The Two Gentlemen of Verona
Shakescleare Translation

The Two Gentlemen of Verona Translation Act 4, Scene 1

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Enter certain Outlaws

FIRST OUTLAW

Fellows, stand fast; I see a passenger.

FIRST OUTLAW

Be ready, guys. I see a traveler. 

SECOND OUTLAW

If there be ten, shrink not, but down with 'em.

SECOND OUTLAW

If there are ten of them, don't hesitate. Take them down.

Enter VALENTINE and SPEED

THIRD OUTLAW

Stand, sir, and throw us that you have about ye:If not: we'll make you sit and rifle you.

THIRD OUTLAW

Stop, sir, and give us what you've got there. If not, we'll make you sit, and we'll rob you.

SPEED

Sir, we are undone; these are the villainsThat all the travellers do fear so much.

SPEED

Sir, this is the end of us. These are the villains that all travelers are afraid of. 

VALENTINE

My friends,—

VALENTINE

My friends— 

FIRST OUTLAW

That's not so, sir: we are your enemies.

FIRST OUTLAW

No, sir. We are your enemies.

SECOND OUTLAW

Peace! We'll hear him.

SECOND OUTLAW

Quiet! Let's hear him out.

THIRD OUTLAW

Ay, by my beard, will we, for he's a proper man.

THIRD OUTLAW

Yes, I swear by my beard that we will. He is a fine-looking man.

VALENTINE

Then know that I have little wealth to lose: A man I am cross'd with adversity; My riches are these poor habiliments, Of which if you should here disfurnish me, You take the sum and substance that I have.

VALENTINE

Then you should know that I don't have much wealth to lose. I am a man destroyed by misfortune. I only own these poor clothes, and if you would deprive me of those, you'd take everything that I have. 

SECOND OUTLAW

Whither travel you?

SECOND OUTLAW

Where are you heading?

VALENTINE

To Verona.

VALENTINE

To Verona.

FIRST OUTLAW

Whence came you?

FIRST OUTLAW

Where did you come from?

VALENTINE

From Milan.

VALENTINE

From Milan.

THIRD OUTLAW

Have you long sojourned there?

THIRD OUTLAW

Did you stay there for a long time?

VALENTINE

Some sixteen months, and longer might have stay'd,If crooked fortune had not thwarted me.

VALENTINE

Around sixteen months; we might have stayed longer if such bad luck hadn't come my way.

FIRST OUTLAW

What, were you banish'd thence?

FIRST OUTLAW

What, were you banished from there?

VALENTINE

I was.

VALENTINE

I was.

SECOND OUTLAW

For what offence?

SECOND OUTLAW

For what crime?

VALENTINE

For that which now torments me to rehearse: I kill'd a man, whose death I much repent; But yet I slew him manfully in fight, Without false vantage or base treachery.

VALENTINE

For something that's painful to repeat now. I killed a man, and I regret his death very much. But I killed him in a fight like a man should, without unfair advantage or lowly treachery.

FIRST OUTLAW

Why, ne'er repent it, if it were done so.But were you banish'd for so small a fault?

FIRST OUTLAW

Well, since it was done in that way, you don't have to regret it. But were you banished for just this small crime?

VALENTINE

I was, and held me glad of such a doom.

VALENTINE

I was, and I was glad to get such a reasonable sentence.

SECOND OUTLAW

Have you the tongues?

SECOND OUTLAW

Can you speak any foreign languages?

VALENTINE

My youthful travel therein made me happy,Or else I often had been miserable.

VALENTINE

Thanks to the traveling I did in my younger years, I am accomplished in speaking other languages. Otherwise, I would have been miserable quite often.

THIRD OUTLAW

By the bare scalp of Robin Hood's fat friar,This fellow were a king for our wild faction!

THIRD OUTLAW

By the bare head of Robin Hood's fat priest, this guy would be a king for our wild group!

FIRST OUTLAW

We'll have him. Sirs, a word.

FIRST OUTLAW

We'll have him. Sirs, a word.

SPEED

Master, be one of them; it's an honourable kind of thievery.

SPEED

Master, you should be one of them! It's an honorable kind of thievery. 

VALENTINE

Peace, villain!

VALENTINE

Quiet, rogue!

SECOND OUTLAW

Tell us this: have you any thing to take to?

SECOND OUTLAW

Tell us: do you have any resources?

VALENTINE

Nothing but my fortune.

VALENTINE

Nothing apart from my fortune.

THIRD OUTLAW

Know, then, that some of us are gentlemen, Such as the fury of ungovern'd youth Thrust from the company of awful men: Myself was from Verona banished For practising to steal away a lady, An heir, and near allied unto the duke.

THIRD OUTLAW

You should know that some of us are gentlemen, thrust from the company of respectful men like reckless youngsters. I was banished from Verona for plotting to steal a lady, an heir, who was closely allied with the Duke.

SECOND OUTLAW

And I from Mantua, for a gentleman,Who, in my mood, I stabb'd unto the heart.

SECOND OUTLAW

And I was banished from Mantua because I stabbed a gentlemen in the heart in a rage.

FIRST OUTLAW

And I for such like petty crimes as these, But to the purpose—for we cite our faults, That they may hold excus'd our lawless lives; And partly, seeing you are beautified With goodly shape and by your own report A linguist and a man of such perfection As we do in our quality much want—

FIRST OUTLAW

And I was banished for small crimes like these. But let's focus on our purpose. We acknowledge our faults so that they may justify our lawless lives. And also because we see that you are of a beautiful physical appearance; and by what you said to us, you're a linguist and a man of such perfection that we would want you in our profession.

SECOND OUTLAW

Indeed, because you are a banish'd man, Therefore, above the rest, we parley to you: Are you content to be our general? To make a virtue of necessity And live, as we do, in this wilderness?

SECOND OUTLAW

Indeed, because you are a banished man, we negotiate with you. We're suggesting this because of this reason above all. Would you be happy to be our general? To make a virtue of necessity and live like we do, in this wilderness?

THIRD OUTLAW

What say'st thou? Wilt thou be of our consort? Say ay, and be the captain of us all: We'll do thee homage and be ruled by thee, Love thee as our commander and our king.

THIRD OUTLAW

What do you say? Will you be a part of our company? Say yes, and be our captain. We'll perform acts of allegiance, be ruled by you, and love you as our commander and our king.

FIRST OUTLAW

But if thou scorn our courtesy, thou diest.

FIRST OUTLAW

But if you reject what we offer you, you'll die.

SECOND OUTLAW

Thou shalt not live to brag what we have offer'd.

SECOND OUTLAW

You won't live to boast about what we've just offered you.

VALENTINE

I take your offer and will live with you, Provided that you do no outrages On silly women or poor passengers.

VALENTINE

I accept your offer and will live with you—but only if you won't commit any acts of violence on defenseless women or poor travelers.

THIRD OUTLAW

No, we detest such vile base practises. Come, go with us, we'll bring thee to our crews, And show thee all the treasure we have got, Which, with ourselves, all rest at thy dispose.

THIRD OUTLAW

No, we hate such vicious practices. Come along with us! We'll take you to our gang, and show you all our treasures. Like us, they are at your disposal.

Exeunt