another episode in my series on Shakespeare,

我莎士比亞系列的另一部影片，

in today's video

在今天的影片，

I'm going to be talking about how to read Shakespeare,

我要來說說該如何讀好莎士比亞，

some tips and tricks to help

有一些秘訣和技巧可以幫助你

you feel comfortable with the language

輕鬆搞懂他的語言。

It's no secret that a lot of people feel

這也不是什麼秘密，

quite intimidated by Shakespeare

很多人都害怕讀莎士比亞的東西

because of the old-fashioned language

主要因為古英文的關係，

and because of the fact it's written in verse

還有他是以韻文的方式來寫。

one of the big barriers is that

其中一個大麻煩就是

Shakespeare wasn't really designed to be read,

莎士比亞寫的東西完全不是用讀得，

Shakespeare was designed to be performed

而是要把它演出來，

so it does take a little bit of imagination on our part to work out

所以我們要用一點想像力去思考，

what the actors are doing on stage whereas

舞台上的演員在演什麼，然而

in a book you have a lot more direction

在書上，會有很多指示告訴你

as to what would be going on with the plot

劇情接下來會發生什麼。

Tip number one is to find a synopsis of the play

祕訣一，在看整齣劇前，

and read that before you actually read the play itself.

先找到劇情概要然後讀一遍。

A lot of Shakespeare's language is very poetic

莎士比亞很多文字都充滿著詩意，

and there's a lot of imagery in what he writes

他的文字裡頭有很多意象，

because you've got to imagine

因為你必須想像

that a lot of these plays were performed outside

這些戲劇很多都是要演出來的

and there was minimal staging

而且舞台大小非常有限

and special effects so what audiences were there for was the poetry

台下觀眾要的特殊效果就是詩，

and Shakespeare was able to paint a picture for them with his words

而莎士比亞能用文字呈現出來給觀眾

but that does mean that when you're trying to work out what's going on sometimes

不過這也代表，你要試著搞懂現在的情況，

characters go off on tangents and talk about something else

演員有時會脫稿講著其他東西，

and while that may be very beautiful

這樣可能非常適合，

it might be completely irrelevant to what is actually happening in the plot in very basic terms,

但基本上可能對實際的劇情會有反效果。

so if you are struggling with Shakespeare's language

所以，如果你還搞不太懂莎士比亞的文字

or you get to a passage that you really don't understand,

或是讀到有一頁你真的搞不懂，

if you have in the back of your mind a basic outline of the plot

這樣的話，可以在腦中想出這齣劇的基本大綱。

you know that as you're reading it if you get lost

要是在讀的時候迷失方向，

you'll be able to find your way again quite easily.

你可以輕易地找回方向。

Tip number two,

祕訣二

one of the most important ones is to find

其中一個最重要的是，就是去找

some adaptations of Shakespeare,

莎士比亞的一些改編作品

there are tons of films, you can go and see

有很多電影，你可以去看看

Shakespeare on stage, you can see tv adaptations, film adaptations,

莎士比亞的舞台劇，也可以看電視改編劇，還有電影改編的，

I'm sure there are tons of clips on youtube.

我確定 youtube 上也有很多剪輯可以看。

Seeing an actor perform Shakespeare

看看演員怎麼呈現出莎士比亞的東西，

can really do wonders to break down the barriers of language

真的可以幫助你打破語言的障礙，

because they really understand what Shakespeare's words are trying to say

因為他們十分了解莎士比亞的文字想要表達什麼

and I find it especially helps you

我覺得這也很有幫助，

to watch an experienced person read Shakespeare

仔細看一個經驗老道的人讀莎士比亞

because then your ear gets atuned

因為你的耳朵會熟悉

to the rhythm and cadence of Shakespeare which is very similar,

莎士比亞的韻律和抑揚頓挫，這兩者其實非常相似，

he tends to write in iambic pentameter and

他傾向寫抑揚格五音步，

once you get used to that rhythm of language

而且一旦你熟悉這些文字的韻律，

it makes it a lot easier for you to hear that in your head when you're reading it alone

當你自己閱讀時，在腦中聽到會更容易搞清楚，

not to mention the fact that Shakespeare's themes are absolutely

更不用說莎士比亞的主題一般來說絕對是

universal of love and loss and revenge

有關愛、失去以及復仇，

and they are fantastic to watch

他們都非常值得一看。

if you are struggling with reading it,

如果你在閱讀上還是很掙扎，

then watching an adaptation can really help bring these things out.

那看個改編作品真的可以幫你解決這些問題。

A fantastic online resources the No Fear Shakespeare project,

有一個很棒的線上資源 No Fear Shakespeare project，

so all of Shakespeare's plays

所有莎士比亞的戲劇，

are in the public domain and can be found online,

都是屬於公眾領域，網路上都找得到

if you type in 'No Fear Shakespeare' you will find a website

如果你搜尋 「No Fear Shakespeare」就可以找到網站，

which has every single one of his plays.

裡面有莎士比亞的每一齣劇。

On one side of the screen you have the original

螢幕的一邊可以放原文劇本，

text and on the other side you have a modern-day translation

另一邊可以放現代的翻譯版

and I find it especially helpful when there are sections of Shakespeare which are prose,

我覺得這格外有幫助，莎士比亞的很多部分都是散文，

which are discussions between people

而且是和其他人在討論。

because on this side of the screen you just end up with all of the dick jokes

螢幕這一邊，你會發現最後都是字典的笑話，

which you would not get on a first read

你讀第一遍時會什麼都搞不懂

because that colloquialism, that banter

因為它都是白話文，在讀譯文的時候

something that we've lost in translation

就失去了那些有趣的部分。

interestingly, I find it actually a lot easier to understand Shakespeare when he's doing this high imagery kind of poetic parts of his soliloquies

有趣的是，我發現莎士比亞其實很好懂，就是在他獨白的詩意部分，都會有個主要的意象，

and then when it is just the everyday banter between the servants for example

舉例來說，那就是僕人每天的樂趣。

and No Fear Shakespeare t is very helpful with that.

這部分 No Fear Shakespeare 就很有幫助。

There's also a ton of analysis of Shakespeare online

裡頭也有很多莎士比亞的線上分析，

if you want to get really deep into the language and what Shakespeare really means,

如果你真的想更深入他的文字，還有莎士比亞真正的意思，

then you can just type in a specific soliloquy and

那你可以直接打上某段獨白，

you'll get loads of responses come up

你就可以找到很多答案，

and finally I have some examples for you

那最後我有一些例子要告訴你們。

I'm going to help you with this reading experience

我會幫助你們這次的閱讀經驗，

this is my copy of Romeo and Juliet,

我這本書是《羅密歐與茱麗葉》，

you can see that most of it is written in verse.

你可以看到大多數都是以韻文來寫。

Iambic pentameter is what Shakespeare uses mostly

抑揚格五音步是莎士比亞最常用的

and that means that they are ten syllable lines

指的就是每行有十個音節，

however that is just the way that it's written on the page to keep it in the rhythm of the verse,

然而這只是一種寫在紙上的方法，用來保持韻文的韻律

if you have a sentence that is longer than ten syllables

如果有一句超過十個音節，

then it will get to a certain point and then the sentence will continue on another page

它就會跑到其他地方，句子一樣會繼續到另一頁

but that doesn't mean

但這不代表

that's how you would read it, or how an actor on stage would actually say the line

這是你讀的方法，或是演員實際在台上念的方法

so for example here is Juliet. You would not read afraid like this -

所以舉例來說茱麗葉的部分，你不要怕會念得像這樣

What's in a name? That which we call a rose. By any other word with sweet.

名字有什麼關係呢？玫瑰就算不叫玫瑰，香味一樣芬芳

So Romeo would were he not Romeo call'd. Retain that dear perfection which he owes.

羅密歐如果改個名字，還是會一樣可愛，一樣完美無缺。

No, no, no! Make sure when you're

不不不！你在讀的時候，

reading it that you're paying attention to the grammar, to the punctuation

記得要注意文法還有標點符號，

and you're reading the sentences off the line

而且你是要把字裡行間的句子唸出來

and you're not thrown by the indents here.

而不是只注意這裡的縮排。

As I've already said another thing that can throw you off your reading experience is the excessive almost use of imagery.

就像我說得，另一個可以不管閱讀經驗的方法，就是運用大量的意象。

I have another example here from Romeo

我還有另一個羅密歐的例子

'But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?

『輕聲！那邊窗戶裡亮起來的是什麼光？

It is the east and Juliet is the Sun.

那就是東方，茱麗葉就是太陽。

Arise fair Sun and kill the envious moon who is already sick and pale with grief that thou, her maid art far more fair than she'

起來吧，美麗的太陽，趕走那嫉妒的月亮， 她已經傷心不已，因為你比她美麗。』

so Romeo is just going off on a tangent here

所以羅密歐現在突然離題

because Juliet has just come to the window

因為茱麗葉才剛來到窗戶那，

and he's describing her beauty,

羅密歐把她形容成一位美人，

he's describing the effect that she's having on him

也形容茱麗葉帶給他的影響

and Shakespeare is using poetry to convey emotions to you

而莎士比亞運用詩來傳達情感給讀者，

but you don't really need to understand this about the Sun and the moon,

但也不用真的需要了解太陽和月亮的意思

I mean it is interesting

我是說那雖然很有趣

but that's not the point

但卻不是重點

the real point is this - 'but soft!' Hey!

重點是 - 『輕聲！』嘿！

hang on one moment, what's going on over there?

等一下子，那裡發生了什麼事？

A light has come through that window over there and it is the east,

一道光從那扇窗傳來，而這裡是東方，

it's like the dawn and Juliet is the Sun rising and bringing that light the rest of the world

現在是黎明時分，茱麗葉就是那升起並照亮整個世界的太陽，

later on he says 'It is my lady; O! It is my love:

之後他又說：『那是我的意中人；啊！那是我的愛：

O that she knew she were.

唉，但願她知道我愛著她。

She speaks yet she says nothing.

她欲言又止。

What is that her eye discourses?

但她的雙眼道出了什麼心事？

I will answer it

我會去回應她的。

I'm too bold, 'tis not to me she speaks.'

我太魯莽了，她不是對我說話。』

So through Romeo's words we're actually

所以透過羅密歐的話，我們清楚明白

getting what Juliet is doing, there aren't any stage directions here

茱麗葉現在的情況，這裡沒有任何舞台指導

but he is talking to her,

但羅密歐在對茱麗葉說話，

he's wishing that she knew that

他希望茱麗葉知道

he was there and he sees that she's talking to herself, looking around the garden,

他就在這，而他看見茱麗葉在對自己說話，環顧整個花園

he thinks she can see him

他認為茱麗葉會看見他

he goes to wave to her...Oh no no!

於是他前去向她揮手... 喔，不對不對！

So it just takes a slightly more closer look at the text to

那我們稍微進一步看看文本的內容，

not only get what Romeo was saying but

不只是搞懂羅密歐在說什麼，

also to give you a vision of what is happening on stage as well

也要讓你想像舞台上發生的狀況。

Another example that I really like of the texts really communicating what an actor would be going on stage is

另一個例子，我真的很喜歡文本，可以清楚傳達演員在台上會演什麼。

this soliloquy from Macbeth,

這段獨白是《馬克白》裡的，

it is just before Macbeth is about to go and kill Duncan

正是馬克白準備前去刺殺鄧肯時，

and he's having a vision -

而這是他想像的畫面-

'Is this a dagger which I see before me the handle toward my hand?

『我眼前出現的是一把匕首嗎，匕首的柄還向著我的手？

Come let me clutch thee. I have been not and yet I see thee still.

來，讓我握著你：我握不到你，但我總能看見你。

Art though not fatal vision sensible to feeling as to sight?

不祥的幻象，你只是一件可視不可觸的東西嗎？

Or art thou but a dagger of the mind, a false creation proceeding from the heat-opressed brain?'

或者你不過是心中的一把刀子，由狂熱腦子裡生出來的幻象呢？』

So not only do we have that Macbeth is seeing a dagger in front of him,

所以我們不只知道，馬克白看見一把匕首在他面前，

but he's trying to grab it and realizing that he can't

也知道他試著拿起它，卻突然發覺到他沒辦法拿。

'art thou not sensible to feeling as to sight?'

『不祥的幻象，你只是一件可視不可觸的東西嗎？』

like I can see you why can't I feel you?

就像我看得到你，為何感覺不到你？

'I see thee yet in form and palpable as this which now I draw.

『我還看得見你，那形狀就和我現在抽出來的匕首一樣清楚。

Though marshall'st me the way that I was going and such an instrument I was to use.'

你引導我走向我已經步上的路，我要用的原是這樣一把利器。』

so again I see you there as palpable as this which now I draw - this dagger which I have with me and which i'm drawing from my belt,

所以同樣我看得見你，就跟我現在從腰帶抽出來的匕首一樣清楚

to me this dagger I see is as real

對我來說這把匕首是真實存在的

as the one that I'm holding here which

但我現在手上拿得這把，

the audience can see, and you are showing,

觀眾都看得見，而且在展現

'thou marshall'st me the way' you are showing me the way that I need to go to commit murder

『你引導我的路』，在向我說明我必須去犯下謀殺。

so it's always worth bearing in mind

所以一定要銘記在心，

that it's a person delivering a speech to the audience,

是有一個人在對著觀眾說話，

if you try and read it as you would read a normal book

要是你試著把它當一般的書的讀，

then you're only going to get half the story.

那你只會對這故事一知半解。

So I hope that was helpful if Shakespeare is something that you are a little bit nervous about,

如果你對莎士比亞的東西有些害怕，我希望這部影片會有幫助。

I know the language can be difficult, the 'thous' the 'thys' the 'th'arts'

我知道他的文字可能有點難，像是：『thous』 『thys』 『th'arts』

but it really is quite simple,

但它們其實很簡單，

the English follows exactly the same grammar as we have now,

其中的英文文法就跟我們現在一樣，

it's just an older form of 'you'

就只是『you』以前的形式 ，

these are things that you can look up quite easily

這些意思你都可以輕鬆查到，

and once you understand them

一旦你了解它們之後

it really is just like reading plain English

就跟在讀白話的英文一樣，

and you won't even notice that they're in the text.

而且你根本不會發現它們就在文本裡。

So let me know how you feel about Shakespeare in the comments below -

所以在底下留言讓我知道，你對莎士比亞的想法 -

are you a complete novice who's a little bit nervous about getting stuck in

你是還停留在對莎士比亞感到害怕的新手，

or are you a Shakespeare aficionado?

或者你是莎士比亞的頭號粉絲？

Do you have any more tips of your own that you can share with everybody else?

你有更多訣竅可以跟大家分享嗎？

I will be very happy to answer any more questions and take suggestions

我很樂意回答任何問題，也接受任何建議。

if there's anything else that you'd like to

如果還有其他想學的東西，

learn and i will see you in my next video

那我們下個影片見吧

bye!

拜！