PartIVTheRenaissance 2 Hamlet PrinceofDenmarkActIII SceneI ActIII SceneI context ThissceneopenswithClaudius theKing askingRosencrantzandGuildensterniftheyhavediscoveredthecauseofHamlet smadness Afteradmittingtheydidnotfindthecause butweretreatedwellbyHamlet theyinformtheKingandQueenthatHamletishappythatthereisgoingtobeaplaypresentedtomorrowandhehopesthatClaudiusandGertrudewillattend ActIII SceneI context PleasedthatthereissomethingthatamusesHamlet theybothdecidetoattendtheplayandtheyurgeRosencrantzandGuildensterntotryandstimulatehisinterestfurther ActIII SceneI context ClaudiusasksGertrudetoleavesothatheandPoloniuscanobserveaclandestine 秘密的 私下的 meetingtheysetupbetweenHamletandOphelia TheytellOpheliatopretendsheisprayingandtheygoandhide Hamletentersandgivesasoliloquyonhisthoughtsabouthimselfcommittingsuicide ActIII SceneI context HeseesOphelia andwhenshetriestoreturnsomegiftsthathehadgivenher heclaimshenevergaveherany TheyhaveadiscussionwhereinHamletdenieseverlovingOpheliaandberating 痛骂 严斥 herandwomeningeneralfortheirtrickeryandpretentiousness ActIII SceneI context WhenHamletleaves ClaudiusandPoloniusenter ClaudiusisconvincedthatHamlet smadnessdoesnotstemfromhisloveforOphelia butthatitissomethingelsethatisafflictinghissoul ClaudiusrealizesthatHamlet sactionsareadangertothosearoundhim HedecidestosendHamlettoEngland hopingachangeofatmospherewillsettlehisheart ThesceneendswithClaudiusstatingthatHamletshouldbewatched ActIII SceneI translation 生存还是毁灭 这是一个问题 是默然忍受命运的暴虐的毒箭 或是挺身反抗人世的无涯的苦难 通过斗争把它们扫清 这两种行为 哪一种更高贵 死了 睡着了 什么都完了 要是在这一种睡眠之中 我们心头的创痛 以及其他无数血肉之躯所不能避免的打击 都可以从此消失 那正是我们求之不得的结局 死了 睡着了 睡着了也许还会做梦 嗯 阻碍就在这儿 因为当我们摆脱了这一具朽腐的皮囊以后 在那死的睡眠里 究竟将要做些什么梦 那不能不使我们踌躇顾虑 ActIII SceneI translation 人们甘心久困于患难之中 也就是为了这个缘故 谁愿意忍受人世的鞭挞和讥嘲 压迫者的凌辱 傲慢者的冷眼 被轻蔑的爱情的惨痛 法律的迁延 官吏的横暴和费尽辛勤所换来的小人的鄙视 要是他只要用一柄小小的刀子 就可以清算他自己的一生 谁愿意负着这样的重担 在烦劳的生命的压迫下呻吟流汗 倘不是因为惧怕不可知的死后 惧怕那从来不曾有一个旅人回来过的神秘之国 是它迷惑了我们的意志 使我们宁愿忍受目前的磨折 不敢向我们所不知道的痛苦飞去 ActIII SceneI translation 这样 重重的顾虑使我们全变成了懦夫 决心的赤热的光彩 被审慎的思维盖上了一层灰色 伟大的事业在这一种考虑之下 也会逆流而退 失去了行动的意义 喔 轻点声 美丽的奥菲利亚来了 噢我的仙女啊 在你祈祷的时候 也为我所有的罪孽忏悔吧 Tobe ornottobe existence UnlikeHamlet sfirsttwomajorsoliloquies thisspeechseemstobegovernedbyreasonandnotfrenziedemotion Unabletodolittlebutwaitforcompletionofhisplanto catchtheconscienceoftheking Hamletsparksaninternalphilosophicaldebateontheadvantagesanddisadvantagesofexistence andwhetheritisone srighttoendhisorherownlife Tobe ornottobe choice Manycommentatorsreadthechoicebetweenthelifeofaction tobe andlifeofsilentacceptance nottobe asaprimaryfocusofHamlet sdilemma Accordingtothatinterpretation whether tisnoblerinthemindtosuffer theslingsandarrowsofoutrageousfortune wouldgetassociatedwithnottobealternative while totakearmsagainstaseaoftroubles andbyopposingendthem withthetobe Tobe ornottobe death thesolution Inthistake thePrince sfurtherponderingthenatureofdeathcanbeseeninthelightthatdeathcouldbeconsideredasanoption theroutewhichallowstoavoidchoosingbetweentobeandnottobealtogether Tobe ornottobe dilemma Hamletasksthequestionforalldejected 悲伤的 沮丧的 souls isitnoblertolivemiserablyortoendone ssorrowswithasinglestroke Heknowsthattheanswerwouldbeundoubtedly yes ifdeathwerelikeadreamlesssleep The rub orobstacleHamletfacesisthefearof whatdreamsmaycome i e the dreadofsomethingafterdeath Hamletiswellawarethatsuicideiscondemnedbythechurchasamortalsin Tobe ornottobe existentialism Regardlessofwhetherthefocusisplacedon lifevs death or actionvs noaction thethemestackledbythesoliloquy andbyShakespeare splayingeneral ledtothecharacterofDanishPrinceoftengettingcomparedtoexistentialistsafterthetermwasintroducedinthetwentiethcentury Tobe ornottobe Schopenhauer scomment GermanphilosopherSchopenhauersaid Theessentialpurport 意义 要点 涵义 主旨 oftheworld famousmonologueinHamletis incondensedform thatourstateissowretchedthatcompletenon existencewouldbedecidedlypreferabletoit Tobe ornottobe Schopenhauer scomment Nowifsuicideactuallyofferedusthis sothatthealternative 两者择一 抉择 tobeornottobe laybeforeusinthefullsenseofthewords itcouldbechosenunconditionallyasahighlydesirabletermination 结束 终止 aconsummationdevoutlytobewish d Thereissomethinginus however whichtellsusthatthisisnotso thatthisisnottheendofthings thatdeathisnotanabsoluteannihilation 毁灭 灭绝 Tobe ornottobe of usall SomescholarslimitHamlet sdiscussiontoadeliberation 深思熟虑 慎重考虑 ofwhetherheshouldtakehisownlife YetnothinganywhereinthespeechrelatesittoHamlet sindividualcase Heusesthepronouns we and us theindefinite who theimpersonalinfinitive Tobe ornottobe of usall Hespeaksexplicitlyof usall ofwhat flesh isheirto ofwhat we sufferatthehandsof time or fortune whichservesincidentallytoindicatewhatforHamletismeantby tobe Shakespeare William Hamlet HaroldJenkins ed London Methuen 1982 489 Tobe ornottobe greetingOphelia Hamlet ssoliloquyisinterruptedbyOpheliawhoissayingherprayers Hamletaddressesheras Nymph acourtlysalutationcommonintheRenaissance SomecriticsarguethatHamlet sgreetingisstrained 勉强的 不自然的 andcoollypolite andhisrequestthatsheremembershiminherprayersissarcastic However