第十一章 阿斯特利马戏场 CHAPTER XI ASTLEY'S
We never see any very large, staring, black Roman capitals, in a book, or shop-window, or placarded on a wall, without their immediately recalling to our mind an indistinct and confused recollection of the time when we were first initiated in the mysteries of the alphabet. We almost fancy we see the pen's point following the letter, to impress its form more strongly on our bewildered imagination; and wince involuntarily, as we remember the hard knuckles with which the reverend old lady who instilled into our mind the first principles of education for ninepence per week, or ten and sixpence per quarter, was wont to poke our juvenile head occasionally, by way of adjusting the confusion of ideas in which we were generally involved. The same kind of feeling pursues us in many other instances, but there is no place which recalls so strongly our recollections of childhood as Astley's. It was not a 'Royal Amphitheatre' in those days, nor had Ducrow arisen to shed the light of classic taste and portable gas over the sawdust of the circus; but the whole character of the place was the same, the pieces were the same, the clown's jokes were the same, the riding- masters were equally grand, the comic performers equally witty, the tragedians equally hoarse, and the 'highly-trained chargers' equally spirited. Astley's has altered for the better—we have changed for the worse. Our histrionic taste is gone, and with shame we confess, that we are far more delighted and amused with the audience, than with the pageantry we once so highly appreciated.
我们每次看见书上、商店橱窗里，抑或是墙上的布告上显眼、又大又黑的罗马大写字体时，总是模糊而...
We like to watch a regular Astley's party in the Easter or Midsummer holidays—pa and ma, and nine or ten children, varying from five foot six to two foot eleven: from fourteen years of age to four. We had just taken our seat in one of the boxes, in the centre of the house, the other night, when the next was occupied by just such a party as we should have attempted to describe, had we depicted our beau ideal of a group of Astley's visitors.
我们喜欢在复活节或夏至节日去观察阿斯特利的固定观众——爸爸、妈妈和九个或十个小孩，孩子们的身高从二英尺十一英寸到五英尺六英寸不等，年龄在四岁到十四岁之间。前不久的一个晚上，我们刚刚在马戏场中央的一个包厢里坐下，就有几个人在我们隔壁坐下了。如果我们要描述阿斯特利马戏团最理想的观众的话，这些人正是我们的目标。
First of all, there came three little boys and a little girl, who, in pursuance of pa's directions, issued in a very audible voice from the box-door, occupied the front row; then two more little girls were ushered in by a young lady, evidently the governess. Then came three more little boys, dressed like the first, in blue jackets and trousers, with lay-down shirt-collars: then a child in a braided frock and high state of astonishment, with very large round eyes, opened to their utmost width, was lifted over the seats—a process which occasioned a considerable display of little pink legs—then came ma and pa, and then the eldest son, a boy of fourteen years old, who was evidently trying to look as if he did not belong to the family.
首先，三个小男孩和一个小女孩进来了，听从父亲的指示坐在了第一排。父亲在包厢门口发出声音，清晰可闻。接着，一个年轻的女士领着另外两个小女孩进来，她很明显是女家庭教师。接着又有三个小男孩进来，穿的衣服和第一次进来的三个小男孩一样，都是蓝色的短外套和裤子，以及翻领衬衫。接下来进来的一个小孩穿着有穗带的罩袍，显得十分吃惊，两个圆圆的大眼睛瞪得大大的。这个小孩被举过座位——这个过程中，他粉色的小腿露出了一大截——接着，爸妈进来了，紧接着是大儿子。他是一个十四岁的男孩，显然想表现出不属于这个家庭的架势。
The first five minutes were occupied in taking the shawls off the little girls, and adjusting the bows which ornamented their hair; then it was providentially discovered that one of the little boys was seated behind a pillar and could not see, so the governess was stuck behind the pillar, and the boy lifted into her place. Then pa drilled the boys, and directed the stowing away of their pocket- handkerchiefs, and ma having first nodded and winked to the governess to pull the girls' frocks a little more off their shoulders, stood up to review the little troop—an inspection which appeared to terminate much to her own satisfaction, for she looked with a complacent air at pa, who was standing up at the further end of the seat. Pa returned the glance, and blew his nose very emphatically; and the poor governess peeped out from behind the pillar, and timidly tried to catch ma's eye, with a look expressive of her high admiration of the whole family. Then two of the little boys who had been discussing the point whether Astley's was more than twice as large as Drury Lane, agreed to refer it to 'George' for his decision; at which 'George,' who was no other than the young gentleman before noticed, waxed indignant, and remonstrated in no very gentle terms on the gross impropriety of having his name repeated in so loud a voice at a public place, on which all the children laughed very heartily, and one of the little boys wound up by expressing his opinion, that 'George began to think himself quite a man now,' whereupon both pa and ma laughed too; and George (who carried a dress cane and was cultivating whiskers) muttered that 'William always was encouraged in his impertinence;' and assumed a look of profound contempt, which lasted the whole evening.
给小女孩们解下围巾和整理她们头上的蝴蝶结占用了开头的五分钟时间。接着，正好发现一个小男孩坐在了一根柱子后面，看不见表演。于是，女家庭教师就挤在了柱子后面，把小男孩举到她的位子上。爸爸训练男孩子们，指导他们如何把手帕叠好放到口袋里。妈妈先是对女家庭教师点了点头，使了个眼色，让她把女孩子们的罩袍从肩上往下拉一点。接着，她站起来，对这一小群人审阅了一番——这次检阅看来令她十分满意，因为她得意地望着爸爸，此时他正从远处另一端的座位上站起来。爸爸瞥了一眼作为回答，用力地擤了擤鼻子。那个可怜的女家庭教师从柱子后面朝外偷偷瞅着，羞怯地努力引起妈妈的注意，那眼神足以显出对整个家庭的高度羡慕之情。接着，其中两个男孩子刚才一直在讨论阿斯特利马戏场是否比德鲁里大道大一倍多，现在都同意让“乔治”来裁决这个问题。“乔治”正是前文提到的那位年轻先生。他大发雷霆，用很不文雅的话告诫他们，在公共场合大声地再三重复他的名字是十分不合适的。听了这话，所有的小孩儿都尽情地大笑了起来。其中一个小男孩总结性地发言说：“乔治已经开始认为自己是个男人了。”这话引得爸妈也都笑了，而乔治（他手拿套装手杖，正想蓄腮须）喃喃低语道：“威廉的傲慢总受到鼓励。”他摆出一副极其轻视的神态，还保持了一晚上。
The play began, and the interest of the little boys knew no bounds. Pa was clearly interested too, although he very unsuccessfully endeavoured to look as if he wasn't. As for ma, she was perfectly overcome by the drollery of the principal comedian, and laughed till every one of the immense bows on her ample cap trembled, at which the governess peeped out from behind the pillar again, and whenever she could catch ma's eye, put her handkerchief to her mouth, and appeared, as in duty bound, to be in convulsions of laughter also. Then when the man in the splendid armour vowed to rescue the lady or perish in the attempt, the little boys applauded vehemently, especially one little fellow who was apparently on a visit to the family, and had been carrying on a child's flirtation, the whole evening, with a small coquette of twelve years old, who looked like a model of her mamma on a reduced scale; and who, in common with the other little girls (who generally speaking have even more coquettishness about them than much older ones), looked very properly shocked, when the knight's squire kissed the princess's confidential chambermaid.
演出开始了，男孩子们看得兴趣盎然。爸爸显然看得也兴致勃勃的，尽管他努力装作不感兴趣的样子，可还是失败了。至于妈妈，她完全被喜剧主演的诙谐征服了，笑得大帽子上硕大的蝴蝶结全都颤动起来。看到这些，女家庭教师又从柱子后面往外瞥了一眼。她每次引起妈妈的注意时，都会用手帕遮在嘴，好像自己出于职责而笑得前仰后合一样。接下来，穿着华丽盔甲的男子发誓要营救那位女士并打算宁可为此付出生命时，小男孩们都热烈地鼓起掌来，尤其是其中一个显然是这家客人的小家伙。他整个晚上都稚气地挑逗一个十二岁的娇滴滴的小姑娘。那个女孩看起来像是她妈妈的翻版，只是身材小了而已。她同其他小女孩一样（一般说来，这些女孩要比年龄大一些的姑娘们更会展露娇羞），看到骑士的侍从亲吻公主的贴身侍女时，显出恰到好处的惊恐。
When the scenes in the circle commenced, the children were more delighted than ever; and the wish to see what was going forward, completely conquering pa's dignity, he stood up in the box, and applauded as loudly as any of them. Between each feat of horsemanship, the governess leant across to ma, and retailed the clever remarks of the children on that which had preceded: and ma, in the openness of her heart, offered the governess an acidulated drop, and the governess, gratified to be taken notice of, retired behind her pillar again with a brighter countenance: and the whole party seemed quite happy, except the exquisite in the back of the box, who, being too grand to take any interest in the children, and too insignificant to be taken notice of by anybody else, occupied himself, from time to time, in rubbing the place where the whiskers ought to be, and was completely alone in his glory.
马戏团场地里的表演开始时，孩子们比之前更加兴高采烈。想看接下来演什么的心愿完全征服了爸爸的尊严，他在包厢里站起来，像其他人一样热烈掌声。两个骑术表演盛宴间歇，女家庭教师向妈妈倾斜着身子，重复了一遍孩子们对之前演出的聪明评论。妈妈善意地给了她一颗酸味糖，后者对自己受到的注意很是满意，又退到柱子后面，面容显得更加欢喜。所有人似乎都很高兴，除了包厢后排那位优雅的人物。他傲慢得对孩子们毫无兴趣，又因为太无关紧要而没有被其他人注意到。于是，他时不时地搓着该长出腮须的部位，完全陶醉在自己的荣耀中。
We defy any one who has been to Astley's two or three times, and is consequently capable of appreciating the perseverance with which precisely the same jokes are repeated night after night, and season after season, not to be amused with one part of the performances at least—we mean the scenes in the circle. For ourself, we know that when the hoop, composed of jets of gas, is let down, the curtain drawn up for the convenience of the half-price on their ejectment from the ring, the orange-peel cleared away, and the sawdust shaken, with mathematical precision, into a complete circle, we feel as much enlivened as the youngest child present; and actually join in the laugh which follows the clown's shrill shout of 'Here we are!' just for old acquaintance' sake. Nor can we quite divest ourself of our old feeling of reverence for the riding-master, who follows the clown with a long whip in his hand, and bows to the audience with graceful dignity. He is none of your second-rate riding-masters in nankeen dressing-gowns, with brown frogs, but the regular gentleman-attendant on the principal riders, who always wears a military uniform with a table-cloth inside the breast of the coat, in which costume he forcibly reminds one of a fowl trussed for roasting. He is—but why should we attempt to describe that of which no description can convey an adequate idea? Everybody knows the man, and everybody remembers his polished boots, his graceful demeanour, stiff, as some misjudging persons have in their jealousy considered it, and the splendid head of black hair, parted high on the forehead, to impart to the countenance an appearance of deep thought and poetic melancholy. His soft and pleasing voice, too, is in perfect unison with his noble bearing, as he humours the clown by indulging in a little badinage; and the striking recollection of his own dignity, with which he exclaims, 'Now, sir, if you please, inquire for Miss Woolford, sir,' can never be forgotten. The graceful air, too, with which he introduces Miss Woolford into the arena, and, after assisting her to the saddle, follows her fairy courser round the circle, can never fail to create a deep impression in the bosom of every female servant present.
我们藐视那些人，他们已经来过阿斯特利两三次，能够坚持对一夜又一夜、一季又一季地完全重复的笑话加以赏识，却对于表演中至少一部分没有兴趣——我们是说马戏场里的表演。至于我们自己，我们知道，那个由喷射出的气体组成的铁箍放下，幕布升起，以把买半价票的观众赶出圆圈时，人们把橘子皮一扫而光，震动着锯屑，如同数学般精确地使之围成一个圆圈。我们都感到如同在场的最小的孩子一样欣喜若狂。那个小丑向老观众尖叫“我们来了！”时，我们也真的跟着大家笑起来。我们也不能摆脱长久以来对骑术大师的崇敬之情，他随着小丑出现，手里握一根长鞭，优雅而高贵地向观众鞠躬。他可不是你们那种身穿绣有山蛙的淡黄色晨袍的二流骑术演员，而是高级骑士的正规随从。他们总是穿着军装，外套的胸前里塞一块桌布。这身打扮总能让人们形象地联想起翅膀被捆住，正准备烘烤的家禽。他是——不过我们为什么要试图描写根本无法充分表达的情况呢？每个人都认识他，每个人都记得他那双擦得锃亮的靴子和优雅的仪态。一些人出于嫉妒把这种仪态误认为是僵硬。还有他那一头美丽的黑发，在前额高高地分开，给他的容颜平添了几分深思和诗一般的忧郁。他纵情于些许幽默情趣并和小丑开起玩笑时，那温柔而愉悦的声音与他高贵的举止相得益彰。他大声说：“现在，先生，请您见一下伍尔福德小姐。”他说这话时显出惊人的尊严，让人永生难忘。他姿态优雅地把伍尔福德小姐引进竞技场，把她扶上马鞍之后，尾随她的骏马绕场一周。他那优雅的姿态总会给在场的每个女仆心中留下深刻的印象。
When Miss Woolford, and the horse, and the orchestra, all stop together to take breath, he urbanely takes part in some such dialogue as the following (commenced by the clown):'I say, sir!'—'Well, sir?' (it's always conducted in the politest manner.)—'Did you ever happen to hear I was in the army, sir?'—'No, sir.'—‘Oh, yes, sir—I can go through my exercise, sir.'—'Indeed, sir!'— 'Shall I do it now, sir?'—‘If you please, sir; come, sir—make haste' (a cut with the long whip, and 'Ha' done now—I don't like it,' from the clown). Here the clown throws himself on the ground, and goes through a variety of gymnastic convulsions, doubling himself up, and untying himself again, and making himself look very like a man in the most hopeless extreme of human agony, to the vociferous delight of the gallery, until he is interrupted by a second cut from the long whip, and a request to see 'what Miss Woolford's stopping for?' On which, to the inexpressible mirth of the gallery, he exclaims, 'Now, Miss Woolford, what can I come for to go, for to fetch, for to bring, for to carry, for to do, for you, ma'am?' On the lady's announcing with a sweet smile that she wants the two flags, they are, with sundry grimaces, procured and handed up; the clown facetiously observing after the performance of the latter ceremony—'He, he, oh! I say, sir, Miss Woolford knows me; she smiled at me.' Another cut from the whip, a burst from the orchestra, a start from the horse, and round goes Miss Woolford again on her graceful performance, to the delight of every member of the audience, young or old. The next pause affords an opportunity for similar witticisms, the only additional fun being that of the clown making ludicrous grimaces at the riding-master every time his back is turned; and finally quitting the circle by jumping over his head, having previously directed his attention another way.
伍尔福德小姐和那匹马，以及管弦乐队都停下来喘口气时，他文雅地加入下面这种对话（由小丑开始话茬）：“先生啊！”“怎么了？先生？”（对话总是很有礼貌地进行）“先生，你可曾碰巧听说我参过军？”“没有，先生。”“噢，是啊，先生，那些操练我都会做，先生。”“是嘛！先生！”“我现在就做吧，先生？”“如果你愿意，就做吧，先生。来吧，先生，快一点。”（他挥了一下长鞭，然后小丑说道：“开始做了——我不喜欢它。”）接着，小丑倒在地上，做了各种体操动作，一会儿弯起身体，一会儿又伸展开，显出无比绝望、极其痛苦的样子，引得走廊上的观众高兴地大喊大叫，直到他的表演被第二次挥动的长鞭打断。这次，他被要求看看“伍尔福德小姐为什么停了下来？”他便喊道：“伍尔福德小姐，我能为你取什么，拿什么，带什么，搬什么，做什么，小姐？”这又逗得走廊上的观众一阵难以形容的大笑。小姐带着甜蜜的微笑回答道，她要两面旗子。小丑做着各式各样的鬼脸，把旗子拿来递给她。完成了这个仪式之后的表演后，小丑滑稽地说道：“嘿，嘿，哦！先生，伍尔福德小姐认识我，她朝我笑了。”长鞭又挥舞了一下，管弦乐队突然发声，骏马开始奔跑，伍尔福德小姐继续绕场做她优美的表演，这令观众们都高兴起来，不论男女老少。下一次间歇提供了类似的讲俏皮话的机会，唯一增加的乐趣是每次马术大师转过身去，小丑便对他扮荒唐的鬼脸。最后，小丑先引开他的注意力，然后猛然跳过他的头顶，离开场地。
Did any of our readers ever notice the class of people, who hang about the stage-doors of our minor theatres in the daytime? You will rarely pass one of these entrances without seeing a group of three or four men conversing on the pavement, with an indescribable public-house-parlour swagger, and a kind of conscious air, peculiar to people of this description. They always seem to think they are exhibiting; the lamps are ever before them. That young fellow in the faded brown coat, and very full light green trousers, pulls down the wristbands of his check shirt, as ostentatiously as if it were of the finest linen, and cocks the white hat of the summer-before-last as knowingly over his right eye, as if it were a purchase of yesterday. Look at the dirty white Berlin gloves, and the cheap silk handkerchief stuck in the bosom of his threadbare coat. Is it possible to see him for an instant, and not come to the conclusion that he is the walking gentleman who wears a blue surtout, clean collar, and white trousers, for half an hour, and then shrinks into his worn-out scanty clothes: who has to boast night after night of his splendid fortune, with the painful consciousness of a pound a-week and his boots to find; to talk of his father's mansion in the country, with a dreary recollection of his own two-pair back, in the New Cut; and to be envied and flattered as the favoured lover of a rich heiress, remembering all the while that the ex-dancer at home is in the family way, and out of an engagement?
有没有哪一个读者注意到有一个阶层的人白天在我们小剧院的后台门口晃来晃去？你走过后台任何一个入口时，几乎都会看到三四个人在人行道上交谈。他们像在酒吧间里一样虚夸，其程度简直无法用言语形容，还装腔作势，这些都是这类人独有的气质。他们似乎总认为别人都在看自己，因为灯就在前面照着他们。有个年轻人穿着褪了色的棕色外套和宽松的浅绿色裤子。他把格子衬衫的袖口拉下来，那炫耀劲儿仿佛衬衫的布料是最上等的亚麻布，又把前年夏天买的白帽子故意斜盖在右眼上，仿佛是昨天新买的一样。看看他那双肮脏的白色细软毛线手套和破旧的外套胸前塞着的那方廉价的丝帕吧。有没有人瞧了他一眼，却没有发现：他便是那个穿了半小时蓝色外套、干净领饰和白色裤子，然后又缩进自己穿破了、小得不合身的衣服里的跑龙套演员；他夜复一夜地吹嘘着自己了不起的财富，自己却清楚地知道每周只有一英镑的报酬，而且靴子还没有找到；他提及父亲在乡下的一所豪宅，却郁闷地想到在新卡特的两间后屋；他称自己是一个富有的女继承人钟爱的情人并因此受到别人的羡慕和谄媚，却始终记得家里那个之前是舞女、现在失去工作的*女人？
Next to him, perhaps, you will see a thin pale man, with a very long face, in a suit of shining black, thoughtfully knocking that part of his boot which once had a heel, with an ash stick. He is the man who does the heavy business, such as prosy fathers, virtuous servants, curates, landlords, and so forth.
或许，你在他旁边能看见一个瘦瘦的苍白男人。他长着一张长脸，穿着一身闪亮的黑衣，用一根白蜡树手杖若有所思地敲着靴子的一个部位，那里之前有一个鞋跟。他就是扮演庒重角色的人，比如单调乏味的父亲、忠实的家仆、助理牧师、房东等等。
By the way, talking of fathers, we should very much like to see some piece in which all the dramatis personae were orphans. Fathers are invariably great nuisances on the stage, and always have to give the hero or heroine a long explanation of what was done before the curtain rose, usually commencing with 'It is now nineteen years, my dear child, since your blessed mother (here the old villain's voice falters) confided you to my charge. You were then an infant,' &c., &c. Or else they have to discover, all of a sudden, that somebody whom they have been in constant communication with, during three long acts, without the slightest suspicion, is their own child: in which case they exclaim, 'Ah! what do I see? what do I see? This bracelet! That smile! These documents! Those eyes! Can I believe my senses?—It must be!—Yes—it is, it is my child!'—'My father!' exclaims the child; and they fall into each other's arms, and look over each other's shoulders, and the audience give three rounds of applause.
顺便说一下，说起父亲，我们应该十分喜欢看一个剧中人物都是孤儿的表演作品。在舞台上，父亲一定是非常令人讨厌的。幕布升起前，他们总是要用一段冗长的解说来告诉男主人公或女主人公之前发生的事情。开场白通常是这样：“十九年前，我亲爱的孩子，你已过世的妈妈（说到此处，那个老恶棍的声音颤抖了）把你托付给我。你那时还是个婴儿。”诸如此类。或者就是他们突然发现自己在三幕长剧中经常接触的某个人竟然毫无疑问是自己的亲生骨肉。在这种情况下，他们就会叫道：“啊！我看见了什么？这个手镯！那样的微笑！这些档案！那双眼睛！我能相信自己的感官吗？一定是这样的！是的，是我的孩子！”“爸爸啊！”孩子喊道。接着，他们拥抱在一起，眼神越过对方的肩膀，望着远处。观众们连鼓了三次掌。
To return from this digression, we were about to say, that these are the sort of people whom you see talking, and attitudinising, outside the stage-doors of our minor theatres. At Astley's they are always more numerous than at any other place. There is generally a groom or two, sitting on the window-sill, and two or three dirty shabby-genteel men in checked neckerchiefs, and sallow linen, lounging about, and carrying, perhaps, under one arm, a pair of stage shoes badly wrapped up in a piece of old newspaper. Some years ago we used to stand looking, open-mouthed, at these men, with a feeling of mysterious curiosity, the very recollection of which provokes a smile at the moment we are writing. We could not believe that the beings of light and elegance, in milk-white tunics, salmon-coloured legs, and blue scarfs, who flitted on sleek cream-coloured horses before our eyes at night, with all the aid of lights, music, and artificial flowers, could be the pale, dissipated-looking creatures we beheld by day.
言归正传，我们要说的是，他们就是那类你在我们小剧院后台门外看见的装模作样谈着话的人。阿斯特利马戏场的这类人要比其他地方多得多。一般总有一两个马夫坐在窗台上，还有两三个邋遢却冒充上流人士的人戴着方格领巾，穿着灰黄色的亚麻外衣，无所事事地闲逛，或许还在腋下夹着用破报纸胡乱裹起来的一双舞台上穿的鞋子。几年前，我们曾经满怀神秘的好奇心，张大了嘴巴，站在一边看着这些人。我们写这篇札记时，这些回忆让我们不禁笑起来。我们无法相信，那些晚上身穿奶白色束腰外衣和鲜橙色长袜、戴着蓝色领巾、骑着光滑的奶油色骏马从我们眼前闪过、姿态优雅、光彩夺目的人物，那些被光芒笼罩、有音乐伴奏和假花簇拥的人，竟然就是白天我们见的那些面色苍白、游手好闲之人。
We can hardly believe it now. Of the lower class of actors we have seen something, and it requires no great exercise of imagination to identify the walking gentleman with the 'dirty swell,' the comic singer with the public-house chairman, or the leading tragedian with drunkenness and distress; but these other men are mysterious beings, never seen out of the ring, never beheld but in the costume of gods and sylphs. With the exception of Ducrow, who can scarcely be classed among them, who ever knew a rider at Astley's, or saw him but on horseback? Can our friend in the military uniform ever appear in threadbare attire, or descend to the comparatively un-wadded costume of every-day life? Impossible! We cannot—we will not—believe it.
我们到现在还是几乎无法相信。从那些低级演员中，我们已经看出了一些端倪。我们无需多想就可以认出那个跑龙套的配角就是那个“自我膨胀的肮脏鬼”，那个滑稽歌手就是那个小酒馆的轿夫，或者说，那个悲剧主演就是那个穷困潦倒的酒鬼。但是，其他那些人却很神秘，在马戏场外面从来没见过他们，从来没有人见过他们不穿神灵和气精服装时的样子。除了不能归于这类人的迪克罗，谁还认识阿斯特利马戏场的一名骑士，或是在他不骑马的时候见过他呢？我们那个身穿军装的朋友会以破旧褴褛的装束出现吗？或是会屈尊穿上日常生活中填料相对较少的衣服吗？不可能！我们不能——也不会——相信。
