If music be the food of love, play on;  act I, sc. i, l. 1

如果音樂是愛情的糧食，繼續奏吧；

Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting,  I, i, 2

The appetite may sicken, and so die.

That strain again! it had a dying fall:

O! it came o’er my ear like the sweet sound

That breathes upon a bank of violets,

Stealing and giving odor!

給我超多這種糧食，以至因過飽而生厭，慾念消逝。

再奏起那個曲調吧！它有漸漸消沉的尾聲：

啊！它聽起來就像微風輕拂一叢紫羅蘭，

把花香偷走，也把花香分送。

O spirit of love! how quick and fresh art thou,

That, notwithstanding thy capacity

Receiveth as the sea, nought enters there,

Of what validity and pitch soe’er,

But falls into abatement and low price,

Even in a minute: so full of shapes is fancy,

That it alone is high fantastical.    I, i, 9

愛情的精靈呀！你是多麼活潑又敏銳，

雖然你有海一般的容量，

可是無論怎麼高貴的事物，

一旦進入你的範圍，便會立即減損價值：

愛情是如此充滿各色形象，

而比任何東西更富於幻想又變化多端。

When my tongue blabs, then let mine eyes not see.    I, ii, 61

我若胡扯洩了秘密，就使我的眼睛失明。 If I tell your secret, may I lose my sight.

I am sure care’s an enemy to life.    I, iii, 2

我確信 憂慮是生命之敵。 care: worry

        (, and so be these boots too: an they be not,) let them hang themselves in their own straps.    I, iii, 13

（如果它們不夠好，）就讓它們用自身帶子做成的絞索去處罰自己。

I have them at my fingers’ ends.    I, iii, 78

這些就在我的手頭上。at…ends: (1) in readiness; (2) held by my hand.

       ; but I am a great eater of beef, and I believe that does harm to my wit.  I, iii, 92

我是個吃牛肉的老饕，我相信這很傷我的智慧。But I eat a lot of beef, and maybe that hurts my intelligence.

    Wherefore are these things hid?    I, iii, 135

為甚麼你要把這些東西隱藏起來呢？

    Is it a world to hide virtues in?    I, iii, 142

這是個把才華隱藏起來的世界嗎？ virtues: talents, accomplishments. There is probably an allusion here to Jesus’ parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30).

    (Well,) God give them wisdom that have it; and those that are fools, let them use their talents.    I, v, 14

上帝把智慧給了有智慧的人；至於傻子們呢？讓他們用自己的本能（或爪子）。talents: (1) natural abilities; (2) talons

Many a good hanging prevents a bad marriage.   I, v, 19

許多好絞刑防止了壞婚姻。（曾經 犯人將被施絞刑時 如果應允與某殘疾或醜陋女子結婚可免一死 然而常有犯人寧死不從）Sometimes getting hanged saves a man from getting into a bad marriage. Some of the old ballads of merry England contain allusions to a law or usage of primitive times, to the effect that if a man or woman would consent to marry, under the gallows, a person condemned to death, the criminal would escape hanging. A few criminals, however, preferred the hangman’s knot to the marriage tie.

Better a witty fool than a foolish wit.  I, v, 36

聰明的傻瓜蛋勝過傻瓜蛋聰明人。

One draught above heat makes him a fool, the second mads him, and a third drowns him.    I, v, 139

喝酒超過了暖身之量一口使他變成傻瓜；兩口變成瘋子，三口把他淹死了。 above heat: i.e. above the point of feeling a pleasant warmth. The first drink makes him a fool, the second makes him a madman, and the third drowns him.

‘Tis beauty truly blent, whose red and white

Nature’s own sweet and cunning hand laid on:  I, v, 259

是真正調和的美貌，那唇紅膚白

是女神自己可愛的巧手搽上去的： blent: blended. cunning: skilled. That’s true beauty, Mother Nature herself painted your skin so white and your lips so red.

Lady, you are the cruel’st she alive,

If you will lead these graces to the grave

And leave the world no copy.    I, v, 261

小姐，假如妳帶著這些優美進入墳墓

卻沒有留下一子半女（遺傳妳美讓後人欣賞），

妳就是世上最狠心的女人。〔這段是追求女孩子很好的用語〕

Make me a willow cabin at your gate,

And call upon my soul within the house;    I, v, 289

我要在妳家門外用柳條搭一間小屋，

好拜訪妳；willow cabin: hut of willow boughs. Willow was the symbol of unrequited love. my soul: i.e. Olivia.〔柳樹是單戀的象徵；my soul = 心上人〕

Hallow your name to the reverberate hills,

And make the babbling gossip of the air

Cry out, “Olivia!”    I, v, 293

我要向著回音的山陵呼喊妳的名字，

使回聲

叫著「奧麗維亞」！

Farewell, fair cruelty.    I, v, 309

再會，狠心的美人。 cruelty: cruel person

O mistress mine! where are you roaming?

O, stay and hear, your true-love’s coming,

That can sing both high and low.

Trip no further, pretty sweeting;

Journeys end in lovers meeting,

Every wise man’s son doth know.    II, iii, 42

旅程終止於情人相會，

每個聰明人的兒子都知道。 roaming: walking without any definite destination. sweeting: sweet one.  in lovers meeting: when lovers meet.

What is love? ‘tis not hereafter;

Present mirth hath present laughter;

What’s to come is still unsure.

In delay there lies no plenty,

Then come kiss me, sweet and twenty;

Youth’s a stuff will not endure.    II, iii, 50

愛情是甚麼？它不是未來式；

眼前笑聲伴樂事；

將來的事總不確定。

蹉跎 沒有一事是滿意，

來 吻我吧，甜蜜又二十倍甜蜜；

不長久者是青春。 ‘tis not hereafter: it is a thing of the present. hath: is accompanied by. still: ever, always.  no plenty: nothing that is satisfying. sweet and twenty: sweet and twenty more times sweet. Twenty is used as an intensive. endure: last out.

He does it with a better grace, but I do it more natural.    II, iii, 91

他做得比較高雅，而我做得更為自然。 natural: (1) naturally; (2) like a fool

Is there no respect of place, persons, nor time, in you?    II, iii, 100

難道你沒注意這是甚麼地方，住的是甚麼人，現在是甚麼時候嗎？ respect: regard

    Sir Toby:         Dost thou think, because thou art virtuous, there shall be no more cakes and ale?

    Clown: Yes, by Saint Anne; and ginger shall be hot i’the mouth too.    II, iii, 124

托比：你以為，因為你是規矩的，別人就不可以飲酒作樂嗎？

小丑：是啊，憑聖安起誓，薑汁入口也會辣。（他們當然可以，甚至可以吃雙份呢。）〔上句ale 加薑汁做香料稱ginger ale〕

    My purpose is, indeed, a horse of that colour.    II, iii, 184

實際上，我的意思正是那樣。a horse …colour: something of that kind