英文名著分集阅读 詹妮弗·巴西特《威廉·莎士比亚》part4

William Shakespeare by Jennifer Bassett

单词提示

1.playgoers 戏迷 2.wigs 假发 3.rehearsals 排练

原文

Chapter 4: A new life in London

It's two days journey to London by horse, and Will talked all the way. His eyes were bright and excited. He was full of plans, and poems, and a love of life. “I talked to one of the queen's men.” he told me, “He said that he could find me work in the theatre, acting perhaps, or helping to write some plays. I showed him some of my writing and he was very interested.” When we rode into London, I began to feel afraid. This was a big, big city, and we were just two unimportant young men from a small town. I'll never forget the noise, and the smells, and the crowds. There were 200000 people living in the city of London. I never saw so many people before in my life. We went down to the River Thames, and saw the famous London Bridge with all its shops and houses. Down the river was the Tower of London. Enemies of the Queen went into the tower through the river gate and mostly came out without their heads. We found a small inn in east, cheap, not too expensive, and had some bread, meat,and beer for our supper. “Well,we're here.” Will said at last. I said, “What do we do next?” He laughed everything. The next day, we began to look for work. Those early years were wonderful. We didn't have much money of course, and we had to work very hard. A new actor only got six shillings a week, and there wasn't work every week. I decided not to be an actor. “Why not?” said Will, “It's a great life.” We were working that month for the Queen's men at the theatre called The Curtain Up in Shoreditch. Will was acting four small parts in two different plays. He played a soldier and a murderer in one play. And in the other play, he was a thief and also an Italian lord in love with the Queen of the knight, and he loved it. “I'm not clever like you,” I said, “I can't remember all those words. I forget who I am. I say the soldier's words when I'm an Italian lord, I come on stage too late or too soon. I stand in all the wrong places.” Will laughed, “What are you going to do then?” “Costumes,”I say, “and properties. I had a talk with John Hemmings, and he said they need a new man to help with all the clothes and the other things.” “Yes,”Will said slowly, “you'll be good at that now. I've got a fight on stage tomorrow and I have to die with lots of blood. How are you going to get me some blood? I've already got it.” I smiled kindly at him, “Sheep's blood, I got it down at Smithfield Market this morning. You can have as much blood as you want. I'm keeping it warm for you.” Will was good at acting, not the best, but good. An actor had to do everything, he had to learn his words of course, perhaps for six different plays at the same time. No theatre put on the same play every day, he had to dance and sing and play music,he had to jump and fall and fight and the fights had to look real. The playgoers of London knew a real fight when they saw one. John Hemmings of The Queen's Men taught us both a lot. He was a good friend then, and for many years. I had a lot to learn, too. I learned how to make shoes out of brown paper, how to clean the actor's hats with a bit of bread, then they looked like new again. I ran all over London to buy the best hair for the wigs. I learned how to make fish and fruit and a piece of meat out of wood and colored paper. Will was busy day and night. I don't know when he slept. He was acting in plays, he was writing his own plays, he was reading books, he was meeting other writers, making friends. He was learning, learning, learning… One day, we were having a glass of beer with Richard Burbage at the Boar's Head in east cheap. Burbage was an actor with Lord Strange's Men. He was very friendly with Will. “You've written four plays now, Will.” he said, “they're good and you're getting better all the time. And I'm getting better as an actor all the time. Come and work with Lord Strange's men at the Rose Theatre on Banksid