The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (587 page)

 
I have no fondness for scolders, sir. Biondello, let's go.

LUCENTIO. [Aside] Well begun, Tranio.

HORTENSIO. Sir, a word ere you go. Are you a suitor to the maid you talk of, yea or no?

Sir, a word before you go. Are you a suitor to the young lady you mention, yes or no?

TRANIO. And if I be, sir, is it any offence?

And if there is, sir, is there anything wrong with that?

GREMIO. No; if without more words you will get you hence.

No; if you will go away without saying any more.

TRANIO. Why, sir, I pray, are not the streets as free

Why sir, I ask, are the streets not as free

For me as for you?

GREMIO. But so is not she.

But she is not as free.

TRANIO. For what reason, I beseech you?

For what reason, please tell me?

GREMIO. For this reason, if you'll know,

That she's the choice love of Signior Gremio.

That she's the chosen love of Sir Gremio

HORTENSIO. That she's the chosen of Signior Hortensio.

TRANIO. Softly, my masters! If you be gentlemen,

Softly, gentlemen! If you are nobles,

Do me this right; hear me with patience.

Treat me right this way; hear me with patience.

Baptista is a noble gentleman,

To whom my father is not all unknown;

That knows my father;

And were his daughter fairer than she is,

And if her daughter were more beautiful than she is,

She may more suitors have, and me for one.

She may have many more suitors, and me for one.

Fair Leda's daughter had a thousand wooers;

Lovely Leda's daughter [Helen of Troy] had a thousand wooers;

Then well one more may fair Bianca have;

So it's just as well that beautiful Bianca may have one more;

And so she shall: Lucentio shall make one,

And so she shall: Lucentio shall become one,

Though Paris came in hope to speed alone.

Though Paris [Helen of Troy's lover] came hoping to be the only one.

GREMIO. What!this gentleman will out-talk us all.

LUCENTIO. Sir, give him head; I know he'll prove a jade.

Sir, let him go ahead; I know he'll turn out to be a jade.

PETRUCHIO. Hortensio, to what end are all these words?

Hortensio, what is the point of all these words?

HORTENSIO. Sir, let me be so bold as ask you,

Sir, let me be bold enough to ask you,

Did you yet ever see Baptista's daughter?

Have you ever seen Baptista's daughter?

TRANIO. No, sir, but hear I do that he hath two,

No, sir, but I hear that he has two,

The one as famous for a scolding tongue

And one is as famous for a scolding tongue

As is the other for beauteous modesty.

As the other is for beautiful humility.

PETRUCHIO. Sir, sir, the first's for me; let her go by.

GREMIO. Yea, leave that labour to great Hercules,

Yes, leave that task to great Hercules,

And let it be more than Alcides' twelve.

And let it be harder than the twelve Alcides gave [Hercules].

PETRUCHIO. Sir, understand you this of me, in sooth:

Sir, understand this from me, in truth:

The youngest daughter, whom you hearken for,

The youngest daughter, whom you desire,

Her father keeps from all access of suitors,

Her father keeps away from all suitors,

And will not promise her to any man

Until the elder sister first be wed;

Until the elder sister is first married;

The younger then is free, and not before.

The younger will then be free, and not before.

TRANIO. If it be so, sir, that you are the man

If it is true, sir, that you are the man

Must stead us all, and me amongst the rest;

Who must help us all, and me among the rest;

And if you break the ice, and do this feat,

And if you break the ice, and accomplish this task,

Achieve the elder, set the younger free

For our access, whose hap shall be to have her

For our access, whose fate shall be to have her

Will not so graceless be to be ingrate.

Will not be so rude as to be ungrateful.

HORTENSIO. Sir, you say well, and well you do conceive;

Sir, you speak well, and you think well too;

And since you do profess to be a suitor,

And since you announce yourself to be a suitor,

You must, as we do, gratify this gentleman,

To whom we all rest generally beholding.

To whom we are indebted.

TRANIO. Sir, I shall not be slack; in sign whereof,

Sir, I shall not be lacking; and to make a sign of it,

Please ye we may contrive this afternoon,

Please may we spend time together this afternoon,

And quaff carouses to our mistress' health;

And drink toasts to our ladies' health;

And do as adversaries do in law,

And act as rivals do in law,

Strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends.

Try hard against each other, but eat and drink as friends.

GRUMIO, BIONDELLO. O excellent motion! Fellows, let's be gone.

Oh excellent idea! Fellows, let's go.

HORTENSIO. The motion's good indeed, and be it so:--

The idea is good indeed, and let it happen: --

Petruchio, I shall be your ben venuto.

Petruchio, I shall be your treat.

[Exeunt.]

Padua. A room in BAPTISTA'S house

[Enter KATHERINA and BIANCA.]

BIANCA. Good sister, wrong me not, nor wrong yourself,

Good sister, do not do me wrong, and do not wrong yourself either,

To make a bondmaid and a slave of me;

To make a servant girl and a slave of me;

That I disdain; but for these other gawds,

That I disapprove of; but as for these other decorations,

Unbind my hands, I'll pull them off myself,

Untie my hands; I'll pull them off myself,

Yea, all my raiment, to my petticoat;

Yes, all my clothes, down to my underwear;

Or what you will command me will I do,

Or I will do whatever you command me,

So well I know my duty to my elders.

I know my duty to my elders that well.

KATHERINA. Of all thy suitors here I charge thee tell

Of all your suitors here, I order you to tell

Whom thou lov'st best: see thou dissemble not.

Whom you love best: and don't lie to me.

BIANCA. Believe me, sister, of all the men alive

I never yet beheld that special face

I have never yet seen that special face

Which I could fancy more than any other.

Which I could desire more than any other.

KATHERINA. Minion, thou liest. Is't not Hortensio?

Minion, you are lying. Is it not Hortensio?

BIANCA. If you affect him, sister, here I swear I'll plead for you myself but you shall have him.

If you are fond of him, sister, here I swear I'll plead for you myself so you shall have him.

KATHERINA. O! then, belike, you fancy riches more:

Oh, then perhaps you desire riches more:

You will have Gremio to keep you fair.

You will have Gremio to keep you beautiful.

BIANCA. Is it for him you do envy me so?

Is it because of him that you envy me so much?

Nay, then you jest; and now I well perceive

No, that means you're joking; and now I can tell

You have but jested with me all this while:

You've only been joking with me all this time:

I prithee, sister Kate, untie my hands.

I beg you, sister Kate, untie my hands.

KATHERINA. If that be jest, then an the rest was so.

If that is a joke, then the rest was too.

[Strikes her.]

[Hits her.]

[Enter BAPTISTA.]

BAPTISTA. Why, how now, dame!

Why, what's going on, woman?!

Whence grows this insolence? Bianca, stand aside.

Where doest this rudeness come from? Bianca, stand aside.

Poor girl! she weeps. Go ply thy needle; meddle not with her.

Poor girl! She cries. Go to your embroidery; stop messing with her.