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The Importance of Being Earnest
《認真的重要》
B1 Read the following extract from The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde.
B1 讀以下選自奧斯卡·王爾德的劇本《認真的重要》的摘錄。
I am engaged to Mr. Worthing, Mamma.
媽媽，我和Worthing先生訂婚了。
Pardon me, you are not engaged to any one. When you do become engaged to someone, I, or your father, will inform you of the fact.
抱歉。你沒和任何人訂婚。如果你和某人訂婚了，我或是你的父親會讓你知悉。
And now I have a few questions to put to you, Mr Worthing.
那么現在我有幾個問題想向您提出，Worthing先生。
While I am making these enquiries, you, Gwendolen, will wait for me below in the carriage.
我要問一些問題，Gwendolen，你到下面的馬車等我。
Yes, Mamma. (goes out, looking back at Jack)
好的，媽媽。（走出去，回頭看了看杰克。）
(pencil and note-book in hand) How old are you?
（手里拿著鉛筆和記事本）你多大了？
Twenty-nine.
29歲。
A very good age to be married at. What is your income?
很適合結婚的年齡。收入多少？
Between seven and eight thousand a year.
年薪7千到8千。
(makes a note in her book) In land, or in investments?
（在記事本中記下來）做地產還是投資？
In investments, chiefly.
主要是投資。
That is satisfactory. You have a house, I hope?
還讓人滿意。你有房子吧？我希望。
Well, I own a house in Belgrave Square.
哦，我在貝爾格雷弗廣場有處房子。
What number in Belgrave Square?
貝爾格雷弗廣場多少號？
149.
149號。
(shaking her head) The unfashionable side. Now to minor matters. Are your parents living?
（搖頭）過時的地段。有個小問題，你的雙親還在世嗎？
I have lost both my parents.
他們都已離我而去了。
To lose one parent, Mr Worthing, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness. Who was your father?
失去一個親人，Worthing先生，也許可以看做不幸；失去雙親就像是無憂無慮的。你的父親是誰？
I am afraid I really don't know.
這個恐怕我不太知道。
The fact is, Lady Bracknell, it would be nearer the truth to say that my parents seem to have lost me... I was... well, I was found.
事實上，Bracknell夫人，事實真想更確切來講可以說是我的父母似乎把我遺失了……我……哦，我被人找到的。
Found!
找到的！
The late Mr Thomas Cardew found me, and gave me the name of Worthing,
已故的托馬斯·卡德魯先生找到了我，給我起了Worthing這個名字。
because he happened to have a first-class ticket for Worthing in his pocket at the time.
因為他當時口袋里正巧裝著一張去Worthing的頭等艙票。
Where did the charitable gentleman find you?
這位仁慈的紳士是在何處找到你的？
(gravely) In a handbag.
（低沉地說）手提袋里。
A handbag?
一個手提袋？
(very seriously) Yes, Lady Bracknell. I was in a handbag - a somewhat large, black, leather handbag, with handles - an ordinary handbag in fact.
（很認真地回答）是的，Bracknell夫人。我在一個手提袋里——一個黑色的大皮包，帶提手——就是一個普通的手提袋。
In what locality did this Mr Thomas Cardew come across this ordinary handbag?
托馬斯·卡德魯先生在哪里看到這個普通手提袋的？
In the cloakroom at Victoria Station. It was given to him by mistake.
在維多利亞車站的衣帽間。手提袋誤給了他。
Mr Worthing, I confess I feel somewhat bewildered by what you have just told me.
Worhing先生。我承認你剛剛告訴我的事情把我弄暈了。
To be found in a handbag in a cloakroom at a railway station could hardly be regarded as an assured basis for a recognised position in good society.
你被從火車站衣帽間的手提袋中找到這件事，很難成為在上流社會地位認可的確實基礎。
May I ask you then what you would advise me to do?
我能問你建議我做什么嗎？
I would strongly advise you, Mr Worthing, to make a definite effort to produce one parent, of either sex, before the season is quite over.
我強烈建議您，Worthing先生，這個社交季節結束前，確確實實地努力造個父親或母親。
Good morning, Mr Worthing!
早安，Worthing先生！
