This speech, O Jason, hast thou with specious art arranged; but

yet I think-albeit in speaking I am indiscreet-that thou hast sinned



in thy betrayal of thy wife.

MEDEA



No doubt I differ from the mass of men on many points; for, to

my mind, whoso hath skill to fence with words in an unjust cause,



incurs the heaviest penalty; for such an one, confident that he can

cast a decent veil of words o'er his injustice, dares to practise



it; and yet he is not so very clever after all. So do not thou put

forth thy specious pleas and clever words to me now, for one word of



mine will lay thee low. Hadst thou not had a villain's heart, thou

shouldst have gained my consent, then made this match, instead of



hiding it from those who loved thee.

JASON



Thou wouldest have lent me ready aid, no doubt, in this

proposal, if had told thee of my marriage, seeing that not even now



canst thou restrain thy soul's hot fury.

MEDEA



This was not what restrained thee; but thine eye was turned

towards old age, and a foreign wife began to appear a shame to thee.



JASON

Be well assured of this: 'twas not for the woman's sake I wedded



the king's daughter, my present wife; but, as I have already told

thee, I wished to insure thy safety and to be the father of royal sons



bound by blood to my own children-a bulwark to our house.

MEDEA



May that prosperity, whose end is woe, ne'er be mine, nor such

wealth as would ever sting my heart!



JASON

Change that prayer as I will teach thee, and thou wilt show more



wisdom. Never let happiness appear in sorrow's guise, nor, when thy

fortune smiles, pretend she frowns!



MEDEA

Mock on; thou hast a place of refuge; I am alone, an exile soon to



be.

JASON



Thy own free choice was this; blame no one else.

MEDEA



What did I do? Marry, then betray thee?

JASON



Against the king thou didst invoke an impious curse.

MEDEA



On thy house too maybe I bring the curse.

JASON



Know this, I will no further dispute this point with thee. But, if

thou wilt of my fortune somewhat take for the children or thyself to



help thy exile, say on; for I am ready to grant it with ungrudging

hand, yea and to bend tokens to my friends elsewhere who shall treat



thee well. If thou refuse this offer, thou wilt do a foolish deed, but

if thou cease from anger the greater will be thy gain.



MEDEA

I will have naught to do with friends of thine, naught will I



receive of thee, offer it not to me; a villain's gifts can bring no

blessing.



JASON

At least I call the gods to witness, that I am ready in all things



to serve thee and thy children, but thou dost scorn my favours and

thrustest thy friends stubbornly away; wherefore thy lot will be



more bitter still.

MEDEA



Away! By love for thy young bride entrapped, too long thou

lingerest outside her chamber; go wed, for, if God will, thou shalt



have such a marriage as thou wouldst fain refuse.

(JASON goes out.)



CHORUS (singing)

strophe 1



When in excess and past all limits Love doth come, he brings not

glory or repute to man; but if the Cyprian queen in moderate might



approach, no goddess is so full of charm as she. Never, O never,

lady mine, discharge at me from thy golden bow a shaft invincible,

• chorus [´kɔ:rəs] n.合唱；齐声 v.合唱 (初中英语单词)


• temper [´tempə] n.韧度 v.锻炼；调和 (初中英语单词)


• instance [´instəns] n.例子，实例，例证 (初中英语单词)


• spoken [´spəukən] speak的过去分词 (初中英语单词)


• punishment [´pʌniʃmənt] n.罚，刑罚 (初中英语单词)


• monarch [´mɔnək] n.君主；(大)王 (初中英语单词)


• beginning [bi´giniŋ] n.开始，开端；起源 (初中英语单词)


• aboard [ə´bɔ:d] ad.&prep.在…上 (初中英语单词)


• deadly [´dedli] a.致命的 ad.死一般地 (初中英语单词)


• dragon [´drægən] n.龙 (初中英语单词)


• conscience [´kɔnʃəns] n.良心；道德心 (初中英语单词)


• traitor [´treitə] n.叛徒，卖国贼 (初中英语单词)


• hither [´hiðə] ad.到此处 (初中英语单词)


• welcome [´welkəm] a.受欢迎的；可喜的 (初中英语单词)


• reward [ri´wɔ:d] n.&v.报答；报酬；奖赏 (初中英语单词)


• voyage [´vɔi-idʒ] n.&vi.航海；航程；旅行 (初中英语单词)


• reckon [´rekən] v.计算；认为；估计 (初中英语单词)


• nicely [naisli] ad.恰好地；谨慎地 (初中英语单词)


• learnt [lə:nt] learn 的过去式(分词) (初中英语单词)


• challenge [´tʃælindʒ] n.&vt.向….挑战；怀疑 (初中英语单词)


• princess [,prin´ses] n.公主；王妃；亲王夫人 (初中英语单词)


• device [di´vais] n.装置；器具；策略 (初中英语单词)


• complain [kəm´plein] vi.抱怨，叫屈；控诉 (初中英语单词)


• suffering [´sʌfəriŋ] n.痛苦；灾害 (初中英语单词)


• female [´fi:meil] a.女(性)的 n.女人 (初中英语单词)


• differ [´difə] vi.不同；有差别 (初中英语单词)


• prosperity [prɔ´speriti] n.繁荣；成功；幸运 (初中英语单词)


• pretend [pri´tend] v.假装；借口；妄求 (初中英语单词)


• refuge [´refju:dʒ] v.&n.避难(所)；庇护 (初中英语单词)


• betray [bi´trei] vt.背叛；辜负；暴露 (初中英语单词)


• dispute [di´spju:t] v.&n.争论，辩论；争吵 (初中英语单词)


• elsewhere [,elsweə] ad.在别处；向别处 (初中英语单词)


• witness [´witnis] n.见证人 vt.目击 (初中英语单词)


• excess [´ekses] n.超过 a.过分的 (初中英语单词)


• moderate [´mɔdərit] a.适度的n.温和主义者 (初中英语单词)


• goddess [´gɔdis] n.女神 (初中英语单词)


• discharge [dis´tʃɑ:dʒ] vt.&n.卸货；释放；解雇 (初中英语单词)


• universe [´ju:nivə:s] n.天地；全人类；银河系 (高中英语单词)


• heavenly [´hevənli] a.天的，天空的 (高中英语单词)


• strain [strein] vt.拉紧 vi.拖 n.张力 (高中英语单词)


• naught [nɔ:t] n.无；零 (高中英语单词)


• reproach [ri´prəutʃ] vt.&n.责备；指责；耻辱 (高中英语单词)


• confront [kən´frʌnt] vt.(使)面对；正视 (高中英语单词)


• amongst [ə´mʌŋst] prep.其中之一 =among (高中英语单词)


• exaggerate [ig´zædʒəreit] v.夸张，言过其实 (高中英语单词)


• retort [ri´tɔ:t] n.&v.报复；反击；反驳 (高中英语单词)


• prudent [´pru:dənt] a.谨慎的；精明的 (高中英语单词)


• hopeless [´həupləs] a.无望的，无可救药的 (高中英语单词)


• lasting [´lɑ:stiŋ] a.持久的；永远的 (高中英语单词)


• ruffle [´rʌfl] v.弄皱；扰乱 n.轻擂 (高中英语单词)


• penalty [´penlti] n.刑罚；惩罚；障碍 (高中英语单词)


• confident [´kɔnfidənt] a.有信心的，自信的 (高中英语单词)


• decent [´di:sənt] a.体面的，正派的 (高中英语单词)


• injustice [in´dʒʌstis] n.不公正，不公平 (高中英语单词)


• seeing [si:iŋ] see的现在分词 n.视觉 (高中英语单词)


• restrain [ri´strein] vt.抑制；管束；限制 (高中英语单词)


• insure [in´ʃuə] vt.给…保险 (高中英语单词)


• chamber [´tʃeimbə] n.房间；议院；会议室 (高中英语单词)


• villain [´vilən] n.坏人；恶棍；反面角色 (英语四级单词)


• fleece [fli:s] n.羊毛；羊毛状物 (英语四级单词)


• deliverance [di´livərəns] n.援救；获释 (英语四级单词)


• prudence [´pru:dəns] n.谨慎；慎重；节俭 (英语四级单词)


• grievous [´gri:vəs] a.痛苦的；严重的 (英语四级单词)


• wherefore [´weəfɔ:] ad.为什么；因此 (英语四级单词)


• trusty [´trʌsti] a.可靠的 n.可信任的 (英语四级单词)


• bridal [´braidl] a.&n.婚礼(的) (英语四级单词)


• whereby [weə´bai] ad.凭什么；靠那个 (英语四级单词)


• orator [´ɔrətə] n.演说者；雄辩家 (英语四级单词)


• hateful [´heitfəl] a.可恨的，可憎的 (英语四级单词)


• barbarian [bɑ:´beəriən] a.&n.野蛮(人)的 (英语四级单词)


• withdrawn [wið´drɔ:n] withdraw过去分词 (英语四级单词)


• loathe [ləuð] vt.厌恶，嫌恶 (英语四级单词)


• unjust [ʌn´dʒʌst] a.不公平(正)的 (英语四级单词)


• bulwark [´bulwək] n.堡垒；屏障 (英语四级单词)


• repute [ri´pju:t] n.名誉(声) vt.称为 (英语六级单词)


• phoebus [´fi:bəs] n.太阳神 (英语六级单词)


• unruly [ʌn´ru:li] a.不守规则的 (英语六级单词)


• destitute [´destitju:t] a.贫穷的；缺乏…的 (英语六级单词)


• recital [ri´saitl] n.背诵；叙述；音乐会 (英语六级单词)


• sleepless [´sli:pləs] a.失眠的；寂静的 (英语六级单词)


• beacon [´bi:kən] n.灯塔；信标 v.照亮 (英语六级单词)


• taking [´teikiŋ] a.迷人的 n.捕获物 (英语六级单词)


• herein [,hiər´in] ad.在此，鉴于 (英语六级单词)


• speaking [´spi:kiŋ] n.说话 a.发言的 (英语六级单词)


• assured [ə´ʃuəd] a.确实的 n.被保险人 (英语六级单词)


• invoke [in´vəuk] vt.调用，请求 (英语六级单词)


• impious [´impiəs] a.不敬的；不孝的 (英语六级单词)


• stubbornly [´stʌbənli] ad.顽固地，倔强地 (英语六级单词)