§cast## FABULAE INTERLOCUTORES.
BACCHIS, meretrix, amica Pamphili.
## 剧中人物巴克科斯，妓女，潘菲路斯的爱人。
LACHES, senex, pater Pamphili.
拉刻斯，老人，潘菲路斯的父亲。
MYRRHINA, mater Philumenae.
米里娜，菲鲁墨娜的母亲。
PAMPHILUS, filius Lachetis et Sostratae.
潘菲路斯，拉刻斯和索斯特拉塔的儿子。
PARMENO, servus.
帕尔墨诺，奴隶。
PHIDIPPUS, senex, pater Philumenae.
菲迪普斯，老人，菲鲁墨娜的父亲。
PHILOTIS, meretrix.
菲洛提斯，妓女。
SOSIA, servus.
索西亚，奴隶。
SOSTRATA, mater Pamphili.
索斯特拉塔，潘菲路斯的母亲。
SYRA, anus, lena.
西拉，老婆子，老鸨。
§subject_1INTRODUCTION. THE Hecyra takes its name from the fact that its plot turns upon the misunderstanding between a mother and daughter-in-law.
引言。 《婆母》（Hecyra）的书名源于这样一个事实：其情节围绕着婆媳之间的误会展开。
Colman has translated the word ‘step-mother; ’ but ἑκυρά is etymologically, and in meaning, the same word as ‘socrus,’ a mother-in-law; and there is the same close connexion between the correlative words νυός and ‘nurus,’ a daughter-in-law.
科尔曼将这个词翻译为“继母”；但 ἑκυρά 从词源和词义上来说，与表示婆母的“socrus”是同一个词；而其对应的关联词 νυός 与表示儿媳的“nurus”之间也有着同样紧密的联系。
The story of the play is as follows: A young man named Pamphilus, son of Laches and Sostrata, used to keep company with one Bacchis.
该剧的故事如下：一个名叫潘菲路斯的年轻人，是拉刻斯和索斯特拉塔的儿子，过去常与一个名叫巴克科斯的女子来往。
One night as he was going to her house, rather the worse for wine, he met Philumena, the daughter of Phidippus and Myrrhina, on the road, and offered her violence, both of them being ignorant who the other was.
一天晚上，当他正要前往她家，因喝了酒而有些醉意时，他在路上遇到了菲迪普斯和米里娜的女儿菲鲁墨娜，并对她施加了暴力，当时他们两人都不知道对方是谁。
She could not get any thing from him which could serve as a clue to his recognition; but he in the struggle managed to tear from her finger a ring, which he carried to Bacchis and gave to her.
她无法从他身上得到任何可以作为辨认他线索的东西；但他在挣扎中设法从她的手指上夺下了一枚戒指，他把戒指带给巴克科斯并送给了她。
A short time after this he was married; for his father was very anxious to break off his intimacy with Bacchis, and to see his son quietly settled down, that he might have some prospect of domestic comfort in his old age; and he never let his son have any peace till he consented to take to himself a wife.
此后不久他就结婚了；因为他的父亲非常渴望斩断他与巴克科斯的亲密关系，并希望看到儿子安顿下来，以便在自己的晚年能有一些家庭舒适的盼头；在儿子同意娶妻之前，他一刻也不让儿子安宁。
By a strange coincidence the wife selected for him was this very Philumena, whom he had met at night on his way to his mistress’s house; and her mother was only too glad to have her married, hoping that she would be saved from public disgrace.
由于奇妙的巧合，为他挑选的妻子正是他在夜间前往情人家的路上遇到的那个菲鲁墨娜；而她的母亲非常高兴能让她结婚，希望她能免受公开的耻辱。
But things did not turn out as smoothly as she expected; for Pamphilus did not at first shake off his old love, but continued to visit Bacchis every day, and totally avoided the company of his wife.
但事情并没有像她预期的那样顺利发展；因为潘菲路斯起初并没有摆脱旧爱，而是继续每天探望巴克科斯，并完全避免与妻子做伴。
Gradually, however, a change took place.
然而，渐渐地，变化发生了。
Bacchis, being annoyed at the marriage of Pamphilus, behaved with great coldness and caprice towards him.
巴克科斯对潘菲路斯的婚事感到恼火，对他表现得非常冷淡和任性。
Philumena, on the other hand, bore his neglect with the greatest patience and good temper.
另一方面，菲鲁墨娜则以极大的耐心和温和的态度忍受着他的冷落。
And so it came about that Pamphilus abandoned Bacchis altogether, and became devotedly attached to his wife.
于是，潘菲路斯完全放弃了巴克科斯，并对他的妻子产生了深厚的感情。
At this moment a relation of his father’s dies at Imbros, and Pamphilus is despatched to the spot to look after his property, his wife being left with her mother-in-law Sostrata.
就在这时，他父亲的一位亲戚在因布罗斯岛去世，潘菲路斯被派遣到该地处理财产，他的妻子则留给了他的婆母索斯特拉塔。
But this arrangement does not last long.
但这种安排并没有持续多久。
Philumena, finding that she has no hope of concealing her situation from her mother-in-law, begins to avoid her, and to withdraw from her company as much as possible; till, at last, she goes to her own mother on the pretence of attending a family sacrifice, and stays with her, refusing to return to her mother-in-law.
菲鲁墨娜发现自己毫无希望向婆母隐瞒自己的状况，便开始避开她，并尽可能地退出她的陪伴；直到最后，她以参加家族祭祀为借口回到了自己母亲身边，并留在那里，拒绝回到婆母身边。
Sostrata sends for her, but in vain; and she goes to see her, but is refused admittance.
索斯特拉塔派人去接她，但徒劳无功；她亲自前去探望，却被拒绝入门。