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| RAKETA | The Rocket |
| Mnogih noći budio bi se Fiorello Bodoni i slušao rakete kako uzdišu na mračnom nebu. Izvukao bi se iz kreveta na vrhovima prstiju, siguran da njegova dobra žena sanja, izlazio napolje u noćni vazduh. Nekoliko trenutaka oslobodio bi se mirisa stare hrane u kućici kraj reke. U jednom trenutku tišine pustio bi svoje srce da se vine samo u svemir, za raketama. | MANY nights Fiorello Bodoni would awaken to hear the rockets sighing in the dark sky. He would tiptoe from bed, certain that his kind wife was dreaming, to let himself out into the night air. For a few moments he would be free of the smells of old food in the small house by the river. For a silent moment he would let his heart soar alone into space, following the rockets. |
| Sada, upravo, ove noći, stajao je polunag u tami i posmatrao vatrene mlazove kako mrmore u vazduhu. Rakete na svom dugom ludom putu za Mars, za Saturn i Veneru! | Now, this very night, he stood half naked in the darkness, watching the fire fountains murmuring in the air. The rockets on their long wild way to Mars and Saturn and Venus! |
| "Hajde, hajde, Bodoni." | “Well, well, Bodoni.” |
| Bodoni se trže. | Bodoni started. |
| Na gajbici za mleko, pored ćutljive reke, sedeo je jedan starac koji je isto tako posmatrao rakete kako promiču ponoćnom tišinom. | On a milk crate, by the silent river, sat an old man who also watched the rockets through the midnight hush. |
| "O, to si ti, Bramante!" | “Oh, it’s you, Bramante!” |
| "Izlaziš li svake noći, Bodoni?" | “Do you come out every night, Bodoni?” |
| "Samo da se nadišem vazduha." | “Only for the air.” |
| "Je l'? I ja više volim rakete", reče stari Bramante. "Bio sam dečko kada su se prvi put pojavile. Pre osamdeset godina, a ja još nikada nisam bio na raketi." | “So? I prefer the rockets myself,” said old Bramante. “I was a boy when they started. Eighty years ago, and I’ve never been on one yet.” |
| "Leteću ja jednom", reče Bodoni. | “I will ride up in one someday,” said Bodoni. |
| "Budalo!" uzviknu Bramante. "Nikada nećeš ići. Ovo je svet bogatih." Zavrte sedom glavom, sećajući se. "Kada sam bio mlad pisali su vatrenim slovima: SVET BUDUĆNOSTI! Nauka, Komfor, i Noviteti za sve! Ha! Osamdeset godina. Budućnost je Sada! Letimo li raketama! Ne! Živimo u šupama kao i naši preci pre nas." | “Fool!” cried Bramante. “You’ll never go. This is a rich man’s world.” He shook his gray head, remembering. “When I was young they wrote it in fiery letters: THE WORLD OF THE FUTURE! Science, Comfort, and New Things for All! Ha! Eighty years. The Future becomes Now! Do we fly rockets? No! We live in shacks like our ancestors before us.” |
| "Možda će moji sinovi..." reče Bodoni. | “Perhaps my sons——” said Bodoni. |
| "Ne, a ni njihovi sinovi!" povika starac. "Snovi i rakete su za bogate!" | “No, nor their sons!” the old man shouted. “It’s the rich who have dreams and rockets!” |
| Bodoni je oklevao. "Starče, ja sam uštedeo tri hiljade dolara. Šest godina sam štedeo. Za moju radnju, da uložim u mašine. Ali evo već mesec dana ja sam budan svake noći. Čujem rakete. Mislim. I večeras sam se odlučio. Jedan od nas će leteti na Mars!" Oči su mu mračno, sijale. | Bodoni hesitated. “Old man, I’ve saved three thousand dollars. It took me six years to save it. For my business, to invest in machinery. But every night for a month now I’ve been awake. I hear the rockets. I think. And tonight I’ve made up my mind. One of us will fly to Mars!” His eyes were shining and dark. |
| "Idiote", obrecnu se Bramante, "kako ćeš izabrati? Ko će da ide? Ako ideš ti, žena će te mrzeti jer ćeš biti samo malo bliže Bogu, u svemiru. Kada joj godinama budeš pričao o svom bajnom putovanju, zar je neće razgrizati gorčina?" | “Idiot,” snapped Bramante. “How will you choose? Who will go? If you go, your wife will hate you, for you will be just a bit nearer God, in space. When you tell your amazing trip to her, over the years, won’t bitterness gnaw at her?” |
| "Ne, ne!" | “No, no!” |
| "Da! A deca? Hoće li im život biti ispunjen sećanjem na Tatu, koji je odleteo na Mars dok su oni ostali ovde? Kakav glupav zadatak ćeš postaviti svojim dečacima. Misliće na raketu celog života. Ležaće budni. Razboleće se od želje za njom. Baš kao što si ti sada bolestan. Želeće da umru ako ne mogu da idu. Ne postavljaj taj cilj, upozoravam te. Neka budu zadovoljni što su siromašni. Skreni im oči nadole na njihove ruke i na tvoje stovarište otpada a ne gore na zvezde." | “Yes! And your children? Will their lives be filled with the memory of Papa, who flew to Mars while they stayed here? What a senseless task you will set your boys. They will think of the rocket all their lives. They will lie awake. They will be sick with wanting it. Just as you are sick now. They will want to die if they cannot go. Don’t set that goal, I warn you. Let them be content with being poor. Turn their eyes down to their hands and to your junk yard, not up to the stars.” |
| "Ali..." | “But—” |
| "Pretpostavimo, ode tvoja žena? Kako bi se ti osećao da znaš da je ona videla a da ti nisi? Ona bi postala nešto uzvišeno. Pomišljao bi da je baciš u reku. Ne, Bodoni, kupi ti novu mašinu za rasturanje koja ti je potrebna, rastrgni njom svoje snove, i zdrobi ih u komade!" | “Suppose your wife went? How would you feel, knowing she had seen and you had not? She would become holy. You would think of throwing her in the river. No, Bodoni, buy a new wrecking machine, which you need, and pull your dreams apart with it, and smash them to pieces.” |
| Starac splasnu, zagledan u reku u kojoj su, potopljeni, odrazi raketa goreli nebom. | The old man subsided, gazing at the river in which, drowned, images of rockets burned down the sky. |
| "Laku noć", reče Bodoni. | “Good night,” said Bodoni. |
| "Lepo spavaj", reče onaj drugi. | “Sleep well,” said the other. |
| Kada prepečen komad hleba iskoči iz svoje srebrne kutije, Bodoni gotovo zavrišta. Proveo je noć bez sna. Među svojom nervoznom decom, pored gromadne žene, Bodoni se uvijao i buljio u ništa. Bramante je bio u pravu. Bolje uložiti novac. Zašto ga štedeti kad samo jedan iz porodice može da leti raketom, dok ostali ostaju da se grizu što im je to uskraćeno? | When the toast jumped from its silver box, Bodoni almost screamed. The night had been sleepless. Among his nervous children, beside his mountainous wife, Bodoni had twisted and stared at nothing. Bramante was right. Better to invest the money. Why save it when only one of the family could ride the rocket, while the others remained to melt in frustration? |
| "Fiorelo, jedi to tvoje parče", reče njegova žena, Marija. | “Fiorello, eat your toast,” said his wife, Maria. |
| "Steglo me u grlu", reče Bodoni. | “My throat is shriveled,” said Bodoni. |
| U kuću uleteše deca, tri dečaka koja su se tukla oko male rekete, dve devojčice sa lutkama koje su predstavljale stanovnike Marsa, Venere, i Neptuna, zelene modele sa po tri žuta oka i dvanaest prstiju. | The children rushed in, the three boys fighting over a toy rocket, the two girls carrying dolls which duplicated the inhabitants of Mars, Venus, and Neptune, green mannequins with three yellow eyes and twelvc fingers. |
| "Video sam raketu za Veneru!" uzviknu Paolo. | “I saw the Venus rocket!” cried Paolo. |
| "Uzletela je, zzzzzzzz!" zašišta Antonelo. | “It took off, whoosh!” hissed Antonello. |
| "Deco!" povika Bodoni, stavljajući ruke na uši. Deca se zablenuše u njega. Retko je vikao. Bodoni se diže. "Slušajte, svi vi", reče. "Imamo dovoljno novca da jedan od nas ode raketom na Mars." | “Children!” shouted Bodoni, hands to his ears. They stared at him. He seldom shouted. Bodoni arose. “Listen, all of you,” he said. “I have enough money to take one of us on the Mars rocket.” |
| Svi zagrajaše. | Everyone yelled. |
| "Shvatate li?" zapita on. "Samo jedan od nas. Ko?" | “You understand?” he asked. “Only one of us. Who?” |
| "Ja, ja, ja!" povikaše deca. | “Me, me, me!” cried the children. |
| "Ti", reče Marija. | “You,” said Maria. |
| "Ti", reče Bodoni njoj. Svi zaćutaše. | “You,” said Bodoni to her. They all fell silent. |
| Deca ponovo razmotriše stvar. "Neka ide Lorenco - on je najstariji." | The children reconsidered. “Let Lorenzo go—he’s oldest.” |
| "Neka ide Miriamna - ona je devojčica!" | “Let Miriamne go—she’s a girl!” |
| "Pomisli šta bi video", reče žena Bodoniju. Ali oči su joj izgledale čudno. Glas joj je drhtao. "Meteore, kao ribe. Vasionu. Mesec. Treba da ide neko ko bi mogao lepo to da ispriča kada se vrati. Ti umeš da pričaš." | “Think what you would see,” said Bodoni’s wife to him. But her eyes were strange. Her voice shook. “The meteors, like fish. The universe. The Moon. Someone should go who could tell it well on returning. You have a way with words.” |
| "Glupost. Umeš i ti", pobuni se on. | “Nonsense. So have you,” he objected. |
| Svi uzdrhtaše. | Everyone trembled. |
| "Evo", reče Bodoni nesrećno. Iz jedne metle izlomi slamke raznih dužina. "Dobija najkraća." Ispruži stisnutu pesnicu. "Birajte." | “Here,” said Bodoni unhappily. From a broom he broke straws of various lengths. “The short straw wins.” He held out his tight fist. “Choose.” |
| Svi se svečano izredaše. | Solemnly each took his turn. |
| "Dugačka." | “Long straw.” |
| "Dugačka." | “Long straw.” |
| Još jedna. | Another. |
| "Dugačka slamka." | “Long straw.” |
| Deca su završila. U sobi zavlada tišina. | The children finished. The room was quiet. |
| Ostale su dve slamke. Bodoni oseti kako ga unutra boli srce. "Sada", prošapta "Marija." | Two straws remained. Bodoni felt his heart ache in him. “Now,” he whispered. “Maria.” |
| Ona izvuče slamku. | She drew. |
| "Kratka slamka", reče. | “The short straw,” she said. |
| "Ah", uzdahnu Lorenco, upola srećan, upola tužan. "Mama ide na Mars." | “Ah,” sighed Lorenzo, half happy, half sad. “Mama goes to Mars.” |
| Bodoni pokuša da se osmehne. "Čestitam. Danas ću ti kupiti kartu." | Bodoni tried to smile. “Congratulations. I will buy your ticket today.” |
| "Čekaj, Fiorelo..." | “Wait, Fiorello—” |
| "Možeš da pođeš na put iduće nedelje", promrmlja on. | “You can leave next week,” he murmured. |
| Videla je kako je deca gledaju tužnim očima, sa osmehom ispod svojih pravih, velikih noseva. Polako vrati slamku mužu. "Ne mogu da idem na Mars." | She saw the sad eyes of her children upon her, with the smiles beneath their straight, large noses. She returned the straw slowly to her husband. “I cannot go to Mars.” |
| "Ali zašto ne možeš." | “But why not?” |
| "Imaću posla sa još jednim detetom." | “I will be busy with another child.” |
| "Šta!" | “What!” |
| Ona nije htela da gleda u njega. "Ne bi bilo dobro za mene da putujem u takvom stanju." | She would not look at him. “It wouldn’t do for me to travel in my condition.” |
| On je uze za lakat. "Je li to istina?" | He took her elbow. “Is this the truth?” |
| "Vucite opet. Počni ponovo." | “Draw again. Start over.” |
| "Zašto mi ranije nisi rekla?" zapita on sa nevericom. | “Why didn’t you tell me before?” he said incredulously. |
| "Nisam se setila." | “I didn’t remember.” |
| "Marija, Marija", prošapta on šljepnuvši je po licu. Okrete se deci. "Vucite opet." | “Maria, Maria,” he whispered, patting her face. He turned to the children. “Draw again.” |
| Paolo odmah izvuče kratku slamku. | Paolo immediately drew the short straw. |
| "Ja idem na Mars!" Zaigra kao lud. "Hvala ti, oče!" | “I go to Mars!” He danced wildly. “Thank you, Father!” |
| Ostala deca se izmakoše ustranu. "To je bajno, Paolo." | The other children edged away. “That’s swell, Paolo.” |
| Paolo prestade da se smeši i pogleda svoje roditelje i braću i sestre. "Ja mogu da idem, je l' da?" zapita nesigurno. | Paolo stopped smiling to examine his parents and his brothers and sisters. “I can go, can’t I?” he asked uncertainly. |
| "Da." | “Yes.” |
| "I volećete me kada se vratim?" | “And you’ll like me when I come back?” |
| "Naravno." | “Of course.” |
| Paolo se zadubi u dragocenu slamku iz metle u svojoj drhtavoj ruci i zavrte glavom. Zatim odbaci slamku. "Zaboravio sam. Počinje škola. Ne mogu da idem. Vucite ponovo." | Paclo studied the precious broomstraw on his trembling hand and shook his head. He threw it away. “I forgot. School starts. I can’t go. Draw again. |
| Ali niko nije hteo da izvlači. Svi se pogružiše. | But none would draw. A full sadness lay on them. |
| "Niko od nas neće ići", reče Lorenco. | “None of us will go,” said Lorenzo. |
| "To je najbolje", reče Marija. | “That’s best,” said Maria. |
| "Bramante je bio u pravu", reče Bodoni. | “Bramante was right,” said Bodoni. |
| Dok mu se doručak zgrušnjavao u stomaku, Fiorelo Bodoni je radio u svom stovarištu otpada, rezao metal, topio ga, izlivao ingote za upotrebu. Oprema mu se raspadala; već dvadeset godina konkurencija ga je držala na bezumnoj granici bede. Ovo je bilo vrlo loše jutro. | With his breakfast curdled within him, Fiorello Bodoni worked in his junk yard, ripping metal, melting it, pouring out usable ingots. His equipment flaked apart; competition had kept him on the insane edge of poverty for twenty years. It was a very bad morning. |
| Po podne jedan čovek uđe u stovarište i viknu Bodonija koji je bio na svojoj mašini za rasturanje otpada. "Ej, Bodoni, imam neki metal za tebe!" | In the afternoon a man entered the junk yard and called up to Bodoni on his wrecking machine. “Hey, Bodoni, I got some metal for you!” |
| "Kakav metal, g. Metjus?" nemarno zapita Bodoni. | “What is it, Mr. Mathews?” asked Bodoni, listlessly. |
| "Raketa. Šta je sad? Zar ga nećeš?" | “A rocket ship. What’s wrong? Don’t you want it?” |
| "Da, da!" on zgrabi čoveka za ruku i stade, zbunjen. "Naravno", reče Metjus, "to je samo imitacija. Znaš. Kad planiraju da naprave raketu najpre izgrade model u punoj razmeri, od aluminijuma. Mogao bi malo da zaradiš ako je istopiš. Daću ti je za dve hiljade..." | “Yes, yes!” He seized the man’s arm, and stopped, bewildered. “Of course,” said Mathews, “it’s only a mockup. You know. When they plan a rocket they build a full-scale model first, of aluminum. You might make a small profit boiling her down. Let you have her for two thousand——” |
| Bodoni spusti ruku. "Nemam te pare." | Bodoni dropped his hand. “I haven’t the money.” |
| "Žao mi je. Mislio sam da ti pomognem. Kad smo poslednji put razgovarali rekao si da svako ponudi višu cenu od tebe za otpad. Mislio sam da ti ono dam ispod ruke. Pa..." | “Sorry. Thought I’d help you. Last time we talked you said how everyone outbid you on junk. Thought I’d slip this to you on the q.t. Well—” |
| "Treba mi nova oprema. Za to sam štedeo novac." | “I need new equipment. I saved money for that.” |
| "Shvatam." | “I understand.” |
| "Kad bih kupio raketu, ne bih čak mogao ni da je rastopim. Prošle nedelje pokvarila mi se peć za aluminijum..." | “If I bought your rocket, I wouldn’t even be able to melt it down. My aluminum furnace broke down last week——” |
| "Jasno." | “Sure.” |
| "Ne bih mogao da je iskorištim ako bih je kupio." | “I couldn’t possibly use the rocket if I bought it from you.” |
| "Znam." | “I know.” |
| Bodoni zažmuri i zatvori oči. "Ali što sam ja budala. Uzeću novac iz banke da ti ga dam." | Bodoni blinked and shut his eyes. He opened them and looked at Mr. Mathews. “But I am a great fool. I will take my money from the bank and give it to you.” |
| "Ali ako ne možeš da rastopiš raketu..." | “But if you can’t melt the rocket down——” |
| "Isporuči je", reče Bodoni. | “Deliver it,” said Bodoni. |
| "U redu, kad kažeš. Večeras?" | “All right, if you say so. Tonight?” |
| "Večeras bi", reče Bodoni, "bilo dobro. Da, želio bih da imam raketni brod večeras." | “Tonight,” said Bodoni, “would be fine. Yes, I would like to have a rocket ship tonight.” |
| Bila je mesečina. Raketa je stajala bela i velika u stovarištu otpada. Imala je u sebi belinu meseca i plavetnilo zvezda. Bodoni ju je gledao i voleo svu. Želeo je da je miluje i legne pored nje, da pritisne obraz uz nju, da joj kaže sve tajne želje srca svog. | There was a moon. The rocket was white and big in the junk yard. It held the whiteness of the moon and the blueness of the stars. Bodoni looked at it and loved all of it. He wanted to pet it and lie against it, pressing it with his cheek, telling it all the secret wants of his heart. |
| Zagledao se naviše u raketu. "Cela si moja", reče. "Čak i ako se nikada ne pokreneš niti izbljuješ vatru, i ako samo ležiš tu i rđaš pedeset godina, opet si moja." | He stared up at it. “You are all mine,” he said. “Even if you never move or spit fire, and just sit there and rust for fifty years, you are mine.” |
| Raketa je mirisala na vreme i daljinu. Bilo je to kao da ulaziš u časovnik. Bila je izrađena sa švajcarskom preciznošću. Čovek bi je mogao nositi na lancu za sat. "Mogao bih čak ovde noćas da spavam", uzbudeno prošapta Bodoni. | The rocket smelled of time and distance. It was like walking into a clock. It was finished with Swiss delicacy. One might wear it on one’s watch fob. “I might even sleep here tonight,” Bodoni whispered excitedly. |
| Sede na sedište za pilota. | He sat in the pilot’s seat. |
| Dodirnu jednu polugu. | He touched a lever. |
| Zujao je zatvorenim ustima, sa zatvorenim očima. | He hummed in his shut mouth, his eyes closed. |
| Zujanje se pojača, postade glasnije, glasnije, bešnje, čudnije, razdraganije, drhtalo je u njemu i naginjalo ga napred i vuklo njega i brod u tišini punoj urlanja i nekakvom metalnom vrisku, dok su mu pesnice letele po komandama, zatvorene oči treperile, i zvuk narastao i narastao dok se ne pretvori u vatru u snagu, u nadimanje i nalet energije koja ga je mogla raspoloviti. Hvatao je dah. Zijao. Zujao sve dalje, iznova i iznova, i nije se zaustavljao jer se nije moglo zaustaviti, moglo se samo nastavljati, sa još stisnutijim očima, pomahnitalim srcem. "Uzlećemo!" dreknu. Trzaj i udar vazduha! Grmljavina! "Mesec!" uzviknu on, stisnutih, slepih očiju. "Meteori!" Nemi juriš u vulkanskoj svetlosti. "Mars. Oh, Bože, Mars! Mars!" | The humming grew louder, louder, higher, higher, wilder, stranger, more exhilarating, trembling in him and leaning him forward and pulling him and the ship in a roaring silence and in a kind of metal screaming, while his fists flew over the controls, and his shut eyes quivered, and the sound grew and grew until it was a fire, a strength, a lifting and a pushing of power that threatened to tear him in half. He gasped. He hummed again and again, and did not stop, for it could not be stopped, it could only go on, his eyes tighter, his heart furious. “Taking off!” he screamed. The jolting concussion! The thunder! “The Moon!” he cried, eyes blind, tight. “The meteors!” The silent rush in volcanic light.“Mars. Oh, God, Mars! Mars!” |
| Pade nauznak, iscrpen i dahćući. Drhtave ruke mu ispustiše komande, glavu plahovito zabaci unazad. Dugo je sedeo, zadihan, dok mu je srce usporavalo. | He fell back, exhausted and panting. His shaking hands came loose of the controls and his head tilted back wildly. He sat for a long time, breathing out and in, his heart slowing. |
| Lagano, lagano, otvori oči. | Slowly, slowly, he opened his eyes. |
| Stovarište otpada je i dalje bilo tu. | The junk yard was still there. |
| Nepokretno je sedeo. Gledao je nagomilane hrpe metala jedan minut, ne odvajajući oči od njih. Onda skoči, ritnu poluge. "Uzleći, prokletinjo!" | He sat motionless. He looked at the heaped piles of metal for a minute, his eyes never leaving them. Then, leaping up, he kicked the levers. “Take off, damn you!” |
| Brod je ćutao. | The ship was silent. |
| "Pokazaću ti ja!" viknu on. | “I’ll show you!” he cried. |
| Napolju na noćnom vazduhu, spotičući se, pokrenu besni motor svoje grozne mašine za rasturanje otpada i krenu ka raketi. Upravi masivne tegove u nebo osvetljeno mesečinom. Pripravi svoje drhtave ruke da baci tegove, da zdrobi, razdere taj uvredljivo lažni san, glupavu stvar koju je toliko platio, koja nije htela da se pokrene, nije htela da ga posluša. "Naučiću te ja!" vikao je. | Out in the night air, stumbling, he started the fierce motor of his terrible wrecking machine and advanced upon the rocket. He maneuvered the massive weights into the moonlit sky. He readied his trembling hands to plunge the weights, to smash, to rip apart this insolently false dream, this silly thing for which he had paid his money, which would not move, which would not do his bidding. “I’ll teach you!” he shouted. |
| Ali ruka mu ostade mirna. | But his hand stayed. |
| Srebrna raketa ležala je na mesečini. A iza rakete videla su se žuta svetla njegove kuće, jedan blok dalje, i toplo gorela. Čuo je radio u kući kako svira neku daleku muziku. Sedeo je pola sata i razmišljao o raketi i svetlima iz kuće, žmureo i širom otvarao oči. Siđe sa mašine i krenu i u hodu poče da se smeje, i kada stiže do zadnjih vrata svoje kuće duboko udahnu vazduh i pozva: "Marija, Marija, počni da pakuješ. Idemo na Mars!" | The silver rocket lay in the light of the moon. And beyond the rocket stood the yellow lights of his home, a block away, burning warmly. He heard the family radio playing some distant music. He sat for half an hour considering the rocket and the house lights, and his eyes narrowed and grew wide. He stepped down from the wrecking machine and began to walk, and as he walked he began to laugh, and when he reached the back door of his house he took a deep breath and called, “Maria, Maria, start packing. We’re going to Mars!” |
| "Uh!" | “Oh!” |
| "Ah!" | “Ah!” |
| "Ne mogu da verujem!" | “I can’t believe it!” |
| "Poverovaćeš, poverovaćeš." | “You will, you will.” |
| Deca su se vrtela po vetrovitom stovarištu, ispod sjajne rakete, još je ne dodirujući. Počela su da viču. | The children balanced in the windy yard, under the glowing rocket, not touching it yet. They started to cry. |
| Marija pogleda muža. "Šta si učinio?" reče. "Uzeo si naš novac za ovo? Nikada neće poleteti." | Maria looked at her husband. “What have you done?” she said. “Taken our money for this? It will never fly.” |
| "Poleteće", reče on, gledajući raketu. | “It will fly,” he said, looking at it. |
| "Raketni brodovi koštaju milione. Imaš li ti milione?" | “Rocket ships cost millions. Have you millions?” |
| "Leteće", ponovi on mirno. "Hajde, idite u kuću, svi. Moram da istelefoniram, imam da radim. Sutra polazimo! Nikome ne govorite, razumete? Ovo je tajna." | “It will fly,” he repeated steadily. “Now, go to the house, all of you. I have phone calls to make, work to do. Tomorrow we leave! Tell no one, understand? It is a secret.” |
| Deca se udaljiše od rakete, spotičući se. Video je njihova mala, grozničava lica u prozorima kuće, u daljini. | The children edged off from the rocket, stumbling. He saw their small, feverish faces in the house windows, far away. |
| Marija se nije ni pokrenula. "Upropastio si nas", reče. "Naš novac dao si za ovo - ovu stvar. A trebalo je da njime platimo opremu." | Maria had not moved. “You have ruined us,” she said. “Our money used for this—this thing. When it should have been spent on equipment.” |
| "Videćeš", reče on. | “You will see,” he said. |
| Ona se okrete bez reči. | Without a word she turned away. |
| "Bog neka mi je u pomoći", prošapta on i krenu na posao. | “God help me,” he whispered, and started to work. |
| Tokom ponoćnih časova stizali su kamioni, isporučivali pakete, i Bodoni smeškajući se, iscrpi svoj račun u Banci. Nasrtao je na raketu sa let-lampom i trakama metalnog lima, dodavao, oduzimao, izvodio nad njom vatrene mađije, zadavao potajne povrede. U praznu kabinu za motore uglavi devet prastarih automobilskih motora. Onda zavari ulaz u kabinu, da niko ne bi mogao da vidi šta je on krišom uradio. U svitanje uđe u kuhinju. "Marija", reče, "sad mogu da doručkujem." | Through the midnight hours trucks arrived, packages were delivered, and Bodoni, smiling, exhausted his bank account. With blowtorch and metal stripping he assaulted the rocket, added, took away, worked fiery magics and secret insults upon it. He bolted nine ancient automobile motors into the rocket’s empty engine room. Then he welded the engine room shut, so none could see his hidden labor. At dawn he entered the kitchen. “Maria,” he said, “I’m ready for breakfast.” |
| Ona nije htela da govori s njim. | She would not speak to him. |
| Kada je sunce zalazilo on pozva decu. "Spremni smo! Hajdete!" Kuća je bila nema. | At sunset he called to the children. “We’re ready! Come on!” The house was silent. |
| "Zaključala sam ih u sobici", reče Marija. | “I’ve locked them in the closet,” said Maria. |
| "Šta hoćeš da kažeš", zapita on. | “What do you mean?” he demanded. |
| "Poginućeš u toj raketi", reče ona. "Kakvu raketu možeš kupiti za dve hiljade dolara? Nikakvu!" | “You’ll be killed in that rocket,” she said. “What kind of rocket can you buy for two thousand dollars? A bad one!” |
| "Slušaj me, Marija." | “Listen to me, Maria.” |
| "Eksplodiraće. U svakom slučaju, ti nisi pilot." | “It will blow up. Anyway, you are no pilot.” |
| "Ipak, mogu da upravljam ovim brodom. Sredio sam ga." | “Nevertheless, I can fly this ship. I have fixed it.” |
| "Ti si poludeo", reče ona. | “You have gone mad,” she said. |
| "Gde je ključ od sobice?" | “Where is the key to the closet?” |
| "Imam ga ovde." | “I have it here.” |
| On pruži ruku. "Daj mi ga." | He put out his hand. “Give it to me.” |
| Ona mu ga predade. "Ubićeš ih." | She handed it to him. “You will kill them.” |
| "Ne, ne." | “No, no.” |
| "Jeste, hoćeš. Osećam to." | “Yes, you will. I feel it.” |
| On stade ispred nje. "Nećeš i ti da pođeš?" | He stood before her. “You won’t come along?” |
| "Ostaću ovde", reče ona. | “I’ll stay here,” she said. |
| "Shvatićeš; onda ćeš videti", reče on i osmehnu se. Otključa sobicu. "Hajdete, deco. Podite za svojim ocem." | “You will understand; you will see then,” he said, and smiled. He unlocked the closet. “Come, children. Follow your father.” |
| "Zbogom, zbogom, Mama!" | “Good-by, good-by, Mama!” |
| Stajala je iza kuhinjskog prozora, gledala napolje u njih, veoma ćutke i veoma uspravna. | She stayed in the kitchen window, looking out at them, very straight and silent. |
| Kod vrata rakete otac reče: "Deco, bićemo na putu nedelju dana. Vi se morate vratiti u školu, a ja na posao." Redom uze svako dete za ruku. "Slušajte. Ova raketa je vrlo stara i leteće još samo jedan put. Više neće leteti. Ovo će biti ono jedno putovanje u vašem životu. Dobro otvorite oči." | At the door of the rocket the father said, “Children, we will be gone a week. You must come back to school, and I to my business.” He took each of their hands in turn. “Listen. This rocket is very old and will fly only one more journey. It will not fly again. This will be the one trip of your life. Keep your eyes wide.” |
| "Da, Tata." | “Yes, Papa.” |
| "Slušajte, otvorite uši. Mirišite mirise rakete. Osećajte. Pamtite. Pa kada se vratite pričaćete o tome do kraja života." | “Listen, keep your ears clean. Smell the smells of a rocket. Feel. Remember. So when you return you will talk of it all the rest of your lives.” |
| "Da, Tata." | “Yes, Papa.” |
| Brod je bio miran kao zaustavljen časovnik. Vazdušna komora pod pritiskom zatvori se šišteći iza njih. On ih sve prikopča pojasevima, kao mumijice, u gumene mreže za ležanje. "Spremni?" zapita ih. | The ship was quiet as a stopped clock. The airlock hissed shut behind them. He strapped them all, like tiny mummies, into rubber hammocks. “Ready?” he called. |
| "Spremni!" odgovoriše svi. | “Ready!” all replied. |
| "Uzlećemo!" Okrenu deset prekidača uz trzaj. Raketa zagrme i poskoči. Deca zaigraše u svojim mrežama, stadoše da vrište. | “Take-off!” He jerked ten switches. The rocket thundered and leaped. The children danced in their hammocks, screaming. |
| "Evo ga Mesec!" | “Here comes the Moon!” |
| Mesec se prosanja kraj njih. Meteori se rasprštaše kao vatromet. Vreme otplovi vijugavom trakom gasa. Deca su vikala. Puštena iz svojih ležaljki, mnogo časova kasnije, virila su kroz prozorčiće. "Eno Zemlje!" "Eno ga Mars!" | The moon dreamed by. Meteors broke into fireworks. Time flowed away in a serpentine of gas. The children shouted. Released from their hammocks, hours later, they peered from the ports. “There’s Earth!” “There’s Mars!” |
| Raketa je ispuštala ružičaste latice vatre dok su časovi otpredali svoje krugove; deci se sklopiše oči. Najzad su visila kao pijane leptirice u svojim čaurastim mrežama. | The rocket dropped pink petals of fire while the hour dials spun; the child eyes dropped shut. At last they hung like drunken moths in their cocoon hammocks. |
| "Dobro", prošapta Bodoni, sam. | “Good,” whispered Bodoni, alone. |
| Na prstima izađe iz komandne kabine i stade, poduže i sa strahom kod vrata sa vazdušnom komorom. Pritisnu-jedno dugme. Vrata se širom otvoriše. On iskorači napolje. U kosmos? U crne talase meteorske i gasovite vatre? U prostranstva koja proleću i u beskraj? | He tiptoed from the control room to stand for a long moment, fearful, at the airlock door. He pressed a button. The airlock door swung wide. He stepped out. Into space? Into inky tides of meteor and gaseous torch? Into swift mileages and infinite dimensions? |
| Ne. Bodoni se osmehivao. | No. Bodoni smiled. |
| Svuda oko rakete koja se tresla ležalo je stovarište otpada. | All about the quivering rocket lay the junk yard. |
| Zarđala, nepromenjena, stajala je kapija stovarišta sa katancem, tu je bila tiha kućica kraj reke, sa osvetljenim kuhinjskim prozorom, i reka je oticala u ono isto more. A u sredini otpada ležala je raketa, tresla se i prela, proizvodeći jedan magični san. Drmusala se i urlala, bacala privezanu decu tamo-amo kao muve u mreži. | Rusting, unchanged, there stood the padlocked junk-yard gate, the little silent house by the river, the kitchen window lighted, and the river going down to the same sea. And in the center of the junk yard, manufacturing a magic dream, lay the quivering, purring rocket. Shaking and roaring, bouncing the netted children like flies in a web. |
| Marija je stajala na kuhinjskom prozoru. On joj mahnu rukom i osmehnu se. | Maria stood in the kitchen window. He waved to her and smiled. |
| Nije mogao da vidi da li je i ona mahnula. Malo je mahnula, možda. Lako se nasmešila. | He could not see if she waved or not. A small wave, perhaps. A small smile. |
| Rađalo se sunce. | The sun was rising. |
| Bodoni se žurno povuče u raketu. Tišina. Svi su još spavali. On je lako disao. Vezujući se u ležaljci, zatvori oči. Molio se u sebi. Oh neka se ništa ne pokvari u iluziji sledećih šest dana. Neka čitav svemir dođe i prođe neka nam se crveni Mars pojavi ispod broda, i Marsovi meseci, i neka ne bude greške u kolor filmu. Neka bude tri dimenzije; neka se ništa ne pokvari u skrivenim ogledalima i ekranima koji uobličavaju tu tananu iluziju. Neka vreme prođe bez krize. | Bodoni withdrew hastily into the rocket. Silence. All still slept. He breathed easily. Tying himself into a hammock, he closed his eyes. To himself he prayed, Oh, let nothing happen to the illusion in the next six days. Let all of space come and go, and red Mars come up under our ship, and the moons of Mars, and let there be no flaws in the color film. Let there be three dimensions; let nothing go wrong with the hidden mirrors and screens that mold the fine illusion. Let time pass without crisis. |
| On se probudi. | He awoke. |
| U blizini rakete lebdeo je crveni Mars. | Red Mars floated near the rocket. |
| "Tata!" bacakala su se deca da se izvuku iz mreža. | “Papa!” The children thrashed to be free. |
| Bodoni pogleda i vide crveni Mars, i Mars je bio dobar, bez greške, i on je bio vrlo srećan. | Bodoni looked and saw red Mars and it was good and there was no flaw in it and he was very happy. |
| O zalasku sunca sedmog dana raketa se zaustavi tresući se. | At sunset on the seventh day the rocket stopped shuddering. |
| "Stigli smo kući", reče Bodoni. | “We are home,” said Bodoni. |
| Od otvorenih vrata rakete pođoše preko stovarišta, dok im je krv pevala, a lica sijala. | They walked across the junk yard from the open door of the rocket, their blood singing, their faces glowing. |
| "Imam šunku i jaja za sve", reče Marija sa vrata kuhinje. | “I have ham and eggs for all of you,” said Maria, at the kitchen door. |
| "Mama, Mama trebalo je da pođeš, da vidiš, da vidiš Mars, Mama, i Meteore, i sve!" | “Mama, Mama, you should have come, to see it, to see Mars, Mama, and meteors, and everything!” |
| "Da", reče ona. | “Yes,” she said. |
| Pred spavanje, deca se okupiše oko Bodonija. "Hoćemo da ti zahvalimo, Tata." | At bedtime the children gathered before Bodoni. “We want to thank you, Papa.” |
| "Nije to ništa." | “It was nothing.” |
| "Pamtićemo ovo zauvek, Tata. Nikada nećemo zaboraviti." | “We will remember it for always, Papa. We will never forget.” |
| Duboko u noć Bodoni otvori oči. Osetio je da žena leži pored njega i gleda ga. Veoma dugo se nije micala, a onda ga odjednom poljubi u obraze i čelo. "Šta je?" uzviknu on iznenađeno. | Very late in the night Bodoni opened his eyes. He sensed that his wife was lying beside him, watching him. She did not move for a very long time, and then suddenly she kissed his cheeks and his forehead. “What’s this?” he cried. |
| "Ti si najbolji otac na svetu", prošapta ona. | “You’re the best father in the world,” she whispered. |
| "Zašto?" | “Why?” |
| "Sad vidim", reče ona. "Shvatam." | “Now I see,” she said. “I understand.” |
| Leže i zatvori oči, držeći ga za ruku. "Je li divno putovanje?" zapita. | She lay back and closed her eyes, holding his hand. “Is it a very lovely journey?” she asked. |
| "Jeste", reče on. | “Yes,” he said. |
| "Možda", reče ona, "možda bi, neke noći, mogao da me povedeš samo na jedan kratak put, šta misliš?" | “Perhaps,” she said, “perhaps, some night, you might take me on just a little trip, do you think?” |
| "Samo na kratko putovanje, možda", reče on. | “Just a little one, perhaps,” he said. |
| "Hvala ti", reče ona. "Laku noć." | “Thank you,” she said. “Good night.” |
| "Laku noć", reče Fiorelo Bodoni. | “Good night,” said Fiorello Bodoni. |