MALCOLM BRADBURY

The History Man - fragments
 

The Kirks have, in fact, had a party at just this time of the year--the turning-point when the new academic year starts, new styles are in, new faces about, new ideas busy--for the past three autumns; and, if it had been anyone else but the Kirks, you might have said it was a custom or tradition with them. But the Kirks are very fresh and spontaneous people, who invest in all their activities with high care and scruple, and do nothing just because it has been done before; indeed they are widely understood not to have such things as customs and traditions. If the Kirks happen to have thought of a party, well, they have thought of it innocently, afresh, and from a sense of need.

Cigareanu Elena

Malcolm Bradbury
 

Familia Kirk a avut chiar o petrecere anul trecut pe vremea asta – punctul de cotitura, cand incepe un nou an universitar, apar fete noi, noi stiluri, se nasc idei noi – in ultimele trei toamne; si, daca nu era vorba despre familia Kirk ai fi putut chiar spune ca asta este o traditie sau vreun obicei de-al lor. Insa familia Kirk sunt persoane foarte spontane, care se implica in activitatiile lor din plin si cu mare atentie, si nu fac nimic doar pentru ca s-a mai facut; intr-adevar, sunt bineintelesi ca nu fac toate aceste lucruri ca un obicei sau o traditie. Daca se intampla ca familia Kirk sa se fi gandit la o petrecere, ei bine, s-au gandit inocent, pe moment si pentru ca o simteau ca pe o nevoie.