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The Wild Duck
text from Project Gutenberg
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THE WILD DUCK
A DRAMA IN FIVE ACTS
By HENRIK IBSEN
TRANSLATED FROM THE NORWEGIAN BY
ELEANOR MARX AVELING
Copyright, 1890, by John W. Lovell Co.
BOSTON
WALTER H. BAKER & CO.
CONTENTS
| TRANSLATOR’S NOTE. | 3 |
| PERSONS OF THE PLAY. | 4 |
| ACT I. | 5 |
| ACT II. | 30 |
| ACT III. | 58 |
| ACT IV. | 89 |
| ACT V. | 117 |
| Transcriber’s Note. |
TRANSLATOR’S NOTE.
“Vildanden” is perhaps the most difficult of all Ibsen’s prose dramas to translate. Some of the speeches of Gina and Relling are indeed quite untranslatable. The difficulty in the case of Gina is in respect to her frequent malapropisms, which, for the most part, turn on the mispronunciation of a word, or the use of a word which resembles in sound the one she wants. It is obvious that in the transference of such blunders of one language to another their exact significance can not be caught. Occasionally it has been possible, as when she says “divide” for “divert,” or calls the pistol “pigstol.” But these instances are rare, and more frequently Gina’s slips could only have been indicated by entirely changing her words. As I have aimed at making as literal a translation as possible I did not feel justified in so departing from the original.
ELEANOR MARX AVELING.
PERSONS OF THE PLAY.
- Werle, Merchant, Factory Owner, Etc.
- Gregers Werle, His Son.
- Old Ekdal.
- Hjalmar Ekdal, The Old Man’s Son, a Photographer.
- Gina Ekdal, Hjalmar’s Wife.
- Hedvig, Their Daughter, Fourteen Years Old.
- Mrs. Sorby, Werle’s Housekeeper.
- Relling, a Doctor.
- Molvik, an ex-Theological Student.
- Graberg, Book-keeper.
- Pettersen, Servant to Werle.
- Jensen, Hired Waiter.
- A Pale and Fat Gentleman.
- A Thin-haired Gentleman.
- A Short-sighted Gentleman.
- Six other Gentlemen, Guests of Werle’s.
- Several Hired Waiters.
The first Act at Mr. Werle’s. The four other Acts at Ekdal, the photographer’s.
ACT I.
[Werle’s House. Richly and comfortably furnished study. Book cases and upholstered furniture, a writing-table, with papers and ledgers in the center of the stage; lamps alight with green shades, so that the room is dimly lighted. Open folding-doors, with the curtain drawn at back. Beyond a large elegant room, brilliantly lighted with lamps and branched candlesticks. At the right lower entrance of the study a small baize door leads to the office. Left lower entrance a fireplace, with glowing coals, and beyond this a folding-door leading to the dining-room.]
[Pettersen, Werle’s servant, in livery, and the hired waiter, Jensen, in black, are setting the study in order. In the large room two or three other hired waiters are moving about, trimming and lighting several more lights. From within the dining-room, is heard a confused buzz of conversation and laughter; a knife is rapped against a glass, there is silence, a toast is given, cries of “bravo,” and then again the buzz of conversation.]
Pettersen (lighting a lamp on the mantel-piece, and placing a shade upon it). Just listen, Jensen; there’s the old chap standing up by the table and proposing to Mrs. Sorby’s health in a long speech.
Jensen (bringing down an arm-chair). Is there any truth in what people say, that there’s something between them?
Pettersen. Goodness knows!
Jensen. For he’s been a great rake in his time.
Pettersen. Maybe.
Jensen. It’s in honor of his son that he’s giving this dinner, they say.
Pettersen. Yes, his son came home yesterday.
Jensen. I never knew before that Mr. Werle had a son.
Pettersen. Oh yes, he has a son. But he’s always stopped up there at the Hojdal Works. He’s not been in town all the years I’ve been in service here.
Another Waiter (at the door of the other room). I say, Pettersen, here’s an old fellow who——
Pettersen (muttering). Who the devil’s here now?
Old Ekdal enters the room from the right. He wears a threadbare cloak with a stand-up collar, woollen mittens; in his hands a stick and a fur cap, under his arm a parcel done up in cardboard. He has a reddish-brown, dirty wig, and a small mustache.
Pettersen (going towards him). Good gracious! What do you want here?
Ekdal (in the doorway). Must absolutely go to the office, Pettersen.
Pettersen. The office was closed an hour ago and——
Ekdal. Heard so at the door, my lad. But Graberg’s in there still. Be a good fellow, Pettersen, and let me slip in this way. (Pointing to the baize door.) I’ve been that way before.
fetching the rest…