ACT THREE, SCENE TWO
THE LOVERS’ QUARREL
Oberon and Puck meet in the same part of the wood.
Oberon
Here’s my messenger. How now, mad spirit?
Puck
My mistress with a monster is in love!
While she was in her dull and sleeping hour,
A crew of patches, rude mechanicals,
Were met together to rehearse a play.
Upon one clumsy oaf I fixed a donkey’s head
And in that moment (so it came to pass)
Titania waked and straightway loved an ass.
Oberon
O, this has turned out better than I hoped.
And have you yet bewitched the Athenian’s eyes
With the love-juice as I did bid you do?
Puck
I found him sleeping – that is finished, too.
Demetrius and Hermia enter.
Oberon
Stand close; this is the same Athenian.
Puck
This is the woman, but not this the man.
Demetrius
Why are you cruel to one who loves you so,
And speak as if I were a bitter foe?
Hermia
If you have killed Lysander in his sleep,
Then take your sword and plunge it in my heart.
If he is dead, I do not wish to live.
Demetrius
I have not killed him, though if he were here
I’d take my sword and cut him ear to ear.
Hermia
Wicked Demetrius, now I will go.
See me no more, whether he be dead or no.
Hermia leaves.
Demetrius
O, I am weary from this pointless chase.
I’ll lay me down to sleep in this leafy place.
Demetrius goes to sleep.
Oberon
What mistake is this? Puck, what have you done?
Some other eyes, some other heart is won.
About the wood go swifter than the wind
And Helena of Athens look thou find.
By some illusion see thou bring her here,
I’ll charm his eyes until she does appear.
Oberon anoints Demetrius’s eyes. Puck returns,
followed by Helena and Lysander.
Puck
Helena, I bring to thee
And the youth mistook by me.
Oberon
Stand aside. The noise they make
Will cause Demetrius to awake.
Lysander
Why must you think I play a trick on you?
Are not these tears the proof my love is true?
Helena
It is not true, for yesterday your heart
Was pledged to Hermia, is that not so?
Lysander
If I loved her I was not in my mind!
Helena
You have lost it indeed to speak like this.
Lysander
Demetrius loves her, and he loves not you.
Demetrius wakes up and sees Helena.
Demetrius
O Helena, goddess, nymph, perfect, divine!
To what, my love, shall I compare thine eyne?
O princess fair, give me your hand to kiss;
Send me forever to a place of bliss!
Helena
O spite! O hell! I see you are all bent
To set against me for your merriment.
To vow, to swear, and superpraise my parts
When I am sure you hate me with your hearts.
Lysander
You are unkind, Demetrius, be not so –
For you love Hermia, this you know I know,
And I will give up Hermia’s love to thee
If you will leave sweet Helena to me.
Demetrius
Lysander, keep thy Hermia, I will none.
If e’er I loved her, all that love is gone.
Hermia arrives, and rushes to Lysander.
Hermia
Thank the gods I’ve found you safe and well,
Your absence from me was a living hell.
Lysander
A hell it was if I had stayed with you!
Hermia
You do not know what you are saying, dear.
Helena
She is a willing part of their cruel game.
Ungrateful Hermia, have you forgot
The friendship we have known since we were young?
Like sisters have we been, loyal and true,
But now unkindness is your only gift.
Hermia
Helena, I am amazed at your words.
It is not I but you who are unkind.
Helena
Then why should these two men who love you, plead
False love for me but by your own command?
Hermia
I understand not what you mean by this.
Helena
Continue your pretence. Make faces now
At me behind my back. Yes, have your fun;
This maid has had enough. Farewell, false friends!
Lysander
Stay gentle Helena, do not go,
You are my life, my love, my heart, my soul!
Hermia
Lysander, do not tease her – it is cruel.
Demetrius
His love is false; all mine I pledge to you.
Lysander
Then draw your sword and we will see who’s true.
Hermia
No, no, my love, I will not let you fight!
Lysander
Let go of me, you hag, and leave my sight.
Hermia
O Helena, what have you done, you thief?
You have stolen the heart that should be mine!
Helena
I have done nothing wrong, deserve no blame,
’Tis you, and they, who play this vicious game.
Hermia
Vicious? Why, I will show you vicious, maid!
Hermia runs at Helena.
Helena
Gentlemen, save me, though you mock me still.
When she is angry, she is keen and shrewd.
She was a vixen when she went to school,
And though she be but little she is fierce.
Hermia
Take that back or I will come at thee!
Lysander (to Hermia)
Get you gone, you pipsqueak, you vile thing!
Demetrius
Nay, I shall be the one to take her part.
Lysander
Think you so? Then let us fight a duel
Elsewhere, and you may prove yourself to me!
Demetrius
Agreed! The winner shall have Helena’s hand.
Demetrius and Lysander leave together
with swords drawn.
Hermia
You, mistress! This is all because of you!
Helena
I will not stay to let you scratch my face,
But run away from this unhappy place.
Helena runs off.
Hermia
I am amazed and know not what to say.
Hermia walks off.
Oberon
This is your doing, O mischievous sprite!
Something must be done to put things right.
Bring down a mist about this wood so thick
That none shall see their hand before their face.
Puck
With false calls I will lead each man astray,
So none be harmed on this midsummer’s night.
Oberon
When they at last do fall asleep, this herb
Into Lysander’s eye do crush it well.
Its juice will right the wrong that has been done,
And when the lovers wake and meet at dawn
It shall be as if they had but dreamt a dream.
Go, work your magic on these mortals, Puck.
I’ll to the Fairy Queen, demand the boy,
And lift the love charm from her eyes. Haste!
Puck and Oberon leave.
第三幕，第二景
愛人的爭執
奧伯龍和撲克在森林裡的同一個地方碰面。
奧伯龍
我的信使來了。怎麼樣了，瘋狂的精靈？
撲克
夫人竟愛上了一隻妖怪！
當她睡得正香甜的時刻，
一群烏合之眾，粗手笨腳的工匠，
聚集起來排演一齣戲。
那群當中最蠢的蠢材，
我在他頭上安了一顆驢頭，
而就在這個時候（說時遲那時快）
泰坦妮亞醒來，立刻愛上了一頭驢。
奧伯龍
喔，這樣的結果比我預期得還好。
你有沒有照我的吩咐
用愛情魔液迷惑那個雅典人的眼睛？
撲克
我找到他了，趁他睡覺時，也把事情辦妥了。
狄米崔斯和赫米亞進場。
奧伯龍
站過來一點，正是這個雅典人。
撲克
正是這個女人，但不是這個男人。
狄米崔斯
你為何狠心對待如此愛你的人，
罵我就像在罵可惡的仇人？
赫米亞
如果你趁著拉山德睡著時殺死他，
那就拿起你的劍刺入我的心臟。
要是他死了，我也不願意再活著。
狄米崔斯
我沒殺死他，但若是他人在此處，
我會拿起我的劍，讓他一命嗚呼。
赫米亞
邪惡的狄米崔斯，現在我要走了。
無論他是死是活，都別再見我。
赫米亞離開。
狄米崔斯
喔，這樣無意義的追逐讓我很疲憊。
在這片茂林中，讓我好好睡個覺。
狄米崔斯睡下。
奧伯龍
你怎麼犯這樣的錯誤？撲克，你幹了什麼好事？
塗錯了眼睛，迷錯了心。
快用比風還快的速度，尋遍整座林子，
去把雅典姑娘海蓮娜給我找來。
用幻象把她引誘到此處，
等她出現時我再對他的眼睛施法術。
奧伯龍將愛情魔液塗在狄米崔斯的眼上。撲克再回來，後面跟著海蓮娜和拉山德。
撲克
我已把海蓮娜帶到你面前，
還有那位被我弄錯的青年。
奧伯龍
站到一邊去。他們的喧鬧聲
會把狄米崔斯給吵醒。
拉山德
你為何認定我在捉弄你？
這些淚水難道還無法證明我的真情意？
海蓮娜
那不是真情意，因為昨天你的心
還發誓愛著赫米亞，難道不是嗎？
拉山德
如果我當初愛她，那是我一時糊塗！
海蓮娜
你如今說這樣的話，的確是腦子糊塗了。
拉山德
狄米崔斯愛的是她，他不愛你。
狄米崔斯醒來，看到海蓮娜。
狄米崔斯
喔，海蓮娜，女神、仙女、完美、神聖！
我的愛人，我該拿什麼來比擬你的眼睛？
喔，美麗的公主，你的玉手讓我吻上，
好叫我永遠進入幸福之鄉！
海蓮娜
可惡啊！該死啊！我看你們存心
捉弄我，有意拿我尋開心。
又發誓，又賭咒，過度盛讚我
但我確信你們內心其實討厭我。
拉山德
你太殘忍了，狄米崔斯，行行好，
你愛赫米亞，這你知道，我也知道。
我願意將赫米亞的愛讓給你，
只要我能與美麗的海蓮娜在一起。
狄米崔斯
拉山德，留著你的赫米亞吧，我不希罕。
就算我以前愛過她，這段情愛早已煙消雲散。
赫米亞來到，衝向拉山德。
赫米亞
謝天謝地，你平安無事，毫髮無傷，
你不在我身邊，就跟活在地獄一樣。
拉山德
我若跟妳在一起，那才叫地獄！
赫米亞
你不知道你在說什麼，親愛的。
海蓮娜
他們這個殘忍的惡作劇，她也有份。
忘恩負義的赫米亞，妳難道忘了
我們從小到大的友誼？
情同姐妹，彼此掏心掏肺，
而妳現在竟如此無情無義。
赫米亞
海蓮娜，你這番話讓我很驚訝，
無情無義的不是我，而是妳。
海蓮娜
若不是受妳的指使，為何這兩個愛你的男人，會虛情假意地向我求愛？
赫米亞
我不明白你這話的意思。
海蓮娜
你就繼續假裝吧，等我一轉身
就開始對我扮鬼臉。好，就拿我取樂吧，
我已經受夠了。再會了，虛情假意的朋友！
拉山德
留步，溫柔的海蓮娜，不要離去，
妳是我的生命、我的愛、我的心、我的靈魂！
赫米亞
拉山德，不要嘲弄她，這樣太殘忍了。
狄米崔斯
他的愛是虛情假意；我的愛可以對天發誓。
拉山德
那就拔出你的劍，我們來看看誰才是真心的。
赫米亞
不要，我的愛，我不能讓你去決鬥！
拉山德
放開我，你這個醜八怪，離開我的視線。
赫米亞
喔，海蓮娜，你幹了什麼好事，你這個小偷？
你把原本愛著我的心偷走了！
海蓮娜
我沒做錯什麼事，你別想怪罪到我頭上，
根本就是你，跟他們共謀這個惡毒的技倆。
赫米亞
惡毒？我讓你看看什麼叫做惡毒，丫頭！
赫米亞奔向海蓮娜。
海蓮娜
兩位先生，救救我，儘管你們嘲弄我。
她發起脾氣來，厲害又潑辣。
她以前在學校，就是母夜叉，
雖然她個子小，但卻很兇悍。
赫米亞
把話收回去，否則我就給你好看！
拉山德（對赫米亞）
滾開，矮個子，你這可惡的傢伙。
狄米崔斯
你算什麼，替她出頭的人是我。
拉山德
誰說的？那我們就來決鬥吧。
到別的地方，讓我瞧瞧你有多厲害！
狄米崔斯
我贊成！勝利者就能贏得海蓮娜。
狄米崔斯和拉山德兩人拔出劍，一起離開。
赫米亞
都是妳，小姐！這一切都是妳引起的！
海蓮娜
我可不想留在這裡，讓你把我的臉抓傷，
我還是趕快逃離這個不開心的地方。
海蓮娜奔跑離去。
赫米亞
我驚訝萬分，無以名狀。
赫米亞退場。
奧伯龍
都是你害的，你這惡作劇的精靈！
得再做些補救措施來修正。
快去升起濃霧，籠罩整座林子，
讓裡面所有人伸手不見五指。
撲克
我會裝成那兩個男人的聲音，讓他們找不到對方。
這樣，就不會有人在這個仲夏之夜裡受傷。
奧伯龍
等他們終於睡著時，將這株藥草
擠出汁液滴入拉山德的眼裡。
藥草的汁液能解除之前的錯誤，
等到兩對戀人睡醒，在黎明相遇，
這一切彷彿是他們做的一場夢。
快去，把魔法施在這些凡人身上，撲克。
我要去找仙后，向她要那個小童，
然後解除她眼中的愛情魔法。動作快！
撲克和奧伯龍同時離開。
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