It sounds like the sort of character who would have been deeply unpopular in one of his plays. William Shakespeare was a 'ruthless businessman' and tax dodger, researchers have claimed. 研究人员近日声称，恰似莎翁戏剧中那些令人深恶痛绝的角色——莎翁本人就是“冷酷无情的商人和偷税漏税的家伙”。
Although he wrote plays that championed the rights of the poor and the needy, archived documents show the playwright was actually a wealthy landowner repeatedly dragged before the courts and fined for illegally stockpiling food and threatened with jail for evading taxes. 尽管莎翁笔下维护穷苦贫弱民众的权利，但档案资料显示，莎翁本人却是个富有的地主，多次被揪上法庭、因非法囤积粮食而罚款，甚至因偷税漏税差点蹲监狱。
He 'stored grain, malt and barley for resale at inflated prices to neighbours and local tradesmen' at a time when Europe was suffering famines, the academics said, and channelled the profits into land purchases. 研究人员说，莎翁囤积谷物、麦芽和大麦，等欧洲饥荒遍野时，再以高价转售给邻居及当地商人，以此牟取高额利润。
They added that Shakespeare did all he could to 'avoid taxes, maximise profits at others' expense and exploit the vulnerable – while writing plays about their plight'. And his approach of 'combining both illegal and legal activities' meant he could retire after a working life of only 24 years. 他们还说，莎翁一边创作有关弱势群体的戏剧，一边却又用尽一切办法逃税、从弱势群体身上尽可能地压榨利益。通过此类非法牟利手段，莎翁24岁起便不劳而获、坐享其成了。
Researchers at Aberystwyth University carried out an academic study looking into Shakespeare's 'other life' as one of Warwickshire's biggest landowners and have uncovered the less than savoury side to Britain's greatest playwright. 在阿伯里斯特威斯大学，研究人员组织了一项学术研究，旨在挖掘莎翁作为沃里克郡大财主的“别样生活”，揭秘英国最伟大的文豪不为人知的阴暗一面。
The allegation he exploited famine has also led to suggestions that his Coriolanus, for years regarded as a plea for the starving poor, was in fact his way of trying to expunge a guilty conscience. 莎翁利用饥荒大发横财的推测恰好也表明，一直被认为是替穷苦民众伸张正义的《科利奥兰纳斯》，实不过是莎翁自己欲盖弥彰的良心不安作品罢了。
Jayne Archer, a researcher in Renaissance literature at Aberystwyth University, said in the Sunday Times: 'There was another side to Shakespeare besides the brilliant playwright — as a ruthless businessman who did all he could to avoid taxes, maximise profits at others' expense and exploit the vulnerable — while also writing plays about their plight to entertain them. 杰恩-阿彻在阿伯里斯特威斯大学研究文艺复兴时期的文学。他对《星期日泰晤士报》说：“除了伟大的剧作家身份外，莎士比亚还有另外一面——即逃税避税、无情压榨他人、欺凌弱势群体的商人，尽管他笔下尽是些伸张正义的故事。” '
Shakespeare is remembered as a playwright, but there was no copyright then and no sense that his plays could generate future income. That drove him to dodge taxes, illegally hoard [food] and act as a money-lender. “莎翁是家喻户晓的剧作家。但当时还没有版权保护，因此他的戏剧作品并不能带来收入。所以，莎翁便靠逃税、非法囤积牟利，完全是个高利贷商人。”
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Although he wrote plays that championed the rights of the poor and the needy, archived documents show the playwright was actually a wealthy landowner repeatedly dragged before the courts and fined for illegally stockpiling food and threatened with jail for evading taxes. 尽管莎翁笔下维护穷苦贫弱民众的权利，但档案资料显示，莎翁本人却是个富有的地主，多次被揪上法庭、因非法囤积粮食而罚款，甚至因偷税漏税差点蹲监狱。
He 'stored grain, malt and barley for resale at inflated prices to neighbours and local tradesmen' at a time when Europe was suffering famines, the academics said, and channelled the profits into land purchases. 研究人员说，莎翁囤积谷物、麦芽和大麦，等欧洲饥荒遍野时，再以高价转售给邻居及当地商人，以此牟取高额利润。
They added that Shakespeare did all he could to 'avoid taxes, maximise profits at others' expense and exploit the vulnerable – while writing plays about their plight'. And his approach of 'combining both illegal and legal activities' meant he could retire after a working life of only 24 years. 他们还说，莎翁一边创作有关弱势群体的戏剧，一边却又用尽一切办法逃税、从弱势群体身上尽可能地压榨利益。通过此类非法牟利手段，莎翁24岁起便不劳而获、坐享其成了。
Researchers at Aberystwyth University carried out an academic study looking into Shakespeare's 'other life' as one of Warwickshire's biggest landowners and have uncovered the less than savoury side to Britain's greatest playwright. 在阿伯里斯特威斯大学，研究人员组织了一项学术研究，旨在挖掘莎翁作为沃里克郡大财主的“别样生活”，揭秘英国最伟大的文豪不为人知的阴暗一面。
The allegation he exploited famine has also led to suggestions that his Coriolanus, for years regarded as a plea for the starving poor, was in fact his way of trying to expunge a guilty conscience. 莎翁利用饥荒大发横财的推测恰好也表明，一直被认为是替穷苦民众伸张正义的《科利奥兰纳斯》，实不过是莎翁自己欲盖弥彰的良心不安作品罢了。
Jayne Archer, a researcher in Renaissance literature at Aberystwyth University, said in the Sunday Times: 'There was another side to Shakespeare besides the brilliant playwright — as a ruthless businessman who did all he could to avoid taxes, maximise profits at others' expense and exploit the vulnerable — while also writing plays about their plight to entertain them. 杰恩-阿彻在阿伯里斯特威斯大学研究文艺复兴时期的文学。他对《星期日泰晤士报》说：“除了伟大的剧作家身份外，莎士比亚还有另外一面——即逃税避税、无情压榨他人、欺凌弱势群体的商人，尽管他笔下尽是些伸张正义的故事。” '
Shakespeare is remembered as a playwright, but there was no copyright then and no sense that his plays could generate future income. That drove him to dodge taxes, illegally hoard [food] and act as a money-lender. “莎翁是家喻户晓的剧作家。但当时还没有版权保护，因此他的戏剧作品并不能带来收入。所以，莎翁便靠逃税、非法囤积牟利，完全是个高利贷商人。”
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