莎士比亞說，人生就像壹部七幕劇
1. As You Like It (Act II, Scene vii)
William Shakespeare
Background
The following is a famous monologue from the Bard's comedy masterpiece, As You Like It, in which through the mouth of a melancholy youth, Jaques, a humorous and ironic account is given of the different stages of a man's life.
[JAQUES] All the world's a stage, [傑奎斯] 大千世界是個舞臺,
And all the men and women merely players; 所有男男女女不外是戲子;
They have their exits and their entrances; 各有登場和退場,
And one man in his time plays many parts, 壹生扮演著那麽些角色,
His acts being seven ages. At first the infant, 七樣年齡分七幕.首先是嬰兒,
Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms; 在奶媽懷中啼哭著,嘔吐著.
Then the whining school-boy, with his satchel 接著是狼嚎著的小學生,背者書包,
And shining morning face, creeping like snail 掛著潔亮晨光的面孔,象蝸牛般
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover, 勉強爬行上學.跟著是情人,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad 息得象熔爐,專為情婦的
Made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier, 娥眉作悲歌.隨後是士兵,
Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard, 胡子象豹的,滿是新奇的罵人話,
Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel, 吵架時魯莽沖動,卻熱衷榮譽,
Seeking the bubble reputation 追求那泡沫的名聲
Even in the cannon's mouth. And then the justice, 連火炮口也不怕.然後是法官,
In fair round belly with good capon lined1, 那好圓的肚子用上等的閹雞填滿,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut, 眼色嚴峻,胡須正經,
Full of wise saws and modern instances2; 多的是智慧的格言,日常的事例 ——
And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts 演著自己.第六樣年齡
Into the lean and slippered pantaloon3, 化作瘦削的,穿便鞋的傻老頭,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side, 鼻子戴眼鏡,身邊掛錢袋;
His youthful hose4, well saved, a world too wide 年的褲,好好的儲存了,已太寬松,
For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice5, 合收縮了的小腿;雄壯的嗓子
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes 轉向小孩的高音,聽來
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all, 象打呼哨.最後的壹場戲 ——
That ends this strange eventful history, 結束這變化莫測的戲劇的壹場 ——
Is second childishness and mere oblivion6; 是再來的幼稚,全然的健忘,
Sans teeth, sans7 eyes, sans taste, sans every thing. 沒牙齒,沒眼力,沒口味,沒壹切.