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DON GOMEZ AND HIS SECRETARY
Don Gomez. What! What is this you tell me? Columbus returned? A new world discovered? Impossible!
Secretary. It is even so, sir. A courier arrived at the palace but an hour since with the intelligence. Columbus was driven by stress of weather to anchor in the Tagus. All Portugal is in a ferment of enthusiasm, and all Spain will be equally excited soon. The sensation is prodigious.
Don G. O! it is a trick! It must be a trick!
Sec. But he has brought home the proofs of his visit:gold and precious stones, strange plants and animals and, above all, specimens of a new race of men, copper-colored, with straight hair.
Don G. Still I say, a trick! He has been coasting along the African shore, and there collected a few curiosities, which he is passing off for proofs of his pretended discovery.
Sec. It is a little singular that all his men should be leagued with him in keeping up so unproftable a falsehood.
Don G. But’t is against reason, against common sense, that such a discovery should be made.
Sec. King John of Portugal has received him with royal magnifcence, has listened to his accounts, and is persuaded that they are true.
The return of Christopher Columbus his audience before King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella
Don G. We shall see, we shall see. Look you, sir, a plain matter-of-fact man, such as I, is not to be taken in by any such preposterousstory. This vaunted discovery will turn out no discovery at all.
Sec. The king and queen have given orders for preparations on the most magnificent scale for the reception of Columbus.
Don G. What delusion! Her majesty is so credulous! A practical, common-sense man, like myself, can find no points of sympathy in her nature.
Sec. The Indians on board the returned vessels are said to be unlike any known race of men.
Don G. Very unreliable all that! I take the common sense view of the thing. I am a matter-of-fact man and do you remember what I say, it will all turn out a trick! The crews may have been deceived. Columbus may have steered a southerly course, instead of a westerly. Any thing is probable, rather than that a coast to the westward of us has been discovered.
Sec. I saw the courier, who told me he had conversed with all the sailors, and they laughed at the suspicion that there could be any mistake about the discovery, or that any other than a westerly course had been steered.
Don G. Still I say a trick! An unknown coast reached by steering west? Impossible! The earth a globe, and men standing with their heads down in space? Folly! An ignorant sailor from Genoa in the right, and all our learned doctors and philosophers in the wrong? Nonsense! I’m a matter-of-fact man, sir. I will believe what I can see, and handle, and understand. But as for believing in the antipodes, or that the earth is round, or that Columbus has discovered land to the west—Ring the bell, sir call my carriage;I will go to the palace and undeceive the king.
（唐·戈麦斯与大臣）
唐·戈麦斯 什么？你告诉我什么？哥伦布回来了？发现了一个新世界？这不可能！
大臣 先生，这是事实。一小时前信使捎信到皇宫，说，由于天气原因，哥伦布被迫在塔霍河抛锚停泊。整个葡萄牙上下一片欢腾，很快西班牙全国也会如此。这样的轰动真是空前的盛大。
唐·戈麦斯 哦！这是诡计！这一定是诡计！
大臣 可是，他带回来了旅行中的证物：黄金、珍贵的石头、罕见的植物与动物，还有，更重要的是新的人种——铜色皮肤，直发。
唐·戈麦斯 我还是认为这是鬼把戏！他一直在沿着非洲海岸航行，搜集了一些奇珍异宝，拿来冒充他新发现的物证。
大臣 那这可真是奇事了，所有人都能与他合谋，为这个得不到任何好处的谎言保守秘密。
唐·戈麦斯 可是它违反常规，不符合逻辑，这样的发现简直是荒唐、疯狂。
大臣 葡萄牙国王以皇家的规格款待了他，听了他的讲述后认为这是真的。
唐·戈麦斯 我们走着瞧，走着瞧。看看你，先生，一个朴素的实事求是的人，像我这样的，是不会被任何像如此荒谬的故事所欺骗的。这样大肆吹嘘的发现最终将被证明根本就不是什么新发现。
大臣 国王和皇后已经下令准备以最高规格的礼仪来迎接哥伦布了。
唐·戈麦斯 受骗了啊！皇后陛下很容易被欺骗！一个注重实践的、有常识的人，像我这样的，对她这样的本性是不会同情的。
大臣 据说在返航船上的印度人与为人所知的任何人种都不一样。
唐·戈麦斯 这一切都极不可信！我以常识的眼光来看待一切。我是一个实事求是的人。你记得我说的话吗？这是个圈套！船员们可能被骗了。哥伦布可能掌舵向南航行了，而不是向西。除了在我们西方的海岸被发现之外，其他一切皆有可能。
大臣 我见到了信使，他告诉我他与所有的水手都交谈过，他们嘲笑那些怀疑这一发现或对这次航海是否真的是向西行的人。
唐·戈麦斯 我还是认为这是诡计！向西行能到达那个不知名的海岸吗？不可能！世界是一个球体？人类头朝下站在太空中？愚蠢！一个无知的热那亚水手是对的，所有我们这些知识渊博的博士和哲学家却是错的？不可理喻！先生，我是个实事求是的人，理解和处理事物时以眼见为实。可是，对于相信世界上存在与我们正好相反的人，世界是圆的，哥伦布在西方发现了大陆——先生，拉铃，叫我的车来，我要进宫向国王揭露这场骗局。