|
Mishmeret laila |
Night
Watch |
| Daisy
kama mukdam be oto boker avivi ki ha tik she alav hi avda haya be
ayara krova. |
Daisy
had got up early that spring morning because she was working on a case
in the nearby town. |
|
Hi
higi’a le misrada be sha’a reva
li shmone, ka’asher be yada sakit niyar ha mexila
laxmanyot shamenet triyot, ve hi meta lishtot kos kafe. |
She
arrived at her office with a paper bag in her hand containing fresh
cream buns at a quarter to eight and was
dying for a cup of coffee. |
| Ka’asher
hixnisa et ha mafte’ax el ha man’ul, nishma kol shel isha she
kar’a, “Ze patu’ax, Daisy”. |
As
she put the key in the lock, a woman’s voice called out, "It’s
open, Daisy." |
| Zu
hayta Pam, ha menaka. |
It
was Pam, the cleaner. |
| “Ma
da’atex al aruxat boker,
Pam”, amra Daisy be xiyux, ve az hivxina she Pam ke xol ha
nir’e baxta kodem la xen. |
"How
about some breakfast, Pam?" said Daisy with a smile and then
noticed Pam had obviously been crying. |
|
“Pam,
ma kara? |
"Pam,
whatever has happened? |
| Bo’i,
shvi ve toxli iti aruxat boker, |
Come
on sit down and have some breakfast with me. |
| ana,
sapri li ma matrid otax." |
Please
tell me what’s bothering you." |
| Pam
hayta isha she avda kashe kedei legadel shnei yeladim. |
Pam
was a hard-working woman with two children to bring up. |
| Hi
nikta et kol ha binyan, she peirusho
shiv’a misradim. |
She
did the cleaning for the whole building which meant seven offices. |
| “Jim
matsik li shuv be-kesher la y(e)ladim. |
"Jim
has been on to me again about the children. |
| At
yoda’at she ein lo kol zxut xukit lir’ot otam ve lo ixpat lo
me hem, kfi she af pa’am lo haya ixpat lo." |
You
know he has no legal right to see them and he really couldn’t care
less about them, and never has." |
| Bo’i
nadlik et ha kumkum” |
"Let’s
put the kettle on." |
| “Daisy
hitxila lehaxin et ha kafe ha names ve hitsi’a le Pam
laxmanya, |
Daisy
began preparing the instant coffee and offered Pam a bun, |
| “Lama
she lo tatxili me ha hatxala?” |
"Now,
why don’t you start from the beginning?" |
| Pam
nir’ata mutredet me’od ve himshixa: |
Pam
looked extremely troubled and went on: |
| “At
mevina, ka’asher anaxnu hitgarashnu hu afilu lo bikesh
lir’ot et ha y(e)ladim shelo. |
"You
see, when we got divorced he didn’t even ask to see his children. |
| Ka’et
ein lo kesef, hu menase le’anot oti kedei she eten lo
ktsat, be iyum she axeret hu yarxik mimeni et ha
y(e)ladim”.
|
Now
he’s got no money, he’s trying to torture me into giving him some
with the threat that otherwise he’ll get the children away from
me." |
| “Eineni
xoshevet she hu yuxal la’asot et ze be kalut”, ta’ana
Daisy. |
"I
don’t think he can do that easily, Pam," Daisy reasoned. |
| Pam
hiskima lekabel laxmanya nosefet. |
Pam
accepted another bun. |
| “Lo
Daisy, lo be kalut, aval hu me’od nakmani, ve hu iyem she yahafox et
ha xayim sheli le gehinom.” |
"No
Daisy, not easily, but he’s very vindictive and he’s threatened to
make my life a hell." |
| “Uvxen,
pashut nitstarex lexakot ve lir’ot. |
"Well,
we’ll just have to wait and see. |
| Tir’i,
im hu yat’xil lihiyot alim, kol ma she at tsrixa la’asot ze
lehitkasher la mishtara.” |
Look,
if he gets violent all you have to do is call the police." |
| “Ani
makira et Jim, im lo eten lo kesef, hu ya’amod be diburo.” |
"I
know Jim, if I don’t give him money he’ll be as good as his
word." |
| Ka’avor
shlosha yamim, Daisy kibla kri’a telefonit. |
Three
days later Daisy got a telephone call. |
| “Daisy,
zu Pam, ani mishtaga’at. |
"Daisy,
it’s Pam. I’m going round the bend. |
| Jim
hit’xil lehagi’a elai ha bayta be xol erev
axarey sgirat ha pabim, ve hu menase lehistakel li derex
xalon xadar ha shena, ve ose kolot muzarim. |
Jim’s
been coming round to my house every night after the pubs close trying to
see through my bedroom window and making strange noises. |
| Hu
menase la’alot li al ha atsabim kedei she avater lo ve eten lo
et kol ha kesef she hu doresh mimeni. |
He’s
trying to get on my nerves so that I’ll give in and hand over all the
money he asks for. |
| Lo
yashanti be-meshex shalosh yemamot. |
I
haven’t slept for three days." |
| “Hoda’at
al kax la mishtara?” |
"
Have you informed the police about it?" |
| "Jim
tilpen elay ka-rega ve amar she im ani ekra la mishtara hu
yagid lahem she ani medamyenet dvarim, ve she ani histerit
ve xolat nefesh, ve she ha y(e)ladim lo tsrixim lihiyot birshuti. |
"Jim
telephoned me just now and said that if I call the police in, he’ll
tell them I’m imagining things and hysterical and mentally ill and
shouldn’t have his children in my custody. |
| Ma
e’ese, Daisy? Ani margisha no’eshet.” |
What
am I going to do Daisy? I feel desperate." |
| “Beseder,
Pam, tagidi li ma hi ha ktovet shelax ve ani er’e ma ani
yexola la’asot.” |
"All
right Pam, tell me your address and I’ll see what I can do." |
| Daisy
halxa el Trends, ha xanut ha mekomit le televizyot, radio
u maxshevim, u viksha ledaber
im mar Ranjee, ba’al ha xanut. |
Daisy
went round to Trends, her local television, radio and computer
shop, and asked to speak to Mr. Ranjee, the owner of the shop. |
| Mar
Ranjee, ha’im tuxal lehash’il li maxshir tsilum-haklata le meshex
kama yamim?” |
"Mr.
Ranjee, do you think you could lend me a camcorder for a couple of
days?" |
| “Daisy
mats’a et ha ganav she nahag lignov me ha xanut lifnei mispar
xodashim, |
Daisy
had found the thief who was stealing from the shop a few months’ ago |
| u
mar Ranjee tamid amar she im ey pa’am hi tizdakek le mashehu,
bevakasha she tifne elav. |
and
Mr. Ranjee had always said that if ever she needed something, please to
come and ask for it. |
| “Bevaday,
gveret Hamilton, at omeret she at rotsa sug she po’el ba
xoshex, |
"Of
course, Miss Hamilton. You say you want one that works in the dark. |
| ken,
kxi et ze. At yoda’at eix lehishtamesh bo? Tni
li lehar’ot lax”. |
Mm
- take this. Do you know how to use it? Let me show you." |
| Mar
Ranjee bila et xatsi ha sha’a ha ba’a be lelamed et Daisy kama
taxsisim bsisiyim shel maxshir ha tsilum-haklata. |
Mr.
Ranjee spent the next half hour teaching Daisy some elementary camcorder
tricks. |
| Daisy
hexlita lalexet la bayit shel Pam be oto erev
be-erex be eser, ka’asher be’amtaxta maxshir ha tsilum, kolel
ha kisuy shelo ke-neged geshem. |
Daisy
decided to go around to Pam’s house at about ten that evening armed
with the camcorder and its rain-proof covering. |
| Hayta
la gam mashrokit be xisa, ve
xatif shokolad kedey leha’avir et ha zman. |
She
also had a whistle in her pocket and a Mars bar to while away the time. |
| “Oy
lo, mat’xil laredet geshem”, amra Daisy le
atsma. |
"Oh
no! It’s beginning to rain," Daisy exclaimed to herself. |
| Be
xol pa’am she hayta la avoda ba layla, tamid, lelo yotse min ha
klal, yarad geshem. |
Whenever
she had a job on at night it invariably rained. |
| Le
marbe ha mazal, ha pa’am hi hevi’a ita me’il geshem mi
plastik im bardas. |
Fortunately,
this time, she had brought a plastic mac and hood with her. |
| Be
sha’a zu ba layla hayu me’at anashim ba-sviva. |
At
that time of night there were few people around. |
| Pam
hisbira la she hi gara be vikta yeshana, ve she xadar ha
sheina shela haya me’axorey ha bayit, ve pana el ha gina. |
Pam
had explained that she lived in an old cottage, and that her bedroom was
round the back facing the garden. |
| Ka’asher
Daisy highi’a, hi halxa el me’axorey ha bikta, tipsa me’al ha
gader ha nemuxa |
When
Daisy arrived, she went to the back of the cottage, climbed over the low
fence |
| ve
ra’ata she hayta sham sxaxa re’u’a be taxtit ha gina. |
and
saw there was a tumble-down tool shed at the bottom of the garden. |
| “Sham
ani etxabe ve axake la mifletset. |
"That’s
where I’ll hide and wait for that monster. |
| Eix
hu me’ez lifgo’a be Pam ha yekara”, xashva Daisy. |
How
dare he try to hurt dear Pam," thought Daisy. |
| Ka’asher
hayta be-tox ha maxsan sham’a Daisy she mashehu, ulay atsits,
nofel al ha adama. |
Once
inside the shed Daisy heard something like a flower-pot fall to the
ground outside |
| Hi
hitkofefa kedey she lo yir’u ota derex ha xalon ha katan ve ha
meluxlax. |
and
crouched down so that she couldn’t be seen through the small dirty
window. |
| Kefi
ha nir’e’ zu hayta nekudat mifgash le xatulim, ki hi sham’a yelala
shel xatul. |
Apparently
it was a meeting-place for cats, for she heard miaowing. |
| “Be-hexlet,
im ba’ala le-she-avar shel Pam rotse laxazor al ha ma’ase ha kodem
shelo, keday she etpater me ha xatulim ha’ele kedey she hem lo yavrixu
oto. |
"Certainly
if Pam’s ex-husband wants to repeat his previous performance, I’d
better get rid of those cats so he’s not scared off." |
| Hi
patxa et delet ha maxsan be xashash, ve zarka na’al
yeshana she mats’a bifnim el-ever ha xatulim’ she ne’elmu
bi-mhirut. |
She
opened the shed door warily and threw an old shoe she had found inside
at the cats, who hastily vanished. |
| Ka’et
shuv haya ha kol shaket. |
Now
everything was quiet again. |
| Ka’avor
sha’atayim, Daisy, she hayta nuksha me’od mi ha laxut ve ha
kor, hitromema mi ha kise ha kalu’a she’alav yashva. |
Two
hours later Daisy, very stiff from the damp and cold, got up from the
ancient wicker chair she had been sitting on. |
| “Lo
uxal lehaxzik ma’amad od harbe zman” hi ne’enxa. |
"I
can’t stand it much longer" she moaned to herself. |
| Ve
az nidme haya la she hi shoma’at et ha raxash shel magafey gumi
medashdeshim ba alva ha svuxa. |
Then
she thought she heard the noise of Wellington boots sloshing through the
damp foliage. |
| Mishehu
hitganev el-ever ha bayit. |
Someone
was creeping towards the house. |
| Zro’oteha
shel Daisy ka’avu biglal xoser ha tnu’a she nixpa aleha,
ve hi kim’at hipila et maxshir ha haklata. |
Daisy’s
arms ached because of the enforced inaction and she nearly dropped the
camcorder. |
| Hi
hishila et na’aleha ve yats’a ha xutsa derex
delet ha maxsan she hayta ptuxa le-me-xetsa. |
She
stepped out of her shoes and slipped out of the partially-open shed
door. |
| Be
oto rega avra mexonit, she oroteha he’iru ve
Daisy yaxla lir’ot be-verur |
At
that very moment a car passed by with its lights fully on and Daisy
could see quite clearly: |
| et
ba’ala shel Pam ha meragel axareha derex xalon
xadar ha shena. |
Pam’s
husband was spying into her bedroom window. |
| Daisy
hitslixa lif’ol bi-mhirut ve hidlika et maxshir ha
haklata. |
Daisy
managed to act quickly and turned the camcorder on. |
| Ka’et
haya rak tiftuf. |
It
was only drizzling now. |
| Ba’ala
shel Pam hit’xil lits’ok derex ha xalon el-ever
ishto le-she-avar, ve iyem aleha. |
Pam’s
husband began shouting through the window at his ex-wife and threatening
her. |
| Daisy
hisrita et ha stsena ve hiklita et ha milim ha
me’aymot. |
Daisy
was filming the scene and recording all the menacing words. |
| Pit’om,
ha seret hishmi’a raxash muzar. |
Suddenly
the camcorder made a strange whirring sound. |
| “Ulay
ha seret nitka?”, nivhala Daisy. |
"Maybe
the tape’s blocked!" panicked Daisy. |
| Hi
nista lexabot oto ax laxatsa al kaftor lo naxon ve ha raxash ha muzar
hitgaber. |
She
tried to turn it off but pushed the wrong button and the whirring sound
increased. |
| Be
shalav ze xash be xax ba’ala shel Pam ve histovev be xa’as. |
At
this point Pam’s ex-husband became aware of it and turned round
furiously. |
| Hu
hevin she mishehu tsofe bo ve kilel be xarifut. |
He
realized someone was watching him and swore profusely. |
| Ve
az hu hitkadem el- ever Daisy, ke-ilu be xavanato lehakot
ota. |
Then
he made towards Daisy as though to hit her. |
| Ha
maxshava ha rishona shel Daisy hayta lehagen al maxshir ha haklata be
gufa, hi soveva et gabaa klapav ve hitxila
lits’ok. |
Daisy’s
first thought was to protect the camcorder with her body, she turned her
back on him and started yelling. |
| Nidme
haya la she ha tse’akot shela nimshexu la netsax. |
It
seemed to her that her yelling lasted an eternity. |
| Pit’om,
he’ir or shel panas xazak al shneyhem. |
Suddenly
a strong torch light shone on both of them. |
|
“Ma
kore kan?” |
"What’s
going on here?" |
| Zu
hayta shoteret, she nir’ata nexusha me’od. |
It
was a police-woman, looking very determined. |
| “Ra’iti
otxa metapes me-ever la gader”, hi kivna el-ever ha ish et or
ha panas shela. |
"I
saw you climbing over the fence," indicating the man with
the light of her torch |
| “Bo’u
be-sheket, shneyxem. |
"Come
quietly, both of you. |
| Ani
oseret etxem al hasagat gvul ve...” |
I'm
arresting you for trespassing and ..." |
| Bi-diyuk
ba rega haze Pam hofi’a be xalon xadar ha shena shela, patxa
oto ve hibita ha xutsa. |
Just
at this moment Pam appeared at her bedroom window, opened it and looked
out. |
| “Shoteret,
shoteret, ha ish haze be-hexlet masig gvul, aval ha isha ha
tse’ira hi xavera sheli.” |
"Officer,
officer. That man is certainly trespassing, but the young lady is my
friend." |
| Ba’ala
le-she-avar shel Pam nilkax mi sham ba rega she ha shutaf
shel ha shoteret higi’a la makom, ve Daisy huzmena el
tox ha bikta kedey lehitnakot ve lishtot sefel kakau xam. |
Pam’s
ex-husband was taken away as soon as the constable’s colleague
appeared and Daisy was invited inside the cottage to clean up and have a
hot cup of cocoa. |
|
“Ze
haya mazal”, amra Daisy, |
"Well,
that was a bit of luck." said Daisy. |
| "she
yaxolti letsalem oto mistakel derex ha xalon shelax ba layla
ve she ha mishtara hayta eda le xol ha eru’a. |
"To
be able to film him looking in your window at night and have the whole
scene witnessed by the police. |
| Eineni
xoshevet she yihiyu lax od be’ayot mi tsido shel Jim!” |
I
don’t think you’ll be having any more trouble from Jim!" |
| Le
moxorat, be-erex be sha’a axat-esre, higi’a Daisy le misrada ve
mats’a zer praxim ra’anan be tsintsenet al shulxan ha ktiva
shela. |
Next
morning at about eleven Daisy arrived in her office to find a fresh
bunch of flowers in a vase, on her desk. |
| Al-yado
haya petek katan, she nixtav be iparon. |
Nearby
was a little note written in pencil. |
| “Toda
Daisy. Shuv toda, Pam. |
"Thanks
Daisy, thanks again. Pam. |
| Nun.Bet.,
samti tsintsenet shel ribat shezifim yerukim ba mekarer
shelax.” |
P.S.
I’ve put a pot of homemade greengage jam in your fridge." |
LONWEB PARALLEL TEXTS
