The School for Scandal

2025年11月13日

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2.The School for Scandal

Richard Brinsley Sheridan

【简介与赏析】

理查德·布林斯利·谢里丹（Richard Brinsley Sheridan，1751—1816），18世纪英国戏剧代表作家。1751年生于戏剧名城都柏林，父母立于剧坛，深受熏陶，少有文志。24岁即出版《情敌》（The Rivals，1775），初露头角。后专事戏剧创作，作品颇丰，名声渐高，被誉为“当代康格里夫（18世纪初英国著名戏剧家）”。后转向戏剧实业，拥有特鲁里街剧院（The Drury Lane Theatre），即现特鲁里街皇家剧院（Theatre Royal，Drury Lane）前身，并于1780年开始政治生涯。老年孤苦，债务缠身，1816年卒于伦敦，葬于威斯敏斯特诗人角。

谢里丹传世作品有《造谣学校》（1777）等戏剧九种、诗集一部，以及少量政论文稿。他以风尚喜剧（comedies of manners）闻名于世，其作品嘲讽当时英国上流社会之伪善、荒淫和腐败，颂扬理想化资产者的正直与善良。

《造谣学校》

《造谣学校》是谢里丹的代表作，英国“风尚喜剧”之典范。所谓“造谣学校”并非指一所以“造谣”为宗旨的“学校”，而是一伙浅薄无识、荒淫无耻，专门制造谣言、破坏他人名誉和家庭幸福的男女。剧中着力塑造了一对性格迥异的兄弟，弟弟查尔斯看似挥霍成性、浪荡风流，实则宅心仁厚、真性善良；哥哥约瑟夫表面循规蹈矩，满口仁义道德，一副谦谦君子之态，实则贪婪伪善、荒淫无度。剧作者通过兄弟两人在爱情问题上截然不同的态度，展露了各自的本来面目。《造谣学校》布局紧凑、对话幽默、主题严肃，上承复辟时代喜剧文风，下启近现代喜剧潮流，实乃“风尚喜剧”垂范之作。

【剧本选读】

Characters

SIR PETER TEAZLE：Mr.King

SIR OLIVER SURFACE：Mr.Yates

JOSEPH SURFACE：Mr.Palmer

CHARLES SURFACE：Mr.Smith

CRABTREETREE：Mr.Parsons

SIR BENJAMIN BACKBITE：Mr.Dodd

ROWLEY：Mr.Aickin

MOSES：Mr.Baddeley

SNAKE：Mr.Packer

CARELESS：Mr.Farren

SIR HARRY BUMPER：Mr.Gaudry

ACTⅠ SCENEⅠ

Lady Sneerwell’s House.

Lady Sneerwell at the dressing－table，Snake drinking chocolate

LADY SNEERWELL：The paragraphs，you say，Mr.Snake，were all inserted？

SNAKE：They were，madam；and as I copied them myself in a feigned han^①，there can be no suspicion whence they came.

LADY SNEERWELL：Did you circulate the report of Lady Brittle’s intrigue with Captain Boastall？

SNAKE：That is in as fine a train^②as your ladyship could wish.In the common course of things，I think it must reach Mrs.Clackit’s ears within four－and－twenty hours，and then you know the business is as good as done^③.

LADY SNEERWELL：Why，truly，Mrs.Clackit has a very pretty talent and a great deal of industry.

SNAKE：True，madam，and has been tolerably successful in her day.To my knowledge，she has been the cause of six matches being broken off and three sons being disinherited，of four force elopements，and as many close confinements，nine separate maintenances，and two divorces.Nay，I have more than once traced her causing a tête－à－tête^④in the Town and Country Magazine^⑤，when the parties perhaps had never seen each other’s face before in the course of their lives.

LADY SNEERWELL：She certainly has talents，but her manner is gross.

SNAKE：’Tis very true；she generally designs well，has a free tongue and a bold invention，but her colouring is too dark and her outlines often extravagant.She wants that delicacy of hint and mellowness of sneer which distinguish your ladyship’s scandal.

LADY SNEERWELL：Ah，you are partial，Snake.

SNAKE：Not in the least.Everybody allows that Lady Sneerwell can do more with a word or look than many can with the most laboured detail，even when they happen to have a little truth on their side to support it.

LADY SNEERWELL：Yes，my dear Snake，and I am no hypocrite to deny the satisfaction I reap from the success of my efforts.Wounded myself in the early part of my life by the envenomed tongue of slander，I confess I have since known no pleasure equal to the reducing others to the level of my own injured reputation.

SNAKE：Nothing can be more natural.But，Lady Sneerwell，there is one affair in which you have lately employed me，wherein I confess I am at a loss to guess your motives.

LADY SNEERWELL：I conceive you mean with respect to my neighbor Sir Peter Teazle and his family？

SNAKE：I do.Here are two young men，to whom Sir Peter has acted as a kind of guardian since their father’s death，the eldest possessing the most amiable character and universally well spoken of，the other the most dissipated and extravagant young fellow in the kingdom^⑥，without friends or character—the former an avowed admirer of your ladyship，and apparently your favourite；the latter attached to Maria，Sir Peter’s ward，add confessedly beloved by her.Now，on the face of these circumstances，it is utterly unaccountable to me，why you，the widow of a city knight^⑦with a good jointure，should not close with the passion of a man of such character and expectations as Mr.Surface—and more so why you should be so uncommonly ear－nest to destroy the mutual attachment subsisting between his brother Charles and Maria.

LADY SNEERWELL：Then，at once to unravel this mystery，I must inform you that love has no share whatever in the intercourse between Mr.Surface and me.

SNAKE：No！

LADY SNEERWELL：His real attachment is to Maria，or her fortune；but，finding in his brother a favoured rival，he has been obliged to mask his pretensions and profit by my assistance.

SNAKE：Yet still I am more puzzled why you should interest yourself in his success.

LADY SNEERWELL：Heavens，how dull you are！Cannot you surmise the weakness which I hitherto through shame have concealed even from you？Must I confess that Charles—that libertine，that extravagant，that bankrupt in fortune and reputation—that he it is for whom I am thus anxious and malicious and to gain whom I would sacrifice everything？

SNAKE：Now indeed your conduct appears consistent.But how came you and Mr.Surface so confidential？

LADY SNEERWELL：For our mutual interest.I have found him out a longtime since.I know him to be artful，selfish and malicious—in short，a sentimental knave.

SNAKE：Yet Sir Peter vows he has not his equal in England；and，above all，he praises him as a man of sentiment.

LADY SNEERWELL：True，and with the assistance of his sentiments and hypocrisy he has brought him［Sir Peter］entirely into his interest with regard to Maria.

Enter Servant

SERVANT：Mr.Surface.

LADY SNEERWELL：Show him up.

Exit Servant

He generally calls about this time；I don’t wonder at people’s giving him to me for a lover.

Enter Joseph Surface

JOSEPH SURFACEACE：My dear Lady Sneerwell，how do you do today？—Mr.Snake，your most obedient.

LADY SNEERWELL：Snake has just been arraigning me on our mutual attachment；but I have informed him of our real views.You know how useful he has been to us；and，believe me，the confidence is not ill－placed.

JOSEPH SURFACE：Madam，it is impossible for me to suspect a man of Mr.Snake’s sensibility and discernment.

LADY SNEERWELL：Well，well，no compliments now；but tell me when you saw your mistress Maria，or—what is more material to me—your brother？

JOSEPH SURFACE：I have not seen either since I left you；but I can inform you that they never meet.Some of your stories have taken a good effect on Maria.

LADY SNEERWELL：Ah，my dear Snake，the merit of this belongs to you.—But do your brother’s distresses increase？

JOSEPH SURFACE：Every hour.I am told he has had another execution in the house yesterday.In short，his dissipation and extravagance exceed anything I have ever heard of.

LADY SNEERWELL：Poor Charles！

JOSEPH SURFACE：True，madam；notwithstanding his vices，one can’t help feeling for him.Ay，poor Charles！I’m sure I wish it were in my power to be of any essential service to him，for the man who does not share in the distresses of a brother，even though merited by his own misconduct，deserves—

LADY SNEERWELL：O Lud^⑧，you are going to be moral，and forget that you are among friends.

JOSEPH SURFACE：Egad^⑨，that’s true.I’ll keep that sentiment till I see Sir Peter.However，it is certainly a charity to rescue Maria from such a libertine，who，if he is to be reclaimed，can be so only by aperson of your ladyship’s superior accomplishments and understanding.

SNAKE：I believe，Lady Sneerwell，here’s company coming.I’ll go and copy the letter I mentioned to you.—Mr.Surface，your most obedient.

JOSEPH SURFACE：Sir，your very devoted.Exit Snake Lady Sneerwell，I am very sorry you have put any farther confidence in that fellow.

LADY SNEERWELL：Why so？

JOSEPH SURFACE：I have lately detected him in frequent conference with old Rowley，who was formerly my father’s steward，and has never，you know，been a friend of mine.

LADY SNEERWELL：And do you think he would betray us？

JOSEPH SURFACE：Nothing more likely.Take my word for’t，Lady Sneerwell.That fellow hasn’t virtue enough to be faithful even to his own villany.Ha！Maria！

Enter Maria

LADY SNEERWELL：Maria，my dear，how do you do？What’s the matter？

MARIA：O，there is that disagreeable lover of mine，Sir Benjamin Backbite，has just called at my guardian’s with his odious uncle，Crabtree；so I slipped out，and ran hither to avoid them.

LADY SNEERWELL：Is that all？

JOSEPH SURFACE：If my brother Charles had been of the party，ma’am，perhaps you would not have been so much alarmed.

LADY SNEERWELL：Nay，now you are severe，for I dare swear the truth of the matter is Maria heard you were here.—But，my dear，what has Sir Benjamin done，that you should avoid him so？

MARIA：O，he has done nothing；but’tis for what he has said.His conversation is a perpetual libel on all his acquaintance.

JOSEPH SURFACE：Ay，and the worst of it is，there is no advantage in not knowing him；for he’ll abuse a stranger just as soon as his best friend—and his uncle’s as bad.

LADY SNEERWELL：Nay，but we should make allowance.Sir Benjamin is a wit and a poet.

MARIA：For my part，I own，madam，wit loses its respect with me，when I see it in company with malice.What do you think，Mr.Surface？

JOSEPH SURFACE：Certainly，madam，to smile at the jest which plants a thorn in another’s breast is to become a principal in the mischief.

LADY SNEERWELL：Pshaw！There’s no possibility of being witty without a little ill nature.The malice of a good thing is the barb that makes it stick.What’s your opinion，Mr.Surface？

JOSEPH SURFACE：To be sure，madam，that conversation where the spirit of raillery is suppressed will ever appear tedious and insipid.

LADY SNEERWELL：Well，I’ll not debate how far scandal may be allowable；but in a man I am sure it is always contemptible.We have pride，envy，rivalship，and a thousand motives to depreciate each other；but the male slanderer must have the cowardice of a woman before he can traduce one.

Eenter Servant

SERVANT：Madam，Mrs.Candour is below，and，if your ladyship’s at leisure，will leave her carriage.

LADY SNEERWELL：Beg her to walk in.

Exit Servant Now，Maria，however，here is a character to your taste，for though Mrs.Candour is a little talkative，everybody knows her to be the best－natured and best sort of woman.

MARIA：Yes；with a very gross affectation of good nature and benevolence she does more mischief than the direct malice of old Crabtree.

JOSEPH SURFACE：I’faith^⑩’tis very true，Lady Sneerwell.Whenever I hear the current running against the characters of my friends，I never think them in such danger as when Candour undertakes their defence.

LADY SNEERWELL：Hush，here she is.

Enter Mrs.Candour

MRS.CANDOUR：My dear Lady Sneerwell，how have you been this century？—Mr.Surface，what news do you hear？Though，indeed，it is no matter，for I think one hears nothing else but scandal.

JOSEPH SURFACE：Just so，indeed，ma’am.

MRS.CANDOUR：Ah，Maria，child，what，is the whole affair off between you and Charles？His extravagance，I presume.The town talks of nothing else.

MARIA：I am very sorry，ma’am，the town has so little to do.

MRS.CANDOUR：True，true，child；but there’s no stopping people’s tongues.I own I was hurt to hear it—as I indeed was to learn from the same quarter that your guardian Sir Peter and Lady Teazle have not agreed lately as well as could be wished.

MARIA：’Tis strangely impertinent for people to busy themselves so.

MRS.CANDOUR：Very true，child；but what’s to be done？People will talk；there’s no preventing it.Why，it was but yesterday I was told that Miss Gadabout had eloped with Sir Filagree Flirt；but，lord，there’s no mindingwhat one hears—though to be sure I had this from very good authority.

MARIA：Such reports are highly scandalous.

MRS.CANDOUR：So they are，child.Shameful！Shameful！But the world is so censorious，no character escapes.Lud now，who would have suspected your friend Miss Prim of an indiscretion！Yet such is the ill－nature of people that they say her uncle stopped her last week just as she was stepping into the York Diligence with her dancing－master.

MARIA：I’ll answer for’t there are no grounds for that report.

MRS.CANDOUR：O，no foundation in the world，I dare swear.No more probably than the story circulated last month of Mrs.Festino’s affair with Colonel Cassino，though，to be sure，that matter was never rightly cleared up.

JOSEPH SURFACE：The license of invention some people take is monstrous indeed.

MARIA：’Tis so；but in my opinion，those who report such things are equally culpable.

MRS.CANDOUR：To be sure they are.Tale－bearers are as bad as the tale－makers.’Tis an old observation and a very true one；but what’s to be done，as I said before？How will you prevent people from talking？Today Mrs.Clackit assured me Mr.and Mrs.Honeymoon were at last become mere man and wife like the rest of their acquaintance.She likewise hinted that a certain widow，in the next street，had got rid of her dropsy and recovered her shape in a most surprising manner；and at the same time Miss Tattle who was by affirmed that Lord Buffalo had discovered his lady at a house of no extraordinary fame，and that Sir Harry Bouquet and Tom Saunter were to measure swords on a similar provocation.But，lord，do you think I would report these things？No，no！tale－bearers，as I said before，are just as bad as the tale－makers.

JOSEPH SURFACE：Ah，Mrs.Candour，if everybody had your forbearance and good nature！

MRS.CANDOUR：I confess，Mr.Surface，I cannot bear to hear people attacked behind their backs；and when ugly circumstances come out against our acquaintance，I own I always love to think the best.By the bye，I hope’tis not true that your brother is absolutely ruined.

JOSEPH SURFACE：I am afraid his circumstances are very bad indeed，ma’am.

MRS.CANDOUR：Ah，I heard so.But you must tell him to keep up his spirits；everybody almost is in the same way.Lord Spindle，Sir Thomas Splint，Captain Quinze，and Mr.Nickit—all up，I hear，within this week！So，if Charles is undone，he’ll find half his acquaintance ruined too；and that，you know，is a consolation.

JOSEPH SURFACE：Doubtless，ma’am，a very great one.

Enter Servant

SERVANT：Mr.Crabtree and Sir Benjamin Backbite.

LADY SNEERWELL：So！Maria，you see your lover pursues you.Positively you shan’t escape.

Enter Crabtree and Sir Benjamin Backbite

CRABTREE：Lady Sneerwell，I kiss your hand.—Mrs.Candour，I don’t believe you are acquainted with my nephew Sir Benjamin Backbite.Egad，ma’am，he has a pretty wit，and is a pretty poet too.—Isn’t he，Lady Sneerwell？

SIR BENJAMIN BACKBITE：Oh fie，uncle.

CRABTREE：Nay，egad，’tis true.I’ll back him at a rebus or a charade against the best rhymer in the kingdom.Has your ladyship heard the epigram he wrote last week on Lady Frizzle’s feathercatching fire？Do，Benjamin，repeat it—or the charade you made last night extempore at Mrs.Drowzie’s conversazione.Come now；your first is the name of a fish，your second a great naval commander，and—

SIR BENJAMIN BACKBITE：Uncle，now prythee—

CRABTREE：I’faith，ma’am，’twouldsurprise you to hear how ready he is at all these sort of things.

LADY SNEERWELL：I wonder，Sir Benjamin，you never publish anything.

SIR BENJAMIN BACKBITE：To say truth，ma’am，’tis very vulgar to print，and as my little productions are mostly satires and lampoons on particular people，I find they circulate more by giving copies in confidence to the friends of the parties.However，I have some elegies，which，when favoured with this lady’s smiles，I mean to give the public.

CRABTREE：’Fore heaven，ma’am，they’ll immortalize you；you’ll be handed down to posterity like Petrarch’s Laura，or Waller’s Sacharissa.

SIR BENJAMIN BACKBITE：Yes，madam；I think you will like them，when you shall see them on a beautiful quarto page，where a neat rivulet of text shall meander through a meadow of margin.’Fore Gad，they will be the most elegant things of their kind.

CRABTREE：But，ladies，that’s true—have you heard the news？

MRS.CANDOUR：What，sir，do you mean the report of—？

CRABTREE：No，ma’am，that’s not it.Miss Nicely is going to be married to her own footman.

MRS.CANDOUR：Impossible！

CRABTREE：Ask Sir Benjamin.

SIR BENJAMIN BACKBITE：’Tis very true，ma’am.Everything is fixed and the wedding liveries bespoke.

CRABTREE：Yes，and they do say there were pressing reasons for’t.

LADY SNEERWELL：Why，I have heard something of this before.

MRS.CANDOUR：It can’t be，and I wonder any one should believe such a story of so prudent a lady as Miss Nicely.

SIR BENJAMIN BACKBITE：O，lud，ma’am，that’s the very reason’twas believed at once.She has always been so cautious and so reserved，that everybody was sure there was some reason for it at bottom.

MRS.CANDOUR：Why，to be sure，a tale of scandal is as fatal to the credit of a prudent lady of her stamp as a fever is generally to those of the strongest constitutions；but there is a sort of puny sickly reputation that is always ailing，yet will outlive the robuster characters of a hundred prudes.

SIR BENJAMIN BACKBITE：True，madam.There are valetudinarians in reputation as well as constitution，who，being conscious of their weak part，avoid the least breath of air and supply their want of stamina by care and circumspection.

MRS.CANDOUR：Well，but this may be all a mistake.You know，Sir Benjamin，very trifling circumstances often give rise to the most injurious tales.

CRABTREE：That they do，I’ll be sworn，ma’am.Did you ever hear how Miss Piper came to lose her lover and her character last summer at Tunbridge？Sir Benjamin，you remember it？

SIR BENJAMIN BACKBITE：O，to be sure，the most whimsical circumstance.

LADY SNEERWELL：How was it，pray？

CRABTREE：Why，one evening，at Mrs.Ponto’s assembly，the conversation happened to turn on the breeding Nova Scotia sheep in this country.Says a young lady in company，“I have known instances of it，for Miss Letitia Piper，a first cousin of mine，had a Nova Scotiasheep that produced her twins”.“What！”，cries the Lady Dowager Dundizzy，who you know is as deaf as a post，“has Miss Piper had twins？”This mistake，as you may imagine，threw the whole company into a fit of laughing.However，’twas the next morning everywhere reported，and in a few days believed by the whole town，that Miss Letitia Piper had actually been brought to bed ofa fine boy and girl；and in less than a week there were some people who could name the father—and the farm－house where the babies were put out to nurse.

LADY SNEERWELL：Strange indeed！

CRABTREE：Matter of fact，I assure you.—O lud，Mr.Surface，pray is it true that your uncle Sir Oliver is coming home？

JOSEPH SURFACE：Not that I know of indeed，sir.

CRABTREE：He has been in the East Indias a long time；you can scarcely remember him，I believe.Sad comfort，whenever he returns，to hear how your brother has gone on.

JOSEPH SURFACE：Charles has been imprudent，sir，to be sure；but I hope no busy people have already prejudiced Sir Oliver against him.He may reform.

SIR BENJAMIN BACKBITE：To be sure，he may.For my part I never believed him to be so utterly void of principle as people say；and，though he has lost all his friends，I am told nobody is better spoken of by the Jews.

CRABTREE：That’s true，egad，nephew.If the Old Jewrywas a ward，I believe Charles would be an alderman.No man more popular there.’Fore Gad，I hear he pays as many annuities as the Irish tontine，and that whenever he is sick they have prayers for the recovery of his health in all the synagogues.

SIR BENJAMIN BACKBITE：Yet no man lives in greater splendour.They tell me，when he entertains his friends he will sit down to dinner with a dozen of his own securities，have a score of tradesmen in the ante－chamber and an officer behind every guest’s chair.

JOSEPH SURFACE：This may be entertainment to you，gentlemen；but you pay very little regard to the feelings of a brother.

MARIA：［aside］Their malice is intolerable.—Lady Sneerwell，I must wish you a good morning.I’m not very well.

Exit Maria

MRS.CANDOUR：O，dear，she changes colour very much！

LADY SNEERWELL：Do，Mrs.Candour，follow her；she may want your assistance.

MRS.CANDOUR：That I will，with all my soul，ma’am.Poor dear girl，who knows what her situation may be！

Exit Mrs.Candour

LADY SNEERWELL：’Twas nothing but that she could not bear to hear Charles reflected on，notwithstanding their difference.

SIR BENJAMIN BACKBITE：The young lady’s penchantis obvious.

CRABTREE：But，Benjamin，you must not give up the pursuit for that.Follow her，and put her into good humour—repeat her some of your own verses.Come，I’ll assist you.

SIR BENJAMIN BACKBITE：Mr.Surface，I did not mean to hurt you—but，depend upon’t，your brother is utterly undone.（Going）

CRABTREE：O lud，ay，undone as ever man was—can’t raise a guinea.（Going）

SIR BENJAMIN BACKBITE：And everything sold，I’m told，that was movable.（Going）

CRABTREE：I have seen one that was at his house.Not a thing left but some empty bottles that were overlooked，and the family pictures，which，I believe，are framed in the wainscots.（Going）

SIR BENJAMIN BACKBITE：And I’m very sorry also to hear some bad stories against him.（Going）

CRABTREE：O，he has done many mean things，that’s certain！（Going）

SIR BENJAMIN BACKBITE：But，however，as he’s your brother—（Going）

CRABTREE：We’ll tell you all，another opportunity.

Exeunt Crabtree and Sir Benjamin Backbite

LADY SNEERWELL：Ha，ha，ha！’Tis very hard for them to leave a subject they have not quite run down.

JOSEPH SURFACE：And I believe the abuse was no more acceptable to your ladyship than to Maria.

LADY SNEERWELL：I doubt her affections are further engaged than we imagined.But the family are to be here this evening，so you may as well dine where you are，and we shall have an opportunity of observing farther.In the meantime，I’ll go and plot mischief，and you shall study sentiments.

Exeunt

SCENEⅡ

Sir Peter Teazle’s House

Enter Sir Peter Teazle

SIR PETER TEAZLE：When an old bachelor takes a young wife，what is he to expect！’Tis now six months since Lady Teazle made me the happiest of men，and I have been the most miserable dog ever since that ever committed wedlock.We tift a little going to church，and came to a quarrel before the bells had done ringing.I was more than once nearly choked with gall during the honeymoon，and had lost all comfort in life before my friends had done wishing me joy.Yet I chose with caution a girl bred wholly in the country，who never knew luxury beyond one silk gown，nor dissipation above the annual gala of a race－ball.Yet now she plays her part in all the extravagant fopperies of the fashion and the town，with as ready agrace as if she had never seen a bush nor a grass－plat out of Grosvenor Square！I am sneered at by all my acquaintance，and paragraphed in the newspapers.She dissipates my fortune and contradicts all my humours.Yet the worst of it is I doubt I love her，or I should never bear all this.However，I’ll never be weak enough to own it.

Enter Rowley

ROWLEY：O，Sir Peter，your servant.How is it with you，sir？

SIR PETER TEAZLE：Very bad，Master Rowley，very bad.I meet with nothing but crosses and vexations.

ROWLEY：What can have happened to trouble you since yesterday？

SIR PETER TEAZLE：A good question to a married man！

ROWLEY：Nay，I’m sure，your lady，Sir Peter，your lady can’t be the cause of your uneasiness.

SIR PETER TEAZLE：Why，has anybody told you she was dead？

ROWLEY：Come，come，Sir Peter，You love her，notwithstanding your tempers don’t exactly agree.

SIR PETER TEAZLE：But the fault is entirely hers，Master Rowley.I am myself the sweetest tempered man alive and hate a teasing temper，and so I tell her a hundred times a day.

ROWLEY：Indeed！

SIR PETER TEAZLE：Ay；and what is very extraordinary，in all our disputes she is always in the wrong！But Lady Sneerwell，and the set she meets at her house，encourage the perverseness of her disposition.Then，to complete my vexation，Maria，my ward，whom I ought to have the power of a father over，is determined to turn rebel too，and absolutely refuses the man whom I have long resolved on for her husband，meaning，I suppose，to bestow herself on his profligate brother.

ROWLEY：You know，Sir Peter，I have always taken the liberty to differ with you on the subject of these two young gentlemen.I only wish you may not be deceived in your opinion of the elder.For Charles—my life on’t，he will retrieve his errors yet.Their worthy father，once my honoured master，was at his years nearly as wild a spark；yet，when he died，he did not leave amore benevolent heart to lament his loss.

SIR PETER TEAZLE：You are wrong，Master Rowley.On their father’s death you know I acted as a kind of guardian to them both，till their uncle Sir Oliver’s liberality gave them an early independence.Of course，no person could have more opportunities of judging of their hearts，and I was never mistaken in my life.Joseph is indeed a model for the young men of the age.He is a man of sentiment，and acts up to the sentiments he professes；but，for the other，take my word for’t，if he had any grain of virtue by descent，he has dissipated them with the rest of his inheritance.Ah，my old friend Sir Oliver will be deeply mortified when he finds how part of his bounty has been misapplied！

ROWLEY：I am sorry to find you so violent against the young man because this may be the most critical period of his fortune.I came hither with news that will surprise you.

SIR PETER TEAZLE：What！let me hear.

ROWLEY：Sir Oliver is arrived and at this moment in town.

SIR PETER TEAZLE：How！You astonish me.I thought you did not expect him this month.ROWLEY：I did not，but his passage has been remarkably quick.

SIR PETER TEAZLE：Egad，I shall rejoice to see my old friend；’tis sixteen years since we met.We have had many a day together.But does he still enjoin us not to inform his nephews of his arrival？

ROWLEY：Most strictly.He means，before it is known，to make some trial of their dispositions.

SIR PETER TEAZLE：Ah，there needs no art to discover their merits！However，he shall have his way.But pray，does he know I am married？

ROWLEY：Yes，and will soon wish you joy.

SIR PETER TEAZLE：What，as we drink health to a friend in consumption？Ah，Oliver will laugh at me.We used to rail at matrimony together，but he has been steady to his text.Well，he must be soon at my house，though；I’ll instantly give orders for his reception.But，Master Rowley，don’t drop a word that Lady Teazle and I ever disagree.

ROWLEY：By no means.

SIR PETER TEAZLE：For I should never be able to stand Noll’s jokes.So I’ll have him think，Lord forgive me，that we are a very happy couple.

ROWLEY：I understand you；but then you must be very careful not to differ while he’s in the house with you.

SIR PETER TEAZLE：Egad，and so we must；and that’s impossible！Ah，Master Rowley，when an old bachelor marries a young wife，he deserves—no，the crime carries its punishment along with it.

Exeunt

【注释】

①in a feigned hand：in a disguised handwriting

②in as fine a train：in as good a condition；in as perfect an arrangement

③as good as done：the same as done，practically accomplished

④tête－à－tête：（French）aprivate interview between two persons，here referring to a scandalous report of some one love intrigue（in a magazine）

⑤Town and Country Magazine：a magazine in 18^thcentury England in which scandals were frequently reported

⑥in the kingdom：referring to England

⑦a city knight：here referring to a knight created from a merchant in the city of London，as distinguished from the hereditary feudal knight of a noble family and a higher rank

⑧O Lud：O Lord

⑨egad：by God（an exclamation or exultation or surprise）

⑩I’faith：in faith（a mild oath）

century：Mrs.Candour wishes to say she has not seen her friend for a long time