Page 126 - Orwell, George - Nineteen eighty-four -bilingüe [pdf]
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that by pure chance she should have happened to be oscura a varios kilómetros de distancia de todos los
walking on the same evening up the same obscure barrios habitados por los miembros del Partido. Era
backstreet, kilometres distant from any quarter una coincidencia demasiado grande. Que fuera una
where Party members lived. It was too great a agente de la Policía del Pensamiento o sólo una
coincidence. Whether she was really an agent of the espía aficionada que actuase por oficiosidad, poco
Thought Police, or simply an amateur spy actuated importaba. Bastaba con que estuviera viéndolo.
by officiousness, hardly mattered. It was enough that Probablemente, lo había visto también en la
she was watching him. Probably she had seen him taberna.
go into the pub as well.
It was an effort to walk. The lump of glass in his Le costaba gran trabajo andar. El pisapapeles de
pocket banged against his thigh at each step, and he cristal que llevaba en el bolsillo le golpeaba el
was half minded to take it out and throw it away. muslo a cada paso y estuvo tentado de arrojarlo
The worst thing was the pain in his belly. For a muy lejos. Lo peor era que le dolía el vientre. Por
couple of minutes he had the feeling that he would unos instantes tuvo la seguridad de que se moriría
die if he did not reach a lavatory soon. But there si no encontraba en seguida un retrete público, Pero
would be no public lavatories in a quarter like this. en un barrio como aquél no había tales
Then the spasm passed, leaving a dull ache behind. comodidades. Afortunadamente, se le pasaron esas
angustias quedándole sólo un sordo dolor.
The street was a blind alley. Winston halted, stood La calle no tenía salida. Winston se detuvo,
for several seconds wondering vaguely what to do, preguntándose qué haría. Mas hizo lo único que le
then turned round and began to retrace his steps. As era posible, volver a recorrería hasta la salida. Sólo
he turned it occurred to him that the girl had only hacía tres minutos que la joven se había cruzado
passed him three minutes ago and that by running he con él, y si corría, podría alcanzarla. Podría
could probably catch up with her. He could keep on seguirla hasta algún sitio solitario y romperle allí el
her track till they were in some quiet place, and then cráneo con una piedra. Le bastaría con el
smash her skull in with a cobblestone. The piece of pisapapeles. Pero abandonó en seguida esta idea, ya
glass in his pocket would be heavy enough for the que le era intolerable realizar un esfuerzo físico. No
job. But he abandoned the idea immediately, because podía correr ni dar el golpe. Además, la muchacha
even the thought of making any physical effort was era joven y vigorosa y se defendería bien. Se le
unbearable. He could not run, he could not strike a ocurrió también acudir al Centro Comunal y estarse
blow. Besides, she was young and lusty and would allí hasta que cerraran para tener una coartada de su
defend herself. He thought also of hurrying to the empleo del tiempo durante la tarde. Pero aparte de
Community Centre and staying there till the place que sería sólo una coartada parcial, el proyecto era
closed, so as to establish a partial alibi for the imposible de realizar. Le invadió una mortal
evening. But that too was impossible. A deadly laxitud. Sólo quería llegar a casa pronto y
lassitude had taken hold of him. All he wanted was descansar.
to get home quickly and then sit down and be quiet.
It was after twenty-two hours when he got back to Eran más de las veintidós cuando regresó al piso.
the flat. The lights would be switched off at the main Apagarían las luces a las veintitrés treinta. Entró en
at twenty-three thirty. He went into the kitchen and su cocina y se tragó casi una taza de ginebra de la
swallowed nearly a teacupful of Victory Gin. Then Victoria. Luego se dirigió a la mesita, sentóse y
he went to the table in the alcove, sat down, and took sacó el Diario del cajón. Pero no lo abrió en
the diary out of the drawer. But he did not open it at seguida. En la telepantalla una violenta voz
once. From the telescreen a brassy female voice was femenina cantaba una canción patriótica a grito
squalling a patriotic song. He sat staring at the pelado. Observó la tapa del libro intentando