sits near a tree at dusk and struggles to remove his boot.

黃昏時坐在一顆樹旁，並掙扎著要脫掉他的靴子

He's soon joined by his friend Vladimir,

很快地，他的朋友 Vladimir 來到他的身邊

who reminds his anxious companion that

Vladimir 提醒他這位焦慮的夥伴

they must wait here for someone called Godot.

他們必須在這裡等一位叫 Godot 的人

So begins a vexing cycle in which the two debate

所以這兩個人開啟了一個不斷爭辯的惱人循環

when Godot will come, why they're waiting,

Godot 什麼時候會到，為什麼他們要在此等待

and whether they're even at the right tree.

還有會不會他們根本不在正確的地方等待

From here, Waiting for Godot only gets stranger -

從這裡開始，《等待果陀》只會變的越來越奇怪 —

but it's considered a play that changed

但它被認為是改變

the face of modern drama.

現代戲劇樣貌的重要劇本

Written by Samuel Beckett between 1949 and 1955,

它是由 Samuel‧Beckett 在西元 1949 年至西元 1955 年撰寫的

it offers a simple but stirring question -

它提出了一個簡單，但卻能攪動這個世界的問題

what should the characters do?

這些角色該做什麼？

Estragon: Don't let's do anything. It's safer.

Estragon：我們什麼都別做，這樣比較安全

Vladimir: Let's wait and see what he says.

Vladimir：我們就等著，看他要說什麼

Estragon: Who?

Estragon：誰？

Vladimir: Godot.

Vladimir：Godot

Estragon: Good idea.

Estragon：好主意

Such cryptic dialogue and circular reasoning are

如此涵義模糊的對話與循環的推論

key features of the Theatre of the Absurd,

就是「荒誕派戲劇」的關鍵特色

a movement which emerged after the Second World War

這是一種第二次世界大戰後興起的文學運動

and found artists struggling

並且發覺藝術家

to find meaning in devastation.

很難在毀壞中找到意義

The absurdists deconstructed plot, character and language

荒謬主義者解構劇情、角色和語言

to question their meaning and share

來質疑它們的意義

their profound uncertainty on stage.

並在舞台上分享他們深奧的疑惑

While this may sound grim,

雖然這聽起來很冷酷

the absurd blends its hopelessness with humor.

荒誕派戲劇把它的絕望與幽默參雜在一起

This is reflected in Beckett's unique approach to genre in Waiting for Godot,

在 Beckett 的《等待果陀》中，就反應出它獨特的表現手法

which he branded “a tragicomedy in two acts."

他稱之為「兩幕的悲喜劇」

Tragically, the characters are locked in an

很悲慘地，角色被困在

existential conundrum: they wait in vain

有關存在意義的難題中：他們空等著

for an unknown figure to give them a sense of purpose,

一個未知的人物，來給他們一個存在的意義

but their only sense of purpose

但他們存在的唯一意義

comes from the act of waiting,

來自「等待」的行為

While they wait, they sink into boredom,

當他們在等待時，他們陷入了無聊、厭煩的處境

express religious dread and contemplate suicide.

表現出對宗教的懼怕，並打算著自殺

But comically, there is a jagged humor to their predicament,

但喜劇的部分，在他們的窘境中有種粗糙的幽默

which comes across in their language and movements.

出現在他們的語言與動作中

Their interactions are filled with bizarre wordplay,

他們的互動充滿著怪異的應對

repetition and double entendres,

重覆性與雙關語

as well as physical clowning, singing and dancing,

以及肢體搞笑、歌唱和舞蹈

and frantically swapping their hats.

還有瘋狂地交換他們的帽子

It's often unclear whether the audience is supposed to

觀眾們常常搞不清楚到底應該

laugh or cry - or whether Beckett saw any difference between the two.

笑或是哭，或是 Beckett 是否有在兩者之間看到差別

Born in Dublin, Beckett studied English, French and Italian before moving to Paris,

Beckett 出生在都柏林，搬到巴黎前他學習英文、法文和義大利文

where he spent most of his life writing theatre, poetry and prose.

在巴黎，他花費了大部分的人生在撰寫劇本、詩作和散文

While Beckett had a lifelong love of language,

雖然語言是 Beckett 畢生摯愛

he also made space for silence by incorporating gaps, pauses and moments of emptiness into his work.

他透過結合間隙、暫停和空白時刻在作品中，為沉默留了點空間

This was a key feature of his trademark uneven tempo and black humor,

那也是在他著名的不平均步調及黑色幽默中的一大關鍵特色

which became popular throughout the Theatre of the Absurd.

後來在荒誕派戲劇中變得十分受歡迎

He also cultivated a mysterious persona,

他也培養了一個神祕的人格

and refused to confirm or deny any speculations

並且拒絕證實或否認任何

about the meaning of his work.

有關他作品意義的推測

This kept audiences guessing,

這使得觀眾不斷猜測

increasing their fascination with his surreal worlds and enigmatic characters.

讓觀眾對他的超現實世界與謎樣角色更加入迷

The lack of any clear meaning makes Godot

因為缺乏清晰的意義

endlessly open to interpretation.

使得 Godot 不斷被開放詮釋著

Critics have offered countless readings of the play,

評論家對這齣戲劇提出無數解釋

resulting in a cycle of ambiguity and speculation

導致模糊不清與臆測的無限迴圏

that mirrors the plot of the drama itself.

也反射出這齣戲劇本身的情節

It's been read as an allegory of the Cold War,

它曾被解讀成在暗喻冷戰時期

the French Resistance,

法國抵抗運動

and Britain's colonization of Ireland.

還有英國殖民愛爾蘭

The dynamic of the two protagonists has

兩位主角的行動

also sparked intense debate.

也激起了激烈的辯論

They've been read as survivors of the apocalypse,

他們曾被解讀為世界末日的倖存者

an aging couple, two impotent friends,

一對年長的夥伴、兩個無能的朋友

and even as personifications of Freud's ego and id.

甚至是 Freud 自我與本我的擬人化

Famously, Beckett said the only thing he could

Beckett 有一句名言：他能確定的唯一一件事

be sure of was that Vladimir and Estragon

就是 Vladimir 跟 Estragon

were "wearing bowler hats."

他們「戴著常禮帽」

Like the critical speculation and maddening plot,

就像評論的推測以及令人抓狂的劇情

their language often goes in circles as the two bicker and banter, lose their train of thought,

當這兩人在爭吵和互相戲謔時，他們的言詞經常進入迴圏，喪失他們的思路

and pick up right where they left off:

然後又從喪失的地方繼續接下去

Vladimir: We could start all over again perhaps

Vladimir：我們或許可以重來一遍

Estragon: That should be easy

Estragon：那樣應該會簡單點

Vladimir: It's the start that's difficult

Vladimir：萬事起頭難

Estragon: You can start from anything

Estragon：你可以從任何事物開始

Vladimir: Yes, but you have to decide.

Vladimir：對，但你必須決定出那個「任何事物」

Beckett reminds us that just like our daily lives,

Beckett 提醒我們，就跟我們的日常生活一樣

the world onstage doesn't always make sense.

舞台上的世界不會都是那麼合理的

It can explore both reality and illusion,

它可以探究現實與幻想

the familiar and the strange.

熟悉的一切與陌生的事物

And although a tidy narrative still appeals,

雖然井然有序的故事仍舊吸引人

the best theatre keeps us thinking – and waiting.

但最好的戲劇能讓我們不斷思考 — 與等待