La tigre de Sra Packletide

La tigre de Sra Packletide” (“Mrs. Packletide’s Tiger”) es un nara corta par Saki (H. H. Munro). Esta tradui ia es fada en 2012 par Randy Hudson, de ci alga notas esplicante apare a la fini.

Lo es la desira e intende de Sra Packletide ce el ta xuta un tigre. Lo no es ce la anela per mati ia desende subita sur el, o ce el senti ce el ta lasa India como plu secur e plu sana ca el ia trovi lo, con un frato min de bestias savaje per milion de abitantes. La motiva compulsante de sua devia a la pasos de Nimrod es la fato ce Loona Bimberton ia es resente portada per des-oto cilometres en un avion par un avionor aljeri, e parla sur no otra cosa; sola un pel de tigre personal otenida e un recolie pesosa de fotografes jornaliste ta pote susedosa oposa tal cosa. Sra Packletide ia organiza ja en sua mente la come media cual el va dona a sua casa en Curzon Street, parente per onora Loona Bimberton, con la tapeto de pel de tigre ocupante la plu de la fronte e tota de la conversa. El ia desinia ance ja en sua mente la brox de gara de tigre cual el va dona a Loona Bimberton a sua aniversario de nase prosima. En un mundo cual es suposada influeda per la plu par fame e ama, Sra Packletide es un eseta; sua moves e motivas es governada per la plu par sua nongusta de Loona Bimberton.

It was Mrs. Packletide’s pleasure and intention that she should shoot a tiger. Not that the lust to kill had suddenly descended on her, or that she felt that she would leave India safer and more wholesome than she had found it, with one fraction less of wild beast per million of inhabitants. The compelling motive for her sudden deviation towards the footsteps of Nimrod was the fact that Loona Bimberton had recently been carried eleven miles in an aeroplane by an Algerian aviator, and talked of nothing else; only a personally procured tiger-skin and a heavy harvest of Press photographs could successfully counter that sort of thing. Mrs. Packletide had already arranged in her mind the lunch she would give at her house in Curzon Street, ostensibly in Loona Bimberton’s honour, with a tiger-skin rug occupying most of the foreground and all of the conversation. She had also already designed in her mind the tiger-claw brooch that she was going to give Loona Bimberton on her next birthday. In a world that is supposed to be chiefly swayed by hunger and by love Mrs. Packletide was an exception; her movements and motives were largely governed by dislike of Loona Bimberton.

La situa evidenti como favorable. Sra Packletide ia ofre mil rupis per la oportun de xuta un tigre sin risca o fortia tro multe, e lo aveni tal ce un vileta visina pote reclama orgulosa ce lo es la loca favoreda de un animal de asendentes respetable, cual ia es forsada par la debilias aumentante de vea per abandona mati bestias savaje de la xasa e restrinje sua apetito a la animales plu peti e domada. La posiblia de gania la mil rupis ia stimula la instinto sportinte e comersial de la viletanes; enfantes es poneda a note e dia sur la bordas de la jungla local per dirije la tigre a retro, per la aveni nonprobable ce lo ta atenta parti vagante a teras de xasa fresca, e capras de la tipos plu barata es lasada asi e ala con nonatendentia curante per manteni ce lo es sasiada con sua abita presente. La sola ansia grande es ce lo ta mori de eda vea ante la data asiniada per la xuta par la dama. Madres portante sua bebes a casa tra la jungla pos un dia de labora en la campos silenti sua canta afin los no corti la dormi restorante de la furor onorada.

Circumstances proved propitious. Mrs. Packletide had offered a thousand rupees for the opportunity of shooting a tiger without overmuch risk or exertion, and it so happened that a neighbouring village could boast of being the favoured rendezvous of an animal of respectable antecedents, which had been driven by the increasing infirmities of age to abandon game-killing and confine its appetite to the smaller domestic animals. The prospect of earning the thousand rupees had stimulated the sporting and commercial instinct of the villagers; children were posted night and day on the outskirts of the local jungle to head the tiger back in the unlikely event of his attempting to roam away to fresh hunting-grounds, and the cheaper kinds of goats were left about with elaborate carelessness to keep him satisfied with his present quarters. The one great anxiety was lest he should die of old age before the date appointed for the memsahib’s shoot. Mothers carrying their babies home through the jungle after the day’s work in the fields hushed their singing lest they might curtail the restful sleep of the venerable herd-robber.

La note grande ariva puntual, luminada de luna e sin nube. Un plataforma ia es construida en un arbor comfortosa e oportun poneda, e sur lo los acrupi se, sra Packletide e sua acompanior paiada srta Mebbin. Un capra, talentosa con un maa multe ostinosa, de cual on espeta ce an un tigre partal sorda ta pote oia lo a un note cuieta, es liada a palo a la distantia coreta. Con un fusil con puntador esata e un paceta de cartas pico la sportor espeta la veni de la xasada.

The great night duly arrived, moonlit and cloudless. A platform had been constructed in a comfortable and conveniently placed tree, and thereon crouched Mrs. Packletide and her paid companion, Miss Mebbin. A goat, gifted with a particularly persistent bleat, such as even a partially deaf tiger might be reasonably expected to hear on a still night, was tethered at the correct distance. With an accurately sighted rifle and a thumbnail pack of patience cards the sportswoman awaited the coming of the quarry.

“Me suposa ce nos es en alga peril?” — srta Mebbin dise.

“I suppose we are in some danger?” said Miss Mebbin.

El no es vera ansiosa sur la bestia savaje, ma el ave un teme morbosa de servi un atom plu ca la cuantia per cual el es paiada.

She was not actually nervous about the wild beast, but she had a morbid dread of performing an atom more service than she had been paid for.

“Asurda,” — sra Packletide dise — “lo es un tigre multe vea. Lo no ta pote salta alta a asi an si lo ta vole.”

“Nonsense,” said Mrs. Packletide; “it’s a very old tiger. It couldn’t spring up here even if it wanted to.”

“Si lo es un tigre vea me pensa ce tu ta debe oteni plu barata lo. Mil rupis es un monton de mone.”

“If it’s an old tiger I think you ought to get it cheaper. A thousand rupees is a lot of money.”

Louisa Mebbin propri un disposa de un sore plu vea e protejente a mone en jeneral, nondistinguinte la nasionalia o la unia. Sua interveni ia salva multe rublos de disipa se per donadas en alga otel de Moscva, e frances e sentimes adere instintosa a el en situas cual ta forsa rapida los a via de manos min simpatiosa. Sua divinas sur la diminui a mercato de restas de tigre es cortida par la apare sur la sena de la animal mesma. Direta cuando lo vide la capra liada lo plati se sur la tera, parente min de un desira per profita de tota asconde otenable ca per la intende de fa un reposa corta ante comensa la ataca grande.

Louisa Mebbin adopted a protective elder-sister attitude towards money in general, irrespective of nationality or denomination. Her energetic intervention had saved many a rouble from dissipating itself in tips in some Moscow hotel, and francs and centimes clung to her instinctively under circumstances which would have driven them headlong from less sympathetic hands. Her speculations as to the market depreciation of tiger remnants were cut short by the appearance on the scene of the animal itself. As soon as it caught sight of the tethered goat it lay flat on the earth, seemingly less from a desire to take advantage of all available cover than for the purpose of snatching a short rest before commencing the grand attack.

“Me crede lo es malada” — Lousia Mebbin dise, forte en hindi, per la benefica de la xef de vileta, ci es en embosce en un arbor visina.

“I believe it’s ill,” said Louisa Mebbin, loudly in Hindustani, for the benefit of the village headman, who was in ambush in a neighbouring tree.

“Xux!” — sra Packletide dise, e a acel momento la tigre comensa pasea osiosa a sua vitima.

“Hush!” said Mrs. Packletide, and at that moment the tiger commenced ambling towards his victim.

“Aora, aora!” — srta Mebbin urje alga ajitada. “Si lo no toca la capra nos no debe paia per lo.” (La tenta es un ajuntada.)

“Now, now!” urged Miss Mebbin with some excitement; “if he doesn’t touch the goat we needn’t pay for it.” (The bait was an extra.)

La fusil flaxi con un pum forte, e la bestia grande e jala brun salta a un lado e alora rola en la calmia de mor. En un momento un fola de nativas stimulada ia xama sur la sena, e sua crias porta rapida la novas felis a la vileta, do la pumi de tambures alia se con la coro de vinse. E sua vinse e joia trova un eco volente en la cor de sra Packletide; ja acel selebra de come media en Curzon Street pare nonmesurable plu prosima.

The rifle flashed out with a loud report, and the great tawny beast sprang to one side and then rolled over in the stillness of death. In a moment a crowd of excited natives had swarmed on to the scene, and their shouting speedily carried the glad news to the village, where a thumping of tom-toms took up the chorus of triumph. And their triumph and rejoicing found a ready echo in the heart of Mrs. Packletide; already that luncheon-party in Curzon Street seemed immeasurably nearer.

Lo es Louisa Mebbin ci fa ce on persepi la fato ce la capra es en spasmas de mori de un feri mortal de baleta, ma no pico de la labora matante de la fusil pote es trovada sur la tigre. Evidente la animal noncoreta ia es xutada, e la bestia xasante ia sede a falta de cor, causada par la sona subita de la fusil, aselerada par dejenera senil. Sra Packletide es pardonable iritada par la descovre; ma, an tal, el es la posesor de un tigre mor, e la viletanes, ansiosa per sua mil rupis, conspira felis a la nara imajinal ce el ia xuta la bestia. E srta Mebbin es un acompanior paiada. Donce sra Packletide fasa la cameras con un cor lejera, e sua fama piturida estende de la pajes de la Texas Weekly Snapshot a la aumenta ilustrada de lundi de la Novoe Vremya. Loona Bimberton refusa regarda un jornal ilustrada tra alga semanas, e sua letera de grasias per la donada de un brox de gara de tigre es un model de emosias supresada. Sur la selebra de come media, el declina lo; on ave limitas ultra cual emosias supresada deveni perilosa.

It was Louisa Mebbin who drew attention to the fact that the goat was in death-throes from a mortal bullet-wound, while no trace of the rifle’s deadly work could be found on the tiger. Evidently the wrong animal had been hit, and the beast of prey had succumbed to heart-failure, caused by the sudden report of the rifle, accelerated by senile decay. Mrs. Packletide was pardonably annoyed at the discovery; but, at any rate, she was the possessor of a dead tiger, and the villagers, anxious for their thousand rupees, gladly connived at the fiction that she had shot the beast. And Miss Mebbin was a paid companion. Therefore did Mrs. Packletide face the cameras with a light heart, and her pictured fame reached from the pages of the Texas Weekly Snapshot to the illustrated Monday supplement of the Novoe Vremya. As for Loona Bimberton, she refused to look at an illustrated paper for weeks, and her letter of thanks for the gift of a tiger-claw brooch was a model of repressed emotions. The luncheon-party she declined; there are limits beyond which repressed emotions become dangerous.

“Cadun ta es tan divertida si los ta sabe lo cual ia aveni real.” — Louisa Mebbin dise, a alga dias pos la balo.

“How amused every one would be if they knew what really happened,” said Louisa Mebbin a few days after the ball.

“Cual tu vole dise?” — sra Packletide demanda rapida.

“What do you mean?” asked Mrs. Packletide quickly.

“Como tu ia xuta la capra e ia asusta la tigre a mor.” — srta Mebbin dise, con sua rie iritante plasente.

“How you shot the goat and frightened the tiger to death,” said Miss Mebbin, with her disagreeably pleasant laugh.

“Nun ta crede lo.” — sra Packletide dise, en cuando sua fas cambia rapida entre un libro de colores.

“No one would believe it,” said Mrs. Packletide, her face changing colour as rapidly as though it were going through a book of patterns before post-time.

“Loona Bimberton ta fa.” — srta Mebbin dise. La fas de sra Packletide deveni fisada a un tinje nonfavorente de blanca verdin.

“Loona Bimberton would,” said Miss Mebbin. Mrs. Packletide’s face settled on an unbecoming shade of greenish white.

“Serta tu no ta esposa me?” — el demanda.

“You surely wouldn’t give me away?” she asked.

“Me ia vide un caseta de fini de semana a prosima de Dorking cual me ta vole alga compra.” — srta Mebbin dise con nonaplicablia parente. “Sessento-otodes paundes. Tan un barata, ma lo aveni ce me no ave la mone.”

“I’ve seen a week-end cottage near Dorking that I should rather like to buy,” said Miss Mebbin with seeming irrelevance. “Six hundred and eighty, freehold. Quite a bargain, only I don’t happen to have the money.”

La caseta bela de fini de semana de Louisa Mebbin, nomida par el “Les Fauves”, e felis en estate con sua bordas de jardin de liles tigrin, es la stonante e la amirada de sua amis.

Louisa Mebbin’s pretty week-end cottage, christened by her “Les Fauves,” and gay in summertime with its garden borders of tiger-lilies, is the wonder and admiration of her friends.

“Lo es un mervelia, como Louisa susede fa lo.” — es la deside jeneral.

“It is a marvel how Louisa manages to do it,” is the general verdict.

Sra Packletide no regala se con plu xuta de xasadas grande.

Mrs. Packletide indulges in no more big-game shooting.

“La costas coaveninte es tan pesosa.” — el confida a amis demandante.

“The incidental expenses are so heavy,” she confides to inquiring friends.

Notas de la traduor

En la tradui me ia corti un paragraf. La testo plena es

De Curzon Street la tapeto de pel de tigre viaja a la Cason de Feudo, e lo es coreta esaminada e amirada par la contia; e lo pare un cosa conveninte e coreta cuando sra Packletide vade a la Balo Mascida de la Contia en la carater de Diana. El refusa acorda, ancora, con la sujesta tentante de Clovis de un balo-selebra primeval, a cual cadun ta porta la peles de bestias cual el ia mata resente. “Me ta es alga en la situa de la bebe Bunting” – Clovis confesa – “con un pel de coneo misera o du per apone, ma alora” – con un regardeta alga malvolente a la proportios de Diana – “mea forma es intera tan bon como lo de acel dansor-xico rusce.”

From Curzon Street the tiger-skin rug travelled down to the Manor House, and was duly inspected and admired by the county, and it seemed a fitting and appropriate thing when Mrs. Packletide went to the County Costume Ball in the character of Diana. She refused to fall in, however, with Clovis’s tempting suggestion of a primeval dance party, at which every one should wear the skins of beasts they had recently slain. “I should be in rather a Baby Bunting condition,” confessed Clovis, “with a miserable rabbit-skin or two to wrap up in, but then,” he added, with a rather malicious glance at Diana’s proportions, “my figure is quite as good as that Russian dancing boy’s.”

La sutraeda esije (tro) multe esplicas. Clovis es un carater con lingua agu en alga de la naras de Saki: esta nara es de un libro The chronicles of Clovis (“La arcivos de Clovis”). “Bye Baby Bunting” es un canta de cuna engles; un varia es:

Adio bebe Bunting,
padre ia vade per xasa,
vade per prende un pel de coneo,
per envolve la bebe Bunting.

Bye, baby Bunting,
Daddy’s gone a-hunting,
Gone to get a rabbit skin
To wrap the baby Bunting in.

La “dansor-xico rusce” es Vaslav Nijinsci, ci ia comensa deveni famosa en Europa sirca 1910.

680 paundes de 1910 coresponde a sirca 50 000 paundes de 2010.