1. LA CREACIÓ D'EVA.

    THE CREATION OF EVE.

  2. Són més de les onze.

    It is past eleven o'clock.

  3. A l'hort del senyor rector hi fa de bon estar.

    The rector's garden is a pleasant place to be.

  4. En Quiquet, però, no s'abandona pas a les blanícies de l'ombra bellugadissa amb aquella felicitat profunda que consisteix en no pensar en res.

    Quiquet, however, does not surrender himself to the soft comforts of the flickering shade with that profound happiness that consists in thinking of nothing.

  5. Veu, certament, els rosers que encara tenen roses, les pereres carregades de fruit, les dàlies pomposes i que només fan olor de frescor, i al fons de tot les mongeteres gairebé blaves i les tomaqueres de fortor quieta.

    He sees, to be sure, the rosebushes still bearing roses, the pear trees laden with fruit, the pompous dahlias that smell only of freshness, and at the very back the almost blue beanstalks and the tomato plants with their quiet, pungent scent.

  6. Però tota aquella íntima i alegre perspectiva es dilata i s'ageganta en el seu magí fins a convertir-se no menys que en el paradís terrenal.

    But all that intimate and cheerful perspective expands and grows gigantic in his mind until it becomes nothing less than the earthly paradise.

  7. En Quiquet ha rebut, a les nou, la seva segona lliçó d'Història Sagrada, de llavis de la seva piadosa germana gran, que tira per monja.

    At nine o'clock, Quiquet received his second Sacred History lesson from the lips of his pious elder sister, who is leaning towards becoming a nun.

  8. Ara la seva germana gran és a fer les visites de la Porciúncula -en aquella esglesieta polida del poble on estiuegen-, tota blanca i amb un velet negre, i amb tres llibrets negres, plens d'estampetes i de fulletes de l'Apostolat de l'Oració, que serveixen de senyals.

    Right now, his elder sister is making her Porziuncola visits—in that neat little church in the village where they spend the summer—dressed all in white and with a small black veil, carrying three small black books full of holy cards and leaflets from the Apostleship of Prayer, which serve as bookmarks.

  9. I mentrestant en Quiquet és al jardí de la rectoria, perquè en Quiquet, al cap de deu minuts que és a l'església, es posa a badallar.

    And meanwhile Quiquet is in the rectory garden, because after ten minutes of being in church, Quiquet begins to yawn.

  10. La primera lliçó d'Història Sagrada va ésser la creació del món; la segona ha estat la creació d'Adam i Eva.

    The first Sacred History lesson was the creation of the world; the second has been the creation of Adam and Eve.

  11. Hom comprèn que un jardí de senyor rector sigui una imatge, baldament pàl·lida, del paradís terrenal.

    One can understand how a rector's garden might be an image, however pale, of the earthly paradise.

  12. A en Quiquet no li semblaria estrany que sortís un àngel de darrera la bougainvília tota encesa que s'enfila fins a la teulada; i quan una sargantana es mou, secreta, entre un cruixit de fulles seques, se li acut la idea del serpent.

    It would not seem strange to Quiquet if an angel emerged from behind the blazing bougainvillea that climbs up to the roof; and when a lizard moves, secretive, amidst a rustling of dry leaves, the idea of the serpent comes to his mind.

  13. Però en tot el que li ha explicat la seva germana, el que més l'intriga és la creació d'Eva.

    But out of everything his sister has explained to him, what intrigues him most is the creation of Eve.

  14. Sense donarse'n compte, es palpa la regió inferior del pit.

    Without realizing it, he feels the lower region of his chest.

  15. En Quiquet és molt valent: no l'espanta cap bestiola, ni que sigui una rata -i fins n'ha mortes dues-, no l'espanta perdre's, no l'espanta estar tot sol, de nit, per bé que hom senti en el lloc tenebrós el raure extraordinari d'un tros de paper que mou el vent per terra, o la perfídia del corc o el petament sobtat d'una fusta no pas tallada en bona saó.

    Quiquet is very brave: no critter scares him, not even a rat—and he has even killed two—he is not scared of getting lost, he is not scared of being all alone at night, even if one hears in the dark place the strange scraping of a piece of paper moved along the ground by the wind, or the treachery of a woodworm, or the sudden cracking of wood not cut in due season.

  16. Però la creació d'Eva l'impressiona d'una manera estranya.

    But the creation of Eve impresses him in a strange way.

  17. Al misteri del món primaveral s'ajunta el misteri del seu propi cos, que per primera vegada el pertorba.

    To the mystery of the spring world is joined the mystery of his own body, which perturbs him for the first time.

  18. Demà, quan es banyi, s'examinarà per peces menudes.

    Tomorrow, when he bathes, he will examine himself piece by piece.

  19. Com devia patir Adam quan li fou extreta la costella!

    How Adam must have suffered when his rib was extracted!

  20. Li sembla d'imaginar aquell mal en el seu propi cos.

    He seems to imagine that pain in his own body.

  21. Està tan encaparrat que, indemne, una marieta li cau damunt la cama nua, plena d'esgarrinxades, i ell la deixa fugir.

    He is so preoccupied that, unharmed, a ladybird falls onto his bare leg, full of scratches, and he lets it escape.

  22. La bunior d'un borinot, primera idea matussera de la trepidació d'un aeroplà, s'avé estranyament amb la seva obsessió.

    The droning of a bumblebee, a clumsy first inkling of the rattling of an aeroplane, accords strangely with his obsession.

  23. -Quiquet !

    "-Quiquet!"

  24. En Quiquet, esverat, aixeca els ulls.

    Quiquet, startled, looks up.

  25. El senyor rector li diu:

    The rector says to him:

  26. -No t'agraden, les peres?

    "-Don't you like pears?

  27. Menja'n tantes com voldràs, mentre no t'hagin de fer mal.-

    Eat as many as you like, as long as they don't do you any harm.-"

  28. El senyor rector, tot llegint el breviari, se n'entra a dins.

    The rector, while reading his breviary, goes inside.

  29. En Quiquet, per cortesia, agafa una pera.

    Quiquet, out of politeness, takes a pear.

  30. És d'aquelles peres verdes per fora, granelludes per dins, però que són una mel.

    It is one of those pears that are green on the outside, gritty on the inside, but taste sweet as honey.

  31. Aquell gust de mel s'acaba aviat.

    That sweet honey taste ends quickly.

  32. Tot just quan l'interessava.

    Just when it was getting interesting to him.

  33. Aleshores agafa una altra pera.

    Then he takes another pear.

  34. Aquesta ja no la menja amb displicència.

    This one he no longer eats with indifference.

  35. Després, li sembla molest d'anar agafant les peres d'una a una, i n'arrabassa set o vuit, totes les que li caben a les butxaques.

    Afterwards, it seems a bother to him to keep taking the pears one by one, and he plucks seven or eight, as many as can fit in his pockets.

  36. * * *

  37. Les ombres s'estenen.

    The shadows are lengthening.

  38. En Quiquet, amb la seva germana gran i unes quantes parelles joves, ha anat a una font.

    Quiquet, with his elder sister and a few young couples, has gone to a spring.

  39. En Quiquet torna una mica cansat.

    Quiquet returns a little tired.

  40. Un floc de borra es fondrà aviat sota la lluna.

    A wisp of cloud will soon melt under the moon.

  41. Un grill sembla traduir, amb la seva vibració sensible, tota la misteriosa vibració de la terra, que comença en la nit una vida nova i més subtil.

    A cricket seems to translate, with its sensitive vibration, all the mysterious vibration of the earth, which begins a new and more subtle life in the night.

  42. En Quiquet és a la galeria descoberta, que domina els pallers i les feixes, la galeria on es desdejuna al matí i on diu el rosari abans de sopar.

    Quiquet is on the open veranda, which overlooks the haystacks and the terraced fields—the veranda where he has breakfast in the morning and where he says the rosary before dinner.

  43. Aviat començarà el rosari.

    Soon the rosary will begin.

  44. En Quiquet, després d'haver-se tret la terra de les espardenyes, mastega romaní.

    Quiquet, after having removed the dirt from his espadrilles, chews on rosemary.

  45. Està tot sol.

    He is all alone.

  46. Els seus pares encara no han tornat del poble: la seva germana es a la cuina a fer un plat dolç.

    His parents have not yet returned from the village; his sister is in the kitchen making a sweet dish.

  47. En Quiquet _sent_ que està sol amb Déu.

    Quiquet _feels_ that he is alone with God.

  48. No és el seu nimbe la mica de claror que perdura al cim de la serra?

    Is not His halo the little bit of light that lingers on the crest of the mountain range?

  49. De cop i volta, en Quiquet bada, esparverat, els ulls.

    All of a sudden, Quiquet opens his eyes wide, terrified.

  50. No és pas que vegi cap mala cosa a la muntanya negra o als camins morats.

    It is not that he sees anything bad on the dark mountain or the purple paths.

  51. La naturalesa somriu, en córrer el cortinatge de la fosquedat; els llumets de les cases somriuen en l'abisme negre que no és de mal ésser.

    Nature smiles as the curtain of darkness is drawn; the little lights of the houses smile in the black abyss, which is not an unpleasant place to be.

  52. En Quiquet, però, espalmat súbitament per un motiu agudíssim, gairebé ni gosa respirar. sent com un violent estrip a les seves entranyes.

    Quiquet, however, suddenly petrified by an extremely sharp cause, hardly dares even to breathe; he feels a sort of violent tearing in his entrails.

  53. S'ha tornat blanc com la cera.

    He has turned as white as wax.

  54. Però no solament l'afligeix la por.

    But it is not only fear that afflicts him.

  55. Al cap d'un minut -interminable!- munta per la seva cara el roig viu de la vergonya.

    After a minute—an endless one!—the bright red of shame rushes up his face.

  56. En Quiquet baixa els ulls.

    Quiquet lowers his eyes.

  57. Sent una angúnia al coll i una estranya sequedat a les parpelles, i després una cosa calenta li cau a la galta.

    He feels a tightness in his throat and a strange dryness in his eyelids, and then something warm falls onto his cheek.

  58. Fins aleshores no s'adona que està plorant.

    Not until then does he realize that he is crying.

  59. Però no en té prou de plorar silenciosament.

    But weeping silently is not enough for him.

  60. Es gira de cara a la paret i aixeca contra ella el seu braç, perquè li faci de coixí del front abatut.

    He turns to face the wall and raises his arm against it, to serve as a cushion for his dejected brow.

  61. I encara més: en Quiquet fa un gemec.

    And what is more: Quiquet lets out a groan.

  62. Sembla impossible.

    It seems impossible.

  63. Però és que, a més de la por i la vergonya, sofreix de valent.

    But the truth is, besides the fear and the shame, he is suffering terribly.

  64. (No es recorda, gens ni mica, d'haver menjat massa peres).

    (He does not remember, not in the slightest, having eaten too many pears).

  65. Compareix la seva germana. -Quiquet, què et passa? -

    His sister appears. "-Quiquet, what's the matter with you?-"

  66. Haver de respondre a la seva germana és més terrible que tot.

    Having to answer his sister is more terrible than anything.

  67. En Quiquet aquell matí ha descobert el misteri del seu cos.

    That morning, Quiquet discovered the mystery of his body.

  68. Ara descobreix el pudor de la seva ànima.

    Now he discovers the modesty of his soul.

  69. Li sembla que es deixaria matar abans de confessar la veritat.

    It seems to him that he would let himself be killed rather than confess the truth.

  70. Però el sofriment augmenta d'una manera terrible.

    But the suffering increases in a terrible way.

  71. I, tanmateix, la família haurà de saber- ho.

    And yet, the family will have to know.

  72. La família i tot el poble.

    The family and the whole village.

  73. Se'n faran crides a la plaça, com qui diu, i potser targetes de participació.

    Town criers will announce it in the square, so to speak, and perhaps announcement cards will be sent out.

  74. En Quiquet es posa a plorar amb un gran estrèpit.

    Quiquet begins to cry with a great clamor.

  75. No en queda ni una engruna de la seva enèrgica virilitat, a gratcient endurida dels tres als sis anys.

    Not a single shred remains of his energetic virility, which had been intentionally hardened from the age of three to six.

  76. Aquell xàfec, si bé de moment dificulta l'ús de la paraula, s'emporta, interiorment, les rescloses que impedien la confidència.

    That downpour, though for the moment making speech difficult, internally sweeps away the floodgates that prevented his confidence.

  77. I en Quiquet pot arribar a barbotejar, entre sanglots:

    And Quiquet manages to stammer, between sobs:

  78. -Em sembla... em sembla... que estic a punt de tenir muller.-

    "-I think... I think... I'm about to have a wife.-"