有些戏剧大获成功，一连上演数年之久。
Some plays are so successful that they run for years on end.
从许多方面来看，这对那些可怜的演员来说是一种不幸——他们被迫一夜又一夜地重复同样的台词。
In many ways, this is unfortunate for the poor actors who are required to go on repeating the same lines night after night.
人们自然会期待他们能熟记各自的台词，永远不会有结巴犹豫的理由。
One would expect them to know their parts by heart and never have cause to falter.
然而，情况并非总是如此。
Yet this is not always the case.
一位著名演员在一部极为成功的戏剧中，曾被选派扮演一位在巴士底狱身陷囹圄二十年的贵族。
A famous actor in a highly successful play was once cast in the role of an aristocrat who had been imprisoned in the Bastille for twenty years.
在最后一幕，看守总会登上舞台，带着一封他要递给囚犯的信。
In the last act, a gaoler would always come on to the stage with a letter which he would hand to the prisoner.
尽管这位贵族在每场演出中都需要读那封信，他却始终坚持要把它全文写出来。
Even though the noble was expected to read the letter at each performance, he always insisted that it should be written out in full.
一天夜里，看守决定捉弄一下他的同事，想查探一下在经历了如此多场演出之后，这位同事是否已经把信的内容背熟了。
One night, the gaoler decided to play a joke on his colleague to find out if, after so many performances, he had managed to learn the contents of the letter by heart.
大幕在戏剧的最后一幕徐徐升起，展现出贵族独自坐在昏暗牢房铁窗后的身影。
The curtain went up on the final act of the play and revealed the aristocrat sitting alone behind bars in his dark cell.
就在那时，看守手持那封"珍贵的"信出现了。
Just then, the gaoler appeared with the precious letter in his hands.
他走进牢房，将信正式呈递给了贵族。
He entered the cell and presented the letter to the aristocrat.
但这次他交给贵族的那份副本，却并非像往常一样全文写出来的。
But the copy he gave him had not been written out in full as usual.
那不过是一张白纸。
It was simply a blank sheet of paper.
看守在一旁热切地旁观，急切地想知道他的搭档演员是否终于把台词背熟了。
The gaoler looked on eagerly, anxious to see if his fellow actor had at last learnt his lines.
贵族盯着那张白纸看了几秒钟。
The noble stared at the blank sheet of paper for a few seconds.
然后，他眯起眼睛说道："光线太暗了。把信读给我听。"
Then, squinting his eyes, he said: 'The light is dim. Read the letter to me.'
说完，他立刻就把那张纸递给了看守。
And he promptly handed the sheet of paper to the gaoler.
看守发现自己竟然也一个字都想不起来，便回答道："光线确实昏暗，大人。我必须去取我的眼镜。"
Finding that he could not remember a word of the letter either, the gaoler replied: 'The light is indeed dim, sire. I must get my glasses.'
说完这话，他匆匆忙忙地退出了舞台。
With this, he hurried off the stage.
令贵族忍俊不禁的是，看守片刻之后带着一副眼镜和那封信通常的副本回来了，并接着把信读给了囚犯听。
Much to the aristocrat's amusement, the gaoler returned a few moments later with a pair of glasses and the usual copy of the letter which he proceeded to read to the prisoner.