(2011-07-20 22:17:14)
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英文资料LESSON SEVEN
THE TRIAL
Antonio, a merchant in Venice, was liked by everyone because he was always ready to help others. He had many ships which traded with other countries. Now his ships were all at sea.
Bassanio, Antonio’s best friend, was in love with Portia, a rich and beautiful lady who also loved him. But he was sad because he could not ask Portia to marry him while he himself had no money. So he asked Antonio to lend him three thousand ducats. Antonio did not have any money just then. He went to Shylock, a cruel moneylender, who hated him, because he had often publicly scolded him for his greed. Shylock agreed to lend Antonio the money on condition that Antonio must promise to give him a pound of his flesh and allow him to cut the flesh from any part of his body if he did not pay back the money at the end of three months. Antonio agreed, took the three thousand ducats and gave the money to Bassanio.
Bassanio and Portia arranged to get married. It so happened that Bassanio’s servant Gratiano had fallen in love with Portia’s maid Nerissa. These two also decided to get married. As the two couples were discussing the wedding arrangements, a letter came from Antonio, saying that his ships were all lost at sea and he would have to give Shylock a pound of his flesh. He wished to see Bassanio before he died.
After the couples got married, Portia told Bassanio to go at once to his friend. When Bassanio and Gratiano had gone, Portia thought of a clever plan to save Antonio. She had a good friend who was a doctor of laws. She asked him to lend her some of his lawyer’s clothes and notes. She pretended to be a lawyer and Nerissa dressed herself like a lawyer’s clerk. They went to Venice. When they arrived, Antonio and Shylock had been brought before the Duke, and the trial had begun.
※ ※ ※
Duke: Have mercy on Antonio. Everyone thinks that you will pretend to be cruel until the last minute. Then you will show your mercy.
Shylock: I’ve promised to take my pound of flesh. If you do not let me have it, that will be bad for Venice. No one will trust your laws any more. The greatness of Venice will soon be lost. Antonio is my enemy, I hate him.
Bassanio: Do all men kill the things they do not love?
Antonio: It is useless trying to talk to Shylock. Don’t wait any longer. Pass judgement on me and give Shylock what he wants.
Bassanio: I’ll pay you six thousand ducats in return for the three thousand ducats that Antonio borrowed.
Shylock: If you offered me six times the amount that you have just offered, I would still take my pound of flesh. Give me my pound of flesh!
Duke: How can you hope for mercy yourself when you show none?
Shylock: I have done nothing wrong and I fear no judgement. Give me my pound of flesh!
(As the Duke is wondering what to do, Nerissa, dressed like a lawyer’s clerk, arrives with a letter from the famous lawyer whom Portia has visited.
While the Duke is talking to Nerissa, Shylock begins to get ready to cut his pound of flesh from Antonio.
Then the letter is read out for all the court to hear: “I am very ill. When your letter reached me, I had with me a learned young doctor from Rome. I told him about the quarrel between Shylock and Antonio. We studied many lawbooks and he knows what I would say. I ask you to let him stand in my place and give judgement. He is young, but I never knew so young a body with so wise a head.”
After the letter has been read to the court, Portia, in a lawyer’s clothes, enters the room. She takes her seat as judge.)
Portia: Are you Antonio? – And is this your agreement with Shylock?
Antonio: It is.
Portia: Then, Shylock must be merciful; he must have mercy on Antonio.
Shylock: Why must I have mercy on him? Tell me that!
Portia: Mercy falls like the gentle rain from the sky upon the earth. It blesses him who gives it, and him who receives it. We should learn to show mercy to others. Do you still ask for this pound of flesh?
Shylock: I ask for what is mine by law!
Bassanio: I offer ten times the amount of money that Antonio has borrowed. Please change the law a little so that we may save Antonio.
Portia: We cannot change a law. If one law is changed, then other men will later want to change other laws.
Shylock: Oh, wise young judge!
Portia: Let me see this agreement, this promise of Antonio to you.
Shylock: Here it is!
Portia: Yes, by law Shylock may have a pound of flesh to be cut off by him nearest to Antonio’s heart. Be merciful! Let me destroy this paper. – No? Then, Antonio, be ready; and Shylock, take your knife.
Shylock: Oh, learned judge! Oh, wise young man!
Portia: Have you brought anything to weigh the flesh?
Shylock: Yes. I have everything ready here.
Portia: Have you a doctor, Shylock, to stop Antonio’s blood?
Shylock: That is not in the agreement.
Portia: Do you wish to say anything , Antonio?
Antonio: Only a little. Good-bye, Bassanio. Don’t be sad for me. Tell your wife about me and how much I loved you. If Shylock cuts deep enough, I’ll pay him back with all my heart.
Bassanio: I love you more than my own life, more that my wife, and more than all the world. (He cries.)
Portia: Your wife wouldn’t like that offer if she were present to hear you.
Gratiano: I have a wife, whom I love very much. But I wish that she were dead and in heaven, so that she would be able to ask God to help Antonio.
Nerissa: It is good that you make this wish when she is not here. If she were present, there would be trouble in your home.
Shylock: We are wasting time!
Portia: Take your pound of flesh. The court allows it and the law gives it to you.
(Shylock begins to move towards Antonio, and is ready to act.)
Portia: Wait! There is something else. Antonio has promised to give you a pound of his flesh. But he has not promised to give you any of his blood. If you let one drop of his blood fall, you will lose all your land and all your money.
Gratiano: Oh, learned judge! Oh, wise young man!
Shylock: Is that the law?
Portia: You shall see the law. You wanted justice; so you shall get justice – more than you wanted.
Shylock: I will take the money. Give me three times more than Antonio borrowed from me.
Bassanio: Here it is. (He cries out, full of joy.)
Portia: Wait! Shylock would not take the money earlier. All he wanted was justice. That is all he can have now. You must cut off just one pound of flesh. No more, no less, just one pound- and not one drop of blood.
(Shylock turns and starts to leave the court.)
Portia: Wait, Shylock. The law of Venice says that if anyone tries to kill any citizen of Venice, everything that he owns shall be taken away from him. One half of his money and his goods shall be given to the city of Venice and the other half shall be given to the person he has tried to kill. His life shall be at the mercy of the Duke. Therefore, go down on your knees and beg the Duke for mercy.
Duke: I shall not kill you. But half of your money is now Antonio’s. You must give the other half to the city of Venice.
Shylock: Take my life too! My money and goods are as dear to me as life itself. When you take those away from me, you take also my life.
Antonio: I shall be happy to give up my part of Shylock’s money. Shylock must promise to leave the money upon his death to his daughter and her husband.
Shylock: I promise. Let me go home now. I am not well!
THE CURTAIN FALLS
WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS
Trial n.试验；试用；审判
Antonio n.安东尼奥（男名）
Merchant n.商人
Venice n威尼斯（意大利东北一港市）
Trade vi.经商，进行贸易
Bassanio n.巴萨尼奥（男名）
Be in live with 跟……恋爱
Portia n.鲍西娅（女名）
Bucat n.过去曾在欧洲许多国家通用的金币名
Shylock n.夏洛克（男名）
Moneylender n.放债者
Greed n.贪心，贪婪
On condition that 在……条件下，如果……
Arrange vt.安排；筹备；整理 arrangement n.安排；筹备；整理
Gratiano n.葛莱西安诺（男名）
Fall in love with爱上（某人）
Maid n.女仆；少女，处女
Nerissa n.尼莉莎（女名）
Couple n.一对；夫妇；未婚夫妇
Wedding n.婚礼；结婚纪念
Clerk n.办事员；秘书
Duke n.公爵
Greatness n.伟大；巨大
Judgement n.审判，判决；（基督教圣经中用语）公正，正义
Pass (give) judgement (on somebody) (对某人)下判决
In return (for) 作为对……的报答；作为对……的报酬
Offer vt. & n.提供；提出；出价
Court n.法院，法庭；全体法官
Learned adj.博学的
Rome n.罗马（意大利首都）；古罗马城
Lawbook n.法律学课本；法典
Merciful adj.仁慈的，宽大的
Agreement n.契约；协定；一致
Have mercy on somebody (= show mercy to somebody) 可怜某人，怜悯某人
Gentle adj.柔和的，轻柔的
Amount n.总数；数值；量
Paper n.票据，借约；借据
Present adj.在场的；出席的；现在的
Justice n.正义；公道
At the mercy of 在……支配或摆布下，在……掌握中
Go down on one’s knees跪下
Dear adj.昂贵的，高价的
NOTES TO THE TEXT
1. Shylock agreed to lend Antonio the money on condition that … 只要……，夏洛克就同意借钱给安东尼奥。
on condition that意思是only if（只要；在……条件下）。又如：
I’ll lend you this money on condition that you give it back in two months.只要你过两个月能归还，我就借给你这笔钱。
You can borrow the book on condition that you do not lend it to anyone else.你可以借这本书，条件是你不要把它再转借给别人。
2. It so happened that Bassanio’s servant Gratiano had fallen in love with Portia’s maid Nerissa.碰巧巴萨尼奥的仆人葛莱西安诺爱上了鲍西娅的侍女尼莉莎。
It (so) happened (happens) that … 偶然……，碰巧（be true by chance）。又如：
It so happened that I saw the play The Merchant of Venice last week. 碰巧我上星期看了《威尼斯商人》这个剧。
It so happened that a policewoman was there.碰巧有个女警察在那里。
Don’t worry. It so happens that I’ve brought another key. 别着急。我碰巧带了另外一把钥匙。
3. … Portia thought of a clever plan to save Antonio. ……鲍西娅想出了一个营救安东尼奥的妙计。
think of在这里的意思是“想出”（have the idea of）。又如：
Don’t worry, I’ll think of a way out of the difficulty. 别着急，我会想出摆脱困境的办法来。
Who thought of such a wonderful idea? 是谁想出这个绝妙的主意的？
4. If you offered me six times the amount that you have just offered, …即使你愿意给我六倍于你刚才出的钱数，……
if在这里的意思相当于even if。
the amount = the amount of money
“… times + 名词” 表示“……倍”。又如：
The earth is 49 times the size of the moon.地球的大小是月球的49倍。
The length of this rope is three times the length of that one.这根绳子的长度是那根绳子的三倍。
5. How can you hope for mercy yourself when you show none? （可解释为：How can you hope that others will show mercy to you if you show no mercy to others?）如果你不宽恕别人，你自己怎能希望得到别人的宽恕呢？
when在这里相当于if。又如：
I’ll come when I’m needed.如果需要我，我就来。
She’ll be here to give you help when necessary.如果需要，她就来给你帮忙。
6. Then the letter is read out for all the court to hear: … 然后当庭宣读那封信：……
read out的意思是read（something）aloud。又如：
Read out the answers to the questions, please.请大声念这些问题的答案。
court在这里指法官及全体出庭的人员。
7. It blesses him who gives it, and him who receives it. （可解释为：Mercy brings happiness to those who show it to others as well as to those who receive it.）它（指慈悲）不但赐福于受施的人，而且赐福于施予的人。
8. You shall see the law. You wanted justice, so you shall get justice – more that you wanted.会让你知道法律是怎么说的。你曾经要求给你公道，那么就给你公道，只是这公道不是你所希望的。
关于shall的用法，参考本册第1课注14。
more than you wanted可解释为：but the justice is not the kind you wanted.
9. Give me three times more than Antonio borrowed from me.加三倍还给我安东尼奥的借款吧。
“… times+形容词（副词）比较级形式+than …”表示“比……多（大、重、长……）……倍”。又如：
Line A is four times longer than Line B. A线比B线长四倍。
He has three times more money than I have. 他的钱比我的多三倍。
10. Shylock would not take the money earlier.夏洛克先前是不肯要钱的。
句中would表示意愿。又如：
In those days he would risk anything for his comrades. 在那些岁月里，他甘愿为同志们冒任何危险。
EXERCISES
Ⅰ. Answer the following questions:
1. What did Antonio do? Who was the moneylender? Were they good friends? What did they think of each other?
2. Who was Antonio’s best friend? Who did Bassanio want to marry and what caused him to feel sad?
3. Who did Bassanio turn to when he needed some money? How much did he want to borrow? Did Antonio have any money just then? Why not?
4. What did Antonio do to help his friend? On what condition did Shylock agree to lend him the money?
5. Why do you think Shylock agreed to lend the money to Antonio? Did he really mean to have a pound of flesh from Antonio?
6. Did Antonio know what Shylock really meant to do?
7. Did Bassanio and Portia finally get married? What about Bassanio’s servant and Portia’s maid? Did they get married too?
8. What had happened to Antonio as the two couples were arranging to get married?
9. What did Portia decide to do immediately after her wedding?
10. The duke asked Shylock to have mercy on Antonio, didn’t he? Did Shylock take his advice? Why did he insist on taking a pound of flesh from Antonio?
11. How much did Bassanio offer to repay Shylock for what Antonio owed him? Did Shylock accept the offer? What did he say?
12. What happened as the Duke was wondering what to do? What did the letter say?
13. What did Portia say to Shylock when she took her seat as judge? Did Shylock take her advice? What did he say?
14. How much did Bassanio then offer to Shylock? Why?
15. Why did he ask the judge to change the law a little? Did Portia agree to Bassanio’s request? What did she say?
16. What did Portia say after she read the agreement? What did Portia say when Shylock was ready to cut his pound of flesh?
17. What did Portia say when Shylock finally agreed to take three times more than Antonio borrowed from him?
18. What was the result of the trial? What do you think of Portia? What do you think of the judgement?
Ⅱ. Complete the following sentences by choosing the correct words according to the text:
1. Antonio was a merchant in Venice who was liked by everyone because .
1) he was always glad to see others
2) he was always ready to lend money to others
3) he was often happy to give others advice
4) he never refused to help others
2. Bassanio could not marry Portia because .
1) he was poor
2) she did not love him
3) she was very rich but not beautiful
4) she was in live with Antonio
3. Shylock was a man .
1) who was always ready to lend money to others
2) who was Antonio’s good friend
3) who was very wealthy and always ready to help others
4) who was cruel and hated Antonio very much
4. Shylock refuse to have mercy on Antonio, because .
1) Antonio could not repay the money Shylock had lent him
2) he hated Antonio and wanted to kill him
3) Antonio was in love with his daughter
4) he had done nothing wrong and feared no judgement.
5. The phrase “so young a body with so wise a head” means .
1) such a young man with so much pride
2) such a young man with such great wisdom
3) a man who increases in age with his increase of wisdom
4) a man who increases in wisdom with his increase of age
6. The law of Venice said .
1) anyone who tried to kill a citizen of Venice should be driven out of the city
2) anyone who tried to kill a citizen of Venice should be sentenced to death
3) anyone who tried to kill a citizen of Venice should give all that he owned to the person he had tried to kill
4) anyone who tried to kill a citizen of Venice should be punished by having all that he owned taken away from him
7. When Shylock heard that all his money should be taken away from him, he asked the Duke to take his life too, because .
1) he loved nothing but money in the world
2) he loved his money better than his own life
3) his money was as valuable to him as his own life
4) his money was more valuable to him than his own life
Ⅲ. Learn the following:
A. Moneylender bookseller
shopkeeper storekeeper
storyteller storywriter
peacemaker troublemaker
B. Judge judg(e)ment
arrange arrangement
agree agreement
achieve achievement
amuse amusement
govern government
measure measurement
C. Discuss discussion
permit permission
express expression
persuade persuasion
decide decision
conclude conclusion
divide division
Ⅳ. Match the words and phrases given under A with the meanings under B. List B has some extra items.
A B
1. trade vi. a. soft, not strong
2. merchant b. quantity, especially of money
3. arrange c. say that one is ready or agrees to do something
4. couple d. make believe that something is true
5. offer e. in the place being spoken of
6. learned f. a person who buys and sells goods, especially in large quantities in foreign countries
7. gentle g. buy and sell
8. amount h. make plans or prepare (to do something)
9. present i. say that one will do or give something
10. dear j. completely in the power of
11. at the mercy of k. a man and woman married or engaged
12. fall in love with (someone) l. having much knowledge
m. begin to be in love with (someone)
n. of great value
Ⅴ. Fill in each blank with a suitable phrase in its proper form from the list below:
On condition that read out be in love with stand in one’s place think of have mercy on
Pass judgement on at the mercy of in return for pay back beg for show mercy to
1. The days when we were the weather have gone forever.
2. Can you a way to do it better and more quickly?
3. I wish I could do something the kindness she has shown me.
4. Before liberation he was so poor that he had to go from house to house, food.
5. How can you a person like that!
6. The poor child begged his cruel stepmother to him.
7. Although she him for several months, he somehow never showed that he realized it.
8. The court the murderer yesterday. He was sentenced to death.
9. You can have my bike for a few days you return it by Sunday.
10. When the names of the students who had been accepted by the college were , she was surprised to find her name among them.
Ⅵ. Do you know what each of the following means and where each is used?
KEEP RIGHT / LEFT ONE WAY STREET KEEP OFF THE GRASS! WET PAINT! NO PARKING!
NO SMOKING! MEN’S WOMEN’S GENTLEMEN/GENTS LADIES/LAD. MADE IN CHINA ROOM EXIT ENTRANCE PACKED (FULL HOUSE) DANGER!
Ⅶ. Read the following passage, then choose the correct answer:
No Parking
Oliver Langley lived in a house in Wilton Street, less than two miles from the office. He was therefore able to drive home every day for lunch.
Driving his car slowly round the corner into Wilton Street one day, he looked sharply at the road outside his house. As he had feared, cars were parked there as usual, and there was no space for his own. It always made him angry, because the road was a little wider just there, with plenty of room for a car or two. But other people had noticed that too.
Further up the street there were no parked cars at all: there never were. The usual blue board stood at the side of the road with the usual information on it for all to see: POLICE NOTICE NO PARKING
He drove round two more corners, found an empty space, locked the car, and walked back home.
Before entering the house, he stopped to look at the board he himself had put up in the garden facing the road. “No Parking”, said the wooden board. No parking! What was the use of a bit of board like that? No one was interested in it. He decided to take it down; it was useless and ugly.
Lunch was ready when he went in, and he sat down at the table with his wife. “I wish we could build a garage in the garden,” he said.
“We can,” said Helena. “But the gate isn’t wide enough for a car.”
“We could make the gate wider. There’s just enough room for a small garage. Then I could keep the car here at night, and at lunchtime I wouldn’t have to drive half a mile looking for somewhere to park. I haven’t been able to leave the car outside the house in the middle of the day for months.”
“Nobody takes any notice of our board,” said Helena.
“You can’t blame them,” he said. “There isn’t anywhere else to park. Wherever you go in this town, you see a blue board with white letters on it: Police Notice. No Parking. Nobody can leave a car anywhere in the main streets, so they leave them here. But I hate to see the ugly things outside the house all day. I wish I knew a way to stop them.”
“Our board’s too small,” she said. “Make a bigger one and paint the words in red. Then people will see it.”
“They won’t care, even if they see it. They’ll obey a police notice, but not a private one.”
After a short silence, Helena suddenly cried, “I’ve got an idea. Go out tonight when it’s dark and steal a police notice. There are hundreds of them all over the town, and one won’t be missed. Bring it here and leave it outside. No one will see you.”
Oliver was shocked. “Steal from the police!” he said. “Oh, no, thank you. I’ll be sent to prison.”
“They won’t know.”
“They’ll see it here and ask who put it here. Then I’ll be in real trouble.”
“Well,” she said impatiently, “why don’t you make a notice like theirs? There’s no law against painting that I know, and you have lots of paint. Get a piece of metal or wood the same size, paint it blue, and then paint the same words on it in white.”
“I can’t use the word ‘Police’. I’m not the police.”
“You’re being very difficult,” she said. “You can easily leave that word out. Put: Notice. No Parking. But paint white letters on blue. Nobody really reads those notices, you know. People see the blue boards and go somewhere else.”
“Be reasonable,” he said. “If there’s only one word in the top line, even a child will see the difference at once.”
Lunch over, he left the house. But he was thinking.
For several days a smell of paint filled the house, and the smell was especially bad in the evenings, after Oliver had disappeared into the room beyond the kitchen. Neither of them mentioned the smell.
One night he showed her a new notice-board. It was painted in white letters on blue, it had four words, and it was exactly the same size as the police notices.
“Oh!” She said. “But you told me you weren’t allowed to use the word ‘Police’. That’s exactly like their notice-boards.”
“Is it?” he asked. “Look again.”
She started to laugh. “You’re really rather clever, Oliver, dear,” she said.
He carried it out and placed it at the side of the road. With some satisfaction he stood back to look at it. He was quite pleased with what it said: POLITE NOTICE NO PARKING.
1. Where did Oliver Langley live?
2. Where did he have lunch every day? How far was his home from his office? How did he usually go home for lunch?
3. Where did he usually park his car?
4. What made him angry one day? Could he park his car further up the street? Why not? Where did he park his car then?
5. Had he put up a board in his garden too? What did it say? Was it any use? Why not?
6. What did he tell his wife that he wished to do?
7. What did his wife suggest since their board was too small?
8. Why wouldn’t people care even if they saw the board?
9. What was the idea that the wife thought of? Why was Langley shocked at the idea?
10. What did his wife suggest then?
11. Why couldn’t Langley use the word “Police” on his board? What if he left the word out?
What did the new board say? Were they quite pleased with it? Why?
