[Stage] Theseus and Hippolyta enter along with Philostrate and others.
提修斯和希波吕妲与菲洛斯特雷特和其他人一起进入。

Theseus（提修斯）
Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour
Draws on apace. Four happy days bring in
Another moon.
现在，希波吕妲Hippolyta，我们的婚礼时刻正在逼近。再过四天将会有一轮新月出现，而我们将结为夫妻。

But oh, methinks how slow
This old moon wanes! She lingers my desires,
Like to a stepdame or a dowager
Long withering out a young man’s revenue.
但是哦！老月亮在我眼中似乎缓慢地缩小！它让我迟迟无法获得我渴望的东西，就像一个老富有的寡妇会让她的继子永远等待继承财产一样。

Hippolyta（希波吕妲）
Four days will quickly steep themselves in night.
Four nights will quickly dream away the time.
四天将迅速过去，转瞬变为夜晚。而每个夜晚，我们将在梦中消磨时间。

And then the moon, like to a silver bow
New bent in heaven, shall behold the night
Of our solemnities.
很快，月亮将会像一根新弯成形的银弓挂在天空中，照耀着我们婚礼庆典的夜晚。

Theseus（提修斯）
Go, Philostrate,
Stir up the Athenian youth to merriments.
菲洛斯特雷特，让雅典的年轻人进入庆祝的心情。

Awake the pert and nimble spirit of mirth.
唤醒那活泼而敏捷、充满乐趣的精神。

Turn melancholy forth to funerals.
The pale companion is not for our pomp.
让悲伤流向葬礼，这种苍白的情感在我们的庆典上没有位置。

[Stage] Philostrate exits.
菲洛斯特雷特离开。

Hippolyta, I wooed thee with my sword
And won thy love doing thee injuries.
希波吕妲，我通过与你战斗来追求你，通过伤害你而赢得了你的爱。

But I will wed thee in another key,
With pomp, with triumph, and with reveling.
但我会以不同的方式与你结婚——用华丽的仪式、公共的庆典和庆祝来完成。

Egeus（埃格乌斯）
Happy be Theseus, our renownèd duke.
愿你快乐，提修斯——我们著名而杰出的公爵！

[Stage] Egeus enters with his daughter Hermia, along with Lysander and Demetrius.
埃格乌斯带着他的女儿赫米娅，还有拉山德和狄米特律斯一同进来。

Theseus（提修斯）
Thanks, good Egeus. What’s the news with thee?
非常感谢，亲爱的埃格乌斯。你最近怎么样？

Egeus（埃格乌斯）
Full of vexation come I with complaint
Against my child, my daughter Hermia.
我满腔愤怒地来找你，抗议我的女儿赫米娅的行为。

Stand forth, Demetrius.
My noble lord,
This man hath my consent to marry her.
向前走，狄米特律斯。我尊贵的提修斯大人，这个人，狄米特律斯，有我的祝福来与她结婚。

Stand forth, Lysander. And my gracious duke,
This man hath bewitched the bosom of my child.
Thou, thou, Lysander, thou hast given her rhymes,
And interchanged love tokens with my child.
向前迈出，拉山德。然而，我亲爱的公爵，这个人拉山德已经施了一个魔咒给了我的女儿的心。拉山德，你给她写了诗，还送给她爱的信物。

Thou hast by moonlight at her window sung
With feigning voice verses of feigning love,
And stol’n the impression of her fantasy
With bracelets of thy hair, rings, gauds, conceits,
Knacks, trifles, nosegays, sweetmeats—messengers
Of strong prevailment in unhardened youth.
你在月光下来到她的窗前，用你虚假的情歌假装爱她。你通过给她你的一缕头发、戒指、玩具、小装饰品、小礼物、花朵和糖果来迷住她的心，这一切都会对一个天真无邪的孩子产生强大的影响。

With cunning hast thou filched my daughter’s heart,
Turned her obedience (which is due to me)
To stubborn harshness.
你暗中阴谋偷走了我女儿的心，将她对我应尽的服从变成了顽固的倔强。

And, my gracious duke,
Be it so she will not here before your grace
Consent to marry with Demetrius,
I beg the ancient privilege of Athens.
我尊贵的公爵，如果赫米娅站在您面前不同意嫁给狄米特律斯，那我要求我作为雅典的父亲享有传统的权利。

As she is mine, I may dispose of her—
Which shall be either to this gentleman
Or to her death—according to our law
Immediately provided in that case.
既然她属于我，我可以按照法律所明确规定的来处理她，就像这种情况一样：要么她嫁给狄米特律斯，要么她死。

Theseus（提修斯）
What say you, Hermia? Be advised, fair maid:
赫米娅，你听听这句话，漂亮姑娘：

To you your father should be as a god,
One that composed your beauties,
你应该把你的父亲视为神，因为他创造了你的美丽。

To whom you are but as a form in wax,
By him imprinted and within his power
To leave the figure or disfigure it.
Demetrius is a worthy gentleman.
对于他来说，你就像他用蜡塑成的雕像，给了他保留它或摧毁它的力量。狄米特律斯是个好人。

Hermia（赫米娅）
So is Lysander.
拉山德也是。

Theseus（提修斯）
In himself he is.
But in this kind, wanting your father’s voice,
The other must be held the worthier.
是的，他是的。但在这种情况下，因为他缺乏你父亲的支持，你必须认为狄米特律斯更好。

Hermia（赫米娅）
I would my father looked but with my eyes.
我希望我父亲能透过我的眼睛看到他们。

Theseus（提修斯）
Rather your eyes must with his judgment look.
相反，你对他们的看法必须受到你父亲的意愿的影响。

Hermia（赫米娅）
I do entreat your grace to pardon me.
I know not by what power I am made bold
Nor how it may concern my modesty
In such a presence here to plead my thoughts,
我请求您的宽恕。我不知道是什么让我如此大胆，甚至向像您这样重要的人表达我的想法可能会损害我的谦逊的声誉。

But I beseech your grace that I may know
The worst that may befall me in this case,
If I refuse to wed Demetrius.
但我恳求你向我解释，如果我拒绝嫁给狄米特律斯，对我而言可能发生的最糟糕的事情是什么。

Theseus（提修斯）
Either to die the death or to abjure
Forever the society of men.
Therefore, fair Hermia, question your desires.
你要么被判处死刑，要么再也不得与其他男人交往。因此，美丽的赫米娅，请认真考虑你想要的是什么。

Know of your youth. Examine well your blood—
想想你年轻的岁月，探索你的感受

Whether, if you yield not to your father’s choice,
You can endure the livery of a nun,
For aye to be in shady cloister mewed,
To live a barren sister all your life,
Chanting faint hymns to the cold, fruitless moon.
如果你不迎合你父亲的愿望，你能忍受穿上修女的袍子，被关在昏暗的修道院里，一生都没有丈夫或孩子，在默默中向黛安娜吟诵吗？

Thrice-blessèd they that master so their blood
To undergo such maiden pilgrimage.
那些能够控制自己的激情并一生保持贞洁的人将获得三倍的福祉。

But earthlier happy is the rose distilled
Than that which, withering on the virgin thorn,
Grows, lives, and dies in single blessedness.
但是在这个世界上，已婚妇女比纯洁获得祝福但如花朵一般在枝干上茁壮生长、生活并凋零的处女更加幸福。

Hermia（赫米娅）
So will I grow, so live, so die, my lord,
Ere I will yield my virgin patent up
Unto his lordship,
这就是我将成长、生活和死去的方式，我的主人。我不会将我的贞操所有权交给我的父亲大人。

whose unwishèd yoke
My soul consents not to give sovereignty.
我的灵魂拒绝让他把我命令到一个我不想要的婚姻束缚中。

Theseus（提修斯）
Take time to pause, and by the next new moon—
The sealing day betwixt my love and me
For everlasting bond of fellowship—
请花点时间考虑。到下一个新月时——那一天我和我的爱人将结为夫妻。

Upon that day either prepare to die
For disobedience to your father’s will,
Or else to wed Demetrius, as he would,
——不顾一切准备好要么因违背父亲的意愿而死，要么履行你父亲的期望与狄米特律斯结婚。

Or on Diana’s altar to protest
For aye austerity and single life.
否则，你可以去黛安娜庙并发誓将余生过着处女祭司的生活。

Demetrius（狄米特律斯）
Relent, sweet Hermia And, Lysander, yield
Thy crazèd title to my certain right.
屈服吧，亲爱的赫米娅。而，拉山德，放弃你对属于我之物的疯狂主张。

Lysander（拉山德）
You have her father’s love, Demetrius.
Let me have Hermia’s. Do you marry him.
你拿赫米娅，你可以嫁给他，狄米特律斯，她父亲爱你。

Egeus（埃格乌斯）
Scornful Lysander, true, he hath my love,
粗鲁的拉山德，是的，我爱他。

And what is mine my love shall render him.
因为我爱他，所以我会给他属于我的一切。

And she is mine, and all my right of her
I do estate unto Demetrius.
赫米娅是我的，我将我的权利交给狄米特律斯。

Lysander（拉山德）
I am, my lord, as well derived as he,
As well possessed. My love is more than his.
我的尊主，我和狄米特律斯一样高贵，一样富有。我比他更爱赫米娅。

My fortunes every way as fairly ranked,
(If not with vantage) as Demetrius’.
And—which is more than all these boasts can be—
I am beloved of beauteous Hermia.
我的前景在各个方面都和狄米特律斯的一样好，甚至更好。而且，比我刚刚吹嘘的所有事情更重要的是，美丽的赫米娅爱我。

Why should not I then prosecute my right?
Demetrius, I’ll avouch it to his head,
Made love to Nedar’s daughter, Helena,
And won her soul.
我为什么不能追求我的权利娶她为妻呢？狄米特律斯—我会当面对他说—追求了涅达的女儿海伦娜，并赢得了她的爱。

And she, sweet lady, dotes,
Devoutly dotes, dotes in idolatry
Upon this spotted and inconstant man.
现在海伦娜，那位甜美的女士，深深地痴迷于这个污染和不忠的男人，将他视为像神一样的偶像。

Theseus（提修斯）
I must confess that I have heard so much
And with Demetrius thought to have spoke thereof,
我必须承认我也听说过这件事，而且打算和狄米特律斯谈一谈。

But being overfull of self-affairs,
My mind did lose it. But, Demetrius, come.
And come, Egeus. You shall go with me.
I have some private schooling for you both.
但由于忙于自己的事情，我忘记这件事了。但现在，狄米特律斯和埃格乌斯，请跟我来。我有一些私下想给你们的建议。

For you, fair Hermia, look you arm yourself
To fit your fancies to your father’s will,
Or else the law of Athens yields you up
(Which by no means we may extenuate)
To death, or to a vow of single life.
至于你，美丽的赫米娅，准备好将你的欲望塑造成与你父亲期望相符，否则雅典的法律（我无法修改或减轻）要求你要么死亡，要么立誓贞洁，终身不婚。

Come, my Hippolyta. What cheer, my love?
Demetrius and Egeus, go along.
I must employ you in some business
Against our nuptial and confer with you
Of something nearly that concerns yourselves.
快点，希波吕妲。亲爱的，你好吗？狄米特律斯和埃格乌斯，跟着我们来。我有些关于我们婚礼的工作需要你们做，还有一些关于你们两个的事情我想讨论一下。

Egeus（埃格乌斯）
With duty and desire we follow you.
我们追随您是因为这是我们的责任，也是我们的愿望。

[Stage] They exit, except Lysander and Hermia.
他们都离开了，只剩下拉山德和赫米娅。

Lysander（拉山德）
How now, my love? Why is your cheek so pale?
How chance the roses there do fade so fast?
你怎么了，我的爱人？你的脸颊怎么这么苍白？你脸上的玫瑰为什么凋谢得这么快？

Hermia（赫米娅）
Belike for want of rain, which I could well
Beteem them from the tempest of my eyes.
可能是因为他们缺乏雨水，而我可以从我眼泪中给予他们。

Lysander（拉山德）
Ay me! For aught that I could ever read,
Could ever hear by tale or history,
The course of true love never did run smooth.
哎呀！在我读过的每一本书中，无论是故事还是历史，真爱的道路从来都不平坦或容易。

But either it was different in blood—
也许这对恋人来自不同的社会阶层

Hermia（赫米娅）
O cross! Too high to be enthralled to low.
哦，这是一个障碍！在爱上一个地位低微的人身上，身份高贵的人。

Lysander（拉山德）
Or else misgraffèd in respect of years—
要么他们的年龄差异很大，要么他们年纪相差很多。

Hermia（赫米娅）
O spite! Too old to be engaged to young.
哦，恶毒的命运！居然年纪太大无法嫁给年轻人。

Lysander（拉山德）
Or else it stood upon the choice of friends—
否则，他们的选择能力将取决于他们亲戚的愿望。

Hermia（赫米娅）
O hell, to choose love by another’s eyes!
哦，真是个可怕的地方，让别人的愿望决定你能爱谁！

Lysander（拉山德）
Or, if there were a sympathy in choice,
War, death, or sickness did lay siege to it,
Making it momentary as a sound,
Swift as a shadow, short as any dream,
或者即使是两个人彼此相爱并选择结婚，战争、死亡或疾病可能会介入，使得他们的爱恋只能持续一瞬间，犹如流水，短暂如梦。

Brief as the lightning in the collied night;
That, in a spleen, unfolds both heaven and Earth,
And ere a man hath power to say “Behold!”
或者，它就像一道闪电，短暂而瞬间，就像一瞬的激情般照亮了天地，却在你还没来得及说“看！”的时候便消失在黑暗中。

The jaws of darkness do devour it up.
So quick bright things come to confusion.
这就是充满生机的东西如何被摧毁。

Hermia（赫米娅）
If then true lovers have been ever crossed,
It stands as an edict in destiny.
如果真正的恋人经常受阻，那就证明命运在说我们受阻的爱是真实的。

Then let us teach our trial patience,
让我们确保以耐心的态度来解决我们的问题。

Because it is a customary cross,
As due to love as thoughts and dreams and sighs,
Wishes and tears, poor fancy’s followers.
既然真爱必然受阻，那么被阻挠与梦想、叹息、愿望和泪水一样，都是爱情不可分割的一部分。

Lysander（拉山德）
A good persuasion.
那是正确的思考方式。

Therefore, hear me, Hermia.
I have a widow aunt, a dowager
Of great revenue, and she hath no child.
所以，听着，赫米娅。我有一个寡妇的姑姑，她拥有财产和巨大的财富，没有孩子。

From Athens is her house remote seven leagues,
And she respects me as her only son.
There, gentle Hermia, may I marry thee.
And to that place the sharp Athenian law
Cannot pursue us.
她的住处距离雅典大约有二十英里，而她把我视为自己的儿子。亲爱的赫米娅，我可以在那里娶你，那里雅典严苛的法律无法跟随我们。

If thou lovest me then,
Steal forth thy father’s house tomorrow night.
如果你爱我，明天晚上从你父亲的房子里偷偷出来。

And in the wood, a league without the town—
Where I did meet thee once with Helena
To do observance to a morn of May—
There will I stay for thee.
我会在离镇子三英里远的树林里等你，那是我们曾经与海伦娜庆祝五一劳动节的地方。

Hermia（赫米娅）
My good Lysander!
I swear to thee by Cupid’s strongest bow,
By his best arrow with the golden head,
By the simplicity of Venus’ doves,
我亲爱的拉山德！我向你发誓——以丘比特最强劲的弓，以他最好的镀金箭头；以那些驱动维纳斯战车的无辜的鸽子。

By that which knitteth souls and prospers loves,
And by that fire which burned the Carthage queen
When the false Troyan under sail was seen,
凭借将灵魂紧密联系，并让爱情蓬勃发展的一切；凭借卡塔奇的女王迪多玛登上的篝火，在她看到她的爱人埃涅阿斯秘密离开时，她自焚而死；

By all the vows that ever men have broke
(In number more than ever women spoke),
和所有男人曾经打破的诺言一样多（超过了所有女人曾经做出的诺言）。

In that same place thou hast appointed me,
Tomorrow truly will I meet with thee.
明天我会在你要我去的地方见你。

Lysander（拉山德）
Keep promise, love. Look, here comes Helena.
守住你的诺言，我的爱。看，这里来了海伦娜。

Hermia（赫米娅）
Godspeed, fair Helena! Whither away?
欢迎，美丽的海伦娜！你去哪里呢？

[Stage] Helena enters.
海伦娜进来了。

Helena（海伦娜）
Call you me “fair?” That “fair” again unsay.
Demetrius loves your fair. O happy fair!
你叫我”美丽”吗？收回！你的美丽是狄米特律斯所喜爱的。哦，幸运的美丽！

Your eyes are lodestars, and your tongue’s sweet air
More tunable than lark to shepherd’s ear
When wheat is green, when hawthorn buds appear.
您的眼睛像星星一样明亮，您甜美的声音比放羊的牧羊人在绿浪中听到的歌声更悠扬。

Sickness is catching. Oh, were favor so,
Yours would I catch, fair Hermia, ere I go.
疾病是传染性的。哦，但愿美丽也是传染性的。在我离开之前，我想要感染上你的美丽，美丽的赫米娅。

My ear should catch your voice. My eye, your eye.
My tongue should catch your tongue’s sweet melody.
Were the world mine, Demetrius being bated,
The rest I’d give to be to you translated.
我的耳朵会被你的声音感染，我的眼睛会被你的眼睛感染，我的舌头会领略到你的音乐般的声音。如果我拥有世界，我会放弃一切，除了狄米特律斯，为了能够变成你。

O, teach me how you look and with what art
You sway the motion of Demetrius’ heart.
哦，教我怎么看待狄米特律斯，并用什么方法让他爱上我。

Hermia（赫米娅）
I frown upon him, yet he loves me still.
我皱眉看着他，但他仍然爱我。

Helena（海伦娜）
Oh, that your frowns would teach my smiles such skill!
哦，如果只有你们的皱眉能够教导我的微笑拥有同样的能力！

Hermia（赫米娅）
I give him curses, yet he gives me love.
我咒骂他，但他却回以爱意。

Helena（海伦娜）
Oh, that my prayers could such affection move!
啊，如果我的祈祷能够唤起那种感情就好了！

Hermia（赫米娅）
The more I hate, the more he follows me.
我越恨他，他就越追随我。

Helena（海伦娜）
The more I love, the more he hateth me.
我越爱他，他越恨我。

Hermia（赫米娅）
His folly, Helena, is no fault of mine.
海伦娜，他的愚蠢与我无关。

Helena（海伦娜）
None, but your beauty. Would that fault were mine!
只因你的美貌，才会这样。但愿我也有这个“过失”！

Hermia（赫米娅）
Take comfort. He no more shall see my face.
Lysander and myself will fly this place.
放心，他再也不会看到我的脸了。拉山德和我要从这里逃走。

Before the time I did Lysander see
Seemed Athens as a paradise to me.
在我第一次见到拉山德之前，雅典对我来说就像天堂一样。

Oh, then, what graces in my love do dwell,
That he hath turned a heaven unto a hell!
但是拉山德如此美丽、优雅，以至于相比之下，他已经把我以为的天堂变成了地狱！

Lysander（拉山德）
Helen, to you our minds we will unfold.
海伦娜，我们会让你知晓我们的计划。

Tomorrow night when Phoebe doth behold
Her silver visage in the watery glass,
Decking with liquid pearl the bladed grass
明晚，当菲比在水面上映出倒影，并用珍珠般的光芒点缀着青草。

(A time that lovers’ flights doth still conceal),
Through Athens’ gates have we devised to steal.
（那个总是隐藏着逃亡恋人的夜晚时刻——我们计划偷偷从雅典的大门溜走。）

Hermia（赫米娅）
And in the wood where often you and I
Upon faint primrose beds were wont to lie,
Emptying our bosoms of their counsel sweet,
There my Lysander and myself shall meet.
在我们过去常常懒散地躺在淡黄的报春花丛中，分享心中一切甜蜜秘密的森林里，拉山德和我将相会。

And thence from Athens turn away our eyes
To seek new friends and stranger companies.
Farewell, sweet playfellow. Pray thou for us.
And good luck grant thee thy Demetrius!
然后我们将远离雅典，寻找新朋友和陌生人的陪伴。再见了，我青春时代的甜蜜朋友。请为我们祈祷，愿命运给你狄米特律斯！

Keep word, Lysander. We must starve our sight
From lovers’ food till morrow deep midnight.
请遵守你的承诺，拉山德。我们必须忍受不能见面的痛苦，直到明天午夜。

Lysander（拉山德）
I will, my Hermia.
我会的，我的赫米娅。

[Stage] Hermia exits.
赫米娅退场。

[Stage] Helena, adieu.
As you on him, Demetrius dote on you!
再见，海伦娜。愿狄米特律斯像你爱他一样爱你！

[Stage] Lysander exits.
拉山德退出舞台。

Helena（海伦娜）
How happy some o’er other some can be!
Through Athens I am thought as fair as she.
But what of that? Demetrius thinks not so.
有些人能比其他人更幸福！在整个雅典，人们认为我和赫米娅一样美丽。但那又有什么关系呢？狄米特律斯可不那么认为。

He will not know what all but he do know.
And as he errs, doting on Hermia’s eyes,
So I, admiring of his qualities.
他唯一的看法就是他自己的。当他游荡时，崇拜赫米娅的眼睛，同样，我也仰慕他的美丽。

Things base and vile, holding no quantity,
Love can transpose to form and dignity.
Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind.
And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.
爱能将粗鄙和可怕的事物变成美丽而庄重的事物。爱不是用眼睛看，而是用心灵看。这就是为什么他们把翼箭爱神描绘成盲目的。

Nor hath Love’s mind of any judgment taste—
Wings and no eyes figure unheedy haste.
And therefore is Love said to be a child,
Because in choice he is so oft beguiled.
爱情没有良好的判断或品味——羽翼和盲目会使爱情陷入过于迅速的境地。因此，爱情被认为是一个孩子，因为他经常会做出错误的选择。

As waggish boys in game themselves forswear,
So the boy Love is perjured everywhere.
就像调皮捣蛋的男孩们在玩耍时食言一样，爱情这个男孩也在每个地方说谎。

For ere Demetrius looked on Hermia’s eyne,
He hailed down oaths that he was only mine.
And when this hail some heat from Hermia felt,
So he dissolved, and showers of oaths did melt.
因为在狄米特律斯看到海伦娜的眼睛之前，他发誓只属于我。而当他对赫米娅产生吸引时，他化为乌有。他的承诺像热中的冰雹一样融化了。

I will go tell him of fair Hermia’s flight.
Then to the wood will he tomorrow night
Pursue her. And for this intelligence
If I have thanks, it is a dear expense.
我会去告诉他，美丽的赫米娅要逃走了。明晚他会去森林追寻她。如果他为这个信息感谢我，那一切都是值得的。

But herein mean I to enrich my pain,
To have his sight thither and back again.
但以这种方式，我计划让我的痛苦更加糟糕，因为我会看到他去那里，然后再回来。

[Stage] Helena exits.
海伦娜离开了。