the Chorus's Prologue from Henry V, 亨利五世 開場白

‪#‎UChicago‬ prof. David Bevington is one of the world's most devoted and distinguished Shakespeareans. He recently sat down withUChicago College to discuss the early days of theater at the University—and to recite the Chorus's Prologue from Henry V, completely from memory.

致辭者上。 　　致辭者： 　　啊！光芒萬丈的繆斯女神呀，你登上了無比輝煌的幻想的天堂；拿整個王國當做舞台，叫帝王們充任演員，讓君主們瞪眼瞧著那偉大的場景！——只有這樣，那威武的亨利，才像他本人，才具備著戰神的氣概；在他的腳後跟，“饑饉”、“利劍”和“烈火”像是套上皮帶的獵狗一樣，蹲伏著，只等待一聲命令。 　　可是，在座的諸君，請原諒吧！像咱們這樣低微的小人物，居然在這幾塊破板搭成的戲台上，也搬演什麼轟轟烈烈的事蹟。難道說，這麼一個“鬥雞場”容得下法蘭西的萬里江山？還是我們這個木頭的圓框子裡塞得進那麼多將士？——只消他們把頭盔晃一晃，管叫阿金庫爾①的空氣都跟著震盪！請原諒吧！可不是，一個小小的圓圈兒，湊在數字的末尾，就可以變成個一百萬；那麼，讓我們就憑這點渺小的作用，來激發你們龐大的想像力吧。①法國北部的一個村落，亨利五世大敗法軍於此。 　　就算在這團團一圈的牆壁內包圍了兩個強大的王國：國境和國境（一片緊接的高地），卻叫驚濤駭浪（一道海峽）從中間一隔兩斷。發揮你們的想像力，來彌補我們的貧乏吧——一個人，把他分身為一千個，組成了一支幻想的大軍。我們提到馬兒，眼前就彷佛真有萬馬奔騰，捲起了半天塵土。把我們的帝王裝扮得像個樣兒，這也全靠你們的想像幫忙了；憑著那想像力，把他們搬東移西，在時間裡飛躍，叫多少年代的事蹟都擠塞在一個時辰裡。就為了這個使命，請容許我在這個史劇前面，做個致辭者——要說的無非是那幾句開場白：這齣戲文，要請諸君多多地包涵，靜靜地聽。 　　　（下。）

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5dI65LvbrE

The Life of King Henry the Fifth

Shakespeare homepage | Henry V | Act 1, Prologue Next scene

PROLOGUE

Enter Chorus

Chorus

O for a Muse of fire, that would ascend
The brightest heaven of invention,
A kingdom for a stage, princes to act
And monarchs to behold the swelling scene!
Then should the warlike Harry, like himself,
Assume the port of Mars; and at his heels,
Leash'd in like hounds, should famine, sword and fire
Crouch for employment. But pardon, and gentles all,
The flat unraised spirits that have dared
On this unworthy scaffold to bring forth
So great an object: can this cockpit hold
The vasty fields of France? or may we cram
Within this wooden O the very casques
That did affright the air at Agincourt?
O, pardon! since a crooked figure may
Attest in little place a million;
And let us, ciphers to this great accompt,
On your imaginary forces work.
Suppose within the girdle of these walls
Are now confined two mighty monarchies,
Whose high upreared and abutting fronts
The perilous narrow ocean parts asunder:
Piece out our imperfections with your thoughts;
Into a thousand parts divide on man,
And make imaginary puissance;
Think when we talk of horses, that you see them
Printing their proud hoofs i' the receiving earth;
For 'tis your thoughts that now must deck our kings,
Carry them here and there; jumping o'er times,
Turning the accomplishment of many years
Into an hour-glass: for the which supply,
Admit me Chorus to this history;
Who prologue-like your humble patience pray,
Gently to hear, kindly to judge, our play.
Exit