E-Books (english-e-reader), Nimble Fingers

Nimble Fingers

Life is never easy for the poor. They have to work long hours just to get a roof over their heads and one meal a day. If their children are lucky, they go to school. If they are not lucky, they have to work.

Krishna, who tells this story, is not lucky. He has to work in a factory making bee dies, a kind of Indian cigarette. He is a good worker, because his young fingers are small and quick and nimble...

I cannot read or write, but I can count, but only up 1500, because that is the number of bee dies that I need to make in a day. My life is easy to explain. If I wake up early, I can play for about one hour, or until the sun begins to light up the eastern sky. For that one hour, I am free - as free as the birds, which sit on the tree outside my home.

My home is a hut with a roof of dried leaves. It is very small, but the three of us can just sleep in it. And I go away really early and come back in the nights, so only my mother and my little sister are there in the day time.

In the nights, it is a bit crowded. When we sleep, my arm is often around little Thangachi, or Amma's thin foot is resting on my leg, but it doesn't matter.

The other day I asked Amma, 'How old am I?'

She counted on her fingers. 'Six.'

Six sounds very small when you think about 1500 bee dies. But Saami, the owner of the factory where I work, always says that I have nimble fingers.

That night, when we were having our meal outside our home, I asked Amma, 'What does "nimble fingers" mean?'

'It means your fingers are like Weaver-Maama's fingers,' she said. 'When your uncle spins his cloth, have you seen how quickly his fingers move, pulling the threads this way and that way?'

I love to watch Weaver-Maama working, and now I am very happy because my fingers are like his.

I asked Amma one more question while we drank our rice soup.

'Why do I have to work with Saami and not with Weaver-Maama?'

This question made Amma unhappy, and when she is unhappy, she hits her head with her open hand. The noise is very loud, and she goes on hitting her head again and again, making a 'pat, pat, pat' sound.

It scares Thangachi and me, arid I can see that the small one is ready to cry. I put my fingers - nimble fingers - on Amma's hands to stop her hitting herself. She takes both my hands in her hand and starts crying into them. I can feel warm tears dropping onto my fingers.

Here I am, happy that I have Weaver-Maama's fingers, and Amma is crying. She looks at the black marks on my hands and the cuts on my finger ends - she kisses my hands, and holds me and Thangachi close to her.

'Amma,' I ask again, 'why can I not work with Weaver-Maama?'

Thangachi is pushing her finger into my back. Her eyes are telling me to stop my questions, but I want to know. If I can make 1500 bee dies in a day, surely I can help Weaver-Maama weave his beautiful cloth?

Amma never answered my question that day, but I just went on asking. I asked the same question every night until the next full moon.

That night Thangachi was already asleep. Amma and I were sitting outside watching fireflies dancing in the moonlight. Amma held me close to her and said:

'Krishna, you have to work all your life with Saami, the bonded labour man. You have to do this to pay back your grandfather's debt. You cannot work for another person because your grandfather has taken 5000 rupees and sold you to Saami. All your life you will have to work for him, in the same way as your father did.'

I look down to the ground, because I do not want

Amma to see the tears in my eyes. I am a brave boy, you see... but suddenly my nimble fingers don't feel so nimble any more.

- THE END -

Nimble Fingers pohyblivé| Dedos ágiles Les doigts agiles 軽快な指 민첩한 손가락 Zwinne palce Dedos ágeis Спритні пальці

Life is never easy for the poor. 貧しい人々の生活は決して楽なものではありません。 They have to work long hours just to get a roof over their heads and one meal a day. 彼らは、頭の上に屋根と1日1食を確保するためだけに、長時間働かなければなりません。 이들은 하루 한 끼의 식사와 지붕을 마련하기 위해 장시간 노동을 해야 합니다. If their children are lucky, they go to school. 運が良ければ、子供たちは学校に行きます。 If they are not lucky, they have to work.

Krishna, who tells this story, is not lucky. Krišna||||||| この物語を語るクリシュナは幸運ではありません。 He has to work in a factory making bee dies, a kind of Indian cigarette. ||||||||bzučanie|dymi||||| 彼は、インドのタバコの一種であるハチの死体を作る工場で働かなければなりません。 그는 인도 담배의 일종인 비 다이를 만드는 공장에서 일해야 합니다. Musí pracovať v továrni, ktorá vyrába včelie umierky, akýsi indický cigareta. He is a good worker, because his young fingers are small and quick and nimble... 彼の若い指は小さく、素早く、機敏なので、彼は働き者です... Je dobrý pracovník, pretože jeho mladé prsty sú malé, rýchle a obratné...

I cannot read or write, but I can count, but only up 1500, because that is the number of bee dies that I need to make in a day. 読み書きはできませんが、数えることはできますが、1500 までしかできません。 Nemôžem čítať ani písať, ale viem počítať, ale len do 1500, pretože to je počet včelích umierok, ktoré musím vyrobiť za deň. My life is easy to explain. 私の人生は簡単に説明できます。 If I wake up early, I can play for about one hour, or until the sun begins to light up the eastern sky. |||||||||||||||||||||východné| Si me despierto temprano, puedo jugar durante aproximadamente una hora, o hasta que el sol comience a iluminar el cielo del este. 早起きすれば、約1時間、または太陽が東の空を照らし始めるまでプレイできます。 일찍 일어나면 한 시간 정도, 또는 해가 동쪽 하늘을 밝히기 시작할 때까지 플레이할 수 있습니다. For that one hour, I am free - as free as the birds, which sit on the tree outside my home. Durante esa hora, soy libre, tan libre como los pájaros que se posan en el árbol fuera de mi casa. その 1 時間、私は自由です。家の外の木にとまる鳥のように自由です。 그 한 시간 동안 저는 집 앞 나무에 앉아있는 새들만큼이나 자유로웠습니다.

My home is a hut with a roof of dried leaves. ||||chata|||||sušených|listov Mi casa es una choza con techo de hojas secas. 私の家は枯れ葉の屋根の小屋です。 It is very small, but the three of us can just sleep in it. Es muy pequeño, pero los tres podemos dormir en él. とても小さいですが、3人で寝ることができます。 And I go away really early and come back in the nights, so only my mother and my little sister are there in the day time. Y me voy muy temprano y vuelvo por la noche, así que solo mi madre y mi hermana pequeña están allí durante el día. そして、私はとても早く出かけて夜に戻ってくるので、日中は母と妹だけがそこにいます. 그리고 저는 정말 일찍 집을 나갔다가 밤에 돌아오기 때문에 낮에는 어머니와 여동생만 있습니다.

In the nights, it is a bit crowded. |||||||preplnené Por las noches, está un poco abarrotado. 夜は少し混みます。 밤에는 약간 혼잡합니다. When we sleep, my arm is often around little Thangachi, or Amma's thin foot is resting on my leg, but it doesn't matter. |||||||||Thangachi||Amminho||||odpočíva|||||||nevadí Cuando dormimos, mi brazo suele estar alrededor del pequeño Thangachi, o el delgado pie de Amma descansa sobre mi pierna, pero no importa. 私たちが寝ているとき、私の腕はしばしば小さなタンガチの周りにあるか、アンマの細い足が私の足にかかっていますが、それは問題ではありません。 잠을 잘 때면 제 팔이 꼬마 탕가치를 감싸고 있거나 엄마의 가느다란 발이 제 다리에 얹혀 있는 경우가 많지만 상관없습니다. Когда мы спим, моя рука часто обнимает маленького Тангачи, или тонкая ножка Аммы опирается на мою ногу, но это не имеет значения.

The other day I asked Amma, 'How old am I?' |||||Amma|||| 先日、私はアンマに「私は何歳ですか？」と尋ねました。

She counted on her fingers. |počítala||| 彼女は指を数えた。 'Six.'

Six sounds very small when you think about 1500 bee dies. 1500匹のミツバチが死ぬことを考えると、6は非常に小さい音です。 1500마리의 벌이 죽는다고 생각하면 6마리는 아주 작게 들립니다. But Saami, the owner of the factory where I work, always says that I have nimble fingers. |Saami||majiteľ||||||||||||| Pero Saami, el dueño de la fábrica donde trabajo, siempre dice que tengo dedos ágiles.

That night, when we were having our meal outside our home, I asked Amma, 'What does "nimble fingers" mean?' Esa noche, cuando estábamos comiendo fuera de casa, le pregunté a Amma: '¿Qué significa "dedos ágiles"?'

'It means your fingers are like Weaver-Maama's fingers,' she said. ||||||Weaver|Maama||| 'Significa que tus dedos son como los de Weaver-Maama', dijo. "손가락이 위버 마마의 손가락과 같다는 뜻입니다."라고 그녀는 말했습니다. 'When your uncle spins his cloth, have you seen how quickly his fingers move, pulling the threads this way and that way?' ||||||||||||||||nite||||| 'Cuando tu tío hila su tela, ¿has visto lo rápido que se mueven sus dedos, tirando de los hilos de un lado a otro?' '삼촌이 천을 돌릴 때 손가락이 얼마나 빨리 움직이며 실을 이리 당기고 저리 당기는지 보셨나요?'

I love to watch Weaver-Maama working, and now I am very happy because my fingers are like his. |||||Maama|||||||||||||

I asked Amma one more question while we drank our rice soup.

'Why do I have to work with Saami and not with Weaver-Maama?' '왜 위버마마가 아닌 사미와 일해야 하나요?'

This question made Amma unhappy, and when she is unhappy, she hits her head with her open hand. 이 질문은 아마를 불행하게 만들었고, 그녀는 불행 할 때 열린 손으로 머리를 때렸습니다. The noise is very loud, and she goes on hitting her head again and again, making a 'pat, pat, pat' sound. |hluk|||hlasitý|||||||||||||pľacnutí||| 소음이 매우 커서 '두드리고, 두드리고, 두드리는' 소리를 내며 머리를 계속 두드리고 또 두드리고 있습니다.

It scares Thangachi and me, arid I can see that the small one is ready to cry. |||||ale||||||||||| Das erschreckt Thangachi und mich, und ich sehe, dass die Kleine kurz vorm Weinen ist. 작은 아이가 울 준비가 된 것 같아 탕가치와 제가 겁이 납니다. I put my fingers - nimble fingers - on Amma's hands to stop her hitting herself. She takes both my hands in her hand and starts crying into them. I can feel warm tears dropping onto my fingers.

Here I am, happy that I have Weaver-Maama's fingers, and Amma is crying. 위버-마마의 손가락이 있다는 사실에 행복해하는 나는 여기 있고, 아마는 울고 있습니다. She looks at the black marks on my hands and the cuts on my finger ends - she kisses my hands, and holds me and Thangachi close to her. 그녀는 제 손의 검은 자국과 손가락 끝에 난 상처를 보고는 제 손에 입을 맞추고 저와 탕가치를 가까이 안아주었습니다.

'Amma,' I ask again, 'why can I not work with Weaver-Maama?' '위버-마마와 함께 일할 수 없는 이유가 뭐죠?'라고 다시 묻습니다.

Thangachi is pushing her finger into my back. ||tlačí|||do|| Her eyes are telling me to stop my questions, but I want to know. If I can make 1500 bee dies in a day, surely I can help Weaver-Maama weave his beautiful cloth? |||||||||||||||tkať||| 하루에 1500개의 벌집을 만들 수 있다면 위버마마의 아름다운 천을 짜는 것을 도울 수 있지 않을까요?

Amma never answered my question that day, but I just went on asking. I asked the same question every night until the next full moon.

That night Thangachi was already asleep. Amma and I were sitting outside watching fireflies dancing in the moonlight. Amma held me close to her and said:

'Krishna, you have to work all your life with Saami, the bonded labour man. |||||||||||otroci|práca| Krishna, du musst dein ganzes Leben lang mit Saami, dem Zwangsarbeiter, arbeiten. 'Krishna, tienes que trabajar toda tu vida con Saami, el hombre de la servidumbre. '크리슈나, 당신은 평생을 보세 노동자인 사미와 함께 일해야 합니다. You have to do this to pay back your grandfather's debt. You cannot work for another person because your grandfather has taken 5000 rupees and sold you to Saami. |||||||||||rupií||||| 할아버지가 5000루피를 받고 당신을 사미에게 팔았기 때문에 다른 사람을 위해 일할 수 없습니다. All your life you will have to work for him, in the same way as your father did.'

I look down to the ground, because I do not want

Amma to see the tears in my eyes. I am a brave boy, you see... but suddenly my nimble fingers don't feel so nimble any more. 저는 용감한 소년이지만... 갑자기 민첩한 손가락이 더 이상 민첩하게 느껴지지 않습니다.

- THE END -