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E-Books (english-e-reader), The Festive Season in a Part of Africa

The Festive Season in a Part of Africa

If you are a poor farmer and you only have one cow, it is important that it doesn't get sick. Because if it does, and you need to get a vet to come and see it, that can be very expensive.

But if you are afraid that your cow will die, then you must send for the vet - even if it is the festive season and Christmas was only two days ago...

Two days after Christmas a Zulu woman and her schoolboy son sat waiting for me to finish my morning's clinic in Ondini. She wanted me to visit her old mother's cow, which had a calf waiting to be born. But for two days now the calf would not come out, and the poor cow was getting very tired. 'We have heard that you are a good vet,' the woman said to me.

So off we went. The schoolboy in the front of my pickup, to show me the way, and the woman and my assistant Mbambo in the back. An hour of driving on bad roads full of holes and after that on dirt tracks. Then we stopped at an old empty kraal.

'Where's the cow?' I asked the boy.

'We walk a bit,' he said.

So we took my vet's black bags and we walked. Past other kraals with their fields and their fruit trees, and many of them with huts not lived in and falling down. We walked over rocks and by the side of rivers and after about forty-five minutes, we came to a lonely kraal. There were three white huts, a clean tidy yard, and there under the fruit trees was the poor old cow, looking very, very tired.

They brought out two nice wooden chairs with colourful seats from the middle hut. I put my black bags on them, but first, I said hello in the proper Zulu way to Granny, who owned the cow. 'Inkosikazi' I called her. She was a very small woman, but she was the head of her family in the kraal.

Then I looked at the cow and found that the calf was still alive, and very, very big. So, with Mbambo helping me, I put the cow to sleep and did a caesarean.

When I finished, there was a crowd of about fifty people watching - men standing, older women sitting on the ground, children sitting in the fruit trees. Now the bull calf was trying to stand on his feet, and shaking his head from side to side.

Someone brought a chair for Granny to sit on.

'We must talk about money. Is business now,' she called out so everyone could hear.

'Well,' I said, 'you nearly had a dead cow and a dead calf, but I came and got the calf out, and so now they are both alive, not so?'

She agreed, and fifty other people agreed too.

'And I drove all the way from Ondini in my pick-up which is a thirsty car - as thirsty as an old man drinking beer on a Sunday.'

Smiles and laughter.

'And if you take good care of this calf and he grows into a strong young bull, when he is a year old, at the market in Ondini, they will pay you 1,500 rands for him. Not so?'

'Yes.' The old men in the crowd nodded their heads.

'And the cow... she is old and tired, and the flies are very bad this summer. But if she lives, next autumn you can sell her for over 2,500 rands.'

Loud noises of agreement from the crowd.

'So then, Inkosikazi, my work has given you about 4,000 rands that you didn't have before.'

'Yes.'

'So how about we go halves - and I take 2,000 rands?'

Much whispering between Granny and her friends.

'That's lots of money,' she said.

'Yes, it is,' I said, 'and we have just had Christmas and soon it will be New Year, and maybe the cow will die. So it is better that I don't ask for so much. You can pay me just half of that - 750 rands.'

Louder whispering and nods of agreement.

'But!' said the schoolboy, who was standing behind his grandmother, 'half of 2,000 is not 750, it is 1,000!'

'Oh-ho!' I said. 'I can see you are a clever young man. I made a mistake, but if I said 750, then I shall still say 750 and not change it.'

Well, what a noise there was after that! Everybody was smiling and happy. Granny pulled out a great big handful of 200 rand notes, and she gave four of them to me, with her other hand open upwards next to the giving hand, in the proper Zulu way.

I took the money from her with my two open hands side by side, in the proper Zulu way, counted the notes and said, 'Inkosikazi, you have given me too much.'

She stood up and said, 'Keep the 50, it is for your assistant Mbambo.'

Man, the season of goodwill is amazing.

Then we walked back for an hour, mostly uphill, with a long line of helpers carrying my bags. We stopped sometimes to eat the sweet wild fruit that grows around most of the old kraals in this part of Africa...

... in the festive season.

- THE END -


The Festive Season in a Part of Africa Die festliche Jahreszeit in einem Teil von Afrika Las fiestas de una parte de África Les fêtes de fin d'année dans une partie de l'Afrique アフリカの祝祭シーズン 아프리카 일부 지역의 축제 시즌 Sezon świąteczny w części Afryki A época festiva numa parte de África Праздничный сезон в части Африки Святковий сезон у частині Африки

If you are a poor farmer and you only have one cow, it is important that it doesn't get sick. 가난한 농부이고 소가 한 마리뿐이라면 소가 병에 걸리지 않는 것이 중요합니다. Если вы бедный фермер и у вас только одна корова, важно, чтобы она не заболела. Eğer fakir bir çiftçiyseniz ve sadece bir ineğiniz varsa, onun hastalanmaması önemlidir. Because if it does, and you need to get a vet to come and see it, that can be very expensive. 만약 그런 일이 발생하여 수의사에게 진찰을 받아야 한다면 비용이 많이 들 수 있기 때문입니다. Потому что, если это так, и вам нужно, чтобы ветеринар приехал и посмотрел это, это может быть очень дорого.

But if you are afraid that your cow will die, then you must send for the vet - even if it is the festive season and Christmas was only two days ago... 그러나 소가 죽을 까봐 두렵다면 축제 시즌이고 크리스마스가 이틀 전 이었더라도 수의사를 보내야합니다 ... Но если вы боитесь, что ваша корова умрет, то вы должны послать за ветеринаром, даже если это праздничный сезон, а Рождество было всего два дня назад... Ancak ineğinizin öleceğinden korkuyorsanız, o zaman veterinere gitmelisiniz - bayram sezonu olsa ve Noel sadece iki gün önce olsa bile...

Two days after Christmas a Zulu woman and her schoolboy son sat waiting for me to finish my morning's clinic in Ondini. 크리스마스 이틀 후, 줄루족 여성과 그녀의 남학생 아들이 온디니에서 오전 진료가 끝나기를 기다리고 있었습니다. She wanted me to visit her old mother's cow, which had a calf waiting to be born. But for two days now the calf would not come out, and the poor cow was getting very tired. 하지만 이틀 동안 송아지는 나오지 않았고 불쌍한 소는 매우 지쳐가고 있었습니다. Но уже два дня теленок не выходит, а бедная корова очень устала. 'We have heard that you are a good vet,' the woman said to me. — Мы слышали, что вы хороший ветеринар, — сказала мне женщина.

So off we went. 그래서 출발했습니다. Итак, мы пошли. The schoolboy in the front of my pickup, to show me the way, and the woman and my assistant Mbambo in the back. 제 픽업 차량 앞에는 길을 안내하는 남학생이, 뒤에는 여학생과 제 조수 음밤보가 타고 있었습니다. An hour of driving on bad roads full of holes and after that on dirt tracks. 구멍이 가득한 험한 도로에서 한 시간 동안 운전하고 그 후에는 비포장 도로를 달렸습니다. Час езды по плохим дорогам с ямами, а потом по грунтовым дорогам. Then we stopped at an old empty kraal. Затем мы остановились у старого пустого крааля. Sonra eski, boş bir çiftlikte durduk.

'Where's the cow?' I asked the boy.

'We walk a bit,' he said.

So we took my vet's black bags and we walked. Past other kraals with their fields and their fruit trees, and many of them with huts not lived in and falling down. 밭과 과일나무가 있는 다른 크랄을 지나고, 사람이 살지 않는 오두막과 쓰러져 있는 오두막도 많이 보였습니다. Мимо других краалей с их полями и фруктовыми деревьями, и многие из них с необжитыми хижинами, которые рушатся. We walked over rocks and by the side of rivers and after about forty-five minutes, we came to a lonely kraal. Мы шли по скалам и берегам рек и примерно через сорок пять минут пришли к уединенному краалю. There were three white huts, a clean tidy yard, and there under the fruit trees was the poor old cow, looking very, very tired. Там были три белые избы, чистый опрятный двор, а там под плодовыми деревьями сидела бедная старая корова, очень, очень усталая.

They brought out two nice wooden chairs with colourful seats from the middle hut. Из средней хижины вынесли два хороших деревянных стула с красочными сиденьями. I put my black bags on them, but first, I said hello in the proper Zulu way to Granny, who owned the cow. 검은색 가방을 메고 먼저 소를 소유한 할머니에게 줄루족의 고유한 방식으로 인사를 드렸습니다. Я надела на них свои черные сумки, но сначала поздоровалась в зулусской манере с бабушкой, у которой была корова. 'Inkosikazi' I called her. '인코시카지'라고 불렀습니다. «Инкосикази», — звал я ее. She was a very small woman, but she was the head of her family in the kraal. Она была очень маленькой женщиной, но она была главой своей семьи в краале.

Then I looked at the cow and found that the calf was still alive, and very, very big. 그러다 소를 살펴보니 송아지가 아직 살아있고 아주 아주 큰 것을 발견했습니다. Потом я посмотрел на корову и обнаружил, что теленок еще жив и очень-очень большой. So, with Mbambo helping me, I put the cow to sleep and did a caesarean. 그래서 음밤보의 도움으로 소를 재우고 제왕절개 수술을 했습니다. Итак, с помощью Мбамбо я усыпила корову и сделала кесарево сечение.

When I finished, there was a crowd of about fifty people watching - men standing, older women sitting on the ground, children sitting in the fruit trees. Когда я закончил, за мной наблюдала толпа из пятидесяти человек: мужчины стояли, пожилые женщины сидели на земле, дети сидели на фруктовых деревьях. Now the bull calf was trying to stand on his feet, and shaking his head from side to side. Теперь бычок пытался встать на ноги и покачивал головой из стороны в сторону.

Someone brought a chair for Granny to sit on. 누군가 할머니가 앉을 수 있는 의자를 가져왔어요. Кто-то принес стул для бабушки.

'We must talk about money. — Мы должны поговорить о деньгах. Is business now,' she called out so everyone could hear. 이제 비즈니스입니다'라고 모두가 들을 수 있도록 외쳤습니다. Теперь дело, — крикнула она, чтобы все могли слышать.

'Well,' I said, 'you nearly had a dead cow and a dead calf, but I came and got the calf out, and so now they are both alive, not so?' «Ну, — сказал я, — у тебя чуть не дохлая корова и дохлый теленок, но я пришел и вытащил теленка, так что теперь они оба живы, не так ли?» "Şey," dedim, "neredeyse ölü bir ineğiniz ve ölü bir buzağınız vardı, ama ben gelip buzağıyı çıkardım ve şimdi ikisi de yaşıyor, öyle değil mi?

She agreed, and fifty other people agreed too. Она согласилась, и пятьдесят других людей тоже согласились.

'And I drove all the way from Ondini in my pick-up which is a thirsty car - as thirsty as an old man drinking beer on a Sunday.' '그리고 일요일에 맥주를 마시는 노인처럼 목이 말라서 목이 마른 픽업트럭을 타고 온디니에서 여기까지 운전했습니다.' «И я проехал весь путь от Ондини на своем пикапе, который мучает жажда — так же, как старик, пьющий пиво в воскресенье». "Ondini'den buraya kadar pikabımla geldim, ki pikabım susamış bir arabadır - Pazar günü bira içen yaşlı bir adam kadar susamış.

Smiles and laughter. 미소와 웃음. Улыбки и смех.

'And if you take good care of this calf and he grows into a strong young bull, when he is a year old, at the market in Ondini, they will pay you 1,500 rands for him. '이 송아지를 잘 돌봐서 튼튼한 어린 황소로 키우면 1살이 되었을 때 온디니의 시장에서 1,500랜드에 팔 수 있습니다. — И если ты хорошо позаботишься об этом теленке и он вырастет сильным молодым быком, когда ему исполнится год, на рынке в Ондини тебе заплатят 1500 рандов. 'Eğer bu buzağıya iyi bakarsan ve büyüyüp güçlü bir boğa olursa, bir yaşına geldiğinde Ondini'deki pazarda sana onun için 1.500 rand ödeyecekler. Not so?' Не так?' Öyle değil mi?'

'Yes.' The old men in the crowd nodded their heads. 군중 속의 노인들은 고개를 끄덕였습니다. Старики в толпе закивали головами.

'And the cow... she is old and tired, and the flies are very bad this summer. '그리고 소는... 늙고 피곤한 데다 이번 여름에는 파리가 아주 심해요. — А корова… она старая и усталая, и мухи этим летом очень плохи. But if she lives, next autumn you can sell her for over 2,500 rands.' 하지만 만약 그녀가 살아 있다면 내년 가을에 2,500랜드 이상에 팔 수 있습니다. Но если она выживет, следующей осенью вы сможете продать ее более чем за две с половиной тысячи рандов.

Loud noises of agreement from the crowd. Громкие возгласы согласия из толпы.

'So then, Inkosikazi, my work has given you about 4,000 rands that you didn't have before.' '그럼 인코시카지, 제 덕분에 전에는 없던 4,000랜드가 생겼군요.' — Итак, Инкосикази, моя работа принесла вам около 4000 рандов, которых у вас раньше не было.

'Yes.'

'So how about we go halves - and I take 2,000 rands?' '그럼 반으로 나누고 내가 2,000랜드를 가져가면 어떨까요?' — Так как насчет того, чтобы пополам — и я возьму 2000 рандов?

Much whispering between Granny and her friends. Много шептались между бабушкой и ее друзьями.

'That's lots of money,' she said. — Это большие деньги, — сказала она.

'Yes, it is,' I said, 'and we have just had Christmas and soon it will be New Year, and maybe the cow will die. '네, 맞아요. 이제 막 크리스마스를 보냈고 곧 새해가 되면 소가 죽을지도 몰라요'라고 제가 말했습니다. — Да, — сказал я, — и у нас только что было Рождество, скоро будет Новый год, и, может быть, корова умрет. So it is better that I don't ask for so much. 그래서 너무 많은 것을 요구하지 않는 것이 좋습니다. Так что лучше я не прошу так много. You can pay me just half of that - 750 rands.' 그 절반인 750랜드만 지불하면 됩니다. Вы можете заплатить мне только половину этой суммы — 750 рандов.

Louder whispering and nods of agreement. Громкий шепот и кивки в знак согласия.

'But!' said the schoolboy, who was standing behind his grandmother, 'half of 2,000 is not 750, it is 1,000!' — сказал школьник, стоявший позади бабушки, — половина от 2000 не 750, а 1000!

'Oh-ho!' «О-хо!» I said. 'I can see you are a clever young man. '당신은 영리한 젊은이입니다. — Я вижу, вы умный молодой человек. I made a mistake, but if I said 750, then I shall still say 750 and not change it.' '내가 실수했지만 750이라고 말했으면 여전히 750이라고 말하고 변경하지 않겠습니다. Я ошибся, но если я сказал 750, то я все равно скажу 750 и не изменю».

Well, what a noise there was after that! No, to byl ale hluk! 그 후 얼마나 시끄러웠는지 몰라요! Ну какой шум был после этого! Everybody was smiling and happy. Все улыбались и были счастливы. Granny pulled out a great big handful of 200 rand notes, and she gave four of them to me, with her other hand open upwards next to the giving hand, in the proper Zulu way. Babička vytáhla velkou hrst dvouset randových bankovek a čtyři z nich mi podala, přičemž druhou ruku vedle podávající ruky otevřela nahoru, jak se na Zuluy sluší a patří. 할머니는 200랜드 지폐를 한 움큼 꺼내더니 그 중 네 장을 제게 주셨고, 다른 한 손은 줄루어 방식으로 주는 손 옆으로 위로 벌렸습니다. Бабушка вытащила большую горсть банкнот по 200 рандов и дала мне четыре из них, подняв другую руку рядом с рукой дающего, как подобает зулусам.

I took the money from her with my two open hands side by side, in the proper Zulu way, counted the notes and said, 'Inkosikazi, you have given me too much.' Vzal jsem od ní peníze oběma otevřenýma rukama vedle sebe, jak se na Zuluy sluší, přepočítal bankovky a řekl: "Inkosikazi, dala jsi mi příliš mnoho. 저는 줄루어 방식으로 두 손을 나란히 벌려 그녀에게서 돈을 받아 지폐를 세고 '인코시카지, 너무 많이 주셨어요'라고 말했습니다. Я взял у нее деньги двумя распростертыми руками, как подобает зулусам, пересчитал банкноты и сказал: «Инкосикази, ты дал мне слишком много».

She stood up and said, 'Keep the 50, it is for your assistant Mbambo.' Она встала и сказала: «Оставьте 50, это для вашего помощника Мбамбо».

Man, the season of goodwill is amazing. 선의의 계절은 정말 놀랍습니다. Чувак, сезон доброй воли потрясающий.

Then we walked back for an hour, mostly uphill, with a long line of helpers carrying my bags. 그런 다음 제 가방을 들어주는 도우미들이 길게 늘어서 있는 오르막길을 한 시간 동안 걸어서 돌아갔습니다. Затем мы шли обратно в течение часа, в основном в гору, с длинной вереницей помощников, несущих мои сумки. We stopped sometimes to eat the sweet wild fruit that grows around most of the old kraals in this part of Africa... Občas jsme se zastavili, abychom si pochutnali na sladkém divokém ovoci, které roste kolem většiny starých kraalů v této části Afriky... 우리는 때때로 아프리카의이 지역에있는 대부분의 오래된 크랄 주변에서 자라는 달콤한 야생 과일을 먹기 위해 멈췄습니다... Мы иногда останавливались, чтобы полакомиться сладкими дикими фруктами, которые растут вокруг большинства старых краалей в этой части Африки...

... in the festive season. ... ve svátečním období. ... в праздничный сезон.

- THE END -