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the bab ballads(巴布民谣)-第10章

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     〃Oh;   BAINES      CAREW;      my    woe   I've  kept  A   secret  hitherto;  you 

know;〃 … (And BAINES CAREW; ESQUIRE; he wept To hear that BAGG 

HAD any woe。) 

     〃My case; indeed; is passing sad。 My wife … whom I considered true … 

With    brutal  conduct    drives  me   mad。〃    〃I  am  appalled;〃   said   BAINES 

CAREW。 

     〃What! sound the matrimonial knell Of worthy people such as these! 

Why was I an attorney?        Well … Go on to the SAEVITIA; please。〃 

     〃Domestic bliss has proved my bane; … A harder case you never heard; 

My wife (in other matters sane) Pretends that I'm a Dicky bird! 

     〃She makes me sing; 'Too…whit; too…wee!' And stand upon a rounded 

stick; And always introduces me To every one as 'Pretty Dick'!〃 



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     〃Oh; dear;〃 said weeping BAINES CAREW; 〃This is the direst case I 

know。〃     〃I'm   grieved;〃  said  BAGG;     〃at  paining   you   …  〃To  COBB      and 

POLTHERTHWAITE I'll go … 

     〃To COBB'S cold; calculating ear; My gruesome              sorrows I'll impart〃 

…   〃No; stop;〃   said   BAINES;  〃I'll   dry  my  tear; And steel   my  sympathetic 

heart。〃 

     〃She makes me perch upon a tree; Rewarding me with 'Sweety … nice!' 

And threatens to exhibit me With four or five performing mice。〃 

     〃Restrain my tears I wish I could〃 (Said BAINES); 〃I don't know what 

to do。〃 Said CAPTAIN BAGG; 〃You're very good。〃 〃Oh; not at all;〃 said 

BAINES CAREW。 

     〃She makes me fire a gun;〃 said BAGG; 〃And; at a preconcerted word; 

Climb up a ladder with a flag; Like any street performing bird。 

     〃She places sugar in my way … In public places calls me 'Sweet!' She 

gives me groundsel every day; And hard canary…seed to eat。〃 

     〃Oh;    woe!   oh;  sad!  oh;  dire  to  tell!〃  (Said  BAINES)。      〃Be    good 

enough to stop。〃 And senseless on the floor he fell; With unpremeditated 

flop! 

     Said   CAPTAIN   BAGG;   〃Well;   really   I Am   grieved   to   think   it   pains 

you so。 I thank you for your sympathy; But; hang it! … come … I say; you 

know!〃 

    But BAINES lay flat upon the floor; Convulsed with sympathetic sob; 

… The Captain toddled off next door; And gave the case to MR。 COBB。 



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          Ballad: Thomas Winterbottom 

                                   Hance 



    In all the towns and cities fair On Merry England's broad expanse; No 

swordsman       ever  could    compare    With   THOMAS        WINTERBOTTOM 

HANCE。 

    The   dauntless   lad   could   fairly   hew   A   silken   handkerchief   in   twain; 

Divide a leg of mutton too … And this without unwholesome strain。 

    On   whole   half…sheep;   with   cunning   trick;   His   sabre   sometimes   he'd 

employ … No bar of lead; however thick; Had terrors for the stalwart boy。 

    At Dover daily he'd prepare To hew and slash; behind; before … Which 

aggravated     MONSIEUR        PIERRE;     Who    watched    him   from   the  Calais 

shore。 

    It   caused   good   PIERRE   to   swear   and   dance; The   sight   annoyed   and 

vexed   him   so;   He   was   the   bravest   man   in   France   …   He   said   so;   and   he 

ought to know。 

    〃Regardez donc; ce cochon gros … Ce polisson!             Oh; sacre bleu! Son 

sabre; son plomb; et ses gigots Comme cela m'ennuye; enfin; mon Dieu! 

    〃Il sait que les foulards de soie Give no retaliating whack … Les gigots 

morts n'ont pas de quoi … Le plomb don't ever hit you back。〃 

    But every day the headstrong lad Cut lead and mutton more and more; 

And every day poor PIERRE; half mad; Shrieked loud defiance from his 

shore。 

    HANCE had a mother; poor and old; A simple; harmless village dame; 

Who crowed and   clapped as people   told Of WINTERBOTTOM'S   rising 

fame。 

    She said; 〃I'll be upon the spot To see my TOMMY'S sabre…play;〃 And 

so she left her leafy cot; And walked to Dover in a day。 

    PIERRE had a doating mother; who Had heard of his defiant rage; HIS 

Ma was nearly ninety…two; And rather dressy for her age。 

    At HANCE'S doings every morn; With sheer delight HIS mother cried; 

And MONSIEUR PIERRE'S contemptuous scorn Filled HIS mamma with 



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proper pride。 

    But HANCE'S powers began to fail … His constitution was not strong … 

And PIERRE; who once was stout and hale; Grew thin from shouting all 

day long。 

    Their   mothers   saw   them   pale   and   wan;   Maternal   anguish   tore   each 

breast; And so they met to find a plan To set their offsprings' minds at rest。 

     Said MRS。 HANCE; 〃Of course I shrinks From bloodshed; ma'am; as 

you're   aware;   But   still   they'd   better   meet;   I   thinks。〃   〃Assurement!〃   said 

MADAME PIERRE。 

    A sunny spot in sunny France Was hit upon for this affair; The ground 

was   picked   by   MRS。   HANCE;   The   stakes   were   pitched   by   MADAME 

PIERRE。 

     Said MRS。 H。; 〃Your work you see … Go in; my noble boy; and win。〃 

〃En    garde;   mon    fils!〃  said  MADAME        P。  〃Allons!〃    〃Go    on!〃   〃En 

garde!〃     〃Begin!〃 

    (The mothers were of decent size; Though not particularly tall; But in 

the sketch that meets your eyes I've been obliged to draw them small。) 

    Loud sneered the doughty man of France; 〃Ho! ho!              Ho! ho!     Ha! ha! 

Ha!  ha!   〃The   French   for   'Pish'〃 said THOMAS  HANCE。   Said   PIERRE; 

〃L'Anglais; Monsieur; pour 'Bah。'〃 

     Said MRS。 H。; 〃Come; one! two! three! … We're sittin' here to see all 

fair。〃 〃C'est magnifique!〃 said MADAME P。; 〃Mais; parbleu! ce n'est pas 

la guerre!〃 

     〃Je scorn un foe si lache que vous;〃 Said PIERRE; the doughty son of 

France。 〃I fight not coward   foe like   you!〃 Said   our undaunted TOMMY 

HANCE。 

     〃The French for 'Pooh!'〃 our TOMMY cried。 〃L'Anglais pour 'Va!'〃 the 

Frenchman   crowed。 And   so;   with   undiminished   pride;   Each   went   on   his 

respective road。 



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     Ballad: The Reverend Micah Sowls 



    The  REVEREND   MICAH   SOWLS;   He   shouts   and   yells   and   howls; 

He screams; he mouths; he bumps; He foams; he rants; he thumps。 

    His armour he has buckled on; to wage The regulation war against the 

Stage; And warns his congregation all to shun 〃The Presence…Chamber of 

the Evil One;〃 

    The subject's sad enough To make him rant and puff; And fortunately; 

too; His Bishop's in a pew。 

     So REVEREND MICAH claps on extra steam; His eyes are flashing 

with   superior   gleam;   He   is   as   energetic   as   can   be;   For   there   are  
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