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夜已深，莎士比亚在英国国王詹姆士一世的王宫里，他将再次为国王和王后表演戏剧《威尼斯商人》。国王很喜欢剧中的人物夏洛克（Shylock），故事中，夏洛克借给商人安东尼奥一笔钱，安东尼奥承诺道，如果不还钱，就割下自己身上的一磅肉 a pound of flesh 给他作为惩罚。在现代英语中，人们通常会用 a pound of flesh 来表达什么含义呢？
Narrator
It was late in the evening. William Shakespeare is at the palace of King James I.
King James
Mr Shakespeare! Welcome, welcome.
Will
Your majesty, it is a great honour to perform The Merchant of Venice for you a second time.
King James
The Queen and I enjoyed it so much we just had to see it again.
The Queen
You fell asleep halfway through dear, that's why you want to see it again.
King James
Nonsense. Mr Shakespeare, I particularly enjoyed your character Shylock. But what was all that about a pound of flesh?
Will
Well, Shylock lent some money to the businessman Antonio. And Antonio promised that if he didn't pay the money back, Shylock could cut a pound of flesh from his body.
King James
That's right, that's right. I remember it well now. What did he say? If you repay me not on such a day…
Shylock
If you repay me not on such a day,
In such a place, such sum or sums as are
Express'd in the condition, let the forfeit
Be nominated for an equal pound
Of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken
In what part of your body pleaseth me.
Narrator
We'll leave them there for now. A pound of flesh? That's nearly half a kilogram! Modern English speakers use the phrase a pound of flesh when someone says they want justice, but the punishment they're asking for is so severe that it seems more like revenge. In the terrible case of US cinema gunman James Holmes, former prosecutor Bob Grant said:
Clip 1
The district attorney will argue that although the defendant is mentally ill, he is not insane under the law, and society deserves its pound of flesh from him.
Clip 2
I apologised and paid for the repairs after I crashed his car, but it isn't enough for him. He wants his pound of flesh. I think he's going to call the police…
The Queen
Mr Shakespeare, please tell the King what happens in the end, just in case he falls asleep again.
King James
I did not fall asleep! But yes, do tell me.
Will
Well, Antonio didn't pay the money back. The court agreed that Shylock could have his pound of flesh, but the court also said that he could not take even a single drop of blood.
King James
Aha! So Antonio was saved.
Will
Yes, your majesty.
The Queen
Ooh, the play is starting. Now do stay awake this time, dear…
King James
To sleep, or not to sleep: that is the question…
Edited by: geilien.cn
a pound of flesh n. 合法但极不合理的事;合法却不合理的要求.
My business is closed and my wife has cancer, and still the bank wants its pound of flesh; they'll take my house if I can't pay back what I borrowed for my wife's hospital bills.
我的企业倒闭了，我妻子又得了癌症，而银行却还要不合情理地催逼债务。如果我不能偿还我为付妻子的医院帐单而借的款子，他们就要没收我的房子。