Viola's response to Orsino in Twelfth Night By William Shakespeare

《第十二夜》中薇奥拉与公爵的对话 威廉·莎士比亚

There is no woman’s sides can bide the beating of so strong a passion as love doth give my heart.

女人的小小的身体一定受不住像爱情强加于我心中的那种激烈的搏跳;

No woman’s heart so big, to hold so much.

女人的心没有这样广大，可以藏得下这许多;

They lack retention.

她们缺少含忍的能力。

Alas, their love may be called appetite,

唉，她们的爱就像一个人的口味一样，

No motion of the liver, but the palate,

不是从脏腑里，而是从舌尖上感觉到的，

that suffer surfeit, cloyment, and revolt;

过饱了便会食伤呕吐;

But mine is all as hungry as the sea,and can digest as much.

可是我的爱就像饥饿的大海，能够消化一切。

Make no compare between that love a woman can bear me and that I owe Olivia.

不要把一个女人所能对我发生的爱情跟我对于奥丽维娅的爱情相提并论吧。

Ay, but I know

哦，可是我知道

What dost thou know?

你知道什么?

Too well what love women to men may owe.

我知道得很清楚女人对于男人会怀着怎样的爱情;

In faith, they are as true of heart as we.

真的，她们是跟我们一样真心的。

My father had a daughter loved a man

我的父亲有一个女儿，她爱上了一个男人，

As it might be, perhaps, were I a woman,I should your lordship.

正像假如我是个女人也许会爱上殿下您一样。

And what`s her history?

她的历史怎样?

A blank, my lord.

一片空白而已，殿下。

She never told her love,

她从来不向人诉说她的爱情，

But let concealment, like a worm i`the bud,

让隐藏在内心中的抑郁像蓓蕾中的蛀虫一样，

Feed on her damask cheek:she pined in thought,

侵蚀着她的绯红的脸颊;她因相思而憔悴，

And with a green and yellow melancholy

疾病和忧愁折磨着她，

She sat like patience on a monument,smiling at grief.

像是墓碑上刻着的“忍耐”的化身，默坐着向悲哀微笑。

Was not this love indeed?

这不是真的爱情吗?

We men may say more, swear more:

我们男人也许更多话，更会发誓，

but indeed our shows are more than will;for still we prove much in our vows,

可是我们所表示的，总多于我们所决心实行的;不论我们怎样山盟海誓，

but little in our love .

我们的爱情总不过如此。