Pygmalion 文本.docx

Pygmalion 文本.docx

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Pygmalion文本

ActIII

ItisMrs.Higgins'sat-homeday.Nobodyhasyetarrived.Herdrawing-room,inaflatonChelseaembankment,hasthreewindowslookingontheriver;andtheceilingisnotsoloftyasitwouldbeinanolderhouseofthesamepretension.Thewindowsareopen,givingaccesstoabalconywithflowersinpots.Ifyoustandwithyourfacetothewindows,youhavethefireplaceonyourleftandthedoorintheright-handwallclosetothecornernearestthewindows.

Mrs.HigginswasbroughtuponMorrisandBurneJones;andherroom,whichisveryunlikeherson'sroominWimpoleStreet,isnotcrowdedwithfurnitureandlittletablesandnicknacks.Inthemiddleoftheroomthereisabigottoman;andthis,withthecarpet,theMorriswall-papers,andtheMorrischintzwindowcurtainsandbrocadecoversoftheottomananditscushions,supplyalltheornament,andaremuchtoohandsometobehiddenbyoddsandendsofuselessthings.Afewgoodoil-paintingsfromtheexhibitionsintheGrosvenorGallerythirtyyearsago（theBurneJones,nottheWhistlersideofthem）areonthewalls.TheonlylandscapeisaCecilLawsononthescaleofaRubens.ThereisaportraitofMrs.HigginsasshewaswhenshedefiedfashioninheryouthinoneofthebeautifulRossettiancostumeswhich,whencaricaturedbypeoplewhodidnotunderstand,ledtotheabsurditiesofpopularestheticismintheeighteen-seventies.

InthecornerdiagonallyoppositethedoorMrs.Higgins,nowoversixtyandlongpasttakingthetroubletodressoutofthefashion,sitswritingatanelegantlysimplewriting-tablewithabellbuttonwithinreachofherhand.ThereisaChippendalechairfurtherbackintheroombetweenherandthewindownearestherside.Attheothersideoftheroom,furtherforward,isanElizabethanchairroughlycarvedinthetasteofInigoJones.Onthesamesideapianoinadecoratedcase.ThecornerbetweenthefireplaceandthewindowisoccupiedbyadivancushionedinMorrischintz.

Itisbetweenfourandfiveintheafternoon.

Thedoorisopenedviolently;andHigginsenterswithhishaton.

MRS.HIGGINS[dismayed]Henry[scoldinghim]!

Whatareyoudoinghereto-day?

Itismyathomeday:

youpromisednottocome.[Ashebendstokissher,shetakeshishatoff,andpresentsittohim].

HIGGINS.Ohbother!

[Hethrowsthehatdownonthetable].

MRS.HIGGINS.Gohomeatonce.

HIGGINS[kissingher]Iknow,mother.Icameonpurpose.

MRS.HIGGINS.Butyoumustn't.I'mserious,Henry.Youoffendallmyfriends:

theystopcomingwhenevertheymeetyou.

HIGGINS.Nonsense!

IknowIhavenosmalltalk;butpeopledon'tmind.[Hesitsonthesettee].

MRS.HIGGINS.Oh!

don'tthey?

Smalltalkindeed!

Whataboutyourlargetalk?

Really,dear,youmustn'tstay.

HIGGINS.Imust.I'veajobforyou.Aphoneticjob.

MRS.HIGGINS.Nouse,dear.I'msorry;butIcan'tgetroundyourvowels;andthoughIliketogetprettypostcardsinyourpatentshorthand,Ialwayshavetoreadthecopiesinordinarywritingyousothoughtfullysendme.

HIGGINS.Well,thisisn'taphoneticjob.

MRS.HIGGINS.Yousaiditwas.

HIGGINS.Notyourpartofit.I'vepickedupagirl.

MRS.HIGGINS.Doesthatmeanthatsomegirlhaspickedyouup?

HIGGINS.Notatall.Idon'tmeanaloveaffair.

MRS.HIGGINS.Whatapity!

HIGGINS.Why?

MRS.HIGGINS.Well,youneverfallinlovewithanyoneunderforty-five.Whenwillyoudiscoverthattherearesomerathernice-lookingyoungwomenabout?

HIGGINS.Oh,Ican'tbebotheredwithyoungwomen.Myideaofaloveablewomanissomethingaslikeyouaspossible.Ishallnevergetintothewayofseriouslylikingyoungwomen:

somehabitslietoodeeptobechanged.[Risingabruptlyandwalkingabout,jinglinghismoneyandhiskeysinhistrouserpockets]Besides,they'reallidiots.

MRS.HIGGINS.Doyouknowwhatyouwoulddoifyoureallylovedme,Henry?

HIGGINS.Ohbother!

What?

Marry,Isuppose?

MRS.HIGGINS.No.Stopfidgetingandtakeyourhandsoutofyourpockets.[Withagestureofdespair,heobeysandsitsdownagain].That'sagoodboy.Nowtellmeaboutthegirl.

HIGGINS.She'scomingtoseeyou.

MRS.HIGGINS.Idon'trememberaskingher.

HIGGINS.Youdidn't.Iaskedher.Ifyou'dknownheryouwouldn'thaveaskedher.

MRS.HIGGINS.Indeed!

Why?

HIGGINS.Well,it'slikethis.She'sacommonflowergirl.Ipickedheroffthekerbstone.

MRS.HIGGINS.Andinvitedhertomyat-home!

HIGGINS[risingandcomingtohertocoaxher]Oh,that'llbeallright.I'vetaughthertospeakproperly;andshehasstrictordersastoherbehavior.She'stokeeptotwosubjects:

theweatherandeverybody'shealth--FinedayandHowdoyoudo,youknow--andnottoletherselfgoonthingsingeneral.Thatwillbesafe.

MRS.HIGGINS.Safe!

Totalkaboutourhealth!

aboutourinsides!

perhapsaboutouroutsides!

Howcouldyoubesosilly,Henry?

HIGGINS[impatiently]Well,shemusttalkaboutsomething.[Hecontrolshimselfandsitsdownagain].Oh,she'llbeallright:

don'tyoufuss.Pickeringisinitwithme.I'veasortofbetonthatI'llpassheroffasaduchessinsixmonths.Istartedonhersomemonthsago;andshe'sgettingonlikeahouseonfire.Ishallwinmybet.Shehasaquickear;andshe'sbeeneasiertoteachthanmymiddle-classpupilsbecauseshe'shadtolearnacompletenewlanguage.ShetalksEnglishalmostasyoutalkFrench.

MRS.HIGGINS.That'ssatisfactory,atallevents.

HIGGINS.Well,itisanditisn't.

MRS.HIGGINS.Whatdoesthatmean?

HIGGINS.Yousee,I'vegotherpronunciationallright;butyouhavetoconsidernotonlyhowagirlpronounces,butwhatshepronounces;andthat'swhere—

Theyareinterruptedbytheparlor-maid,announcingguests.

THEPARLOR-MAID.Mrs.andMissEynsfordHill.[Shewithdraws].

HIGGINS.OhLord!

[Herises;snatcheshishatfromthetable;andmakesforthedoor;butbeforehereachesithismotherintroduceshim].

Mrs.andMissEynsfordHillarethemotheranddaughterwhoshelteredfromtheraininCoventGarden.Themotheriswellbred,quiet,andhasthehabitualanxietyofstraitenedmeans.Thedaughterhasacquiredagayairofbeingverymuchathomeinsociety:

thebravadoofgenteelpoverty.

MRS.EYNSFORDHILL[toMrs.Higgins]Howdoyoudo?

[Theyshakehands].

MISSEYNSFORDHILL.Howd'youdo?

[Sheshakes].

MRS.HIGGINS[introducing]MysonHenry.

MRS.EYNSFORDHILL.Yourcelebratedson!

Ihavesolongedtomeetyou,ProfessorHiggins.

HIGGINS[glumly,makingnomovementinherdirection]Delighted.[Hebacksagainstthepianoandbowsbrusquely].

MissEYNSFORDHILL[goingtohimwithconfidentfamiliarity]Howdoyoudo?

HIGGINS[staringather]I'veseenyoubeforesomewhere.Ihaven'ttheghostofanotionwhere;butI'veheardyourvoice.[Drearily]Itdoesn'tmatter.You'dbettersitdown.

MRS.HIGGINS.I'msorrytosaythatmycelebratedsonhasnomanners.Youmustn'tmindhim.

MISSEYNSFORDHILL[gaily]Idon't.[ShesitsintheElizabethanchair].

MRS.EYNSFORDHILL[alittlebewildered]Notatall.[ShesitsontheottomanbetweenherdaughterandMrs.Higgins,whohasturnedherchairawayfromthewriting-table].

HIGGINS.Oh,haveIbeenrude?

Ididn'tmeantobe.

Hegoestothecentralwindow,throughwhich,withhisbacktothecompany,hecontemplatestheriverandtheflowersinBatterseaParkontheoppositebankasiftheywereafrozendessert.

Theparlor-maidreturns,usheringinPickering.

THEPARLOR-MAID.ColonelPickering[Shewithdraws].

PICKERING.Howdoyoudo,Mrs.Higgins?

MRS.HIGGINS.Sogladyou'vecome.DoyouknowMrs.EynsfordHill--MissEynsfordHill?

[Exchangeofbows.TheColonelbringstheChippendalechairalittleforwardbetweenMrs.HillandMrs.Higgins,andsitsdown].

PICKERING.HasHenrytoldyouwhatwe'vecomefor?

HIGGINS[overhisshoulder]Wewereinterrupted:

damnit!

MRS.HIGGINS.OhHenry,Henry,really!

MRS.EYNSFORDHILL[halfrising]Areweintheway?

MRS.HIGGINS[risingandmakinghersitdownagain]No,no.Youcouldn'thavecomemorefortunately:

wewantyoutomeetafriendofours.

HIGGINS[turninghopefully]Yes,byGeorge!

Wewanttwoorthreepeople.You'lldoaswellasanybodyelse.

Theparlor-maidreturns,usheringFreddy.

THEPARLOR-MAID.Mr.EynsfordHill.

HIGGINS[almostaudibly,pastendurance]GodofHeaven!

anotherofthem.

FREDDY[shakinghandswithMrs.Higgins]Ahdedo?

MRS.HIGGINS.Verygoodofyoutocome.[Introducing]ColonelPickering.

FREDDY[bowing]Ahdedo?

MRS.HIGGINS.Idon'tthinkyouknowmyson,ProfessorHiggins.

FREDDY[goingtoHiggins]Ahdedo?

HIGGINS[lookingathimmuchasifhewereapickpocket]I'lltakemyoathI'vemetyoubeforesomewhere.Wherewasit?

FREDDY.Idon'tthinkso.

HIGGINS[resignedly]Itdon'tmatter,anyhow.Sitdown.HeshakesFreddy'shand,andalmostslingshimontheottomanwithhisfacetothewindows;thencomesroundtotheothersideofit.

HIGGINS.Well,hereweare,anyhow!

[HesitsdownontheottomannextMrs.EynsfordHill,onherleft.]Andnow,whatthedevilarewegoingtotalkaboutuntilElizacomes?

MRS.HIGGINS.Henry:

youarethelifeandsouloftheRoyalSociety'ssoirees;butreallyyou'rerathertryingonmorecommonplaceoccasions.

HIGGINS.AmI?

Verysorry.[Beamingsuddenly]IsupposeIam,youknow.[Uproariously]Ha,ha!

MISSEYNSFORDHILL[whoconsidersHigginsquiteeligiblematrimonially]Isympathize.Ihaven'tanysmalltalk.Ifpeoplewouldonlybefrankandsaywhattheyreallythink!

HIGGINS[relapsingintogloom]Lordforbid!

MRS.EYNSFORDHILL[takingupherdaughter'scue]Butwhy?

HIGGINS.Whattheythinktheyoughttothinkisbadenough,Lordknows;butwhattheyreallythinkwouldbreakupthewholeshow.DoyousupposeitwouldbereallyagreeableifIweretocomeoutnowwithwh