William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare, written by Sean McCollum. Illustrated by Filippo Vanzo. Focus question. Who was William Shakespeare and why do people remember him?

威廉·莎士比亚，文：肖恩·麦科勒姆 图：菲利波·万佐 思考问题 威廉·莎士比亚是谁，为什么人们一直纪念他？

Introduction English playwright and poet William Shakespeare lived from 1564 until 1616. 400 years after his death, his words remain very much alive. Many people consider Shakespeare the greatest writer in the history of the English language.

引言：英国剧作家兼诗人威廉·莎士比亚生于1564年，卒于1616年。 他去世已经四百年了，可他留下的文字依旧充满生命力。 许多人都认为，莎士比亚是英语文学史上最伟大的作家。

Shakespeare is a popular writer for many reasons. People admire his plays because they're exciting stories that touch people's feelings. Shakespeare is able to make people feel happy, sad, shocked, or scared along with his characters. His stories also include morals that make people think about big ideas such as good and evil. The way Shakespeare uses language sets him apart from other writers. His beautiful writing is still thought of as the benchmark for writers who want to tell Good stories.

莎士比亚广受欢迎，原因有很多。 人们喜爱他的戏剧，因为这些故事精彩动人，总能触动人心。 莎士比亚能让读者跟着笔下的角色，一起体会开心、难过、震惊或是恐惧。 他的故事还蕴含道理，启发人们思考善恶这类宏大的人生命题。 莎士比亚运用语言的方式，让他在众多作家中独树一帜。 他优美的文笔，至今仍是想要讲好故事的创作者们的标杆。

Shakespeare's Family William Shakespeare was born in April 1564 to John and Mary Shakespeare. The family lived in Stratford, England, where William attended a good school. This was uncommon for the time, as many people could not read or write. Shakespeare married a woman named Anne in 1582. They lived in Stratford with their three children. Sadly, their only son died young.

莎士比亚的家庭 威廉·莎士比亚1564年4月出生，父母是约翰·莎士比亚与玛丽·莎士比亚。 一家人住在英国的斯特拉特福，威廉在这里读了不错的学校。 这在当时很不寻常，因为那时候很多人都不会读书写字。 1582年，莎士比亚和名叫安妮的女子结婚。 他们和三个孩子一起住在斯特拉特福。 可惜的是，他们唯一的儿子早早夭折了。

Shakespeare in London Between 1585 and 1592, Shakespeare left his family in Stratford and moved to London. He worked as an actor and a playwright. By 1594, he had become part owner of a popular theatre group. Even Queen Elizabeth liked to watch them act. Shakespeare helped found The Globe, a theater in London, in 1599. Many of his own plays were put on there.

莎士比亚在伦敦 1585年到1592年间，莎士比亚把家人留在斯特拉特福，自己迁居到了伦敦。 他一边当演员，一边创作剧本。 到1594年，他已经成为知名剧团的合伙人之一。 就连伊丽莎白女王都喜欢看他们的演出。 1599年，莎士比亚参与创办了伦敦的环球剧院。 他自己的许多戏剧都在这里上演。

Shakespeare's Plays Shakespeare wrote three main types of plays— tragedies, histories, and comedies. Tragedies are plays in which the hero makes mistakes that lead to disaster. Macbeth is the terrible story of one family's desire for power. Shakespeare's plays about history mostly celebrate England's kings. Shakespeare's comedies were often funny love stories with happy endings. In A Midsummer Night's Dream, a magic potion makes characters fall in love with the wrong people with funny results. Writers of plays, poems, and books have used Shakespeare's stories as guidelines for their own work.

莎士比亚的戏剧 莎士比亚主要写三种戏剧：悲剧、历史剧和喜剧。 悲剧就是主角犯下错误，最终酿成灾祸的故事。 《麦克白》就是一个讲述家族权力欲望的惊悚故事。 莎士比亚的历史剧大多歌颂英格兰的历代国王。 莎士比亚的喜剧通常是有趣的爱情故事，结局也都很圆满。 在《仲夏夜之梦》里，魔法药水让角色们错爱了他人，闹出了许多笑话。 如今许多剧作家、诗人和作家，都会把莎士比亚的故事当作自己创作的参考。