MALCOLM BRADBURY

The History Man - fragments
 

'The girl was crying,' says Dr Macintosh, 'she was very upset.'
'Right,' says Mrs Macintosh, 'this is the last party you come to.'
But it is a small altercation, and down in the basement they do not hear it. Nor do they hear when, higher in the house, in a guest bedroom empty of Felicity's things, a window smashes. The cause is Barbara who, bright in her silvery dress, has put her right arm through and down, savagely slicing it on the glass. In fact no one hears; as always at the Kirks' parties, which are famous for their happenings, for being like a happening, there is a lot that is, indeed, happening, and all the people are fully occupied.

Andreoiu Oana

Malcolm Bradbury
 

- Tanara plangea si era foarte suparata, spuse domnul Macintosh.
- Intr-adevar, raspunse doamna Macintosh, este ultima petrecere la care mai vii.
Insa, are loc o mica altercatie, pe care ei n-o aud din subsol. De asemenea, nu aud cand, la etaj, in camera de oaspeti unde se eliberasera lucrurile lui Felicity, se sparge o fereastra. De vina e Barbara, care, in minunata ei rochie argintie, intr-un gest salbatic, isi taie venele cu un ciob. De fapt, nimeni n-o aude; asa se intampla de obicei la petrecerile sotilor Kirk, faimoase pentru intamplarile lor, pentru ca ele in sine sunt un eveniment, unde se intampla, intr-adevar, multe lucruri, insa invitatii sunt prea ocupati cu altceva.