前情提要：
《理想的丈夫》一文讲述的故事发生在上个世纪末维多利亚时代的伦敦。罗伯特•奇尔顿爵士（Sir Robert Chiltern）是一名仕途得意的议会议员和完美无瑕的体面绅士，拥有光明的政治前途，是女人们心目中的理想丈夫。奇尔顿和他那优雅迷人的妻子是一对人人羡慕的神仙眷侣。然而，奇尔顿的发迹是极不光彩的。1875年，英国政府决定购买苏伊士运河股票。奇尔顿意料到这一决定公布之后，运河股票必将猛涨，在公布之前买下大量股票者定能赚到一笔巨款，于是他将英国政府的这一机密卖给了一个外国银行家，并从中得到了巨额酬金，从此一跃成为富翁。然而，他写给银行家的信落到了女骗子彻弗莉夫人（Mrs. Cheveley）的手里。有一天，在奇尔顿太太举办的一个社交晚会上，彻弗莉夫人突然出现在奇尔顿面前。她出于私利逼迫奇尔顿支持一项旨在诈骗钱财的运河计划，并威胁他如果不就范，就将他不可告人的过去公诸于众，这足以毁掉奇尔顿如今所拥有的一切……本文所选的是该剧第一幕中彻弗莉夫人要挟奇尔顿，要他帮助她实现诈骗计划的场景。
[Mrs. Cheveley threatens Sir Robert Chiltern step by step. Sir Robert Chiltern feeels furious and tries hard to refuse her.]
…
Sir Robert Chiltern: [rise 3) indignantly] If you will allow me, 4)I will call your carriage for you. You have lived so long abroad, Mrs. Cheveley, that you seem to be unable to realize that you are talking to an English gentleman. 
Mrs. Cheveley: [detains him by touching his arm with her fan, and keeping it there while she is talking] I realize that I am talking to a man who laid the foundation of his fortune by selling to a Stock Exchange 5)speculator a 6)Cabinet secret.
Sir Robert Chiltern: [biting his lip] What do you mean?
Mrs. Cheveley: [rising and facing him] I mean that I know the real origin of your wealth and your career, and I have got your letter, too.
Sir Robert Chiltern: What letter?
Mrs. Cheveley: [7)contemptuously] The letter you wrote to 8)Baron Arnheim, when you were 9)Lord Radley’s secretary, telling the Baron to buy 10)Suez Canal shares—a letter written three days before the Government announced its own purchase.
Sir Robert Chiltern: [11)hoarsely] It is not true.
Mrs. Cheveley: You thought that letter had been destroyed. How foolish of you! It is in my possession.
Sir Robert Chiltern: The affair to which you 12)allude was no more than a speculation.13)The House of Commons had not yet passed the bill; it might have been rejected.
（彻弗利夫人步步紧逼，威胁罗伯特•奇尔顿爵士。罗伯特•奇尔顿爵士深感愤怒，努力想拒绝她。）
罗伯特•奇尔顿爵士:（气恼地起身） 如果您不介意的话，我为您叫辆马车吧。彻弗利夫人，您在国外生活太长时间了，您似乎没意识到自己正在与一位英国绅士说话。
彻弗利夫人:（把扇子搭在他的手臂上阻止他，说话时仍保持这个动作）我意识到我正在跟这样一个男人说话，他通过出卖内阁机密给一个证券交易的投机者而发家致富。
罗伯特•奇尔顿爵士:（咬着嘴唇）你什么意思？
彻弗利夫人:（起身面对他）我的意思是，我知道你的财富来源和发家史，而且我手上还有你的信件。
罗伯特•奇尔顿爵士: 什么信件？
彻弗利夫人:（轻蔑地）是你写给阿恩海姆男爵的信，那时你担任拉德利伯爵的秘书，你叫阿恩海姆男爵买进苏伊士运河股票——这封信是在英国政府宣布官方购买的三天前写的。
罗伯特•奇尔顿爵士:（刺耳地）没这回事。
彻弗利夫人: 你还以为那封信早就被销毁了。你太愚蠢了！信在我手上呢。
罗伯特•奇尔顿爵士: 你所提到的事情不过是一次投机买卖罢了。议会下院当时尚未通过该议案；它也可能被否决掉。
Mrs. Cheveley: It was a swindle, Sir Robert. 14)Let us call things by their proper names. It makes everything simpler. And now I am going to sell you that letter, and the price I ask for it is your public support of 15)the Argentine scheme. You made your own fortune out of one canal. You must help me and my friends to make our fortunes out of another!
Sir Robert Chiltern: It is 16)infamous, what you propose—infamous!
Mrs. Cheveley: Oh, no! This is the game of life as we all have to play it, Sir Robert, sooner or later!
Sir Robert Chiltern: I cannot do what you ask me.
Mrs. Cheveley: You mean you cannot help doing it. You know you are standing on the edge of a 17)precipice. And it is not for you to 18)make terms. It is for you to accept them. Supposing you refuse—
Sir Robert Chiltern: What then?
Mrs. Cheveley: My dear Sir Robert, what then? You are ruined, that is all! …And what is the result? You all 19)go over like ninepins—one after the other. … Scandals used to lend charm, or at least interest, to a man—now they crush him. And yours is a very 20)nasty scandal. You couldn’t survive it. If it were known that as a young man, secretary to a great and important minister, you sold a Cabinet secret for a large sum of money, and that that was the origin of your wealth and career, you would 21)be hounded out of 22)public life, you would disappear completely. And after all, Sir Robert, why should you sacrifice your entire future rather than deal 23)diplomatically with your enemy? For the moment I am your enemy. I admit it! And I am much stronger than you are. You have a splendid position, but it is your splendid position that makes you so vulnerable. You can’t defend it! And I am in attack. Of course I have not talked morality to you. You must admit in fairness that I have spared you that. Years ago you did a clever, 24)unscrupulous thing; it turned out a great success. You owe to it your fortune and position. And now you have got to pay for it. Sooner or later we have all to pay for what we do. You have to pay now. Before I leave you tonight, you have got to promise me to suppress your report, and to speak in the House in favor of this scheme.
彻弗利夫人: 那是一桩诈骗，罗伯特爵士。让我们实话实说吧。这样事情会简单些。现在我打算把那封信卖给你，代价是你公开支持阿根廷计划。你自己凭借一个运河计划赚了一笔。你得帮我和我的朋友们借助另一个运河计划赚上一笔。
罗伯特•奇尔顿爵士: 无耻！你的提议真无耻！
彻弗利夫人: 噢，不！这是我们都必须遵守的人生游戏规则，罗伯特爵士，迟早都要遵守！
罗伯特•奇尔顿爵士: 我不能按你所要求的做。
彻弗利夫人: 你的意思是你不能帮忙这么做。你要明白，你正站在悬崖边上，你没有谈条件的筹码，只能接受罢了。假如你拒绝——
罗伯特•奇尔顿爵士: 那便会怎样呢？
彻弗利夫人: 我亲爱的罗伯特爵士，那会怎样呢？你完蛋了，就是这样！……结局会怎样呢？你们全都像九柱戏的木柱一样倒下去，一个接着一个。……过去丑闻常常会增加一个人的魅力，或者至少使他引人注意，但现在丑闻会让人粉身碎骨。而你的这桩丑闻十分的肮脏，你无法全身而退。假若公众知道你——一位位高权重的内阁大臣那年轻的秘书——将一个内阁机密重金出售，并由此敛财发家的话，你将被解除官职，身败名裂。可是罗伯特爵士，您为什么要牺牲自己的前程而不是有策略地与您的敌人做笔交易呢？现在我就是你的敌人！而且我比你强大多了。你身居要职，但也正是这显赫的地位令你不堪一击。你防不胜防！而我正在攻击你。当然我不是在跟你道德说教，你必须公平地承认我对你不来那一套。多年前，你做了桩聪明而不道德的事情，使你大获成功。你的财富和地位都拜它所赐。现在你该为此付出代价了。我们迟早都得为自己的行为付出代价。而你现在就得付出代价。今晚在我离开你这里之前，你必须向我承诺，放弃你原先的报告，并在下院里表态支持我的计划。
Sir Robert Chiltern: What you ask is impossible.
Mrs. Cheveley: You must make it possible. You are going to make it possible. Sir Robert, you know what your English newspapers are like. Suppose that when I leave this house I drive down to some newspaper office, and give them this scandal and the proofs of it! Think of their 25)loathsome joy, of the delight they would have in dragging you down, of the mud and 26)mire they would plunge you in. Think of the hypocrite with his 27)greasy smile 28)penning his 29)leading article, and arranging the 30)foulness of the public 31)placard.
Sir Robert Chiltern: Stop! You want me to withdraw the report and to make a short speech stating that I believe there are possibilities in the scheme?
Mrs. Cheveley: [sitting down on the sofa] Those are my 32)terms.
罗伯特•奇尔顿爵士: 你的提议是决不可能办到的。
彻弗利夫人: 你必须办到。你要使它办得到。罗伯特爵士，你很了解你们英国的报纸是怎样的。假设我一离开这栋房子，就让马车去到某家报馆，向他们抖出这桩丑闻并提供证据！想想看他们会怎样的幸灾乐祸，那种即将把你拉下台的兴奋，还有他们要把你拖进去的烂泥潭。想想看那肥头大耳的伪君子如何奸笑着撰写社论，并安排张贴布告公布你的丑行。
罗伯特•奇尔顿爵士: 够了！你是要我撤回报告，然后发表一个简短的声明，说我认为你那个计划有希望成功，对吗？
彻弗利夫人: （在沙发上坐下）那些正是我的条件。
Sir Robert Chiltern: [in a low voice] I will give you any sum of money you want.
Mrs. Cheveley: Even you are not rich enough, Sir Robert, to buy back your past. No man is.
Sir Robert Chiltern: I will not do what you ask me. I will not.
Mrs. Cheveley: You have to. If you don’t... [rises from the sofa]
Sir Robert Chiltern: [bewildered and 33)unnerved] Wait a moment! What did you propose? You said that you would give me back my letter, didn’t you?
Mrs. Cheveley: Yes. That is agreed. I will be in 34)the Ladies’ Gallery tomorrow night at half-past eleven. If by that time—and you will have had 35)heaps of opportunity—you have made an announcement to the House in the terms I wish, I shall hand you back your letter with the prettiest thanks, and the best, or at any rate the most suitable, compliment I can think of…
Sir Robert Chiltern: You must let me have time to consider your proposal. Give me a week—three days!
Mrs. Cheveley: No, you must settle now! I have got to telegraph to 36)Vienna tonight. [moves towards the door]
Sir Robert Chiltern: Don’t go. I consent. The report shall be withdrawn. I will arrange for a question to be put to me on the subject.
Mrs. Cheveley: Thank you. I knew we should come to an 37)amicable agreement. I understood your nature from the first. I analyzed you, though you did not adore me. And now you can get my carriage for me, Sir Robert.
[Exit Sir Robert Chiltern.] …
罗伯特•奇尔顿爵士: （压低声音）我可以给你一笔钱，数目由你定。
彻弗利夫人: 罗伯特爵士，即便是你，也没有富到可以买回你的过去的地步。谁都没有那么富有。
罗伯特•奇尔顿爵士: 我不会听任你摆布的。不会的。
彻弗利夫人: 你别无选择。如果你拒绝……（从沙发上起身）
罗伯特•奇尔顿爵士: （不知所措且慌张的）等一下！你刚才怎么提议的？你说你会把我的信还给我，是吗？
彻弗利夫人: 是的，就这么说定了。明天晚上11点半我会在下院的妇女旁听席恭候。假如在那时之前，你在议院按我的条件作了发言——你有大把机会那样做，那我就会满怀感激地把信交还给你，并向你致以我能想到的最好的，或者至少是最恰当的赞美。……
罗伯特•奇尔顿爵士: 你得给我时间考虑一下你的提议。给我一周时间——三天！
彻弗利夫人: 不行，你现在就得作决定！我今晚还得给维也纳那边发电报。（向门口走去）
罗伯特•奇尔顿爵士: 别走。我同意。原报告会被撤回。我将安排好在该项目上我会被问到的问题。
彻弗利夫人: 谢谢你！我早知道我们会达成友好协议的。我从一开始就深知你的本性。我分析过你，虽然你不见得喜欢我。好了，现在你可以帮我叫马车了，罗伯特爵士。
（罗伯特•奇尔顿爵士退场）……
作者简介：
奥斯卡·王尔德（Oscar Wilde，1854—1900），19世纪末英国唯美派剧作家、诗人、小说家和文学批评家，英国唯美主义艺术运动的倡导者。
王尔德在文学上有多方面的才能，其作品以词藻华美、立意新颖和观点鲜明而闻名。他的早期作品有著名童话《快乐王子集》，后期的重要作品有诗集《惨痛的呼声》和《累丁狱之歌》。但王尔德的主要成就是戏剧创作，其主要剧作有：《温德米尔夫人的扇子》、《一个无足轻重的妇女》、《理想的丈夫》和《认真的重要性》。这些剧本通过俏皮的对话对上流社会的虚伪、腐败作了某些批评。王尔德的剧作台词洗练、俏皮、锋利，在英国戏剧的发展史上起了某种承先启后的作用。
《理想的丈夫》是王尔德最机智诙谐的剧作之一，曾3次被搬上银幕。