《THE LOVER》（《情人》）是英国剧作家哈罗德·品特（Harold Pinter）于1962年创作的一部独幕剧，是其“婚姻戏剧”系列中的代表作之一。该剧以精炼的对话、微妙的心理博弈和典型的品特式“威胁喜剧”风格，探讨了婚姻、身份、欲望与虚构之间的复杂关系。该剧于1963年首播于英国独立电视台（ITV），1964年在纽约樱桃巷剧院首演。被广泛认为是品特“心理现实主义”时期的代表作，影响后世众多剧作家。

 版权归属为哈罗德·品特（Harold Pinter），如有侵权，联系作者处理

剧情简介：

故事发生在英国温莎附近的一幢中产阶级住宅中，主角是一对看似体面、关系礼貌而疏离的夫妻——理查德（Richard） 和莎拉（Sarah）。

表面设定：  

  丈夫理查德每天早晨出门上班前，会平静地问妻子：“你的情人今天来吗？”莎拉则淡然回答“是”，并告知情人下午三点到访。理查德表示会晚归，暗示自己可能也会去见他的“妓女”。两人对话客气、含蓄，仿佛在讨论一件日常家务。

真相揭示：  

  下午，情人“麦克斯（Max）”到访。实际上，麦克斯就是理查德本人。他换上一身休闲装（皮夹克、不打领带），以情人的身份与莎拉进行角色扮演游戏。两人在客厅里调情、嬉戏，使用手鼓等道具，演绎一场“陌生男女的邂逅与挑逗”。

关系崩塌：  

  在一次午后相会中，“麦克斯”突然表示厌倦了这种关系，并以“你太瘦了”“我要为家庭和孩子着想”等理由提出分手。莎拉试图挽回，但无济于事。  

  当晚，理查德以丈夫身份回家后，态度骤然转变。他不再容忍这种“开放式婚姻”，禁止莎拉再在家中会见情人，并激烈指责她的“堕落”。两人在言语交锋中逐渐模糊了丈夫与情人的身份界限，最终在客厅里重新上演一场角色扮演，但此时权力关系已彻底扭曲，对话充满控制与羞辱。

这些对话凝练地体现了品特对婚姻关系的冷酷解剖——在最亲密的伴侣之间，真实与表演、爱与操控往往只有一线之隔。《THE LOVER》以不到一小时的篇幅，撕开了中产阶级婚姻的优雅表象，揭示其中蕴含的性政治、心理暴力和存在的荒诞性，是一部充满张力和哲学深度的现代戏剧经典。

走本提示：

1.手鼓：可以自己敲击桌子发出类似手鼓声音

2. 括号（）里的是动作提示，不要念

THE LOVER

SUMMER- A detached house near Windsor.

The stage consists of two areas. Living room, right, with small hall and front door up center. Bedroom and balcony on a level, left. There is a short flight of stairs to bedroom door. Kitchen off right. A table with a long velvet cover stands against the left wall of the living room, center stage. In the small hall there is a cupboard. The furnishings are tasteful, comfortable.

Sarah is emptying and dusting ashtrays in the living room. It is morning. She wears a crisp, demure dress. Richard comes into the bedroom from bathroom, off left. He collects his keys, proceeds to the living room, collects his brief case from hall cupboard, goes to Sarah, kisses her on the cheek. He looks at her a moment smiling. She smiles.

RICHARD: (Amiability.) Is your lover coming today?  

SARAH: Mnnn.  

RICHARD: What time?  

SARAH: Three.  

RICHARD: Will you be going out . . . or staying in?  

SARAH: Oh . . . I think we'll stay in.  

RICHARD: I thought you wanted to go to that exhibition.  

SARAH: I did, yes . . . but I think I'd prefer to stay in with him today.  

RICHARD: Mnnn-hmmm. Well, I must be off. (Richard goes to hall u. c, and puts on his bowler hat.) Will he be staying long, do you think?  

SARAH: Mmmnnn . . .  

RICHARD: About . . . six, then.  

SARAH: Yes.  

RICHARD: Have a pleasant afternoon.  

SARAH: Mnnn.  

RICHARD: Bye-bye.

SARAH: Bye. (He opens the front door and goes out. She continues dusting. The lights fade up. Early evening. Sarah comes into room from kitchen, R. She wears the same dress, but is now wearing a pair of very high heeled shoes. She pours a drink and sits on chaise longue with magazine. There are six chimes of the clock. Key in the front door. Richard enters. He wears a sober suit, as in the morning. He puts his brief case down in the hall and goes into the room. She smiles at him and pours him a whiskey.) Hullo.

RICHARD: Hullo. (He kisses her on the cheek. Takes glass, hands her the evening paper, and sits on chaise longue with paper.) Thanks. (He drinks, sits back and sighs with contentment.) Aah. Tired?

RICHARD: Hullo. (He kisses her on the cheek. Takes glass, hands her the evening paper, and sits on chaise longue with paper.) Thanks. (He drinks, sits back and sighs with contentment.) Aah. Tired?

RICHARD: Just a little. RICHARD: Just a little.

SARAH: Bad traffic?  

RICHARD: No. Quite the traffic, actually.  

SARAH: Oh good.

RICHARD: Very smooth. (Pause.)  

SARAH: It seemed to me you were just a little late.  

RICHARD: Am I?

SARAH: Just a little.  

RICHARD: No. Quite the traffic, actually.  

SARAH: Oh good.

RICHARD: There was a bit of a jam on the bridge. (Sarah gets up, goes to drink table to collect her glass, sits again on the chaise longue.) Pleasant day?

SARAH: Mmn. I was in the village this morning.  

RICHARD: Oh yes? See anyone?  

SARAH: Not really, no. Had lunch.  

RICHARD: In the village?

SARAH: Not really, no. Had lunch.  

RICHARD: In the village?  

SARAH: Yes.  

RICHARD: Any good?  

SARAH: Quite fair. (She sits.)

RICHARD: What about this afternoon?  

SARAH: Oh yes. Quite marvellous.  

RICHARD: Your lover came, did he?  

SARAH: Mmn. Oh yes.  

RICHARD: Did you show him the hollyhocks?  

SARAH: The hollyhocks?  

RICHARD: Yes.  

SARAH: No, I?

RICHARD: Oh.

SARAH: Should I have done?

RICHARD: No, no. It's simply that I seem to remember your saying he was interested in gardening.

SARAH: Mnnn, yes, he is. (Pause.) Not all that interested, actually.

RICHARD: Ah. (Pause.) Did you get out at all, or did you stay in?

SARAH: We stayed in.

RICHARD: Ah. (He looks up at the Venetian blinds.) That blind hasn't been put up properly.

SARAH: Yes, it is a bit crooked, isn't it? (Pause.)

RICHARD: Very sunny on the road. Of course, by the time I got on to it the sun was beginning to sink. But I imagine it was quite warm here this afternoon. It was warm in the city.

SARAH: Was it?

RICHARD: Pretty stifling. I imagine it was quite warm everywhere.

SARAH: Quite a high temperature, I believe.

RICHARD: Did it say so on the wireless?

SARAH: I think it did, yes. (Slight pause.)

RICHARD: I see you had the Venetian blinds down.

SARAH: We did, yes.

RICHARD: The light was terribly strong.

SARAH: It was. Awfully strong.

RICHARD: The trouble with this room is that it catches the sun so directly, when it's shining. You didn't move to another room?

SARAH: No. We stayed here.

RICHARD: Must have been blinding.

SARAH: It was. That's why we put the blinds down. (Pause.)

RICHARD: The thing is it gets so awfully hot in here with the blinds down.

SARAH: Would you say so?

RICHARD: Perhaps not. Perhaps it's just that you feel hotter.

SARAH: Yes. That's probably it. (Pause.) What did you do this afternoon?

RICHARD: Long meeting. Rather inconclusive.

SARAH: It's a cold supper. Do you mind?

RICHARD: Not in the least.

SARAH: I didn't seem to have time to cook anything today. (Sarah moves R. towards the kitchen.)  

RICHARD: Oh, by the way . . . I rather wanted to ask you something.  

SARAH: What?  

RICHARD: Does it ever occur to you that while you're spending the afternoon being unfaithful to me I'm sitting at a desk going through balance sheets and graphs?  

SARAH: What a funny question.  

RICHARD: No, I'm curious.  

SARAH: You've never asked me that before.  

RICHARD: I've always wanted to know. (Slight pause.)  

SARAH: Well, of course it occurs to me.  

RICHARD: Oh, it does?  

SARAH: Mmmn. (Slight pause.)  

RICHARD: What's your attitude to that, then?  

SARAH: It makes it all the more piquant.  

RICHARD: Does it really?  

SARAH: Of course.  

RICHARD: You mean while you're with him . . . you actually have a picture of me, sitting at my desk going through balance sheets?  

SARAH: Only at . . . certain times.  

RICHARD: Of course.  

SARAH: Not all the time.  

RICHARD: Well, naturally.  

SARAH: At particular moments.  

RICHARD: Mmmn. But, in fact, I'm not completely forgotten?  

SARAH: Not by any means.  

RICHARD: That's rather touching, I must admit. (Pause.)  

SARAH: How could I forget you?  

RICHARD: Quite easily, I should think.