The Merchant of Venice
Act 3, Scene 2
BASSANIO
So may the outward shows be least themselves:
The world is still deceived with ornament.
In law, what plea so tainted and corrupt,
But, being seasoned with a gracious voice,
Obscures the show of evil? In religion,
What damned error, but some sober brow
Will bless it and approve it with a text,
Hiding the grossness with fair ornament?
There is no vice so simple but assumes
Some mark of virtue on his outward parts:
How many cowards, whose hearts are all as false
As stairs of sand, wear yet upon their chins
The beards of Hercules and frowning Mars;
Who, inward search'd, have livers white as milk;
And these assume but valour's excrement
To render them redoubted! Look on beauty,
And you shall see 'tis purchased by the weight;
Which therein works a miracle in nature,
Making them lightest that wear most of it:
So are those crisped snaky golden locks
Which make such wanton gambols with the wind,
Upon supposed fairness, often known
To be the dowry of a second head,
The skull that bred them in the sepulchre.
Thus ornament is but the guiled shore
To a most dangerous sea; the beauteous scarf
Veiling an Indian beauty; in a word,
The seeming truth which cunning times put on
To entrap the wisest. Therefore, thou gaudy gold,
Hard food for Midas, I will none of thee;
Nor none of thee, thou pale and common drudge
'Tween man and man: but thou, thou meagre lead,
Which rather threatenest than dost promise aught,
Thy paleness moves me more than eloquence;
And here choose I; joy be the consequence!
威尼斯商人
第三幕第二场
巴萨尼奥
外观往往和事物的本身完全不符,世人却容易为表面的装饰所欺骗。在法律上,哪一件卑鄙邪恶的陈诉不可以用娓娓动听的言词掩饰它的罪状?在宗教上,哪一桩罪大罪极的过失不可以引经据典,文过饰非,证明它的确上合天心?任何彰明昭著的罪恶,都可以在外表上装出一副道貌岸然的样子。多少没有胆量的懦夫,他们的心其实软弱得就像下不去脚的流沙,他们的肝如果剖出来看一看,大概比乳汁还要白,可是他们的颊上却长着天神一样威武的鬚髯,人家只看着他们的外表,也就居然把他们当作英雄一样看待!再看那些世间所谓美貌吧,那是完全靠着脂粉装点出来的,愈是轻浮的女人,所涂的脂粉也愈重;至于那些随风飘扬像蛇一样的金丝鬈发,看上去果然漂亮,不知道却是从坟墓中死人的骷髅上借来的。所以装饰不过是一道把船只诱进凶涛险浪的怒海中去的陷人的海岸,又像是遮掩着一个黑丑蛮女的一道美丽的面幕;总而言之,它是狡诈的世人用来欺诱智士的似是而非的真理。所以,你炫目的黄金,米达斯王的坚硬的食物,我不要你;你惨白的银子,在人们手里来来去去的下贱的奴才,我也不要你;可是你,寒伧的铅,你的形状只能使人退走,一点没有吸引人的力量,然而你的质朴却比巧妙的言辞更能打动我的心,我就选了你吧,但愿结果美满!
(翻译:朱生豪)