四重唱

1. Cissy: Old age is not for sissies.
    胆小鬼是过不好晚年的。

2. Dr Cogan: I don’t know how many times I told you. Smoking kills. Put those out, please.
    Wilfred: Oh, for goodness sake. Give them a break. George is 78, Harry is 82. Suppose they were to stop smoking, how much longer are they going to live, a week? It would probably rain that weed, anyway.
    Dr Cogan: You are a bad influence, Wilfred.
    Wilfred: I think so.

3. Opera is, when a guy is stabbed in the back, instead of bleeding, he sings. But it seems to me, after much research, that rap is, when a guy is stabbed in the back, instead of bleeding, he talks, albeit rhythmically, even with feeling. But because rap is spoken, the feeling is sort of held in the check, all on one note.
    In opera, we sing what we’re feeling. And the song, the rise and fall of the music, sets our emotions free.
    If you ask me, I’d say to you that opera is simply the outpouring of all the emotions that all of us carry inside us.
(Reggie)

4. I do hat getting older. I hate every bloody moment of it. (Wilfred)
    我确实痛恨变老，每一秒都痛恨。

5. A wise man goes when he can, a fool goes when he must.(Wilfred)
    智者先发制人，愚者被动挨打。

6. Jean: Why do we have to get old?
    我们为什么要变老？
    Reggie: That’s what people do.
    这是自然规律。

7. Jean: You never married again?
    你没有再婚吗？
    Reggie: No.
    没有。
    Jean: Why not?
    为什么？
    Reggie: Didn’t want to.
    不想。
    Jean: When we did Bohme at the Met and you backed out, was that because of me?
    我们在大都会博物馆表演《波希米亚人》时，你退出了，是因为我在吗？
    Reggie: Yep.
    是的。
    Jean: And Salzburg?
    萨尔斯堡（奥地利城市）那次呢？
    Reggie: Yep.
    也是。
   【一阵沉默后换了话题……天哪这简直就算再次表白啊！】

8. Works of art are of an infinite loneliness, and nothing can reach them so little as criticism.
    艺术作品都带有一种无尽的孤独，而批评是最无法触及这种内涵的了。

9. Wilfred: Older man. Vintage wine. Seasoned wood. (Wilfred)
    年长的男人。醇美的佳酿。风干的木材。

10. Reggie: Women are as fickle as a feather in the wind.
     女人如风中羽毛，变幻无常。
     Jean: Oh, I fell in love with you when I first heard you sing that.
     我第一次听你唱这首曲子就爱上你了。
     Reggie: Yeah, that’s why I never sang it again.
     所以我再也没唱过这首歌。
    【为何现在又唱起？( # ▽ # )】

11. Jean: I think you two are drunk.
      我觉得你们俩喝多了。
      Wilfred: I think I possibly am, although I find it very difficult to tell the difference at this age.
      我是有可能喝多了，虽然这个年纪喝不喝醉都是一样晕乎。

12. Jean: You must understand. I was someone once.
      你得体谅我，我曾经是个人物。
      Cissy: I thought I was someone now.
      我还以为我现在还是个人物呢。
      Jean: I can’t insult the memory of who I was.
      我不能破坏自己在回忆里的形象。
      Wilfred: What are you talking about, memory? Whose memory? Your fans? Your fans are dead! Gone, split bought the farm! Except the ones who’ve moved in here, and they’re just waiting to die. We’ve all aged. It’s crept up on all of us without us even noticing. I’m the same old Wilf I always was, thankfully, with a little bit of testosterone to keep me interested. Now, I’m gonna say something that’s a wee bit rude to you. Just fucking do it!
      你在说什么，回忆吗？谁的回忆？你的歌迷的吗？你的歌迷都死了！走的走，分的分,死的死。除了搬进这里的人，而他们也只是在等死。我们都上年纪了，根本没注意岁月爬到了身上。我还是那个老威尔弗，谢天谢地，还能分泌点睾丸素让我有点激情。接下来我要说的话对你来说有点粗鲁，你他妈只管去做就是了！
      Jean: My gift deserted me.
      我的天赋离我而去了。
      Reggie: It deserts us all, Jean. It’s called life.
      我们全都是这样，简。这就是人生。
      Cissy: Oh, my darling. Old age is not for sissies.
      亲爱的，胆小鬼是过不好晚年的。
      Jean: No.
      没错。
      Reggie: Jean. Let go. What’s it matter now what anyone says or thinks? You might even enjoy it.
      简，看开点。这把年纪了，别人的说法想法还有什么关系？你说不定会很开心的。
      Jean: Are you telling me to go out and smell the roses?
      你是要让我出去欣赏玫瑰的芳香吗？
      Reggie: No, I’m telling you to sing.
      不，我是想让你唱歌。
      Cissy: The roses are long gone. But the chrysanthemums are magnificent.
      玫瑰早就谢了，但秋菊开得正艳。

13. Jean: You look very handsome.
      Reggie: You look very beautiful.
      Jean: We’re both very old.
      Reggie: Then let’s get married.
      Jean: Were you serious?
      Reggie: Yes.
      Jean: OK.

      衰老，是怎样的过程？
      是从耳聪目明到耳背目浊，是从一口气上五楼不费劲到卧床不起，是从一年到头感冒都没有到每天吃一大把不同颜色的药片，是从生活的各个方面告诉你，你已经大不如前了……
      几年前，我见奶奶吃药，带着老花镜，打开一个白色塑料袋，里面是饭前吃的，每种盒子里倒出几片，放在手心，一把倒进嘴里，喝一口温水，用力地咽下，等到午饭后，再打开另一个红色塑料袋，里面是饭后吃的。
      没有谁比老人更加清楚地了解到衰老的来临，没有谁比他们更清楚地听到死神到来的脚步声。

      胆小鬼不能过老年。
      
      剧中有个情节，一位老人被医护人员送走，老人们正在吃早餐，看到窗外，都沉默下来。
       他们既为病重的朋友难过，也多了一份恐惧，下一个这么被抬走的是谁呢？是我么？
       衰老和恐惧，从来都分不开。
       恐惧，对死亡的恐惧。
      
       是啊，就快死了，怎么办呢？
       唯有这件事，聪明强大的人类从来都无能为力。
       就算你怕得要死，也还是要死的。

       衰老，并不只是恐惧和难过，那是胆小鬼的衰老。很多时候，对于强大的人，衰老更是豁达和淡然。
       那感觉就像是，你可以打败我，但是无法击溃我。
       人老了，剩下的日子不多了，像维尔夫说的，“就算不抽烟了，还有多久呢？一周？”，很多事情也不像年轻那么计较了。简不再计较“完美的形象”了，雷吉也不计较年轻的简的“出轨”了……
       不计较，人生就豁然开朗了。
       
       “You look very handsome.”
      “You look very beautiful.”
       “look but is very old”
       "Then let's get married."

        在舞台上，雷吉偷偷地小心翼翼牵起了简的手，十指相扣，就像年轻时第一次牵手那样，不过这次，不会再分开了。
         看，衰老也不是一无是处啊，我们也会拥有年轻时错过的美好。