arthur e george

George:

The oculist does not recommend spectacles for young children. It is better to let the boy's eyes adjust naturally over the years. In the meanwhile, he should be moved to the front of the classroom. George leaves the farm boys behind and is placed beside Harry Charlesworth, who is regularly top in tests. School now makes sense to George; he can see where Mr Bostock's chalk is stabbing, and he never againsoils himself on the way home.

Sid Henshaw carries on making monkey faces, but George barely notices. Sid Henshaw is just a stupid farm boy who smells of cows and probably cannot even spell the word.

One day, Henshaw rushes at George in the yard, barges him with his shoulder, and as George in the yard, barges him with his shoulder, and as George is recovering himself, pulls off his bow tie and runs away. George hears laughter.Back in the classroom, Mr Bostock asks where his tie has got to.

This presents George with a problem. He knows it is wrong to get a schoolfellow into trouble. But he knows it is worse to tell lies. His father is quite clear about this. Once you start telling lies you are led into the paths of sin and nothing will stop you until the hangman slips a noose around your neck. No one has said as much, but this is what George has understood. So he cannot lie to Mr Bostock. He looks for a way out -which is perhaps bad enough anyway, the start of a lie - and then he simply answers the question.

-Sid Henshaw knocked me and took it.

Mr Bostock leads Henshaw out by the hair, beats him until he howls,comes back with George´s tie, and gives the class a lecture about theft.After school, Wallie Sharp stands in George's path and as he steps round him says:

-You're not a right sort.

George rules out Wallie Sharp as a possible friend. He rarely feels the the lack of what he does not have. The family takes no part in local society, but George cannot imagine what this might involve, let alone what the reason for their unwillingness, or failure, might be. He himself never goes to other boys'house, so cannot judge how things are conducted elsewhere. His life is sufficient unto itself. He has no toys, but does not miss them. He has no toys, but does not miss them. He lacks the skill and eyesight fot games; he has never even jumped a hopscotch grid, while a thrown ball makes him frinch. He is happy to play fraternally with Horace, more gently with Maud, and more gently still with the hens.

He is aware that most boys have friends- there are David and Jonathan in the bible, and he has watched Harry Boam and Arthur Aram huddling at the edge of the yard and showing one another things from their pockets- but he never finds this happening to himself. Is he meant to do something, or are they meant to do something?

Arthur & George 

Julian Barnes

Foi publicado po Jonathan Cape no 2005 (Londres)

traducido por Xesús Fraga
e publicado como:

Arthur e George

Cangas de Morrazo, Rinoceronte Editora S.L., 2006 

George:

O oculista non aconsella poñerlle lentes aos nenos pequenos. É mellor deixar que ao cativo se lle axusten os ollos de forma natural cos anos. Entrementres, deberían cambialo para a fronte da aula. George deixa atrás os nenos das granxas e colócano a carón de Harry Charlesworth, que con frecuencia encabeza os mellores resultados dos exames. Agora a escola cobra sentido para George: pode ver onde bate o xiz do señor Bostock e non volve cagar por el de camiño á casa.

Sid Henshaw continúa poñendo caras de mono, pero George apenas se decata. Sid Henshaw é só un estúpido neno de granxa que cheira a vaca, palabras que de seguro non sabe nin deletrear.

Un día, Henhaw arremete contra George no patio, empúrrao co ombro e, mentres George se repón, arrámcalle a gravata e escapa con ela.George escoita risas. De volta na aula, o señor Bostock pregúntalle que lle pasou a súa gravata.

Isto pon a George nun dilema. Sabe que está mal menter a un compañeiro en problemas. Pero tamén sabe que contar mentiras é peor. O seu pai é bastante claro a este respecto. Unha vez comeza a contar mentiras desembocas na senda do pecado e nada poderá deterte ata que o verdugo che anoa unha soga arredor do pescozo. Ninguén chegou tan lonxe, pero deste xeito é como o entende George. Así que non lle pode mentir ao señor Bostock. Busca unha saída-que xa é malo dabondo, o inicio dunha mentira- e simplemente responde á pregunta.

-Sid Henshaw pegoume e colleuma.

O señor Bostock saca a Henshaw collido polo cabelo, malla nel ata facelo ouvear, volve coa gravata de George e dálles aos alumnos unha charla sobre o roubo. Ao saír da escola Wallie Sharp interponse no camiño de George e mentres o rodea dille:

-Ti non es de boa caste.

George descarta a Wallie Sharp como posible amigo.

Apenas percibe a ausencia do que non ten. A familia non participa na vida social da vila, pero George non é quen de imaxinar o que podería significar isto, e moito menos cal podería ser a causa da súa pouca disposición ou fracaso. Nunca vai ás casas doutros rapaces, polo que non pode xulgar como son as cousas noutros sitios. A súa vida é autosuficiente. Non ten cartos, pero tampouco os necesita, e menos aínda cando aprende que o amor por eles é a raíz de toda maldade. Non ten xoguetes, pero tampouco os bota en falta. Carece de habilidade e vista para os xogos; nunca saltou nunha mariola e treme só coa idea de lanzar unha pelota. É feliz xogando fraternalmente con Horace, con máis delicadeza con Maud, e con delicadeza aínda maior coas galiñas.

É consciente de que a maioría dos rapaces teñen amigos- velaí a David e a Ionatán na Biblia, e tamén ten visto a Harry Boam e a Arthur Aram achegarse a un recanto do patio e amosarse un ao outro o contido dos seus petos-, pero el non os ten. Ten que facer algo, ou son eles os que teñen que facelo?