英国文艺复兴时期伟大的剧作家、诗人威廉·莎士比亚（1564-1616）无人不知，其作品在世界各地家喻户晓，但关于莎翁本人的历史记载却寥寥无几。莎翁的情感、生活、经历都如同谜一般，几百年来让无数学者苦苦探寻。让我们从有限的资料中探寻这位伟大作家的人生历程。
William Shakespeare is arguably[可论证地] the most famous author and poet of all time. His works are studied in grade school[（美）小学] classrooms, college courses focus on his life and works, and professional authors look to him for inspiration. We know a great deal about the Bard注1 himself, but there is still much we do not know. The mysteries surrounding his life keep us interested and looking for more.
威廉·莎士比亚可以说是有史以来最有名的（英文）作家和诗人。小学课堂里教授他的作品，大学课程关注他的生平和作品，职业作家则从他那里汲取灵感。虽然我们知道许多有关这位诗人的事迹，但他仍然有很多事情不为人知。一直以来围绕他一生的谜团让我们很感兴趣，希望从中发掘更多。
Shakespeare's Early Years 早年生活
William Shakespeare was born in April of 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, on or around the 23rd day of the month. The exact date of his birth is unknown. Based on documents stating that he was baptized[施洗礼] on the 26th of April, a rite[仪式] that was traditionally conducted about three days following birth, we can assume that Shakespeare was born on the 23rd.
1564年4月，威廉·莎士比亚出生于（英国）埃文河畔斯特拉福镇，日子大约是23日。其确切出生日期无人知晓。根据资料显示，他在4月26日受洗，而该仪式一般在婴儿出生约3天后进行，所以我们推测莎士比亚在23号出生。
Very little is known about Shakespeare's education. It is thought he began grammar school in Stratford around age six, but it has been suggested that the school's records were intentionally destroyed, so there is no definitive[确定的] proof. We do not know how long he remained a student, but missing records also suggest that Shakespeare never attended university. The question of education is cited by many claiming that Shakespeare did not write his now famous works.
人们对莎士比亚接受教育的情况也知之甚少。一般认为他在6岁左右开始在斯特拉福读文法学校，但据称学校记录被人蓄意毁坏，所以没有确凿证据证明这点。我们不知道他当了多少年学生，但缺失的记录同时显示莎士比亚没上过大学。有关其教育的问题被很多人引用，以说明莎士比亚没有写下如今这几部名作。
Shakespeare's Personal and Professional Life 个人生活及事业生涯
In 1582 at the age of 18, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway, a woman eight years his senior. The couple had three children, including a son named Hamnet, who many believe was the inspiration for the name Hamlet in his famous play, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Susanna, the first of his children, was born just five months after their wedding, an event which at the time would have raised some eyebrows[使不满].
1582年，18岁的莎士比亚娶了比自己年长8岁的女子安妮·哈瑟维。 夫妻俩生下了3个孩子，其中一个儿子取名哈姆内特。很多人认为戏剧《哈姆雷特》中哈姆雷特的名字正源于此。他的第一个孩子——苏珊娜在婚礼后仅5个月就出生了，这种事情在当时很容易引起非议。
Shakespeare was not only a playwright, but an actor as well, and served as a member of the acting troupe[剧团] The Lord Chamberlain's Men (later known as the King's Men). By 1598, it became necessary for the group to build their own theater. Pooling their money, they built the Globe Theater (completed in 1599), and were financially rewarded for their investment thanks to high ticket sales. The Globe attracted lower and upper class citizens alike, and as a result Shakespeare's fame grew.
莎士比亚不仅是一位剧作家，还是一名演员。他是张伯伦勋爵剧团（后来叫国王剧团）的成员。到了1598年，剧团需要建立自己的剧院。他们自己掏钱兴建了环球剧场（1599年完工）。由于票房好，他们的投资获得了不错的经济回报。环球剧院不单吸引上流阶层，社会底层人士同样被它吸引，莎士比亚从此声名鹊起。