牛津書蟲系列 威廉·莎士比亞 03 演員來到鎮(zhèn)上

　　3 The actors come to town

　　Will married Anne Hathaway in November，and she came to live in Henley Street.John Shakespeare was pleased that his oldest son was married，but I don't think Will's mother wanted him to marry so young.Families cost a lot of money，and John Shakespeare was having a lot of money troubles in those days.Times were hard in Henley Street.

　　Susanna was born the next May.All babies look the same to me，but Will was very pleased with her.

　　‘Look，Toby，she's got my eyes，’he said happily.‘She's going to beas beautiful as the Queen of Egypt，and as clever as King Solomon.’

　　‘Oh yes?’I said.‘All parents talk like that about their children.I don't believe a word of it.’

　　I didn't see much of Will's wife.I knew she didn't like me.To her，I was one of Will'swild friends，who got him into trouble.She came from a very serious，Puritan family.Lots of church-going，and no singing or dancing.

　　Soon there was another baby on the way，and one evening in February 1585 I hurried round to Henley Street to hear the news.Will's sister，Joan，opened the door，and then Will came running down the stairs.

　　‘It's two of them!’he said.‘Twins!A girl and a boy.Isn't that wonderful!’

　　Will had some good friends，Hamnet and Judith Sadler，and he called the twins after them.John Shakespeare was very pleased to have his first grandson，and everyone was happy.For a while.

　　Will and I still went around together when we could.He was still reading，and writing，and soon I could see a change in him.He was twenty-three now，and he was not happy with hislife.

　　‘Stratford's too small，Toby，’he said.‘Too slow.Too quiet.Too boring.I've got to get away.’

　　‘Yes，but how?’I asked.‘You've got a family—three young children，remember.’

　　He didn't answer.

　　In the summer months companies of players often came to small towns，and in 1587 five different companies came.Will and I always went to see the plays.Will loved to talk to the actors and to listen to all their stories of London

　　The Queen's Men came to Stratford in June，and we went to see the play.I don't remember what it was.I know that I laughed a lot，and that Will said it was a stupid play，with not a word of poetry in it.

　　‘Why don't you write a play yourself?’I told him.

　　‘Write a play?’He laughed.‘Anne would never speak to me again.’

　　I didn't say anything，and Will looked at me and laughed again.

　　It happened a few months later.I walked into the Shakespeares' kitchen one evening，and there was Anne，with a red，angry face，shouting at the top of her voice.

　　‘How can you do this to me?And what about the children—’Then she saw me and stopped.

　　Will was sitting at the table，and looked pleased to see me.‘I've told Anne，’he said quietly，‘that I'm going to live in London.I want to be an actor，and to write plays，if I can.’

　　‘Plays!’screamed Anne.‘Acting!Actors are dirty，wicked people!They're all thieves and criminals!They drink all day and they never go to church—’

　　‘Don't be stupid，Anne.You know that's not true.Listen.I'll come home when I can，but I must go to London.I can't do anything in Stratford.’He looked at me across the room.‘Are you coming with me，Toby?’

　　‘How soon can we start?’I said.

　　3 演員來到鎮(zhèn)上

　　11月威爾和安·哈瑟維結婚了，安就住進了亨里街。約翰·莎士比亞見長子成家心里很高興，可我覺得威爾的母親并不想他這么早就結婚。結婚花了家里不少錢，再加上約翰·莎士比亞那段時間財運不濟，這樣一來，日子過得有點艱難。

　　次年5月女兒蘇珊娜出世。對我來說，所有的孩子沒什么不一樣，但威爾欣喜若狂。

　　“托比，你瞧，她的眼睛長得真像我，”他高興地說著，“長大后，她會美麗如埃及艷后，聰明如所羅門國王。”

　　“是嗎?”我說，“所有父母都是這么說自己的孩子。我可不信。”

　　我不常見到威爾夫人，也清楚她不喜歡我。對她而言，我是威爾的一個粗野朋友，這種朋友只會讓他出麻煩。她出生于一個虔誠的清教徒家庭，除了去教堂外根本不懂音樂和舞蹈。

　　不久，又一個孩子要出世了。1585年2月的一個夜晚我急匆匆地趕到亨里街去打聽消息。威爾的妹妹瓊為我開了門，接著就見威爾跑下樓梯。

　　“一胎兩個呢!”他說道，“是雙胞胎!一女一男。真是妙極了!”

　　威爾根據(jù)好友哈姆奈特和珠迪絲·塞德勒的名字給孿生子女起了名。約翰·莎士比亞見第一個孫子出世，由衷地高興，有一段時間，每一個人都很快樂。

　　只要有機會威爾和我仍然經(jīng)常來往，他依然讀書寫作，但是不久，我發(fā)現(xiàn)他變了。當時他23歲，但對生活不再知足。

　　“托比，斯特拉福鎮(zhèn)實在太小了，”他說道，“發(fā)展緩慢，生活寧靜，日子又單調(diào)，我必須離開此地。”

　　“是啊，可怎么離開呢?”我問道，“別忘了，你已經(jīng)成家——還有三個孩子。”

　　他沒有答話。

　　夏天經(jīng)常有劇團到小鎮(zhèn)巡回演出，1587年分別來了五個劇團。威爾和我總是結伴去看戲。威爾愛找演員們交談，聽他們講發(fā)生在倫敦的故事。

　　6月“女王劇團”來到斯特拉福鎮(zhèn)，我們又去看戲。這出戲的內(nèi)容我已記不清楚，只記得當時看了直笑，但是威爾說這戲很糟糕，沒有一句像樣的詩歌。

　　“那你為什么不自己動手寫劇本呢?”我告訴他。

　　“寫劇本?”他大笑，“這樣的話，安可再也不理我了。”

　　我不再說什么，威爾看看我又笑了。

　　幾個月后事情就發(fā)生了。一天晚上我走進莎士比亞家的廚房，只見安漲紅著臉，氣呼呼地，她高聲在嚷著：

　　“你怎么能這樣對我?孩子怎么辦?”這時她瞧見我就將話止住了。

　　威爾坐在桌旁，見我來很高興。“我已經(jīng)告訴安了。”他平靜地說道，“我打算到倫敦去謀生。我想當一名演員，如果行的話，寫寫劇本。”

　　“寫劇本!”安尖聲叫起來，“去演戲!做演員既丟臉又齷齪，他們都是小偷和罪犯!整天只知道喝酒行樂，也從來不去教堂——”

　　“別犯傻了，安。你知道事實并不是這樣。聽著，一有機會我就回家探望，但我非去倫敦不可。呆在斯特拉福鎮(zhèn)我不會有作為的。”他看了看房間對面的我，“托比，你想一起去嗎?”

　　“什么時候動身?”我說道。