O besedilu
Dve devici
- Vir
- Andersenove pravljice
- Avtor
- Hans Christian Andersen
- Jezik branja
- English
- Jezik izvirnika
- Dansk
- Čas branja
- 4 min branja
- Obseg
- 3 strani
- Naslov izvirnika
- To jomfruer
O izvirniku
Andersenove pravljice
Literarne pravljice z nežnostjo, bolečino in ostrim občutkom za čudežno. Bralni jezik je English, izvirnik pa prihaja iz vira Andersenove pravljice v jeziku Dansk.
Besedilo
Dve devici
Have you ever seen a maiden? That is to say, what the pavers call a maiden, a tool for tamping down the paving stones. She is made entirely of wood, broad at the bottom, with an iron hoop around her, and narrow at the top, with a crossbar for her arms.
In the equipment yard stood two such maidens, among shovels, fathom measures, and wheelbarrows, and there a rumour had spread that a “maiden” was no longer to be called a “maiden,” but a “stamp.” This was the newest and only correct term in the pavers’ language for what we had all called a maiden in the old days.
Now, among us human beings there are what are called “emancipated women.” These include headmistresses, midwives, dancers who can carry out their duties standing on one leg, milliners, and night nurses; and the two maidens in the equipment yard joined the ranks of these “emancipated” women. They were maidens in the road service, and they had no intention of giving up their good old name and allowing themselves to be called “stamps”!
“Maiden is a name for a person,” they said, “but a stamp is a thing, and we won’t let ourselves be called things. That is an insult!” “My fiancé might break off our engagement!” said the younger one, who was engaged to a pile driver, a great machine that drives piles into the ground, and thus does on a grand scale what a maiden does on a small one. “He wants me as a maiden, but perhaps not as a stamp, so I cannot let them christen me afresh!”
“Why, I would sooner have both my arms broken off!” said the elder. The wheelbarrow, however, thought differently, and the wheelbarrow was quite somebody: it considered itself a quarter of a carriage, since it ran on one wheel. “I really must tell you that being called a maiden is rather commonplace, and nowhere near as distinguished as being called a stamp, for bearing that name puts you in the same rank as signets. And think of the signet of the law: that is what makes the legal seal. In your place, I would give up being a maiden!”
“Never! I am too old for that!” said the elder. “You evidently know nothing of what is called European necessity!” said the honest old fathom measure. “One must accept limits, submit, and accommodate oneself to the times and to necessity; and if it is the law that a maiden must be called a stamp, then a stamp she must be called. Everything has its measure!”
“Well, I would rather,” said the younger, “be called ‘Miss,’ if the worst came to the worst. There is always something of the maiden about ‘Miss’!” “But I would sooner let myself be chopped up for firewood!” said the old maiden.
Then it was time for work. The maidens went for a ride: they were laid on the wheelbarrow, which was always a fine way to be treated, but stamps they were called. “Mai—!” they said as they pounded against the paving stones. “Mai—!” They were just on the point of saying the whole word, “Maiden,” but they bit it short and swallowed it again, for they felt they ought not even to answer. Between themselves, however, they always addressed each other as maiden, and praised the good old days when everything was called by its proper name, and anyone who was a maiden was called a maiden. And maidens they both remained, for the pile driver, that great machine, really did break off his engagement to the younger one: he would have nothing to do with a stamp.
Izvirnik
To jomfruer
Naslednje strani prikazujejo izvirno besedilo za primerjavo.
Eventyr af Hans Christian Andersen
Har du nogensinde set en jomfru? Det vil sige, hvad brolæggerne kalder en jomfru, én til at stampe stenbroen med. Hun er helt af træ, bred forneden med jernring om, og smal foroven med stok, den er hendes arme.
Inde i materielgården stod der to sådanne jomfruer, de stod mellem skovle, favnemål og hjulbør, og der var det rygtedes, at "jomfruen" ikke længere skulle kaldes "jomfru," men derimod "stempel," og det er den nyeste og eneste rigtige benævnelse i brolæggersproget, for hvad vi alle i gamle tider kaldte en jomfru.
Nu er der mellem os mennesker noget, man kalder: "emanciperede fruentimmer," hvortil regnes institutbestyrerinder, jordemødre, danserinder, der kan stå på et ben i embedet, modehandlerinder og vågekoner, og til den række "emanciperede," sluttede sig også de to jomfruer i materielgården; de var jomfruer ved vejvæsenet, og de ville på ingen måde opgive deres gode, gamle navn og lade sig kalde "stempel!"
"Jomfru er et menneskenavn," sagde de, "men stempel er en ting, og vi lader os ikke kalde en ting, det er at skældes ud!"
"Min forlovede er i stand til at slå op med mig!" sagde den yngste, der var forlovet med en rambuk, det er sådan en stor maskine, der driver pæle ned og altså gør i det svære, hvad jomfruen gør i det fine. "Han vil have mig som jomfru, men måske ikke som stempel, og altså kan jeg ikke lade dem døbe mig om!"
"Ja, jeg lader før mine to arme knække af!" sagde den ældste.
Hjulbøren havde dog en anden mening, og hjulbøren var noget, den anså sig for en kvart karet, idet den gik på ét hjul. "Jeg må dog sige dem, at det, at kaldes jomfru er temmelig almindeligt og ikke nær så fint, som at kaldes stempel, thi ved at føre det navn, kommer man i række med signeterne, og tænk på lovens signet, det er det, der gør lovens segl. I Deres sted ville jeg opgive jomfruen!"
"Aldrig! det er jeg for gammel til!" sagde den ældste.
"De kender nok ikke noget, som kaldes den europæiske nødvendighed!" sagde det ærlige, gamle favnemål. "Man må begrænses, underordne sig, føje sig i tid og nødvendighed, og er det en lov, at jomfruen skal kaldes stempel, så må hun kaldes stempel. Enhver ting har sit favnemål!"
"Så ville jeg dog hellere," sagde den yngste, "lade mig kalde frøken, når galt skulle være, frøken smager dog altid lidt af jomfru!"
"Men jeg lader mig hellere hugge til pindebrænde!" sagde den gamle jomfru.
Nu gik det til arbejde; jomfruerne kørte, de blev lagt på hjulbøren, og det var altid fin behandling, men stempel blev de kaldt.
"Jom-!" sagde de, idet de stampede mod stenbroen; "Jom-!" og lige var de ved at sige helt ud ordet: "Jomfru," men de bed ordet kort af, de tog det i sig igen, for de fandt, at de ikke engang burde svare. Men indbyrdes tiltalte de altid hinanden med navnet jomfru, og priste de gode, gamle dage, da man kaldte enhver ting ved sit rette navn, og kaldtes jomfru, når man var en jomfru; og det blev de begge to, thi rambukken, den store maskine, slog virkeligt op med den yngste, han ville ikke indlade sig med et stempel.
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