《李尔王》的故事来源于英国的古代传说，以此为题材的诗歌和散文甚多，莎士比亚在故事蓝本的基础上加入了悲剧结局、这也是这部剧本的看点之一。

　　第一幕

　　ACT I

　　SCENE I. King Lear's palace.

　　肯特进，说：“the king is coming .”(李尔和三女儿跟着进来，其他人随后有大女儿，二女儿)

　　KING LEAR ：Attend the lords of France and Burgundy(叫法兰西国王和。。。上) 肯特：I shall, my liege.

　　Exeunt GLOUCESTER and EDMUND

　　KING LEAR (手里拿着条儿，不用背了)

　　Meantime we shall express our darker purpose.(现在我要跟你说明我的心事) Give me the map there.(肯特送上地图)

　　Know that we have divided in three our kingdom (告诉你们吧，我已将我的国土划分为三部分)

　　and 'tis our fast intent To shake all cares and business from our age; Conferring them on younger strengths(我因为自己年纪老了，决定摆脱一切事物的萦绕，把事物交给年轻力壮之人)

　　May be prevented now.

　　The princes, France and Burgundy, Great rivals in our youngest daughter's love, And here are to be answer'd.(法兰西王和。。。 正在争夺我女儿的爱，这儿他们就可以得到答复)

　　Tell me, my daughters,-- Which of you shall we say doth love us most?(告诉我，你们中间哪一个最爱我?)

　　That we our largest bounty may extend Where nature doth with merit challenge.(我要看看谁最有孝心，最贤惠，然后我将给她最大的恩惠)

　　Goneril(高娜里尔), Our eldest-born, speak first.

　　GONERIL

　　Sir, I love you more than words can wield the matter;(sir，我对你的爱，不是言语所能表达的)

　　Dearer than eye-sight, space, and liberty;

　　Beyond what can be valued, rich or rare;(我爱你胜过自己的眼睛 整个的空间 和广大的自由)

　　No less than life, with grace, health, beauty, honour;

　　As much as child e'er loved, or father found;(不曾有过一个女儿这样爱过他的父亲，也不曾有一个父亲这样被他女儿爱)

　　A love that makes breath poor, and speech unable;(这一种爱可以是唇舌无能为力，辩才失去效用)

　　Beyond all manner of so much I love you.(我爱您是不可以数量计算的)

　　LEAR

　　Of all these bounds, even from this line to this,

　　With shadowy forests and with champains rich'd,

　　With plenteous rivers and wide-skirted meads,

　　We make you lady: to thine and Albany's issue(在这些疆界以内 从这一条界线起都要奉你为它们的女主人，这一块土地永远为你和奥本尼的子孙所有)(写在地图上，就不用背了)

　　Our dearest Regan, Speak.

　　REGAN

　　Sir, I am made Of the self-same metal that my sister is,(我和姐姐具有同样的品质) And prize me at her worth. (您凭着她就可以判断我)In my true heart I find she names my very deed of love;(在我的真心 我觉得她刚才所说的话 正是我爱你的实际的情形) Only she comes too short:that I profess Myself an enemy to all other joys, Which the most precious square of sense possesses; (可是她还不能充分说明我的心理，我延期一切凡是敏锐的直觉所能感受到的快乐)

　　And find I am alone felicitate In your dear highness' love.(只有爱您才是我的无上的幸福)

　　KING LEAR

　　To you and thine hereditary ever

　　Remain this ample third of our fair kingdom;(就是这一块从我们这美好的王国中划分出来的三分之一的沃壤)

　　No less in space, validity, and pleasure,

　　Than that conferr'd on Goneril.(和高娜里尔所得到的一份同样广大 同样富饶 同样佳羡)

　　Now, our joy, Alyough the last, not least;

　　what can you say to draw A third more opulent(丰富的) than your sisters? Speak.

　　CORDELIA

　　Nothing, my lord.

　　KING LEAR

　　Nothing!

　　CORDELIA

　　Nothing.

　　KING LEAR

　　Nothing will come of nothing: speak again.

　　CORDELIA

　　Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave

　　My heart into my mouth: I love your majesty

　　According to my bond; nor more nor less.

　　KING LEAR

　　How, how, Cordelia! mend your speech a little,

　　Lest it may mar your fortunes.(把你的话修正修正 否则你要毁坏自己的命运了)

　　CORDELIA

　　Good my lord,

　　You have begot me, bred me, loved me:(您生下我来 把我教养成人 爱惜我 厚待我) I Return those duties back as are right fit,(尽我的责任去回报您是我的本分) Obey you, love you, and most honour you.(我要服从您 爱您 尊敬您)

　　Why have my sisters husbands, if they say

　　They love you all?(我的姐姐们要是用她们整个的心来爱您，那么她们为什么要嫁人呢?) Haply, when I shall wed,That lord whose hand must take my plight (要是我有一天出嫁了，那接受我的忠诚的誓约的丈夫)

　　shall carry Half my love with him, half my care and duty:(将要得到我的一半的爱 我的一半的关心和责任)

　　Sure, I shall never marry like my sisters,

　　To love my father all.

　　KING LEAR

　　But goes your heart with this?

　　CORDELIA

　　Ay, good my lord.

　　KING LEAR

　　So young, and so untender(没良心)?

　　CORDELIA

　　So young, my lord, and true.

　　KING LEAR

　　Let it be so; your truth, then, be your dower:

　　Here I disclaim all my paternal care,

　　Propinquity and property of blood,(我发誓和你断绝一切父女之情和血缘亲属关系) And as a stranger to my heart and me

　　Hold you, from this, for ever.(把你当做一个路人看待 从现在起直到永远)

　　(言辞激烈 扶住肯特 然后说)

　　Hence, and avoid my sight!

　　Call France; who stirs?(都是死人吗)

　　Goneril and 里根

　　I do invest you jointly with my power,

　　Pre-eminence, and all the large effects

　　That troop with majesty.(我把我的威力 特权和一切君主的尊荣一起给了你们) Ourself, by monthly course,

　　With reservation of an hundred knights(我自己只保留100名骑士 在你们两个人的地方按月轮流居住),

　　to confirm, This coronet part between you.(为了证明我的话，我赐给你们这一顶宝冠 归你们两人共同所有)

　　Giving the crown

　　(激烈争吵)

　　KENT

　　Royal Lear,

　　Whom I have ever honour'd as my king,

　　Loved as my father, as my master follow'd(跟随你就想跟着我的主人),

　　KING LEAR

　　The bow is bent and drawn, make from the shaft.(弓已经弯好拉满 你留心躲开箭锋吧)

　　KENT

　　Let it fall rather, yough the fork invade the region of my heart(让它落下来吧，即使箭头会刺进我的心里)

　　Be Kent unmannerly, When Lear is mad.(李尔发了疯，肯特也只好不顾礼貌了) What wilt you do, old man?(你究竟要怎样 老头儿)

　　KING LEAR

　　Kent, on your life, no more.

　　KENT

　　My life I never held but as a pawn to wage against your enemies;(我的生命本来就是预备向你的仇敌抛掷的)

　　KING LEAR

　　Out of my sight!

　　KENT

　　See better(清醒点儿), Lear;

　　KING LEAR

　　Now, by Apollo,--(王发誓，全体下跪)

　　KENT

　　Now, by Apollo, king,

　　You swear'st your gods in vain.(你向神明发誓也是没有的)

　　KING LEAR

　　O, vassal! miscreant!(可恶的奴才)

　　Laying his hand on his sword

　　ALBANY CORNWALL

　　Dear sir, forbear.

　　KENT

　　Revoke your gift Or, whilst I can vent clamour from my throat,

　　I'll tell you you dost evil.(赶快撤销你的分土授国的原议)(否则只要我的喉舌尚在 我就要大声疾呼 告诉你 你做错事啦)

　　KING LEAR

　　Hear me, recreant(懦夫)! hear me!(肯特下跪)

　　That you hast sought to make us break our vow,take your reward.(接受你应有的处罚吧)

　　I'll give you five days to away from my land! Away!

　　KENT

　　Fare you well, king， sith thus thou wilt appear,(再会，国王，你既不知悔改) Freedom lives hence, and banishment is here.(囚笼里也没有自由存在)

　　To CORDELIA

　　The gods to their dear shelter take you, maid, (姑娘自有神明为你照应) That justly think'st, and hast most rightly said! (你心地纯洁 说话真诚)

　　To REGAN and GONERIL

　　And your large speeches may your deeds approve,(愿你们的夸口变成事实) Thus Kent, O princes, bids you all adieu;

　　He'll shape his old course in a country new. (各位王子，肯特从此远去，到新的国土走他的旧路)

　　Exit

　　Flourish. Re-enter GLOUCESTER, with KING OF FRANCE, BURGUNDY, and Attendants

　　GLOUCESTER

　　Here's France and Burgundy, my noble lord.(陛下，法兰西王和。。。 来了)

　　KING LEAR

　　My lord of Burgundy.

　　We first address towards you(现在我先问你), what, in the least, Will you require in present dower(嫁妆) with her, Or cease your quest of love(放弃你对她的追求)?

　　BURGUNDY

　　Most royal majesty,

　　I crave no more than what your highness offer'd,(陛下，照着您所答应的数目 我就很满足了)

　　KING LEAR

　　Right noble Burgundy,

　　When she was dear to us, we did hold her so;

　　But now her price is fall'n. she is nothing. Sir, there she stands:

　　She's there, and she is yours.

　　BURGUNDY

　　I know no answer.(我不知道怎么回答)

　　KING LEAR

　　Sir，Will you, with those infirmities she owes,(像她这样一个一无可取的女孩儿) Take her, or leave her?

　　BURGUNDY

　　Pardon me,(宽恕我) royal sir;

　　Election makes not up on such conditions.(在这种条件下决定取舍是一件很为难的事)

　　KING LEAR

　　Then leave her, sir; for, by the power that made me(凭着赋予我生命的神明起誓), I tell you all her wealth.

　　To KING OF FRANCE

　　For you, great king,

　　To avert your liking a more worthier way(另外去寻找佳偶吧)

　　KING OF FRANCE

　　This is most strange,

　　That she, that even but now was your best object, The argument of your praise, balm of your age, (她刚才还是您严重的珍宝 您赞美的提名 您老年的安慰)should in this trice of time(怎么一转瞬间)

　　Commit a thing so monstrous, to dismantle

　　So many folds of favour.(就会干下这么一件罪大恶疾的事，丧失了您的厚爱)

　　CORDELIA

　　I yet beseech your majesty,--

　　If for I want that glib and oily art,

　　To speak and purpose not; since what I well intend,

　　I'll do't before I speak,--that you make known

　　It is no vicious blot, murder, or foulness,

　　No unchaste action, or dishonour'd step,

　　That hath deprived me of your grace and favour;

　　But even for want of that for which I am richer,

　　KING LEAR

　　Better you

　　Hadst not been born than not to have pleased me better.(像你这样不能在我面前曲意承欢 还不如当初没有生下你来的好 )

　　KING OF FRANCE

　　Is it but this,--a tardiness in nature

　　Which often leaves the history unspoke

　　That it intends to do? My lord of Burgundy,

　　Will you leave her? She is herself a dawry

　　BURGUNDY

　　I am sorry, then, you have so lost a father

　　That you must lose a husband.(很抱歉，您已经失去一个父亲，现在必须再失去一个丈夫了)

　　CORDELIA

　　Peace be with Burgundy!(祝 。。。 平安)

　　Since that respects of fortune are his love,

　　I shall not be his wife.(他所爱的既然只是财产 我也不愿做他的妻子)

　　KING OF FRANCE

　　Fairest Cordelia, that art most rich, being poor;(最美丽的考迪莉娅，你因为贫穷所以是最富有的)