二

卡帕多西亚人︰我觉得那太荒唐了。

施洗者约翰的声音︰在我之后，将会有位比我更荣光的人来临。我甚至为他解鞋带都不配。当他来临，孤独的地方将充满喜悦。他们会像百合一样绽放。盲人的眼睛将看见白昼，聋人的耳朵将会开启。新生婴儿的手将放在龙的毛发上，他将会拉着狮子的鬃毛引领。

第二士兵︰叫他住口。他总是胡言乱语。

第一士兵︰不，不。他是个圣人。他非常温和。每天当我送食物给他时，他总是向我道谢。

卡帕多西亚人︰他是谁？

第一士兵︰一位先知。

卡帕多西亚人︰他的名字？

第一士兵︰约翰。

卡帕多西亚人︰他从何处来？

第一士兵︰沙漠，他以蝗虫和野蜜唯生。他以驼毛为衣，腰缠皮带。外表看来十分可怕。有大批民众追随着他。甚至还有几位信徒。

卡帕多西亚人︰他提出什么理论？

第一士兵︰我们不清楚。有时他说得相当吓人，但却无法真正了解他所指为何。

卡帕多西亚人︰别人可以见他吗？

第一士兵︰不。陛下禁止人们见他。

年轻的叙利亚军官︰公主将脸藏在扇子后方！她美白的双手，犹如在天空飞翔的白鸽。它们像白蝴蝶。它们就像是白蝴蝶。

希罗底的侍从︰你到底怎么了？你为何直盯着她？你不能再看着她……可怕的事情可能发生。

卡帕多西亚人〔指向水池〕︰多奇特的监狱！

第二士兵︰那是座旧水池。

卡帕多西亚人︰一座旧水池！那必然对健康不佳。

第二士兵︰噢，不！譬如陛下的兄长，希罗底王后的第一任丈夫，就曾在那儿监禁十二年。他并未丧命。在十二年结束后，他才被绞死。

卡帕多利安人︰绞死？谁胆敢做这种事？

第二士兵〔指向行刑人，一个健壮的黑人〕︰在那边的人，那曼。

卡帕多西亚人︰他不害怕吗？

第二士兵︰噢，不！陛下赐予他指环。

卡帕多西亚人︰什么指环？

第二士兵︰死亡的指环。所以他不恐惧。

卡帕多西亚人︰不过绞死一位国王，还是太可怕了。

第二士兵︰为什么？国王也不过一个脖子，就向其它人一样。

卡帕多西亚人︰我认为那太可怕了。

年轻的叙利亚军官︰公主站起来了！她要离开餐桌！她的表情非常困扰。啊，她朝这个方向走来了。是的，她正向我们走来。脸色多么苍白！我从未见过她脸色这样苍白。

希罗底的侍从︰不要看她。我求你不要看着她。

年轻叙利亚军官︰她像只迷途的鸽子……她像风中摇曳的水仙……她像银白美丽的花朵。

〔莎乐美上〕

莎乐美︰我再也待不下去。我再也不能忍受。为何陛下总是用那对鼠辈的眼睛看着我？我母亲的丈夫如此奇怪地看着我。我不知道那是什么意思。事实上，没错，我知道那是什么意思。

年轻叙利亚军官︰您刚刚离开宴席了吗，公主？

莎乐美︰这儿的空气多么甜美！在这里我能够自由地呼吸！在那里，从耶路撒冷来的犹太人，不断地为他们愚蠢的宗教仪式争吵，恨不得将对方撕成碎片，并且如野蛮人般胡乱地狂饮，将酒溅洒走道上，还有那些从史密尔那（Smyrna）来的希腊人，他们的眼睛与脸颊上了花绿杂乱的颜彩，发丝扭曲卷绕，以及那些狡猾寡言的埃及人，手上戴着玉制长爪与赤褐外套，还有那残忍粗俗的罗马人，满口野鄙不耐的黑话。啊！我多么厌恶罗马人！他们无礼又平凡，但仍自比为高尚风雅的贵族。

THE CAPPADOCIAN

That seems to me altogether ridiculous.

THE VOICE OF IOKANAAN

After me shall come another mightier than I. I am not worthy so much as to unloose the latchet of his shoes. When he cometh the solitary places shall be glad. They shall blossom like the rose. The eyes of the blind shall see the day, and the ears of the deaf shall be opened. The sucking child shall put his hand upon the dragons lair, he shall lead the lions by their manes.

SECOND SOLDIER

Make him be silent. He is always saying ridiculous things.

FIRST SOLDIER

No, no. He is a holy man. He is very gentle, too. Every day when I give him to eat he thanks me.

THE CAPPADOCIAN

Who is he?

FIRST SOLDIER

A prophet.

THE CAPPADOCIAN

What is his name?

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FIRST SOLDIER

Iokanaan.

THE CAPPADOCIAN

Whence comes he?

FIRST SOLDIER

From the desert, where he fed on locusts and wild honey. He was clothed in camels hair, and round his loins he had a leathern belt. He was very terrible to look upon. A great multitude used to follow him. He even had disciples.

THE CAPPADOCIAN

What is he talking of?

FIRST SOLDIER

We can never tell. Sometimes he says things that affright one, but it is impossible to understand what he says.

THE CAPPADOCIAN

May one see him?

FIRST SOLDIER

No. The Tetrarch has forbidden it.

THE YOUNG SYRIAN

The Princess has hidden her face behind her fan! Her little white hands are fluttering like doves that fly to their dove-cots. They are like

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white butterflies. They are just like white butterflies.

THE PAGE OF HERODIAS

What is that to you? Why do you look at her? You must not look at her . . . . Something terrible may happen.

THE CAPPADOCIAN

[Pointing to the cistern.]

What a strange prison!

SECOND SOLDIER

It is an old cistern.

THE CAPPADOCIAN

An old cistern! That must be a poisonous place in which to dwell!

SECOND SOLDIER

Oh no! For instance, the Tetrarchs brother, his elder brother, the first husband of Herodias the Queen, was imprisoned there for twelve years. It did not kill him. At the end of the twelve years he had to be strangled.

THE CAPPADOCIAN

Strangled? Who dared to do that?

SECOND SOLDIER

[Pointing to the Executioner, a huge negro.]

That man yonder, Naaman.

-9-

THE CAPPADOCIAN

He was not afraid?

SECOND SOLDIER

Oh no! The Tetrarch sent him the ring.

THE CAPPADOCIAN

What ring?

SECOND SOLDIER

The death ring. So he was not afraid.

THE CAPPADOCIAN

Yet it is a terrible thing to strangle a king.

FIRST SOLDIER

Why? Kings have but one neck, like other folk.

THE CAPPADOCIAN

I think it terrible.

THE YOUNG SYRIAN

The Princess is getting up! She is leaving the table! She looks very troubled. Ah, she is coming this way. Yes, she is coming towards us. How pale she is! Never have I seen her so pale.

THE PAGE OF HERODIAS

Do not look at her. I pray you not to look at her.

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THE YOUNG SYRIAN

She is like a dove that has strayed . . . . She is like a narcissus trembling in the wind . . . . She is like a silver flower.

[Enter Salome.]

SALOME

I will not stay. I cannot stay. Why does the Tetrarch look at me all the while with his moles eyes under his shaking eyelids? It is strange that the husband of my mother looks at me like that. I know not what it means. Of a truth I know it too well.

THE YOUNG SYRIAN

You have left the feast, Princess?

SALOME

How sweet is the air here! I can breathe here! Within there are Jews from Jerusalem who are tearing each other in pieces over their foolish ceremonies, and barbarians who drink and drink and spill their wine on the pavement, and Greeks from Smyrna with painted eyes and painted cheeks, and frizzed hair curled in columns, and Egyptians silent and subtle, with long nails of jade and russet cloaks, and Romans brutal and coarse, with their uncouth jargon. Ah! how I loathe the Romans! They are rough and common, and they give themselves the airs of noble lords.