莎士比亞的名言

整句是"To be, or not to be: that is the question.”這是莎士比亞劇本「哈姆雷特」(音譯)或「王子復仇記」(意譯)第三幕、第一景中的一句話。用現代語言來說，就是：The problem of existence or nonexistence confronts us.
國內有三個不同的譯本：
梁實秋先生(已故莎士比亞權威)的譯文是：
「死後是存在還是不存在--這是問題。」
朱生豪先生的譯文是：
「生存還是毀滅，這是一個值得考慮的問題。」
虞爾昌先生(曾任台大外文系主任)的譯文是：
「存在與否，那才是問題。」

後來名人套用這句話改寫的句子很多，
例如：
1. To buy or not to buy: that is the question.
2. To pay or not to pay: that was the question.
3. To speak or not to speak: that is the question.
4. To be or not to be married: that was the question.
5. To eat roast chicken or not to eat roast chicken, that is the question.
(見p.554, Dictionary of English Quotations).