You first; 'tis a word too great for any mouth of this age's size. To say ay and no to these ...
ACT III Scene 2 - As You Like It－－by William Shakespeare ...
James Boswell著 Life of Johnson Vol_03 如下：
1778年4月9日 禮拜四
This season there was a whimsical fashion in the newspapers of applying Shakspeare's words to describe living persons well known in the world; which was done under the title of Modern Characters from Shakspeare; many of which were admirably adapted. The fancy took so much, that they were afterwards collected into a pamphlet[734]. Somebody said to Johnson, across the table, that he had not been in those characters. 'Yes (said he) I have. I should have been sorry to be left out.' He then repeated what had been applied to him,
'I must borrow GARAGANTUA'S mouth[735].'
Miss Reynolds not perceiving at once the meaning of this, he was obliged to explain it to her, which had something of an aukward and ludicrous effect. 'Why, Madam, it has a reference to me, as using big words, which require the mouth of a giant to pronounce them. Garagantua is the name of a giant in Rabelais.' BOSWELL. 'But, Sir, there is another amongst them for you:
"He would not flatter
JOHNSON. 'There is nothing marked in that. No, Sir, Garagantua is the best.' Notwithstanding this ease and good humour, when I, a little while afterwards, repeated his sarcasm on Kenrick[737], which was received with applause, he asked, 'Who said that?' and on my suddenly answering, Garagantua, he looked serious, which was a sufficient indication that he did not wish it to be kept up.
出處：
http://www.classic-literature.co.uk/scottish-authors/james-boswell/life-of-johnson-vol_03/ebook-page-77.asp
莎士比亞筆下的現代人物
約翰遜博士自選的一句是'I must borrow GARAGANTUA'S mouth.'
有趣的是GARAGANTUA拼錯，應改成 I must borrow Gargantua's mouth.
而這在莎士比亞的原文為
You must borrow me Gargantua's mouth first; 'tis a word too great for any mouth of this age's size. To say ay and no to these ...
ACT III Scene 2 - As You Like It－－by William Shakespeare -
莎士比亞原文：
ROSALIND
Alas the day! what shall I do with my doublet and hose?
What did he when thou saw'st him? What said he? How look'd he?
Wherein went he? What makes he here? Did he ask for me? Where
remains he? How parted he with thee? And when shalt thou see him
again? Answer me in one word.
CELIA
You must borrow me Gargantua's mouth first; 'tis a word too
great for any mouth of this age's size. To say ay and no to these
particulars is more than to answer in a catechism.
你得先給我借一張加甘圖阿的巨嘴：這個字太大，不是這時代的人的嘴所能說得出的。用「然」「否」分別回答這些情節，就比教堂中的問答還要麻煩哩。【梁實秋 如願 頁77】
你一定先要給我向卡剛都亞借一張嘴來才行；像我們這時代的人，一張嘴裡是裝不下這麼大的一個字。要是一句句都用「是」和「不」回答起來，也比考問教理還麻煩呢。【朱生豪 皆大歡喜 頁】
網路資料可參考：
哈佛大學藏 Johnson’s 書信集，開始掃描. From the OASIS website:Johnson’s letters, scanned
Sir Joshua Reynolds的妹妹
了解哈佛大學圖書館如何報告捐贈的手跡等
- UK National Portrait Gallery entry 都為傳聞Frances Reynolds (1729-1807)之作品和後人對其作品的仿描
Project Gutenberg 收她的作品
沒有留言:
張貼留言