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Stratford-on-Avon, as we all know, has only one industry -- William Shakespeare -- but there are two distinctly separate and increasingly hostile branches.

众所周知 Stratford-on-Avon 只有一个特色，那就是威廉·莎士比亚，但这儿却有两个相互独立的部门，他们随着时间的变化而日益变得敌对。

There is the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), which presents superb productions of the plays at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre on the Avon.

这儿有皇家莎士比亚公司（RSC），它在 Avon 的莎士比亚纪念剧院里将很多优秀的戏剧作品呈现给大家 。

And there are the townsfolk who largely live off the tourists who come, not to see the plays, but to look at Anne Hathaway's Cottage, Shakespeare's birthplace and the other sights.

这儿的居民大部分是靠挣来游玩的游客的钱来维持生计，这些游客并不是来看戏剧的，而是来看 Anne Hathaway的庄园。这是莎士比亚的出生地和其他的景色。

The worthy residents of Stratford doubt that the theatre adds a penny to their revenue.

Stratford 的当地乡绅们都质疑剧院有没有为当地的税收收入做一点贡献。

They frankly dislike the RSC's actors, them with their long hair and beards and sandals and noisiness.

他们直言讨厌 RSC的演员，这些演员留着长头发，长胡须，拖着凉鞋，吵吵嚷嚷。

It's all deliciously ironic when you consider that Shakespeare, who earns their living, was himself an actor (with a beard) and did his share of noise-making.

这真是一种绝妙的讽刺，当你想到作为他们摇钱树的莎士比亚，自己也是个演员，留着胡子，一起大吵大闹。

The tourist streams are not entirely separate.

游客群并不是完全分开的。

The sightseers who come by bus -- and often take in Warwick Castle and Blenheim Palace on the side --

游览者乘公车来，经常会去游览 Warwick城堡和Blenheim 宫殿，

don't usually see the plays, and some of them are even surprised to find a theatre in Stratford.

通常不会去看戏，并且他们中的一些人甚至会对在 Stratford 能找到剧院感到惊讶。

However, the playgoers do manage a little sight-seeing along with their playgoing.

然而，看戏者只花少量的时间在观光上，也就是在戏剧演出时顺便看看。

It is the playgoers, the RSC contends, who bring in much of the town's revenue because they spend the night (some of them four or five nights) pouring cash into the hotels and restaurants.

RSC主张，是看戏者给城镇带来大量的税收，因为他们通常花整晚上时间（有些是四到五个晚上） 在旅馆或饭店里大量消费。

The sightseers can take in everything and get out of town by nightfall.

然而游览者在当天的黄昏前就能把所有事情做完了，然后离开小镇。

The townsfolk don't see it this way and local council does not contribute directly to the subsidy of the Royal Shakespeare Company.

当地居民并不这么认为，地方政府也直接没有给予RSC补贴。

Stratford cries poor traditionally.

Stratford 一向都会哭穷。

Nevertheless every hotel in town seems to be adding a new wing or cocktail lounge.

然而城镇上每一家旅馆似乎都增加了新的部门或是鸡尾酒酒吧。

Hilton is building its own hotel there, which you may be sure will be decorated with Hamlet Hamburger Bars, the Lear Lounge, the Banquo Banqueting Room, and so forth, and will be very expensive.

希尔顿也在这儿建了一座自己的酒店，这里肯定可以能看到被装饰一新的哈姆雷特汉堡酒吧，Lear 休息室，宴会厅等等。进一步说，这里消费将很贵。

Anyway, the townsfolk can't understand why the Royal Shakespeare Company needs a subsidy.

总之，居民不明白为什么 RSC 需要补贴。

(The theatre has broken attendance records for three years in a row.

（剧院已经打破了连续三年以来的就座率纪录。

Last year its 1, 431 seats were 94 percent occupied all year long and this year they'll do better. )

去年整年的 1431 个座位的就坐率达到了94%，今年将会更高。）

The reason, of course, is that costs have rocketed and ticket prices have stayed low.

当然，原因是，演戏的花费高了，然而票价仍然很低。

It would be a shame to raise prices too much because it would drive away the young people who are Stratford's most attractive clientele.

大幅增加票价是一件很为难的事情，因为这样会把 Stratford 的最有魅力的顾客－年轻人赶走。

They come entirely for the plays, not the sights.

他们完全是为了戏而来，不是为风景。

They all seem to look alike (though they come from all over) -- lean, pointed, dedicated faces, wearing jeans and sandals,

他们看起来都一个样（虽然他们从各个地方而来）——消瘦、率直、专注的脸庞，穿着牛仔裤和便鞋，

eating their buns and bedding down for the night on the flagstones outside the theatre to buy the 20 seats and 80 standing-room tickets held for the sleepers and sold to them when the box office opens at 10:30 a. m.

吃着小圆面包，在剧场外的石板上过夜，以便能买得到 20张座票和80张站票，这些票都是为那些睡觉的人准备的，并且在票房第二天上午 10点半开始售票时就卖给他们。