The Merchant of Venice Translation Act 4, Scene 1 (Page.no.

128-132)

DUKE
That thou shalt see the difference of our spirit,I pardon thee thy life before thou ask it.For half thy wealth, it is
Antonio’s.385 other half comes to the general state,Which humbleness may drive unto a fine.

I pardon your life even before you ask, Shylock, so that you can see how different my spirit is
from yours. Half of your wealth belongs to Antonio. The other half goes to the state, and this
may be reduced to a simple fine if you show humility.
PORTIA
Ay, for the state, not for Antonio.

Yes, the money due to the state can be reduced, not the money due to Antonio.
SHYLOCK
Nay, take my life and all. Pardon not that.You take my house when you do take the prop 390That doth sustain my
house. You take my lifeWhen you do take the means whereby I live.

No, take my life and everything. Don't pardon me. If you take the prop that holds up my
house, you take my house, too. By taking the means by which I live, you'd be taking my life.
PORTIA
What mercy can you render him, Antonio?

What mercy can you show him, Antonio?

GRATIANO
A halter gratis, nothing else, for God’s sake.

Give him rope for hanging, at no charge. Nothing else, for God's sake.
ANTONIO
So please my lord the duke and all the court,395To quit the fine for one half of his goodsI am content, so he will let me
haveThe other half in use to render itUpon his death unto the gentlemanThat lately stole his daughter. 400Two things
provided more: that for this favorHe presently become a Christian;The other, that he do record a giftHere in the court, of all
he dies possessed,Unto his son Lorenzo and his daughter.

If it pleases my lord the Duke and the rest of the court, I am content to give up the half of his
goods owed to me, as long as he gives me the other half of his wealth so that I can invest it
and, upon his death, give it to the gentleman that recently eloped with his daughter. And I
want two more things: that he converts to Christianity, and that he makes a will here in this
court in which he leaves everything upon his death to his son-in-law Lorenzo and his
daughter.
DUKE
405He shall do this, or else I do recantThe pardon that I late pronouncèd here.
He will do this, or else I will take back the pardon that I just pronounced here.
PORTIA
Art thou contented, Jew? What dost thou say?

Are you content, Jew? What do you say to this?

SHYLOCK
I am content.

I am content.
PORTIA
[to NERISSA] Clerk, draw a deed of gift.

[To NERISSA] Clerk, draw up a will.

SHYLOCK
410I pray you, give me leave to go from hence.I am not well. Send the deed after me,And I will sign it.
Please, give me permission to leave here. I am not well. Send the will after me, and I will
sign it.
DUKE
Get thee gone, but do it.

Go, but do sign it.

GRATIANO
[to SHYLOCK]In christening shalt thou have two godfathers.415Had I been judge, thou shouldst have had ten more—To
bring thee to the gallows, not to the font.

[To SHYLOCK] When you are Christened, you'll have two godfathers. If it were up to me,
you'd have ten more, to make twelve judges to send you to the gallows instead of the
baptismal fountain.
Exit SHYLOCK
DUKE
[to PORTIA] Sir, I entreat you home with me to dinner.

[To PORTIA] Sir, I invite you to come to my home for dinner with me.
PORTIA
I humbly do desire your grace of pardon.425I must away this night toward Padua,And it is meet I presently set forth.

I must humbly beg your pardon, your grace. I must leave tonight for Padua, and I really must
be getting on my way now.
DUKE
I am sorry that your leisure serves you not.—Antonio, gratify this gentleman,For in my mind you are much bound to him.

I am sorry you don't have more free time to spend here. Antonio, thank this gentleman, for I
think you owe him a lot.
Exit DUKE and his train
BASSANIO
430[to PORTIA] Most worthy gentleman, I and my friendHave by your wisdom been this day acquittedOf grievous
penalties, in lieu whereofThree thousand ducats due unto the JewWe freely cope your courteous pains withal.

[To PORTIA] Most worthy gentleman, my friend and I have been acquitted of serious
penalties because of your wisdom. In return for this, we gladly offer you the three thousand
ducats we were going to pay to the Jew, for all your troubles.
ANTONIO
435And stand indebted, over and above,In love and service to you evermore.
And we stand in your debt, and are always in your loving service.
PORTIA
He is well paid that is well satisfied.And I, delivering you, am satisfied,And therein do account myself well paid. 440My
mind was never yet more mercenary.I pray you, know me when we meet again.I wish you well, and so I take my leave.

Satisfaction is the best reward. And I am satisfied to have rescued you, so I feel rewarded
enough. I didn't help you out of desire for payment. Please, recognize me when we meet
again. I wish you well, and now I must leave.
BASSANIO
Dear sir, of force I must attempt you further.Take some remembrance of us as a tribute, 445Not as a fee. Grant me two
things, I pray you:Not to deny me, and to pardon me.

Dear sir, I must try to persuade you further. Take some remembrance of us as a gift, not
payment. Grant me two things, please: don't refuse me, and pardon me for insisting.
PORTIA
You press me far and therefore I will yield.[To ANTONIO]Give me your gloves. I’ll wear them for your sake.450[To
BASSANIO]And for your love, I’ll take this ring from you.Do not draw back your hand. I’ll take no more,And you in love
shall not deny me this.

You keep urging me and so I will yield.

[To ANTONIO] Give me your gloves. I'll wear them for your sake.

[To BASSANIO] And as a token of your gratitude I'll take your ring. Do not pull back your
hand. I won't take anything else, and in your gratitude you shouldn't deny me this ring.
BASSANIO
This ring, good sir—alas, it is a trifle.455I will not shame myself to give you this.

This ring, good sir—oh, it's a trifle. It would be shameful to give you such a worthless little
thing.
PORTIA
I will have nothing else but only this.And now methinks I have a mind to it.

I want nothing else, only this. And now my mind is set on it.
BASSANIO
There’s more depends on this than on the value.The dearest ring in Venice will I give you,460And find it out by
proclamation.Only for this, I pray you, pardon me.

This ring is worth more than its monetary value. I will find out what is the best ring in all of
Venice and give it to you. But please let me keep this one. 
PORTIA
I see, sir, you are liberal in offers.You taught me first to beg, and now methinksYou teach me how a beggar should be
answered.
I see you make generous offers. First you told me to beg for something from you, and now
you show me how a beggar is answered.
BASSANIO
465Good sir, this ring was given me by my wife.And when she put it on, she made me vowThat I should neither sell nor
give nor lose it.

Good sir, this ring was given to me by my wife and when she put it on my hand she made me
swear never to sell it or give it away or lose it.
PORTIA
That ’scuse serves many men to save their gifts.An if your wife be not a madwoman,470And know how well I have
deserved the ring,She would not hold out enemy foreverFor giving it to me. Well, peace be with you.

That's what many men say as an excuse not to give gifts away. And unless your wife is a
crazy person, if she knows what I have done to deserve the ring she won't be mad forever at
you for giving it to me. Anyway, peace be with you.
Exeunt PORTIA and NERISSA
ANTONIO
My Lord Bassanio, let him have the ring.Let his deservings and my love withal 475Be valued against your wife’s
commandment.

My lord Bassanio, let him have the ring. Let my love and the fact that he deserves it outweigh
your wife's command.
BASSANIO
[giving GRATIANO the ring]Go, Gratiano, run and overtake him.Give him the ring and bring him, if thou canst,Unto
Antonio’s house. Away, make haste.

[He gives GRATIANO the ring] Go, Gratiano, run and catch up with him. Give him the ring,
and, if you can, bring him to Antonio's house. Go, hurry.
Exit GRATIANO
480Come, you and I will thither presently.And in the morning early will we bothFly toward Belmont. Come, Antonio.
Come on, you and I will go to the house now. And early in the morning we will both hurry to
Belmont. Come on, Antonio.