KLARA AND THE SUN - KAZUO ISHIGURO, Part Two - 01 (1)

Part Two - 01 (1)

Part Two

The kitchen was especially difficult to navigate because so many of its elements would change their relationships to one another moment by moment. I now appreciated how in the store – surely out of consideration for us – Manager had carefully kept all the items, even smaller ones like the bracelets or the silver earrings box, in their correct places. Throughout Josie's house, however, and in the kitchen in particular, Melania Housekeeper would constantly move items around, obliging me to start afresh in my learning. One morning, for instance, Melania Housekeeper altered the position of her food blender four times within as many minutes. But once I'd established the importance of the Island, things became much easier.

The Island was in the center of the kitchen, and perhaps to emphasize its fixed-down nature, had pale brown tiles that mimicked the bricks of a building. Sunk into its middle was a shiny basin, and there were three highstools along the longest edge where residents could sit. In those early days, when Josie was still quite strong, she often sat at the Island to do her tutorial work, or just to relax with her pencil and sketchpad. I found it hard at first to sit on the Island's highstools because my feet couldn't touch the floor, and if I tried to swing them, they would become obstructed by a rod that crossed the highstool frame. But then I copied Josie's method of placing elbows firmly down on the Island's surface, and from then on felt more secure – though there always remained the possibility that Melania Housekeeper would appear suddenly behind me, reach for the taps and make water come out with great force. The first time this happened, I was so startled I nearly lost balance, but Josie beside me barely moved, and I soon learned there was nothing to fear from a few specks of moisture.

The kitchen was an excellent room for the Sun to look into. There were large windows facing a wide sky and an outdoors almost permanently empty of traffic and passers-by. Standing at the large windows, it was possible to see the road rising over the hill past faraway trees. The kitchen often filled with the Sun's best nourishment, and in addition to the large windows, there was a skylight on the high ceiling which could be revealed or concealed with a remote. I at first worried about the way Melania Housekeeper often made the blind come over the skylight just as the Sun was sending in his nourishment. But then I saw how easily Josie could grow too warm, and learned to use the remote myself if the Sun's pattern over her became too intense.

I found strange for a while not only the lack of traffic and passers-by, but also the absence of other AFs. Of course, I hadn't expected other AFs to be in the house, and I was in many ways pleased to be the only one, since I could focus my attention solely on Josie. But I realized how much I'd grown used to making observations and estimates in relation to those of other AFs around me, and here too was another adjustment I had to make. In those early days, at stray moments, I'd often look out at the highway going over the hill – or at the view across the fields from the bedroom rear window – and search with my gaze for the figure of a distant AF, before remembering how unlikely a prospect that was, so far away from the city and other buildings.

During my very first days in the house, I foolishly thought Melania Housekeeper might be a person rather like Manager, and this led to a few misunderstandings. For instance, I'd thought it might be her duty to introduce me to the various aspects of my new life, and understandably, Melania Housekeeper had found my frequent presence in her vicinity both puzzling and irritating. When at last she turned angrily around to me and shouted, ‘Quit follow me AF get lost!' I was surprised, but soon came to appreciate that her role in the house was quite unlike Manager's, and that I'd been at fault.

Even allowing for such misunderstandings on my part, it remains hard not to believe Melania Housekeeper was opposed from the start to my presence. Although I behaved towards her with consistent politeness, and especially in the first days, tried to do small things to please her, she never returned my smiles, or spoke to me other than to issue an instruction or reprimand. Today, as I gather together these memories, it seems obvious that her hostility had to do with her larger fears concerning what might be happening around Josie. But at the time there was no easy way for me to account for her coldness. She seemed often to wish to shorten the time I spent with Josie – which of course ran counter to my duty – and, initially, she even attempted to prevent me coming into the kitchen for the Mother's quick coffee and Josie's breakfast. It was only after Josie insisted strongly – the Mother finally ruling in my favor – that I was permitted to be in the kitchen for these pivotal moments each morning. Even then, Melania Housekeeper tried to insist that I remain standing by the refrigerator while Josie and the Mother sat at the Island, and I was allowed to join them only after more protests from Josie.

The Mother's quick coffee was, as I say, an important moment every morning, and it was one of my tasks to wake Josie up in good time for it. Often, despite my repeated efforts, Josie wouldn't rise until the very last moment, and would then start shouting from inside her en suite bathroom, ‘Hurry up, Klara! We'll be late!' even though I was already outside on the landing, waiting anxiously.

We would find the Mother sitting at the Island, staring at her oblong as she drank her coffee, Melania Housekeeper hovering nearby ready to refill her cup. There was often not much time for Josie and the Mother to converse, but I soon learned how important it was, nonetheless, for Josie to be able to sit with the Mother during the quick coffee. Once, when her illness had disturbed much of her night, I allowed Josie to fall back asleep after I'd woken her, thinking it best she rest a little more. When she woke up, she shouted angry words at me, and for all her being weak, hurried to get downstairs in time. But as she was emerging from her en suite, we heard the Mother's car down on the loose stones below, and we hurried to the front window in time to see her car moving away towards the hill. Josie didn't shout at me again, but once we were down in the kitchen, she didn't smile while she ate her breakfast. I understood then that if she failed to join the Mother for the quick coffee, there was the danger of loneliness creeping into her day, no matter what other events filled it.

‘You know, Josie, I get the impression you've given up on your color pencils. I love those black-and-whites you're doing. But I do miss the color pictures.'

‘I decided, Mom, my color pictures were a major embarrassment.'

‘An embarrassment? Oh, come on!'

‘Mom. Me drawing in color is like you playing that cello. In fact, worse.'

When Josie said this, the Mother's face broke into a smile. The Mother didn't smile often, but when she did, her smile was surprisingly like Josie's: her whole face seemed to overflow with kindness, and the same creases that usually created such a tense expression would refold into ones of humor and gentleness.

‘I have to admit. My cello-playing, even at its glorious best, sounded like Dracula's grandmother. But your use of color is more like, well, a pond on a summer's evening. Something like that. You do beautiful things with color, Josie. Things no one else even thought about.'

‘Mom. People's children's pictures always look that way to them. Something to do with the evolutionary process.'

‘You know what? I think this all has to do with when you took that very good flyer you made into that meeting that time. The meeting before last. And that Richards girl said something a little ironic. I've told you before, I know, but here it is again. That young lady was jealous of your talent. That's why she said what she did.'

‘Okay. If you really mean that, Mom, I might even go back to the color. And maybe in return, you could take up your cello again.'

‘Oh no. That's all behind me now. Unless someone's desperate for a soundtrack for their homemade zombie picture.'

But there were other mornings when the Mother would remain unsmiling and tense, even if the quick coffee didn't have to be hurried. If Josie was talking about her oblong tutors, doing her best to be humorous about them, the Mother would listen with a serious expression, then interrupt to say:

‘We could switch. If you don't like the guy, we can always switch.'

‘No, Mom, please. I'm just talking, okay? In fact, this guy's so much better than the last one. He's funny too.'

‘That's good.' The Mother would nod, her face still serious. ‘The way you're always willing to give people a decent chance. That's a good trait.'

In those days, when Josie's health was quite good, she still liked to eat her evening meal after the Mother had come in from her work. This meant we would often go up to Josie's bedroom to wait for the Mother's return – and to watch the Sun go to his resting place.

Just as Josie had promised, the bedroom rear window had a clear view across the fields all the way to the horizon, allowing us to watch the Sun sinking into the ground at the end of his day. Although Josie always talked about ‘the field', it was in fact three fields adjoining one another, and anyone looking carefully could see the posts marking their boundaries. The grass was tall in all three fields, and when the wind blew, it would move as if invisible passers-by were hurrying through it.

The sky from the bedroom rear window was far larger than the gap of sky at the store – and capable of surprising variations. Sometimes it was the color of the lemons in the fruit bowl, then could turn to the gray of the slate chopping boards. When Josie wasn't well, it could turn the color of her vomit or her pale feces, or even develop streaks of blood. Sometimes the sky would become divided into a series of squares, each one a different shade of purple to its neighbor.

There was a soft cream couch beside the bedroom rear window which I named in my mind ‘the Button Couch'. Although it faced inwards into the room, Josie and I liked to kneel on it, our arms against its cushioned back, and gaze out at the sky and the fields. Josie appreciated how much I enjoyed the last part of the Sun's journey, and we tried to watch it from the Button Couch whenever possible. There was a time, when the Mother had come back earlier than usual, and she and Josie were talking on the highstools of the Island – and to give privacy, I'd gone to stand beside the refrigerator. The Mother that evening was in an energetic mood, speaking rapidly, recounting humorous things about the people in her office, pausing every now and then to laugh, sometimes in long bursts that made her almost lose breath. In the middle of this talk, when the Mother seemed about to break into more laughter, Josie interrupted to say:

Part Two - 01 (1)

Part Two

The kitchen was especially difficult to navigate because so many of its elements would change their relationships to one another moment by moment. La cocina fue especialmente difícil de navegar porque muchos de sus elementos cambiarían sus relaciones entre sí momento a momento. I now appreciated how in the store – surely out of consideration for us – Manager had carefully kept all the items, even smaller ones like the bracelets or the silver earrings box, in their correct places. Ahora aprecié cómo en la tienda, seguramente por consideración hacia nosotros, el Gerente había mantenido cuidadosamente todos los artículos, incluso los más pequeños como las pulseras o la caja de aretes de plata, en sus lugares correctos. Throughout Josie's house, however, and in the kitchen in particular, Melania Housekeeper would constantly move items around, obliging me to start afresh in my learning. |||||||||||||||||verpflichtend||||||| Sin embargo, en toda la casa de Josie, y en la cocina en particular, Melania Housekeeper cambiaba constantemente los artículos, lo que me obligaba a comenzar de nuevo en mi aprendizaje. Однако по всему дому Джози, и в частности на кухне, Мелания Домоправительница постоянно переставляла предметы, заставляя меня начинать обучение заново. One morning, for instance, Melania Housekeeper altered the position of her food blender four times within as many minutes. ||||||||||||Mixer|||||| Una mañana, por ejemplo, Melania Housekeeper alteró la posición de su licuadora de alimentos cuatro veces en la misma cantidad de minutos. But once I'd established the importance of the Island, things became much easier. |||festgestellt||||||||| Pero una vez que establecí la importancia de la Isla, las cosas se volvieron mucho más fáciles. Но как только я установил значение Острова, все стало намного проще.

The Island was in the center of the kitchen, and perhaps to emphasize its fixed-down nature, had pale brown tiles that mimicked the bricks of a building. ||||||||||||||||||||||nachahmten||||| La isla estaba en el centro de la cocina y, quizás para enfatizar su naturaleza fija, tenía azulejos de color marrón pálido que imitaban los ladrillos de un edificio. Остров находился в центре кухни и, возможно, чтобы подчеркнуть его фиксированный характер, имел бледно-коричневую плитку, имитирующую кирпичи здания. Sunk into its middle was a shiny basin, and there were three highstools along the longest edge where residents could sit. Hundido en su centro había un lavabo brillante, y había tres taburetes altos a lo largo del borde más largo donde los residentes podían sentarse. In those early days, when Josie was still quite strong, she often sat at the Island to do her tutorial work, or just to relax with her pencil and sketchpad. En aquellos primeros días, cuando Josie todavía era bastante fuerte, a menudo se sentaba en la isla para hacer su trabajo de tutoría o simplemente para relajarse con su lápiz y su bloc de dibujo. I found it hard at first to sit on the Island's highstools because my feet couldn't touch the floor, and if I tried to swing them, they would become obstructed by a rod that crossed the highstool frame. |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||behindert|||Stange||||| Al principio me resultó difícil sentarme en los taburetes altos de la isla porque mis pies no podían tocar el piso y si intentaba balancearlos, se obstruían con una barra que cruzaba el marco del taburete alto. Поначалу мне было трудно сидеть на высоких табуретах «Острова», потому что мои ноги не могли касаться пола, а если я пытался раскачивать их, им мешала штанга, пересекавшая раму табурета. But then I copied Josie's method of placing elbows firmly down on the Island's surface, and from then on felt more secure – though there always remained the possibility that Melania Housekeeper would appear suddenly behind me, reach for the taps and make water come out with great force. |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||Wasserhähne|||||||| Pero luego copié el método de Josie de colocar los codos firmemente sobre la superficie de la isla y, a partir de ese momento, me sentí más seguro, aunque siempre existía la posibilidad de que Melania Housekeeper apareciera repentinamente detrás de mí, alcanzara los grifos y hiciera que el agua saliera con gran fuerza. fuerza. Но затем я скопировал метод Джози, ставя локти на поверхность острова, и с тех пор чувствовал себя в большей безопасности, хотя всегда оставалась вероятность того, что Мелания-экономка внезапно появится позади меня, потянется к кранам и заставит воду хлынуть с большой силой. сила. The first time this happened, I was so startled I nearly lost balance, but Josie beside me barely moved, and I soon learned there was nothing to fear from a few specks of moisture. ||||||||überrascht|||||||||||||||||||||||Fleckchen||Feuchtigkeit La primera vez que esto sucedió, me sobresalté tanto que casi perdí el equilibrio, pero Josie, a mi lado, apenas se movió, y pronto aprendí que no había nada que temer de unas pocas gotas de humedad.

The kitchen was an excellent room for the Sun to look into. La cocina era una habitación excelente para que el Sol la mirara. Кухня была отличной комнатой для Солнца. There were large windows facing a wide sky and an outdoors almost permanently empty of traffic and passers-by. Había grandes ventanales que daban a un amplio cielo y un exterior casi permanentemente vacío de tráfico y transeúntes. Standing at the large windows, it was possible to see the road rising over the hill past faraway trees. De pie junto a los grandes ventanales, era posible ver el camino que se elevaba sobre la colina más allá de los árboles lejanos. The kitchen often filled with the Sun's best nourishment, and in addition to the large windows, there was a skylight on the high ceiling which could be revealed or concealed with a remote. |||||||||||||||||||Oberlicht||||||||geöffnet||versteckt||| La cocina a menudo se llenaba con el mejor alimento del sol y, además de las grandes ventanas, había una claraboya en el techo alto que podía verse u ocultarse con un control remoto. I at first worried about the way Melania Housekeeper often made the blind come over the skylight just as the Sun was sending in his nourishment. Al principio me preocupaba la forma en que Melania Housekeeper a menudo hacía que las persianas taparan la claraboya justo cuando el sol enviaba su alimento. Поначалу меня беспокоило то, как Мелания Домоправительница часто заставляла слепых выходить на световой люк как раз в тот момент, когда Солнце посылало свою пищу. But then I saw how easily Josie could grow too warm, and learned to use the remote myself if the Sun's pattern over her became too intense. Pero luego vi con qué facilidad Josie podía calentarse demasiado y aprendí a usar el control remoto yo mismo si el patrón del Sol sobre ella se volvía demasiado intenso. Но потом я увидел, как легко Джози может стать слишком жарко, и научился сам пользоваться пультом, если солнечный свет на ней становился слишком интенсивным.

I found strange for a while not only the lack of traffic and passers-by, but also the absence of other AFs. Encontré extraño por un tiempo no solo la falta de tráfico y transeúntes, sino también la ausencia de otros AF. Of course, I hadn't expected other AFs to be in the house, and I was in many ways pleased to be the only one, since I could focus my attention solely on Josie. Por supuesto, no esperaba que hubiera otros AF en la casa y, en muchos sentidos, estaba complacido de ser el único, ya que podía centrar mi atención únicamente en Josie. But I realized how much I'd grown used to making observations and estimates in relation to those of other AFs around me, and here too was another adjustment I had to make. ||||||||||Beobachtungen||Schätzungen||||||||||||||||||| Pero me di cuenta de cuánto me había acostumbrado a hacer observaciones y estimaciones en relación con las de otros AF a mi alrededor, y aquí también había otro ajuste que tenía que hacer. Но я понял, насколько я привык делать наблюдения и оценки по отношению к наблюдениям и оценкам других АФ вокруг меня, и здесь мне также пришлось внести еще одну корректировку. In those early days, at stray moments, I'd often look out at the highway going over the hill – or at the view across the fields from the bedroom rear window – and search with my gaze for the figure of a distant AF, before remembering how unlikely a prospect that was, so far away from the city and other buildings. |||||gelegentlichen||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||Aussicht||||||||||| En aquellos primeros días, en momentos perdidos, a menudo miraba la carretera que cruzaba la colina, o la vista de los campos desde la ventana trasera del dormitorio, y buscaba con mi mirada la figura de un AF distante, antes. recordando lo improbable que era esa perspectiva, tan lejos de la ciudad y otros edificios. В те ранние дни я часто в бродячие минуты смотрел на шоссе, уходящее за холм, или на вид на поля из заднего окна спальни, и искал взглядом фигуру далекого А.Ф., прежде чем вспоминая, насколько маловероятной была эта перспектива, так далеко от города и других зданий.

During my very first days in the house, I foolishly thought Melania Housekeeper might be a person rather like Manager, and this led to a few misunderstandings. Durante mis primeros días en la casa, tontamente pensé que Melania Housekeeper podría ser una persona parecida a Manager, y esto me llevó a algunos malentendidos. For instance, I'd thought it might be her duty to introduce me to the various aspects of my new life, and understandably, Melania Housekeeper had found my frequent presence in her vicinity both puzzling and irritating. |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||Umgebung||rätselhaft|| Por ejemplo, pensé que podría ser su deber presentarme los diversos aspectos de mi nueva vida y, comprensiblemente, Melania Housekeeper había encontrado mi presencia frecuente en su vecindad tanto desconcertante como irritante. When at last she turned angrily around to me and shouted, ‘Quit follow me AF get lost!' I was surprised, but soon came to appreciate that her role in the house was quite unlike Manager's, and that I'd been at fault. Cuando por fin se volvió hacia mí enfadada y me gritó: '¡Deja de seguirme y piérdete!' Me sorprendió, pero pronto me di cuenta de que su papel en la casa era muy diferente al de Gerente, y que yo había tenido la culpa. Когда, наконец, она сердито повернулась ко мне и закричала: «Хватит следовать за мной, проваливай!» Я был удивлен, но вскоре понял, что ее роль в доме совершенно не похожа на роль Управляющего, и что я был виноват.

Even allowing for such misunderstandings on my part, it remains hard not to believe Melania Housekeeper was opposed from the start to my presence. Incluso teniendo en cuenta tales malentendidos de mi parte, sigue siendo difícil no creer que Melania Housekeeper se opuso desde el principio a mi presencia. Даже допуская такое недоразумение с моей стороны, трудно не поверить, что Мелания Домработница с самого начала была против моего присутствия. Although I behaved towards her with consistent politeness, and especially in the first days, tried to do small things to please her, she never returned my smiles, or spoke to me other than to issue an instruction or reprimand. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||Tadel Aunque me comporté con ella con cortesía constante, y especialmente en los primeros días, traté de hacer pequeñas cosas para complacerla, nunca me devolvió la sonrisa, ni me habló más que para darme una instrucción o una reprimenda. Хотя я вел себя с ней с неизменной вежливостью, и особенно в первые дни, старался делать мелочи, чтобы угодить ей, она никогда не отвечала на мои улыбки и не говорила со мной иначе, как с указанием или выговором. Today, as I gather together these memories, it seems obvious that her hostility had to do with her larger fears concerning what might be happening around Josie. Hoy, mientras reúno estos recuerdos, parece obvio que su hostilidad tenía que ver con sus temores más grandes sobre lo que podría estar pasando alrededor de Josie. But at the time there was no easy way for me to account for her coldness. Pero en ese momento no me resultó fácil explicar su frialdad. Но в то время у меня не было простого способа объяснить ее холодность. She seemed often to wish to shorten the time I spent with Josie – which of course ran counter to my duty – and, initially, she even attempted to prevent me coming into the kitchen for the Mother's quick coffee and Josie's breakfast. |||||||||||||||||entgegen||||||||||||||||||||||| A menudo parecía desear acortar el tiempo que pasaba con Josie (lo que, por supuesto, iba en contra de mi deber) e, inicialmente, incluso intentó evitar que fuera a la cocina para tomar el café rápido de la Madre y el desayuno de Josie. It was only after Josie insisted strongly – the Mother finally ruling in my favor – that I was permitted to be in the kitchen for these pivotal moments each morning. |||||||||||||||||||||||||entscheidenden||| Fue solo después de que Josie insistió enérgicamente (la Madre finalmente falló a mi favor) que se me permitió estar en la cocina para estos momentos cruciales cada mañana. Even then, Melania Housekeeper tried to insist that I remain standing by the refrigerator while Josie and the Mother sat at the Island, and I was allowed to join them only after more protests from Josie. Incluso entonces, Melania Housekeeper trató de insistir en que me quedara de pie junto al refrigerador mientras Josie y la Madre se sentaban en la Isla, y me permitieron unirme a ellos solo después de más protestas de Josie.

The Mother's quick coffee was, as I say, an important moment every morning, and it was one of my tasks to wake Josie up in good time for it. El café rápido de la Madre era, como digo, un momento importante todas las mañanas, y era una de mis tareas despertar a Josie a tiempo para ello. Often, despite my repeated efforts, Josie wouldn't rise until the very last moment, and would then start shouting from inside her en suite bathroom, ‘Hurry up, Klara! |trotz||||||||||||||||||||||||| A menudo, a pesar de mis repetidos esfuerzos, Josie no se levantaba hasta el último momento y luego empezaba a gritar desde el interior del baño de su suite: '¡Date prisa, Klara! Часто, несмотря на мои неоднократные усилия, Джози не вставала до самого последнего момента, а затем начинала кричать из собственной ванной комнаты: «Поторопись, Клара! We'll be late!' even though I was already outside on the landing, waiting anxiously. ¡Estaremos tarde!' aunque yo ya estaba afuera en el descansillo, esperando ansiosamente. Мы опоздаем!' хотя я уже был снаружи на лестничной площадке, с нетерпением ожидая.

We would find the Mother sitting at the Island, staring at her oblong as she drank her coffee, Melania Housekeeper hovering nearby ready to refill her cup. ||||||||||||rechteckigen||||||||in der Nähe|||||| Encontraríamos a la Madre sentada en la Isla, mirando su oblongo mientras bebía su café, Melania Housekeeper rondando cerca lista para volver a llenar su taza. Мы находили бы Мать сидящей на Острове, уставившейся на свой продолговатый член, пока она пила свой кофе, а Мелания Домоправительница парила поблизости, готовая наполнить свою чашку. There was often not much time for Josie and the Mother to converse, but I soon learned how important it was, nonetheless, for Josie to be able to sit with the Mother during the quick coffee. A menudo, Josie y la Madre no tenían mucho tiempo para conversar, pero pronto aprendí lo importante que era, no obstante, que Josie pudiera sentarse con la Madre durante el café rápido. Once, when her illness had disturbed much of her night, I allowed Josie to fall back asleep after I'd woken her, thinking it best she rest a little more. Una vez, cuando su enfermedad había perturbado gran parte de su noche, dejé que Josie se volviera a dormir después de despertarla, pensando que sería mejor que descansara un poco más. Однажды, когда ее болезнь беспокоила ее большую часть ночи, я позволил Джози снова заснуть после того, как разбудил ее, решив, что ей лучше еще немного отдохнуть. When she woke up, she shouted angry words at me, and for all her being weak, hurried to get downstairs in time. Cuando se despertó, me gritó palabras de enojo y, a pesar de su debilidad, se apresuró a bajar las escaleras a tiempo. But as she was emerging from her en suite, we heard the Mother's car down on the loose stones below, and we hurried to the front window in time to see her car moving away towards the hill. Pero cuando salía de su baño, escuchamos el auto de la Madre sobre las piedras sueltas de abajo, y corrimos hacia la ventana delantera a tiempo para ver su auto alejarse hacia la colina. Но когда она выходила из своей ванной комнаты, мы услышали, как машина Матери катится вниз по рыхлым камням, и поспешили к переднему окну как раз вовремя, чтобы увидеть, как ее машина уезжает в сторону холма. Josie didn't shout at me again, but once we were down in the kitchen, she didn't smile while she ate her breakfast. Josie no volvió a gritarme, pero una vez que estuvimos en la cocina, no sonrió mientras desayunaba. Джози больше не кричала на меня, но как только мы спустились на кухню, она не улыбалась, пока ела свой завтрак. I understood then that if she failed to join the Mother for the quick coffee, there was the danger of loneliness creeping into her day, no matter what other events filled it. Entonces comprendí que si no se unía a la Madre para tomar un café rápido, existía el peligro de que la soledad se colara en su día, sin importar qué otros eventos lo llenaran.

Occasionally there were mornings when the Mother didn't have to hurry; when though she was in her high-rank clothes, and her bag was against the refrigerator, she would drink her coffee slowly, even getting off the highstool and walking around with the cup and saucer in her hands. |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||Untertasse||| De vez en cuando había mañanas en que la Madre no tenía que apurarse; cuando, aunque vestía ropa de alto rango y su bolso estaba contra el refrigerador, bebía su café lentamente, incluso levantándose del taburete alto y caminando con la taza y el platillo en las manos. Sometimes she would stand before the large windows, the Sun's morning pattern over her, and say something like: A veces se paraba frente a los grandes ventanales, con el patrón matutino del sol sobre ella, y decía algo como:

‘You know, Josie, I get the impression you've given up on your color pencils. ¿Sabes, Josie? Tengo la impresión de que has renunciado a tus lápices de colores. I love those black-and-whites you're doing. Me encantan esos blanco y negro que estás haciendo. But I do miss the color pictures.' Pero echo de menos las imágenes en color.

‘I decided, Mom, my color pictures were a major embarrassment.' 'Decidí, mamá, mis fotos en color eran una gran vergüenza.'

‘An embarrassment? '¿Una vergüenza? «Смущение? Oh, come on!' ¡Oh vamos!' О, давай!

‘Mom. 'Mamá. Me drawing in color is like you playing that cello. Yo dibujando en color es como tú tocando ese violonchelo. In fact, worse.' De hecho, peor. На самом деле, хуже.

When Josie said this, the Mother's face broke into a smile. Cuando Josie dijo esto, el rostro de la Madre se iluminó con una sonrisa. The Mother didn't smile often, but when she did, her smile was surprisingly like Josie's: her whole face seemed to overflow with kindness, and the same creases that usually created such a tense expression would refold into ones of humor and gentleness. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||Falten||||||||||||||| La Madre no sonreía a menudo, pero cuando lo hacía, su sonrisa era sorprendentemente parecida a la de Josie: todo su rostro parecía desbordar bondad, y las mismas arrugas que normalmente creaban una expresión tan tensa se volvían a convertir en otras de humor y dulzura.

‘I have to admit. 'Tengo que admitir. 'Я должен признать. My cello-playing, even at its glorious best, sounded like Dracula's grandmother. Mi violonchelo, incluso en su mejor momento glorioso, sonaba como la abuela de Drácula. Моя игра на виолончели, даже в ее лучших проявлениях, звучала как бабушка Дракулы. But your use of color is more like, well, a pond on a summer's evening. Pero tu uso del color es más como, bueno, un estanque en una tarde de verano. Но ваше использование цвета больше похоже на пруд летним вечером. Something like that. Algo como eso. You do beautiful things with color, Josie. Haces cosas hermosas con el color, Josie. Things no one else even thought about.' Cosas en las que nadie más pensó.

‘Mom. 'Mamá. People's children's pictures always look that way to them. Las fotos de los niños de las personas siempre les parecen así. Детские фотографии людей всегда выглядят так для них. Something to do with the evolutionary process.' Algo que ver con el proceso evolutivo. Что-то связанное с эволюционным процессом.

‘You know what? '¿Sabes que? I think this all has to do with when you took that very good flyer you made into that meeting that time. Creo que todo esto tiene que ver con cuando llevaste ese volante tan bueno que hiciste a esa reunión esa vez. Я думаю, что все это связано с тем, что вы взяли с собой тот очень хороший флаер, который вы сделали, на то собрание. The meeting before last. La reunión antepenúltima. Позапрошлое собрание. And that Richards girl said something a little ironic. Y esa chica Richards dijo algo un poco irónico. И эта девушка Ричардс сказала что-то немного ироничное. I've told you before, I know, but here it is again. Ya te lo he dicho antes, lo sé, pero aquí está de nuevo. Я уже говорил тебе раньше, я знаю, но вот снова. That young lady was jealous of your talent. Esa joven estaba celosa de tu talento. Эта юная леди завидовала твоему таланту. That's why she said what she did.' Por eso dijo lo que dijo. Вот почему она сказала то, что сделала.

‘Okay. 'De acuerdo. If you really mean that, Mom, I might even go back to the color. Si realmente lo dices en serio, mamá, incluso podría volver al color. And maybe in return, you could take up your cello again.' Y tal vez, a cambio, podrías retomar tu violonchelo.

‘Oh no. 'Oh, no. That's all behind me now. Eso es todo detrás de mí ahora. Unless someone's desperate for a soundtrack for their homemade zombie picture.' A menos que alguien esté desesperado por una banda sonora para su película casera de zombis. Если только кому-то не нужен саундтрек к самодельному фильму о зомби.

But there were other mornings when the Mother would remain unsmiling and tense, even if the quick coffee didn't have to be hurried. Pero había otras mañanas en que la Madre permanecía adusta y tensa, aunque no hubiera que apresurar el café rápido. If Josie was talking about her oblong tutors, doing her best to be humorous about them, the Mother would listen with a serious expression, then interrupt to say: ||||||rechteckigen||||||||||||||||||||| Si Josie estaba hablando de sus tutores oblongos, haciendo todo lo posible por ser graciosa con ellos, la Madre escuchaba con una expresión seria, luego interrumpía para decir: Если Джози говорила о своих продолговатых наставниках, изо всех сил стараясь относиться к ним с юмором, Мать слушала с серьезным выражением лица, а затем прерывала, чтобы сказать:

‘We could switch. Podríamos cambiar. — Мы могли бы поменяться. If you don't like the guy, we can always switch.' Si no te gusta el chico, siempre podemos cambiar. Если тебе не нравится парень, мы всегда можем поменяться».

‘No, Mom, please. 'No, mamá, por favor. I'm just talking, okay? Solo estoy hablando, ¿de acuerdo? In fact, this guy's so much better than the last one. De hecho, este tipo es mucho mejor que el anterior. He's funny too.' Él es divertido también.

‘That's good.' The Mother would nod, her face still serious. 'Está bien.' La Madre asentía, su rostro aún serio. 'Это хорошо.' Мать кивала, ее лицо оставалось серьезным. ‘The way you're always willing to give people a decent chance. 'La forma en que siempre estás dispuesto a darle a la gente una oportunidad decente. — То, как ты всегда готов дать людям достойный шанс. That's a good trait.' |||Eigenschaft Esa es una buena característica.

In those days, when Josie's health was quite good, she still liked to eat her evening meal after the Mother had come in from her work. En aquellos días, cuando la salud de Josie era bastante buena, todavía le gustaba cenar después de que la Madre regresaba de su trabajo. This meant we would often go up to Josie's bedroom to wait for the Mother's return – and to watch the Sun go to his resting place. Esto significaba que a menudo subíamos a la habitación de Josie para esperar el regreso de la Madre y ver al Sol irse a su lugar de descanso.

Just as Josie had promised, the bedroom rear window had a clear view across the fields all the way to the horizon, allowing us to watch the Sun sinking into the ground at the end of his day. Tal como lo había prometido Josie, la ventana trasera del dormitorio tenía una vista clara de los campos hasta el horizonte, permitiéndonos ver cómo el sol se hundía en el suelo al final de su día. Although Josie always talked about ‘the field', it was in fact three fields adjoining one another, and anyone looking carefully could see the posts marking their boundaries. |||||||||||||aneinandergrenzend||||||||||||| Aunque Josie siempre hablaba de 'el campo', en realidad eran tres campos contiguos, y cualquiera que mirara atentamente podía ver los postes que marcaban sus límites. The grass was tall in all three fields, and when the wind blew, it would move as if invisible passers-by were hurrying through it. La hierba era alta en los tres campos, y cuando soplaba el viento, se movía como si transeúntes invisibles se apresuraran a través de ella.

The sky from the bedroom rear window was far larger than the gap of sky at the store – and capable of surprising variations. El cielo desde la ventana trasera del dormitorio era mucho más grande que el espacio de cielo en la tienda, y capaz de variaciones sorprendentes. Небо из заднего окна спальни было намного больше, чем небо в магазине, и способно к удивительным вариациям. Sometimes it was the color of the lemons in the fruit bowl, then could turn to the gray of the slate chopping boards. ||||||||||||||||||||Schiefer|schneidebret| A veces era el color de los limones en el frutero, luego podía volverse al gris de las tablas de cortar de pizarra. When Josie wasn't well, it could turn the color of her vomit or her pale feces, or even develop streaks of blood. |||||||||||Erbrochenem||||Stuhl||||Streifen|| Cuando Josie no estaba bien, podía cambiar el color de su vómito o sus heces pálidas, o incluso desarrollar vetas de sangre. Когда Джози было плохо, ее рвота или фекалии могли изменить цвет, или даже появились прожилки крови. Sometimes the sky would become divided into a series of squares, each one a different shade of purple to its neighbor. A veces, el cielo se dividía en una serie de cuadrados, cada uno con un tono de púrpura diferente al de su vecino. Иногда небо делилось на ряд квадратов, каждый из которых отличался от соседнего фиолетовым оттенком.

There was a soft cream couch beside the bedroom rear window which I named in my mind ‘the Button Couch'. Había un sofá color crema suave al lado de la ventana trasera del dormitorio al que en mi mente llamé 'el sofá de botones'. Although it faced inwards into the room, Josie and I liked to kneel on it, our arms against its cushioned back, and gaze out at the sky and the fields. Aunque daba al interior de la habitación, a Josie ya mí nos gustaba arrodillarnos sobre él, con los brazos apoyados en su respaldo acolchado, y contemplar el cielo y los campos. Josie appreciated how much I enjoyed the last part of the Sun's journey, and we tried to watch it from the Button Couch whenever possible. Josie agradeció lo mucho que disfruté la última parte del viaje del Sol, y tratamos de verlo desde el sofá Button siempre que fue posible. Джози оценила, насколько мне понравилась последняя часть путешествия Солнца, и мы старались смотреть ее с дивана с кнопками, когда это было возможно. There was a time, when the Mother had come back earlier than usual, and she and Josie were talking on the highstools of the Island – and to give privacy, I'd gone to stand beside the refrigerator. Hubo un tiempo en que la Madre había regresado más temprano que de costumbre, y ella y Josie estaban hablando en los taburetes altos de la Isla, y para dar privacidad, me había ido a parar al lado del refrigerador. The Mother that evening was in an energetic mood, speaking rapidly, recounting humorous things about the people in her office, pausing every now and then to laugh, sometimes in long bursts that made her almost lose breath. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||langen Ausbrüchen|||||| La Madre esa noche estaba en un estado de ánimo enérgico, hablando rápidamente, contando cosas divertidas sobre las personas en su oficina, deteniéndose de vez en cuando para reír, a veces en largos estallidos que casi la hacían perder el aliento. In the middle of this talk, when the Mother seemed about to break into more laughter, Josie interrupted to say: En medio de esta charla, cuando la Madre parecía a punto de estallar en más carcajadas, Josie interrumpió para decir: В середине этого разговора, когда Мать, казалось, вот-вот расхохотается, Джози прервала ее и сказала: