillletusknowwhentheplaybegins?

MASHAandMEDVIEDENKOgoout.

SORIN.Iforeseethatthatdogisgoingtohowlallnightagain.Itisalwaysthiswayinthecountry;IhaveneverbeenabletoliveasIlikehere.Icomedownforamonth'sholiday,torestandall,andamplaguedsobytheirnonsensethatIlongtoescapeafterthefirstday.[Laughing]Ihavealwaysbeengladtogetawayfromthisplace,butIhavebeenretirednow,

andthiswastheonlyplaceIhadtocometo.Willy-nilly,onemustlivesomewhere.

JACOB.[ToTREPLIEFF]Wearegoingtotakeaswim,Mr.

Constantine.

TREPLIEFF.Verywell,butyoumustbebackintenminutes.JACOB.Wewill,sir.

TREPLIEFF.[Lookingatthestage]Justlikearealtheatre!

See,therewehavethecurtain,theforeground,thebackground,andall.Noartificialsceneryisneeded.Theeyetravelsdirecttothelake,andrestsonthehorizon.Thecurtainwillberaisedasthemoonrisesathalf-pasteight.

SORIN.Splendid!

TREPLIEFF.OfcoursethewholeeffectwillberuinedifNinaislate.Sheshouldbeherebynow,butherfatherandstepmotherwatchhersocloselythatitislikestealingherfromaprisontogetherawayfromhome.[HestraightensSORIN'Scollar]Yourhairandbeardareallonend.Oughtn'tyoutohavethemtrimmed?

SORIN.[Smoothinghisbeard]Theyarethetragedyofmyexistence.EvenwhenIwasyoungIalwayslookedasifIweredrunk,andall.Womenhaveneverlikedme.[Sittingdown]Whyismysisteroutoftemper?

TREPLIEFF.Why?

Becausesheisjealousandbored.[SittingdownbesideSORIN]Sheisnotactingthisevening,butNinais,andsoshehassetherselfagainstme,andagainsttheperformanceoftheplay,andagainsttheplayitself,whichshehateswithouteverhavingreadit.

SORIN.[Laughing]Doesshe,really?

TREPLIEFF.Yes,sheisfuriousbecauseNinaisgoingtohaveasuccessonthislittlestage.[Lookingathiswatch]Mymotherisapsychologicalcuriosity.Withoutdoubtbrilliantandtalented,capableofsobbingoveranovel,ofrecitingallNekrasoff'spoetrybyheart,andofnursingthesicklikeanangelofheaven,youshouldseewhathappensifanyonebeginspraisingDusetoher!

Shealonemustbepraisedandwrittenabout,ravedover,hermarvellousactingin"LaDameauxCamelias"extolledtotheskies.Asshecannotgetallthatrubbishinthecountry,shegrowspeevishandcross,andthinksweareallagainsther,

andtoblameforitall.Sheissuperstitious,too.Shedreadsburningthreecandles,andfearsthethirteenthdayofthemonth.Thensheisstingy.IknowforafactthatshehasseventythousandroublesinabankatOdessa,butsheisreadytoburstintotearsifyouaskhertolendyouapenny.

SORIN.Youhavetakenitintoyourheadthatyourmotherdislikesyourplay,andthethoughtofithasexcitedyou,andall.Keepcalm;yourmotheradoresyou.

TREPLIEFF.[Pullingaflowertopieces]Shelovesme,lovesmenot;loves--lovesmenot;loves--lovesmenot!

[Laughing]Yousee,shedoesn'tloveme,andwhyshouldshe?

Shelikeslifeandloveandgayclothes,andIamalreadytwenty-fiveyearsold;asufficientremindertoherthatsheisnolongeryoung.WhenIamawaysheisonlythirty-two,inmypresencesheisforty-three,andshehatesmeforit.Sheknows,too,thatIdespisethemodernstage.Sheadoresit,andimaginesthatsheisworkingonitforthebenefitofhumanityandhersacredart,buttomethetheatreismerelythevehicleofconventionandprejudice.Whenthecurtainrisesonthatlittlethree-walledroom,whenthosemightygeniuses,thosehigh-priestsofart,showuspeopleintheactofeating,drinking,loving,walking,andwearingtheircoats,andattempttoextractamoralfromtheirinsipidtalk;whenplaywrightsgiveusunderathousanddifferentguisesthesame,same,sameoldstuff,thenImustneedsrunfromit,asMaupassantranfromtheEiffelTowerthatwasabouttocrushhimbyitsvulgarity.

SORIN.Butwecan'tdowithoutatheatre.

TREPLIEFF.No,butwemusthaveitunderanewform.Ifwecan'tdothat,letusrathernothaveitatall.[Lookingathiswatch]Ilovemymother,Iloveherdevotedly,butIthinksheleadsastupidlife.Shealwayshasthismanoflettersofhersonhermind,andthenewspapersarealwaysfrighteninghertodeath,andIamtiredofit.Plain,humanegoismsometimesspeaksinmyheart,andIregretthatmymotherisafamousactress.IfshewereanordinarywomanIthinkIshouldbeahappierman.Whatcouldbemoreintolerableandfoolishthanmyposition,Uncle,whenIfindmyselftheonlynonentityamongacrowdofherguests,allcelebratedauthorsandartists?

IfeelthattheyonlyenduremebecauseIamherson.PersonallyIamnothing,nobody.Ipulledthroughmythird

yearatcollegebytheskinofmyteeth,astheysay.Ihaveneithermoneynorbrains,andonmypassportyoumayreadthatIamsimplyacitizenofKiev.Sowasmyfather,buthewasawell-knownactor.Whenthecelebritiesthatfrequentmymother'sdrawing-roomdeigntonoticemeatall,Iknowtheyonlylookatmetomeasuremyinsignificance;Ireadtheirthoughts,andsufferfromhumiliation.

SORIN.Tellme,bytheway,whatisTrigorinlike?

Ican'tunderstandhim,heisalwayssosilent.

TREPLIEFF.Trigorinisclever,simple,well-mannered,andalittle,Imightsay,melancholicindisposition.Thoughstillunderforty,heissurfeitedwithpraise.Asforhisstories,theyare--howshallIputit?

--pleasing,fulloftalent,butifyouhavereadTolstoiorZolayousomehowdon'tenjoyTrigorin.

SORIN.Doyouknow,myboy,Ilikeliterarymen.Ioncepassionatelydesiredtwothings:

tomarry,andtobecomeanauthor.Ihavesucceededinneither.Itmustbepleasanttobeevenaninsignificantauthor.

TREPLIEFF.[Listening]Ihearfootsteps!

[Heembraceshisuncle]Icannotlivewithouther;eventhesoundofherfootstepsismusictome.Iammadlyhap