its name should never even be uttered in a theater,

它的名字永不能在劇院裡全盤說出

a play that begins with witchcraft and ends with a bloody severed head,

這是一齣劇始於巫術，而止於一個血腥的斷頭

a play filled with riddles, prophesies, nightmare visions,

這是一齣劇關於謎語、預言、夢魘

and lots of brutal murder,

與許多殘忍的謀殺

a play by William Shakespeare sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Play"

這是一齣威廉．莎士比亞的戲，他有時稱為「那部蘇格蘭話劇」

or the "Tragedy of Macbeth."

或「馬克白的悲劇」

First performed at the Globe Theater in London in 1606,

它在 1606 年的時候，第一次在倫敦的環球劇場演出

"Macbeth" is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy.

「馬克白」是莎士比亞最短的悲劇

It is also one of his most action-packed.

也是他最精采生動的一個

In five acts, he recounts a story of a Scottish nobleman

在五幕的劇情裡，他講述了一個蘇格蘭貴族

who steals the throne,

搶奪王位

presides over a reign of terror,

並用恐懼統治一切

and then meets a bloody end.

最後以一個血腥的結局收場

Along the way, it asks important questions about ambition,

一路上，它探討了許多重要的問題像是野心

power,

權力

and violence

與暴力

that spoke directly to the politics of Shakespeare's time

他們全部直接講述了莎士比亞當代的政治

and continue to echo in our own.

並持續令我們引發反響

England in the early 17th century was politically precarious.

17 世紀初，英國正處於政治動盪的時候

Queen Elizabeth I died in 1603 without producing an heir,

伊莉莎白女王在沒有子嗣的情況下，死於 1603 年

and in a surprise move,

出於一個意料之外的舉動

her advisors passed the crown to James Stewart, King of Scotland.

她的顧問將王位傳給了蘇格蘭王 James Stewart

Two years later, James was subject to an assassination attempt

兩年後，有人企圖暗殺 James

called the Gunpowder Plot.

這被稱為火藥陰謀

Questions of what made for a legitimate king

什麼才能促成一個正當的國王的疑慮

were on everyone's lips.

被大家議論紛紛

So Shakespeare must have known he had potent material

所以，莎士比亞當時一定知道他有這有利的素材

when he conflated and adapted the stories

他彙整並改編成一個故事

of a murderous 11th century Scottish King named Macbeth

關於 在兇殘的 11 世紀裡，一個叫馬克白的蘇格蘭王

and those of several other Scottish nobles.

以及許多其他蘇格蘭貴族

He found their annals in Hollinshed's "Chronicles,"

他在《霍林希德編年史》裡找到他們的紀載

a popular 16th century history of Britain and Ireland.

這是一部知名的英國與愛爾蘭 16 世紀史記

Shakespeare would also have known he needed to tell his story

莎士比亞也知道他的故事的講述方式

in a way that would immediately grab the attention

必須足以立即引起

of his diverse and rowdy audience.

他吵雜且多元的觀眾的注意

The Globe welcomed all sections of society.

環球劇場歡迎社會各階層的人們

Wealthier patrons watched the stage from covered balconies

有錢的觀眾從有遮陰的露臺上看劇

while poorer people paid a penny to take in the show

而較貧窮的觀眾付一便士

from an open-air section called the pit.

在一個通稱池子的開放式空間觀賞

Talking, jeering, and cheering was common during performances.

討論、嘲笑和歡呼在表演當中是稀鬆平常的事

There are even accounts of audiences throwing furniture when plays were flops.

有記錄顯示如果這場劇徹底失敗了，觀眾甚至會扔家具上台

So "Macbeth" opens with a literal bang.

所以，馬克白的開場如字面上一樣的「蹦」一聲

Thunder cracks and three witches appear.

雷霆乍響，三位女巫現身

They announce they're searching

他們宣稱自己正在尋找

for a Scottish nobleman and war hero named Macbeth,

一位戰爭英雄的蘇格蘭貴族，叫做馬克白

then fly off while chanting a curse that predicts a world gone mad.

他們隨即飛走並反覆吟唱著，預言說世界將會崩壞

"Fair is foul and foul is fair. Hover through the fog and filthy air."

「好即是壞，壞即是好。我們徘徊在雲霧與濁氣中。」

As seen later, they find Macbeth and his fellow nobleman Banquo.

隨後，他們找到了馬克白與他的貴族夥伴班戈

"All hail Macbeth," they prophesize, "that shalt be king hereafter!"

「萬眾向你致敬，馬克白，」 他們預言說， 「你日後將成為國王！」

"King?" Macbeth wonders.

「國王？」馬克白遲疑著

Just what would he have to do to gain the crown?

他該如何去做以獲得皇位？

Macbeth and his wife Lady Macbeth

馬克白夫人與他的妻子馬克白夫人

soon chart a course of murder, lies, and betrayal.

迅速的密謀了謀殺、謊言與背叛

In the ensuing bloodbath,

確保了這血洗的場面

Shakespeare provides viewers with some of the most memorable passages

莎士比亞給了讀者許多英國文學中

in English literature.

最值得回味的段落

"Out, damned spot! Out, I say!" Lady Macbeth cries when she believes

「去掉！該死的血跡！我說，去掉！」馬克白夫人哭喊著

she can't wipe her victim's blood off her hands.

此時，她相信她沒辦法將死者的血從手中抹除

Her obsession with guilt is one of many themes that runs through the play,

她對於罪疚的執著是其中一個貫穿了整齣戲的元素

along with the universal tendency to abuse power,

伴隨著對權力的濫用的普遍傾向

the endless cycles of violence and betrayal,

暴力與背叛的無盡輪迴

the defying political conflict.

以及無謂的政治鬥爭

As is typical with Shakespeare's language,

就如典型的莎士比亞語言

a number of phrases that got their start in the play

許多段落首次出現在劇本裡

have been repeated so many times that they now feel commonplace.

卻被重複了無數次，以至於他們現在變成了慣用語

They include "the milk of human kindness,"

這些段落包括了「人們的惻隱之心」

"what's done is done,"

「木已成舟，覆水難收」

and the famous witches' spell,

以及女巫有名的咒語

"Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and caldron bubble."

「加倍再加倍，勞身又費神；釡底火烈烈，釡中沸滾滾。」

But Shakespeares saves the juiciest bit of all for Macbeth himself.

但是，莎士比亞把最刺激的留給了馬克白自己

Towards the end of the play, Macbeth reflects on the universality of death

當劇接近尾聲時，馬克白回顧了死亡的恆常性

and the futility of life.

與生命的無勞

"Out, out, brief candle!" he laments.

「滅了吧、滅了吧，這短暫的燭火！」他唾棄著

"Life's but a walking shadow,

「人生不過是四處飄流的陰影」

a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage

「舞台上可憐的演員， 不是趾高氣昂，便是愁苦煩躁」

and then is heard no more.

「事過境遷，終將消失無影」

It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury

「這段故事，由傻子講述，語氣激昂」

signifying nothing."

「卻毫無意義」

Life may be a tale told my an idiot, but "Macbeth" is not.

人生可能是個愚者在講述著，但《馬克白》可不是

Shakespeare's language and characters have entered our cultural consciousness

莎士比亞的語言和腳色以罕見的手法

to a rare extent.

滲入我們的文化意識

Directors often use the story to shed light on abuses of power,

導演時常用故事去揭曉權力的濫用

ranging from the American mafia

範圍從美國黑手黨

to dictators across the globe.

到全世界的獨裁者

The play has been adapted to film many times,

這齣戲被改編成電影無數次了

including Akira Kurosawa's "Throne of Blood,"

包刮了黑澤明的《蜘蛛巢城》

which takes place in feudal Japan,

它發生於日本封建時代

and a modernized version called "Scotland, PA,"

另外一部則是現代的版本叫做 《蘇格蘭場》

in which Macbeth and his rivals

這部裡，馬克白和他的對手

are managers of competing fast food restaurants.

變成了競爭關係的速食餐廳的主管

No matter the presentation,

無論用甚麼方式展現

questions of morality,

這些關於道德

politics,

政治

and power are still relevant today,

以及權力的質疑仍與今日息息相關

and so, it seems, is Shakespeare's "Macbeth."

因次，一切看來都是莎士比亞的《馬克白》