在喬叟《坎特伯里故事集》中最有名的女性角色就是「巴斯夫人」。在巴斯夫人所說的故事裡,在一位騎士犯下強暴罪之後,皇后答應他只要他能找出「女人最想要的到底是什麼?」,就可以饒他一死。一名老婦人告訴這位騎士,女人最想要的就是對男人的掌控權。皇后很滿意這答案,但這位老婦人卻要騎士娶她為妻作為報償。新婚第一晚,騎士發狂似地找新婚太太毛病。於是太太給了他兩個選擇:
“Choose now,” said she, “of these things, one of two:
Till I die, to have me foul and old, too,’
And be to you a true and humble wife,
And never displease you in all my life,
Or else you can have now a fair, young thing,
And take your chances with the visiting
That happens at your house because of me,
Or in some other place, as well may be.
Choose yourself whichever one will please you.”
「現在就選吧!」他的新婚妻子說道:「你有兩個選擇:
第一個選擇是到我死之前我都是又老又醜,
但我會對你忠貞不二,真心不渝,
而且永遠不會做出讓你不悅的事。
或者,你可以選擇擁有一個年輕又漂亮的老婆,
但是之後會有哪些訪客上門來找我,
亦或是在別的地方跟我見面,
那風險可就是你自己得承擔得了。
就選那個會讓你開心的吧!』
os: 在這桃色風波從不停息,全民皆狗仔的社會,大概真不知道選哪個好了。但是,也許聰明的丈夫知道自己應該跟故事中的騎士一樣選:(答案就在故事裡)。
The Canterbury Tales, The Wife of Bath’s Tale
Norton Anthology of Western Literature, Volume I, 9th edition
圖片來源
“Choose now,” said she, “of these things, one of two:
Till I die, to have me foul and old, too,’
And be to you a true and humble wife,
And never displease you in all my life,
Or else you can have now a fair, young thing,
And take your chances with the visiting
That happens at your house because of me,
Or in some other place, as well may be.
Choose yourself whichever one will please you.”
「現在就選吧!」他的新婚妻子說道:「你有兩個選擇:
第一個選擇是到我死之前我都是又老又醜,
但我會對你忠貞不二,真心不渝,
而且永遠不會做出讓你不悅的事。
或者,你可以選擇擁有一個年輕又漂亮的老婆,
但是之後會有哪些訪客上門來找我,
亦或是在別的地方跟我見面,
那風險可就是你自己得承擔得了。
就選那個會讓你開心的吧!』
os: 在這桃色風波從不停息,全民皆狗仔的社會,大概真不知道選哪個好了。但是,也許聰明的丈夫知道自己應該跟故事中的騎士一樣選:(答案就在故事裡)。
The Canterbury Tales, The Wife of Bath’s Tale
Norton Anthology of Western Literature, Volume I, 9th edition
圖片來源