TR2.429 “Ă, máy ĭt bé nŏ bét?” quŏd Pándărús; TR2.430 “By̆ Gód, Ĭ shál nămóre cŏme hére thĭs wýkĕ, TR2.431 Ănd Gód tŏfórn, thăt ám my̆strústĕd thús! TR2.432 Ĭ sé wĕl thát yĕ séttĕ líte ŏf ús, TR2.433 Ŏr óf ŏure déth! Ăllás, Ĭ wófŭl wrécchĕ! TR2.434 Mĭght hé yĕt lýve, ŏf mé ĭs nóught tŏ récchĕ.
Line Information
- Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
- English translation (Windeatt: 1998): ‘Ah! Is this the best you can do?’ said Pandarus. ‘By God, I shan’t come here any more this week, as God’s my witness, since I’m so mistrusted! I can see you care little about us, or whether we die! Oh, how wretchedly unhappy I am! If only he could survive … it doesn’t matter about me!
- Japanese translation (Sasamoto: 2012): 「ああ、何とかならないものかな」とパンダルスは言った。「誓って、今週はもうここに来ないぞ。神に誓って、こんなに信用されていないのだから！われわれのことをほとんど考えていないことがよく分かった。われわれの死のことも！ああ、みじめなわが身！若君さえ生き長らえてくれれば、私はどうなっても構わない。
- Chinese translation (Fang: 1956): “呀，再没有什么希望了吗？”膨大瑞道；“天哪，我竟这样不能受人信任，这一星期中我只好不再来了；十分清楚，你根本就没有把我两人放在心上，即使死了也不足惜！呀，我真倒霉，愿他可以活得下去，我是无人过问的了。
Word Information
- Etymology: OE
- Addresser: Pandarus
- Addressee: Criseyde
- Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
- Counterpart in its source (Fil): N/A
- Noun(s) (NPs) modified: answer, response (Criseyde’s response to Troilus’s love)
- Attributive/ Predicative: predicative
Information in Previous Studies
- OED: Not quoted
- MED: Not quoted
- Commented in other previous works:
- Windeatt (2003: 69): A, may it be no bet? : Is this the best you can do?
- Fisher (1989): N/A
- Benson (1987): Not quoted
- Davis et al. (1979): N/A
- Donaldson (1975: 764): bet: better
- Baugh (1963): N/A
Possible Definitions
better
Comments from the Editor
Criseyde laments both the news that Troilus loves her and that her uncle, whom she most trusted, is forcing her to love. In the quotation above, Pandarus asks whether this is her best response.