12 England will remember

　　Well，all that was thirty-three years ago．I'm an old man，and everyone is dying around me．Anne Shakespeare died in 1623，and John Hall went about twelve years later，fighting the plague Susanna's still alive，and Judith．She had three sons，but they all died．So there's no boy in the family to keep poor Will's name alive．Susanna's girl Elizabeth has had no children，and she's forty-one already…Susanna still comes to visit me sometimes，and we talk about the old days．

　　We live in sad times now；the Puritans cut King Charles's head off last January．But one day we'll have a king again．Then there'll be singing and dancing and plays．

　　You'll see．Oh yes．People won't forget William Shakespeare．In 400 years'time，the theatres will still be full．People will still laugh，and cry，over his plays．He was the finest poet that ever wrote in the English language．I think he knew that himself．There's some lines in one of his sonnets，I remember…

　　Not marble，nor the gilded monuments

　　Of princes shall outlive this powerful rhyme…

　　12 英国会永远记住

　　可这都是33年前的事了。我已是一个垂暮之年的老人，周围的人纷纷离我而去。1623年，安·莎士比亚去世，大约12年后，约翰·豪尔死于瘟疫，只有苏姗娜和珠迪丝尚健在。珠迪丝生过三个儿子，不幸都夭折了。所以这个家族是无人能将可怜的威尔的名字传下去。苏姗娜的女儿伊丽莎白已经41岁，依然没有一子半女。苏姗娜有时仍过来看我，和我谈谈过去的日子。

　　我们如今生活在动荡的年代。去年1月，清教徒把查理国王送上了断头台。但终有一天，我们又会有一位国王，到时又会歌舞升平，又可以看戏了。

　　你不久就可以看到的！哦，当然啦，人们不会忘记威廉·莎士比亚。400年后，剧院依然会爆满，观众依然会为他的戏剧欢笑或落泪。他是运用英语语言创作最杰出的诗人。我想这一点，他自己也清楚。我记得在他的十四行涛中曾写下这样的诗句……

　　没有大理石或王公们镀金的墓碑