飘香于油墨中的草莓:名垂青史的伊里花园的草莓

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五)名垂青史的伊里花园的草莓

《理查三世》(Richard III)第三幕第四场,有一段关于草莓的对话如下:

伊里:

“真凑巧,公爵自己来了。”

ELY

In happy time here comes the duke himself.

葛罗斯特 (即后来的理查三世):

“我的尊贵的大人们,亲戚们,早安。我起身太迟了;不过我相信,我的缺席没有耽误任何重要的决定。”

RICHARD

My noble lords and cousins all, good morrow.

I have been long a sleeper; but I trust

My absence doth neglect no great design

Which by my presence might have been concluded.

白金汉:

“我的大人,如果您没有及时赶到,威廉-海司丁斯大人就会替您发言了,我的意思是关于国王加冕的事。”

BUCKINGHAM

Had you not come upon your cue, my lord,

William Lord Hastings had pronounced your part—

I mean your voice for crowning of the king.

葛罗斯特:

“还有谁比海司丁斯大人更加大胆的;这位大人很了解我,也很看重我。我的伊里大人,我上次在霍而本看见您的花园里有很好的草莓,我恳求您,叫人去摘一些来给我。”

RICHARD

Than my Lord Hastings no man might be bolder.

His Lordship knows me well, and loves me well.—

My lord of Ely, when I was last in Holborn

I saw good strawberries in your garden there;

I do beseech you, send for some of them.

 

伊里:

“好的,大人,十分愿意效劳。”

ELY

Marry and will, my lord, with all my heart.

从这段对话中,我们得知伊里主教住在伦敦中区的霍尔本,他的花园里的草莓应该是全城最好的,得到了葛罗斯特公爵(即后来的理查三世,1483-1485 在位)的称赞。那时的草莓还是野生品种,英国贵族们不吃生草莓,最流行的吃法是将草莓与糖、黄油、玫瑰水、少许肉桂和姜等食材混合在一起,做成草莓馅饼(Tarte of Strawberies)。

 

从十三世纪末开始,伊里主教在伦敦的霍尔本北部建了别墅,取名“伊里广场”(Ely Place, 作为正式的伦敦住所。伊里主教是上议院成员,每年必须在伦敦呆上一段时间履行议会职责,因此有必要在首都拥有自己的住所。为了不受伦敦法律和税法的管辖,这个位于伦敦中心的占地面积较大的别墅区属于剑桥郡伊利教区。除了不纳税,伊里广场还是一个庇护所,居住在此的主教不受民事法追究。主教的宫殿旁有一座私人教堂,取名圣埃塞德丽达教堂(St Etheldreda's Church),是英格兰最古老的罗马天主教堂之一。该教堂侥幸逃过了1666年的那场伦敦大火,却在二战期间遭到空袭而严重损坏,劫后余生,目前是伦敦两座自爱德华一世以来保留至今的建筑之一。

十四世纪和十五世纪的伊里主教花园是伦敦最豪华的花园之一,里面种植着各种果树,还有葡萄园,广场东边的“番红花山”(Saffron Hill)生长着繁茂的番红花。莎士比亚的《理查三世》上演后,主教花园里的野草莓名垂青史。

 

居住在伊里广场里的最出名的人物是冈特的约翰(英语:John of Gaunt1340—1399),兰开斯特公爵(Duke of Lancaster),英格兰爱德华三世三子。他是理查二世的叔叔,因为侄子年幼,在1377年—1399年年间代他治理国家。1381年农民起义期间,约翰在泰晤士河畔的宫殿被烧毁,他搬到了伊里广场,在那里度过了余生。 伊里广场出现在莎士比亚的《 理查二世》(Richard II),第二幕第一场,生命垂危的约翰在伊里的主教宫殿里对儿子说了如下一番话:

刚特的约翰:

“我觉得自己是一个新受到灵感启发的先知,在垂死之际,这样预言出他的命运:他轻率狂暴的乱行不会持久,就像熊熊大火终将自己燃尽一样。小阵雨拖的很长,但突如其来的暴风雨只是一阵子。起步太快的人很快就筋疲力尽,吃得太急了,食物会哽住喉咙。轻浮的虚荣是一只不知满足的鱼鹰,吃完了所有的一切,不久就会吞噬自己。这一个君王们的御座,这一个统于一尊的岛屿,这一片庄严的大地,这一个战神的别邸,这一个新的伊甸,半个天堂,这一个造化女神为了防御疾病和战祸而为她自己建造的堡垒,这一个幸运的人种,这一个小小的世界,这一个镶嵌在银色的海水之中的宝石这大海就像一堵围墙或者一道沿屋的壕沟,抵抗着邪恶国家的觊觎。这一块有福的土地,这一片土地,这一个疆土,这一个英格兰,这一个保姆,这一个孕育着无数贤明君主的子宫,他们的血统令世人敬畏,他们的诞生为世人所知,他们悍卫基督的英勇功业远震寰宇,这一片像救世主的圣墓一样驰名,英杰辈出的国土,这一片亲爱又亲爱、声誉传遍世界的国土,现在像一个物业、一块农场那样出租了我要在临死之前宣称,英格兰,它的周遭被汹涌的大海包围着,它的岩石崖岸击退了嫉妒的海神的进攻,如今已蒙羞,笼罩在墨迹斑斑的腐烂的羊皮纸契约中。那一向征服别人的英格兰,如今已可耻地征服了它自己。啊!要是这丑事能够随着我的生命一同消失,我会死的多么开心!”

JOHN OF GAUNT

Methinks I am a prophet new inspired

And thus expiring do foretell of him:

His rash fierce blaze of riot cannot last,

For violent fires soon burn out themselves;

Small showers last long, but sudden storms are short;

He tires betimes that spurs too fast betimes;

With eager feeding food doth choke the feeder:

Light vanity, insatiate cormorant,

Consuming means, soon preys upon itself.

This royal throne of kings, this scepter’d isle,

This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,

This other Eden, demi-paradise,

This fortress built by Nature for herself

Against infection and the hand of war,

This happy breed of men, this little world,

This precious stone set in the silver sea,

Which serves it in the office of a wall,

Or as a moat defensive to a house,

Against the envy of less happier lands,

This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England,

This nurse, this teeming womb of royal kings,

Fear’d by their breed and famous by their birth,

Renowned for their deeds as far from home,

For Christian service and true chivalry,

As is the sepulchre in stubborn Jewry,

Of the world’s ransom, blessed Mary’s Son,

This land of such dear souls, this dear dear land,

Dear for her reputation through the world,

Is now leased out, I die pronouncing it,

Like to a tenement or pelting farm:

England, bound in with the triumphant sea

Whose rocky shore beats back the envious siege

Of watery Neptune, is now bound in with shame,

With inky blots and rotten parchment bonds:

That England, that was wont to conquer others,

Hath made a shameful conquest of itself.

Ah, would the scandal vanish with my life,

How happy then were my ensuing death!

  (理查二世)

该段念白本是一首挽歌,充满了愤怒和指责,但其中的 “这一个君王们的御座,这一个统于一尊的岛屿 …… 这一片亲爱又亲爱、声誉传遍世界的国土被后世的英国人民广泛引用,以抒发慷慨激昂的爱国之情。

冈特的约翰认为地理位置得天独厚的英格兰是一个有机的整体,只会被内部的纷争和淫逸奢靡打败。理查二世颁布的租约打乱了这种有机的整体,令约翰痛心不已。第一幕第四场交待了这条政令的由来,现翻译如下:

格林:

“好,他已经离开了,这些想法都随他而去了。现在我们必须制定一套紧急计划,来平定爱尔兰的叛乱,陛下,坐延时日只会给叛军可乘之机,为陛下造成损失。”

GREEN

Well, he is gone; and with him go these thoughts.

Now for the rebels which stand out in Ireland,

Expedient manage must be made, my liege,

Ere further leisure yield them further means

For their advantage and your highness’ loss.

理查二世:

“这一次我要御驾亲征。由于庞大的宫廷支出和巨量的赏赉,我们的金库已不大充裕,不得不提高王家租税,收到的款项来补充这次出征的费用。 如果还不够的话,我们在国内的代理人可以凭着空白的诏令,只要知道什么人有钱,就向他们征收巨额的金钱来补充我们的需要。因为我们现在马上要动身去爱尔兰。”

KING RICHARD II

We will ourself in person to this war:

And, for our coffers, with too great a court

And liberal largess, are grown somewhat light,

We are inforced to farm our royal realm;

The revenue whereof shall furnish us

For our affairs in hand: if that come short,

Our substitutes at home shall have blank charters;

Whereto, when they shall know what men are rich,

They shall subscribe them for large sums of gold

And send them after to supply our wants;

For we will make for Ireland presently.

 

莎士比亚在他的多出作品里谈到理想的王道,认为君王、土地、子民和农业收成必须形成一个和谐统一的关系。从英国历史上看,有道明君大多与贵族忠臣和谐相处,在财政上推行轻徭薄赋。而理查二世却想通过征重税来弥补国库的空虚,干脆将空白诏令预留给他信任的宠臣,知道谁有钱,就命令谁交出巨额金钱,如此横征暴敛巧取豪夺,失尽民心,最终导致自己陷入了四面楚歌的绝境。

 

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