英语剧本
2020-03-03 08:55:40 来源：范文大全收藏下载本文
Augustus Does His Bit《奥古斯都尽了他的本份》
英国著名戏剧文学家萧伯纳（Bernard Shaw, 1856_1950 ）
这是一部讽刺剧，剧中主要人物奥古斯都是一个政府要员，一个上流社会的贵族。他与手下一个小职员和一位女士有这样一段对白：
The clerk: (entering) Are you engaged?
Augustus: What busine is that of yours? However, if you will take the trouble to read the society papers for this week, you willsee that I am engaged to the Honourable Lucy Popham, youngest daughter of...
The clerk: That isn\'t what I mean.Can you see a female?
Augustus: Of course, I can see a female as easily as a male.Do you suppose I\'m blind?
The clerk：You don\'t seem to follow me, somehow.There\'s a female downstairs: what you might all a lady.She wants to know can you see her if I let her up.
Augustus: Oh, you mean am I disengaged.Tell the lady I\'m busy.( The Clerk goes) Stop! Does she seem to be a person of consequence?
The clerk: A regular marchione, if you ask me.
Augustus: Hm! Beautiful, did you say?
The clerk: A human chrysanthemum, sir, believe me.
Augustus: It will be extremely inconvenient for me to see her; but the country is in danger; and we must not consider our own comfort.Think how our gallant fellows are suffering in the trenches! Show her up.(The Clerk goes out.Augustus produces a mirror and a comb from the drawer of his writing-table, and sits down before the mirror to put some touches to his toilet.The Clerk returns, showing in a very attractive lady, brilliantly dreed.Augustus hastily covers up his toilet apparatus with The Morning Post, and rises in an attitude of pompous condescension.)
The clerk (to Augustus): Here she is.(to the lady) May I offer you a chair, lady? (He places a chair at the writing-table opposite Augustus and steals out on tiptoe.)
Augustus: Be seated, madam.
The lady: (sitting down) Are you Augustus Highcastle?
Augustus: Madam, I am.
The lady: (with awe) The great Lord Augustus?
Augustus: I should not dream of describing myself so, madam; but no doubt I have impreed my country-men-and (bowing gallantly) may I say my country-women—as having some exceptional claims to their consideration.
The lady: (emotionally) What a beautiful voice you have!
Augustus: What you hear, madam is the voice of my country.
通过这样一段简单的对白，你对主人公奥古斯都产生了什么样的印象？他有什么样的性格特点与价值观念？作者对主人公持什么态度，是褒还是贬？作者的写作目的是什么？作者是在讲一个人的故事，还是在讽刺抨击一种社会时弊？
在这里我们首先看到，当那位职员问道：“Are you engaged?”本意是“你现在忙吗？”奥古斯都却偏偏把这句话理解为“你订婚了吗？”（该句的另一个可能的意思）。这一问一答，不仅说明奥古斯都身为重要政府官员整天满脑子里只有个人私事，答非所问，也说明他不学无术，语言能力低下。因为，在英国的文化中，一名低级的普通政府职员是绝对不可能在公务场合直接问一个重要政府官员的婚姻状况的，那么，“Are you engaged?”的意义只能是“你现在忙吗？\" 另外，奥古斯都的答话“What busine is that of yours? However, if you will take the trouble to read the society papers for this week, you willsee that I am engaged to the Honourable Lucy Popham, youngest daughter of...”可以使我们清楚地看到，他一方面自恃清高，傲慢无理，不让人家多管它的私事，另一方面又迫不及待地向别人炫耀他的高贵身份。这又足见他的肤浅。
后来，当那个职员不得不改口说：“Can you see a female?”，本意是“你能否接见一位女士？”时，奥古斯都又错误地理解为“你能看见一位女士吗？。所以，他便回答说他的眼睛并不瞎，他能像看到男性那样容易地看到女性。这完全是驴唇不对马嘴。
对这样一个虚伪，傲慢，无知，低能的家伙，那位可怜的小职员只能选用适用于儿童的直白语言与奥古斯都对话：“You don\'t seem to follow me, somehow.There\'s a female downstairs: what you might call a lady.She wants to know can you see her if I let her up.”。
当奥古斯都终于明白有一位女士要见他时，先是推说公务繁忙: \"Tell the lady I\'m busy...\"，后来, 听说是一位漂亮的女人时，又一心想见，却又要找出一堆根本不搭边的冠冕堂皇的理由：“It will be extremely inconvenient for me to see her; but the country is in danger; and we must not consider our own comfort.Think how our gallant fellows are suffering in the trenches! Show her up.\" 似乎他见这个女人是为了国家的利益而做出了重大的自我牺牲。好一付“高大无私的君子”形象。
很明显，作者是借奥古斯都来映射那些虚伪、傲慢、自私、无能的政府官僚阶层，用讽刺与夸张的手法来抨击时弊，让观众和读者在捧腹大笑的过程中像看漫画一样从中悟出了一个非常严肃的社会问题。
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