Synopsis of Scenes
Part I: The Capture of
Act I
Site of the abandoned Greek camp on the plains of
After ten years of siege by the Greeks, the Trojans rejoice at the prospect of peace. They marvel at the gigantic wooden horse the Greeks left behind as an offering to Pallas Athena.
King Priam’s daughter Cassandra, a prophetess, looks for the significance behind the Greeks’ disappearance. In a moment of revelation, she saw her brother Hector’s ghost on the ramparts and has tried unsuccessfully to warn her father and Chorebus, her fiancé, of further calamities. When Chorebus begs her to join the celebrations, she urges him to flee the city, because she foresees death for both of them.
The Trojans offer thanks to the gods with the sacred objects of
Act II
First Tableau: A room in Aeneas’s Palace
Aeneas is visited by the ghost of Hector, who tells him to escape, since his destiny is to found an empire that someday will rule the world. As the ghost disappears, Aeneas’ friend Panthus rushes in to report on the Greek soldiers who emerged from the horse and are devastating
Second Tableau: Interior of Priam’s palace
Trojan women pray for deliverance from the invaders. Cassandra foretells that Aeaneas and some of the Trojans will escape to
Part II: The Trojans at Carthage
Act III
A vast hall in the palace of Dido at Carthage
Dido, Queen of Carthage, greets her subjects who hail her with an anthem. She reminds them that in only seven years, since they had to flee from Tyre, they have built a flourishing new kingdom. Her sister, Anna, assures Dido, who is a widow, that one day she will be able to love again.
When Iopas, the court poet, announces visitors who have narrowly escaped ship-wreck in a recent strom, Dido welcomes them. They are the remnants of the Trojan army, asking a few days' hospitality en route to Italy and offering Dido what is left of their treasure.
When word reaches Dido that the Numidian ruler, Iarbas, is about to attack Carthage because she refused his offer of marriage. Aeneas steps from among the sailors' ranks, identifies himself, and offers to fight alongside the Carthaginians. Dido accepts, and Aeneas rallies his forces to repel the invader, entrusting his son, Ascanius, to the queen's care.
Act IV
First Tableau: Royal Hunt and Strom
Aeneas has returned victorious to Carthage. During a hunting party, a storm breaks, and Dido and Aeneas seek shelter in a cave. They discover their passions for each other.
Second Tableau: Dido's gardens by the sea; sunset
Several months have passed and evening has fallen in Dido's palace. Anna askes Narbal, the queen's adviser, why he seems worried, now that the Numidians have been defeated. He repies that since Dido fell in love with Aeneas, she has been neglecting her duties, and that Aeneas' destiny is to go on to Italy -- no good can come of the romance. Narbal is afraid that in extending hospitality to the strangers, Carthage has invited its own doom.
Dido enters with Aeneas and her court. She provides entertainment for him. She asks him to tell her more about
Act V
First Tableau: The seashore, covered with Trojan tents; Trojan ships are visible in the harbor; night
In the Trojan camp with their ships moored near at hand, Hylas, a young sailor, expresses his longing for home in a ballad and falls asleep. Panthus tells other Trojan soldiers their delay is burdensome; daily omens and apparitions remind them of the gods’ and the dead Hector’s impatience with their failure to move on. Determined to leave the next day, they retire to their tents as two sentries pass, making way for Aeneas, who struggles to banish misgivings and do what he must. As he resoves to see Dido one more time, the ghosts of Priam, Hector, Chorebus, and Cassandra appear, pressing their demands. Forced to give up Dido, Aeneas wakens the Trojans and tells them to set sail befor sunrise. Dido finds him planning to depart, however, and rages at his desertion. Though he protests that he loves her, she curses him. As she rages, the distraught Aeneas boards his vessel.
Second Tableau: A room in Dido’s palace; dawn
As dawn breaks, the queen asks her sister to go to Aeneas. She will try to persuade him to stay a few more days, but the Trojan ships are sighted already on their way out to sea. Dido laments that she did not foresee Aeneas’ treachery and burn his fleet. Instead, she will burn his gifts and trophies; she orders a pyre built.
Third Tableau (Ritual for the Dead): Dido’s gardens by the sea; a huge pyre, with steps ascending on each side
A pyre has been set up, with relics of Aeneas. Priests pray for the peace of Dido’s heart, while Anna and Narbal curse Aeneas’ venture to
黛多創建的“迦太基”興旺昌盛,而這種富庶卻因特洛伊城的王子埃尼亞斯的出現而消亡。特洛伊城淪陷後,埃尼亞斯帶著隨從倉惶逃難。七年後,在地中海上漂泊的埃尼亞斯部隊被衝到“迦太基”,此時衣不覆體,食不果腹的埃尼亞斯,被母親維納斯領到黛多的王宮前,為幫兒子找到一個穩固的駐地,維納斯暗中施法,讓黛多喜歡上埃尼亞斯。
黛多對埃尼亞斯一見鍾情,自願委身於他,並允許埃尼亞斯以及他的部隊在“迦太基”長期駐守。夜夜歡歌的埃尼亞斯引起宙斯的不滿,他派使者下凡找到埃尼亞斯,讓他光複特洛伊城。埃尼亞斯頓悟其使命,當晚便離開“迦太基”。失望之極的黛多用埃尼亞斯留下的寶劍結束了自己的生命,並在臨終前發下毒誓:讓迦太基人和埃尼亞斯的後人永世為仇。
後來,埃尼亞斯的子孫完成了複興特洛伊的大業,建立了輝煌的羅馬帝國。
昨天去中國超市購物,因為要買很多東西,要等豆子下班開車過去。到了中國超市的門口6.35,已經關門了,老板和幾個員工剛剛走出來。
豆芽抱怨道,拜托,6.30就下班了,太早了吧,特別提前下班來買東西,你們卻關門了,再怎麽著,總歸要開到7.30吧。
老板和員工根本沒有人理我,匆匆的上了車離開了。這個時候我開始想念美國,華人超市都是8.00鍾關門,而且東西又都有便宜。
星期天想出去吃飯,所有的商店全部關門,我們喜歡的幾家餐館也沒有營業,為什麽德國的服務業這麽差勁。餓得饑腸轆轆的時候看見了麥當勞叔叔,雖然是垃圾食品,但是總比忍饑挨餓強吧!這個時候我開始思念美國,超市24小時營業,餐館全年營業,隨到隨吃。
在德國餐館就餐,坐下來後20分鍾內才看見服務員拿著菜單過來,點菜還得要招呼服務員,要不然她肯本就忘記了你的存在。點好飲料和食品,還要等,20-30分鍾不等,一次居然等了45分鍾。在這個時候,我開始思念美國,到了就點菜,5-10分鍾全部上齊,吃完後10分鍾遞上賬單,肯本就不需要召喚。雖然德國的小費在5%,我還是給得心不甘情不願。
和好友鳳仙和嬰兒去購物,出了商場是一條鄉間馬路(時速應該在20公裏/小時),一個司機以自殺式的速度向我們衝過來,我們隻好推著嬰兒車飛奔,在飛奔的過程中,一向溫柔平和的鳳仙向這個司機豎起中指。鳳仙說,在她懷孕的日子裏,每次坐公交車,沒有一個人給她讓過坐。電視裏剛剛報道過,電視台讓一個女性化妝成臨產孕婦,然後去公交車裏跟蹤拍攝,300個人裏隻有2個人給孕婦讓座,這兩個人一個是摩洛哥人,一個是英國人。在這個時候我開始思念美國,在美國的鄉間馬路上,汽車遠遠的就減速,然後停下來,向你擺手讓你過去。
德國的高速公路是世界上唯一沒有限速的國家,高速公路上有高速,中速和低速車道。很多奔馳寶馬奧迪的車主們在高速車道上以每小時200-230公裏/小時飛馳而過,你聽到聲音的時候,它已經遠去了。上次從婆婆家回來,我們開在中速車道上,在高速公路上有一台大眾汽車,在180公裏/小時左右,這個時候後麵一輛寶馬以230公裏左右的衝過來,而且沒有任何減速的意思,如果大眾汽車不轉到中速車道,肯定要撞上了。大眾車趕快轉到中速車道,那輛奔馳轉眼既逝。豆子說,幾年前一場車禍就是這樣發生的,一個婦女從後視鏡裏看到一輛奔馳衝過來,沒有任何減速的意思,她匆忙變道,一緊張就滑出公路,撞倒樹上,車毀人亡,車裏麵還有2個孩子。那個奔馳司機的行為受到譴責,但是隻是間接責任,監獄裏麵呆了2年就出來了。看著飛馳的汽車,我開始思念美國,大家開車都是一個速度,美國人真的做到了禮讓三分。
在德國百安居買了一塊廚房麵板,對麵另外一家建材超市一看,同樣的貨品居然比百安居便宜30%,於是回去退貨,服務員眉頭緊鎖,為什麽?這個時候,我很思念美國,在美國退貨品,從來沒有人問為什麽,而且態度還特別熱情,除了燦爛微笑,還會說,祝你有美麗的一天。
到今天,我才意識到美國是我的第二個家,每個細節回憶起來都那麽溫馨。剛開始很討厭美式英語,兒話音很重,像有個小土豆在嘴裏麵,可是現在每次有機會聽到美式英語都覺得特別親切,收拾屋子就會打開電腦聽CNN新聞,仿佛又回到了美國的日子。
最懷念是每個星期去付伯家包餃子,我擀皮,小裘包,付伯煮,一邊做一邊侃大山。每次包餃子,都是我最開心的時刻。今天和兩個同學一起包餃子,也是一個愉悅的下午。
我很少吃零食,這些零食是我在美國朋友Judy從底特律郵寄過來的,當時我正在咳嗽,Judy講,這些東西可以壓製咳嗽,包裹裏麵還有榨菜和其他的中國食品。看著沉甸甸的包裹我開始想念我的美國朋友們,你們好嗎?我很想你們,真的,很想(我把一隻手按在胸口寫下這句話)。