A little apart from the musicians stood the singer, a tall, handsome cavalier, wrapped in a dark cloak; and as his song proceeded, the serenader kept his gaze rivetted upon a window that led out upon the balcony of the house, as though expecting the form of his adored one to appear in that spot.
This cavalier was the Count Almaviva, a rich nobleman, who, having beheld2 one day, on a visit to Seville, a lovely maiden3 upon the balcony of this house, had straightway fallen in love with her; and, in consequence of this he had left his country estate and taken up his abode4 in Seville, that he might be near the object of his affections, and seek an opportunity to woo her.
He learnt that the young lady's name was Rosina, and that she was the ward5 of a fussy6 old physician named Dr. Bartolo; and by means of nightly serenades and frequent strolls past her dwelling-place, the young Count endeavoured to bring himself to the notice of the maiden. Nor was he unsuccessful; for the lovely Rosina, although kept almost a prisoner by her jealous guardian7, who desired to wed8 her himself, managed to obtain sight of her serenader and quickly conceived a romantic passion for him.
rossini
ROSSINI
In spite of the mutual9 understanding between them, the pair had never yet met, nor spoken with each other; and to-night the Count had hoped to attain10 this object. But Rosina was too closely watched by her guardian and her duenna; and when the dawn at length broke Almaviva sadly dismissed his musicians, sending them away with a handsome reward.
After the delighted musicians had departed, the Count remained dejectedly near the abode of his beloved one; and here he was presently accosted11 by the popular barber and general factotum12 of the town, a merry roguish fellow named Figaro, whose quick wit and lively mercurial13 temperament14 caused him to be in constant request by his many patrons for their jokes and intrigues15.
Quickly noticing the dejected looks of the strange cavalier, Figaro entered into conversation with him, offering his services, should he need them; and merrily he described his numerous valuable qualities to the Count, declaring that he was the best match-maker, plotter, and gossip in all Seville, to say nothing of being the most fashionable adept16 in his more legitimate17 occupation of chirurgeon-barber.
Almaviva quickly succumbed18 to the charm of the roguish barber; and seeing at once that Figaro might be of great use to him, he confided19 to him the secret of his love for Rosina, and engaged him to assist in his suit, promising20 to reward him very handsomely for his services.
Figaro readily agreed to devote himself to the interest of this new patron; and very quickly his inventive wit suggested ways and means for bringing the lovers together. He informed the Count that old Dr. Bartolo desired to wed his charming ward himself, regardless of the disparity in their ages and the indifference21 of the lady; in which ridiculous project he was being aided and abetted22 by another equally fussy old fellow, one Don Basilio, a music-master. However, as the barber was constantly in and out of the house, he assured the Count that he would find means to communicate with Rosina, and to hood-wink her guardian; and with this assurance the Count departed, greatly cheered.
Figaro's artful plans succeeded so well that Rosina soon learnt that her love was returned by the handsome cavalier who haunted the precincts of her home, and whom the barber described as a young student named Lindoro; and she now managed to send him a note, in which she declared that his love was acceptable to her.
The Count was thus filled with joy; and, with the aid of the inventive barber, an interview between the enamoured pair was now devised. At the suggestion of Figaro, the Count disguised himself one evening as a common soldier; and pretending also to be intoxicated23, he forced his way with a rowdy, roystering manner into the house of Dr. Bartolo, from whom he demanded a night's lodging24 as the rightful due of one who served his country; and during the stormy altercation25 that ensued between the indignant Doctor and himself, Rosina, attracted by the noise, made her appearance.
Quickly lurching to her side, the pretended soldier managed to reveal his true identity to her; and though instantly separated by the angry and jealous Doctor, the lovers contrived26 dexterously27 to exchange letters. The interview was soon brought to an end by the arrival of the guard, drawn28 thither29 by the commotion30, into whose charge the Doctor gladly handed over his unwelcome guest; but as the officers hurried him away the Count declared to them his real name, and showed them, in proof of his assertion, the high orders and decorations he wore beneath his disguise, upon which they set him free, and respectfully departed, the richer by a substantial gift.
Shortly afterwards the indefatigable32 Figaro devised another scheme for the meeting of the lovers; and this time, Almaviva, disguised as a poor musician, was unsuspectingly admitted into the house of Dr. Bartolo, to whom he explained that his name was Don Alonzo, and that he had been sent by his friend Don Basilio, whom he declared to be ill.
Finding himself not very well received by the old guardian, he handed to him the note he had received from Rosina, pretending he had found it in the inn where Count Almaviva lodged33, and offering to show it to the young lady and declare to her that it had been sent by one of the Count's other numerous admirers, that she might thus become estranged34 from him.
Dr. Bartolo, quite unsuspicious of trickery, readily agreed to this ruse35, being very anxious to put an end to his ward's infatuation for the Count, who, as he of course knew by this time, was haunting the neighbourhood; and he thus consented to allow the music lesson to proceed, in order that this disturbing communication might be made to his ward.
He thereupon brought Rosina into the room, and introduced her to the supposed Don Alonzo, in whom, however, she quickly recognised her lover; and at that moment Figaro most opportunely36 arrived in his capacity as barber to Dr. Bartolo, in order to keep the old gentleman obligingly occupied with his toilet so that the lovers might make arrangements for their elopement, which the Count desired to carry out that night.
Very cleverly, also, the barber managed to secure the keys of certain doors usually kept locked at night, so that Rosina, at the appointed time, could reach the balcony, from whence, by means of a ladder, she could escape to her lover.
In order to disarm37 the Doctor's still evident suspicion, the form of a singing lesson was gone through; but, thanks to Figaro's constant chatter38 and deft39 manipulation of his client's beard, the lovers managed to exchange confidences between the snatches of music, and made all the arrangements for their elopement and secret marriage that night.
All went well until, quite suddenly, the old music-master himself appeared on the scene, very much astonished at finding his place and occupation usurped40 by a strange young man. Figaro, however, with his usual versatility41, saved the situation by pretending that Don Basilio really looked extremely ill, and, feeling his pulse with mock anxiety, declared him to be in a high fever, and entreated42 him to return home to bed. The Count also, by the judicious43 offer of a well-filled purse, succeeded in persuading the confused professor to depart for the time being.
Dr. Bartolo's suspicions, however, were now fully31 roused, so that it became necessary for the Count to make a quick escape; and when he had gone the old guardian fussily44 produced the letter given him by the pretended musician, and endeavoured on his own account to poison Rosina's mind against her lover in the manner agreed upon. Rosina's jealousy45 against some unknown rival was thus quickly kindled46; and angry and distressed47 at having been deceived, as she supposed, by the Count, she revealed the secret arrangement for her elopement that night.
The wily old Doctor quickly followed up the vantage he had scored, and now pressed his own suit; and Rosina, in a fit of pique48, giving him her consent, he hurried away to make arrangements with a notary49 to unite them that day. Meeting with Don Basilio, and now learning from him that the strange musician and Count Almaviva were one and the same, he hurried on his plans with still greater eagerness, feeling that with such a daring rival he could not consider himself safe until his marriage contract with Rosina had been signed; and having arranged with the music-master to bring the notary along that same night, he went away to procure50 the officers of justice to be in readiness to arrest the Count and Figaro should they appear and endeavour to upset his plans.
But success was to be with love and youth; for the star of the Count was in the ascendant, and, with the aid of the irrepressible Figaro, he was able to accomplish his ends.
Fortunately, the elopement had been planned for the early part of the night; and as soon as darkness set in Almaviva and the barber made their appearance in front of the Doctor's house, and, by means of a ladder, succeeded in reaching the balcony. Here they were presently joined by Rosina, who, though already repenting51 of her jealous fit, at first repulsed52 her eager lover, charging him with unfaithfulness; but upon the cavalier explaining the whole matter of the letter, at the same time revealing his true identity as the Count Almaviva, she was quickly reconciled to him.
Whilst the now happy lovers were thus engaged in tender converse53, the alert Figaro discovered that the ladder by which they were to reach the ground below had been taken away; and at the same moment Don Basilio appeared on the balcony with the notary, who had brought the contract for the marriage of Rosina with Dr. Bartolo.
Seeing that no time was to be lost, the three plotters hurried forward, the Count declaring to the notary that Rosina and himself were the parties who were to sign the document; and drawing the amazed Don Basilio aside, he slipped a valuable ring on to his finger, and advised him to be amenable54 to reason, at the same time judiciously55 showing him a loaded pistol as an even more persuasive56 argument.
The old music-master prudently57 accepted the forced situation with a good grace; and the Count and Rosina immediately signed the marriage contract in the presence of the notary, with Figaro and Don Basilio as their witnesses.
Just as the joyful58 lovers were thus lawfully59 united, Dr. Bartolo arrived with the officers of justice; and seeing that the Count and Figaro had indeed appeared, as he had suspected they would, he furiously denounced them as thieves and rogues60, and commanded the officers to arrest them.
However, Almaviva advanced readily, and with great dignity announced himself as a Grandee61 of Spain and the newly-made husband of the fair Rosina; and eventually, after a somewhat stormy scene, enlivened by the witty62 raillery of the lively Figaro, the old Doctor acknowledged his defeat, and reconciled himself to the inevitable63 with excellent good-humour, even magnanimously bestowing64 a fatherly blessing65 upon the triumphant66 pair.
Thus did these determined67 lovers gain their hearts' desire; and when Count Almaviva returned home with his charming bride, he took with him as his confidential68 body-servant the man whose fertile wit had helped him to win his happiness—Figaro, the merry Barber of Seville.
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1
rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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2
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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3
maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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4
abode
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| n.住处，住所 | |
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5
ward
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| n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开 | |
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6
fussy
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| adj.为琐事担忧的，过分装饰的，爱挑剔的 | |
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7
guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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8
wed
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| v.娶，嫁，与…结婚 | |
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9
mutual
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| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
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10
attain
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| vt.达到，获得，完成 | |
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11
accosted
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| v.走过去跟…讲话( accost的过去式和过去分词 )；跟…搭讪；（乞丐等）上前向…乞讨；（妓女等）勾搭 | |
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12
factotum
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| n.杂役；听差 | |
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13
mercurial
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| adj.善变的，活泼的 | |
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14
temperament
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| n.气质，性格，性情 | |
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15
intrigues
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| n.密谋策划( intrigue的名词复数 )；神秘气氛；引人入胜的复杂情节v.搞阴谋诡计( intrigue的第三人称单数 )；激起…的好奇心 | |
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16
adept
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| adj.老练的，精通的 | |
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17
legitimate
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| adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法 | |
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18
succumbed
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| 不再抵抗（诱惑、疾病、攻击等）( succumb的过去式和过去分词 )； 屈从； 被压垮； 死 | |
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19
confided
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| v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的过去式和过去分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等） | |
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20
promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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21
indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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22
abetted
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| v.教唆（犯罪）( abet的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；怂恿；支持 | |
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23
intoxicated
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| 喝醉的，极其兴奋的 | |
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24
lodging
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| n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍 | |
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25
altercation
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| n.争吵，争论 | |
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26
contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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27
dexterously
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| adv.巧妙地，敏捷地 | |
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28
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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29
thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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30
commotion
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| n.骚动，动乱 | |
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31
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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32
indefatigable
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| adj.不知疲倦的，不屈不挠的 | |
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33
lodged
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| v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
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34
estranged
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| adj.疏远的，分离的 | |
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35
ruse
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| n.诡计，计策；诡计 | |
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36
opportunely
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| adv.恰好地，适时地 | |
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37
disarm
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| v.解除武装，回复平常的编制，缓和 | |
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38
chatter
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| vi.／n.喋喋不休；短促尖叫；(牙齿)打战 | |
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39
deft
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| adj.灵巧的，熟练的（a deft hand 能手） | |
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40
usurped
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| 篡夺，霸占( usurp的过去式和过去分词 )； 盗用； 篡夺，篡权 | |
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41
versatility
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| n.多才多艺，多样性，多功能 | |
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42
entreated
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| 恳求，乞求( entreat的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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43
judicious
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| adj.明智的，明断的，能作出明智决定的 | |
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44
fussily
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| adv.无事空扰地，大惊小怪地，小题大做地 | |
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45
jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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46
kindled
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| （使某物）燃烧，着火( kindle的过去式和过去分词 )； 激起（感情等）； 发亮，放光 | |
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47
distressed
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| 痛苦的 | |
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48
pique
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| v.伤害…的自尊心，使生气 n.不满，生气 | |
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49
notary
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| n.公证人，公证员 | |
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50
procure
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| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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51
repenting
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| 对（自己的所为）感到懊悔或忏悔( repent的现在分词 ) | |
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52
repulsed
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| v.击退( repulse的过去式和过去分词 )；驳斥；拒绝 | |
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53
converse
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| vi.谈话，谈天，闲聊；adv.相反的，相反 | |
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54
amenable
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| adj.经得起检验的；顺从的；对负有义务的 | |
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55
judiciously
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| adv.明断地，明智而审慎地 | |
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56
persuasive
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| adj.有说服力的，能说得使人相信的 | |
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57
prudently
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| adv. 谨慎地，慎重地 | |
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58
joyful
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| adj.欢乐的，令人欢欣的 | |
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59
lawfully
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| adv.守法地，合法地；合理地 | |
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60
rogues
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| n.流氓( rogue的名词复数 )；无赖；调皮捣蛋的人；离群的野兽 | |
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61
grandee
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| n.贵族；大公 | |
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62
witty
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| adj.机智的，风趣的 | |
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63
inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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64
bestowing
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| 砖窑中砖堆上层已烧透的砖 | |
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65
blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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66
triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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67
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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68
confidential
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| adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的 | |
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