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Stratford-on-Avon, as we all know, has only one industry -- William Shakespeare -- but there are two distinctly separate and increasingly hostile branches.
眾所周知 Stratford-on-Avon 只有一個特色，那就是威廉·莎士比亞，但這兒卻有兩個相互獨立的部門，他們隨著時間的變化而日益變得敵對。
There is the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), which presents superb productions of the plays at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre on the Avon.
這兒有皇家莎士比亞公司（RSC），它在 Avon 的莎士比亞紀念劇院里將很多優秀的戲劇作品呈現給大家 。
And there are the townsfolk who largely live off the tourists who come, not to see the plays, but to look at Anne Hathaway's Cottage, Shakespeare's birthplace and the other sights.
這兒的居民大部分是靠掙來游玩的游客的錢來維持生計，這些游客并不是來看戲劇的，而是來看 Anne Hathaway的莊園。這是莎士比亞的出生地和其他的景色。
The worthy residents of Stratford doubt that the theatre adds a penny to their revenue.
Stratford 的當地鄉紳們都質疑劇院有沒有為當地的稅收收入做一點貢獻。
They frankly dislike the RSC's actors, them with their long hair and beards and sandals and noisiness.
他們直言討厭 RSC的演員，這些演員留著長頭發，長胡須，拖著涼鞋，吵吵嚷嚷。
It's all deliciously ironic when you consider that Shakespeare, who earns their living, was himself an actor (with a beard) and did his share of noise-making.
這真是一種絕妙的諷刺，當你想到作為他們搖錢樹的莎士比亞，自己也是個演員，留著胡子，一起大吵大鬧。
The tourist streams are not entirely separate.
游客群并不是完全分開的。
The sightseers who come by bus -- and often take in Warwick Castle and Blenheim Palace on the side --
游覽者乘公車來，經常會去游覽 Warwick城堡和Blenheim 宮殿，
don't usually see the plays, and some of them are even surprised to find a theatre in Stratford.
通常不會去看戲，并且他們中的一些人甚至會對在 Stratford 能找到劇院感到驚訝。
However, the playgoers do manage a little sight-seeing along with their playgoing.
然而，看戲者只花少量的時間在觀光上，也就是在戲劇演出時順便看看。
It is the playgoers, the RSC contends, who bring in much of the town's revenue because they spend the night (some of them four or five nights) pouring cash into the hotels and restaurants.
RSC主張，是看戲者給城鎮帶來大量的稅收，因為他們通常花整晚上時間（有些是四到五個晚上） 在旅館或飯店里大量消費。
The sightseers can take in everything and get out of town by nightfall.
然而游覽者在當天的黃昏前就能把所有事情做完了，然后離開小鎮。
The townsfolk don't see it this way and local council does not contribute directly to the subsidy of the Royal Shakespeare Company.
當地居民并不這么認為，地方政府也直接沒有給予RSC補貼。
Stratford cries poor traditionally.
Stratford 一向都會哭窮。
Nevertheless every hotel in town seems to be adding a new wing or cocktail lounge.
然而城鎮上每一家旅館似乎都增加了新的部門或是雞尾酒酒吧。
Hilton is building its own hotel there, which you may be sure will be decorated with Hamlet Hamburger Bars, the Lear Lounge, the Banquo Banqueting Room, and so forth, and will be very expensive.
希爾頓也在這兒建了一座自己的酒店，這里肯定可以能看到被裝飾一新的哈姆雷特漢堡酒吧，Lear 休息室，宴會廳等等。進一步說，這里消費將很貴。
Anyway, the townsfolk can't understand why the Royal Shakespeare Company needs a subsidy.
總之，居民不明白為什么 RSC 需要補貼。
(The theatre has broken attendance records for three years in a row.
（劇院已經打破了連續三年以來的就座率紀錄。
Last year its 1, 431 seats were 94 percent occupied all year long and this year they'll do better. )
去年整年的 1431 個座位的就坐率達到了94%，今年將會更高。）
The reason, of course, is that costs have rocketed and ticket prices have stayed low.
當然，原因是，演戲的花費高了，然而票價仍然很低。
It would be a shame to raise prices too much because it would drive away the young people who are Stratford's most attractive clientele.
大幅增加票價是一件很為難的事情，因為這樣會把 Stratford 的最有魅力的顧客－年輕人趕走。
They come entirely for the plays, not the sights.
他們完全是為了戲而來，不是為風景。
They all seem to look alike (though they come from all over) -- lean, pointed, dedicated faces, wearing jeans and sandals,
他們看起來都一個樣（雖然他們從各個地方而來）——消瘦、率直、專注的臉龐，穿著牛仔褲和便鞋，
eating their buns and bedding down for the night on the flagstones outside the theatre to buy the 20 seats and 80 standing-room tickets held for the sleepers and sold to them when the box office opens at 10:30 a. m.
吃著小圓面包，在劇場外的石板上過夜，以便能買得到 20張座票和80張站票，這些票都是為那些睡覺的人準備的，并且在票房第二天上午 10點半開始售票時就賣給他們。
