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- UNIT 38 TRANSLATING DRAMA

Structure

Objectives Introduction Drama : Complex and Multi-dimensional Translating Drama Process of Translating Drama 38.4.1 Search lor the Appropriate 38.4.2 Translating Dialogues Let Us Sum Up Suggested Reading Answers to Exercises

38.0 OBJECTIVES

If you read this Unit carefuly, you will be abie to : describe how drama is different from other ; define the relation between drama and : outline the problems of translating drama; learn some techniques of translating

38.1 INTRODUCTION

In the first Unit of this Block, we discussed some general problems of translating literary texts. In the previous Unit we took up the specific case of translating fiction. ' Now let us turn to another literary genre : drama. First of all, we shall discuss how drama is different from other literary genres and briefly analyse the relationship between drama and theatre. This will give us an idea of the different problems that may arise while translating drama. We shall also briefly outline the need for translating drama. This is the background against which we will take up the actual process of translating drama. With the help of exercises, we hope to give you some practice in drama . As you know, it is only with practice that we are able to gain proficiency in translation. As we have already told you in the previous Unit. we cannot take up the translation of a passage out of its overall . To be aware of that, we must read the whole text first. However, due to lack of time and space,we are unable to give you any complete and have only selected excerpts. In any case, we hope you will read these plays in their complete form subsequently.

38.2 DRAMA : COMPLEX AND MULTI- DIMENSIONAL GENRE

Drama, and the are the different genres or kinds of . Drama can be said to be the most complex and multidimensional of these genres. Why? Drama is a complex form because it is not simply meant to be read like poetry or the novel but is written for production in the theatre. Do we simply try to translate the written text? Or do we try to translate the text keeping in mind its playability? Can we separate these two aspects? It is these questions that make a translator's task so complex. It is multi-dimensional because it incorporates other literary genres such as poetry and forms of the fine arts like music. But when we talk about the inclusion of these forms. we are talking of drama in its complete form-from its script to the theatre production. A story, poem or novel is written for a readership and the poet or is free to give rein to his/her imagination. taking liberties with time and space. But a dramatist has to write for an audience and has to keep in mind the basic principles of stagecraft; the use of time and place, the creation of characters, use of dialogue, of , facial expressions costumes, scenery and so on. In short, dialogue is delivered in a particular time and place and highlights the situation u>r modifies it. It also reveals the dynamics of the relationships between characters. But dialogue itself derives its full significance within ihe total contexts of the play. Therefore, in a play, it is not just the linguistic element that is important but also the extra-linguistic situation.

The complexity of the problem can be gauged from the fact that the same play with the same actors and the same director can be applauded on one day and criticized the next. However, we would like to point out that our concern in this unit is not with theatre or theatrical production. By highlighting this dimension of drama we Could like you to be aware that the 'written word' in drama is different from the Cithen word a novel or poem. And if we keep this aspect in mind, we will more become sensitive to translating drama.

I $8.3 TRANSLATING DRAMA

We have already discussed the translation of drama from English to Hindi in Unit 26. In this Unit, we will further reinforce what you learnt in the earlier but here our focus will be on translating from Hindi to English. In this section, let us briefly discuss the eleqents of a drama script and the need for translating drama.

What ue the elements of a drama-script? As we know, a drama script is the written form of a play. It consists of certain dements-theme, characters and dialogues. In a play, all these elements are inseparable and it is only for purposes of analysis that we can use these categories. The theme of the play develops through the actions and conversations of the characters. The of the monologues, dialogues or conversation of the characters is called theatrical language. This theatrical language has several functions-it develops the action of the plot, tells us about events that take place offstage, reveal the characters' dominant traits. It operates not simply through the spoken word but also by the use of tone of voice, facial expression or gesture. L What kinds of plays? I As we know, there are historical plays, comedie;, tragedies, religious plays, street- plays and one-act plays. Radio and TV plays are different as they are produced I through a different medium. In a radio play, the focus is on listening-the translator will have to determine how his/her play will appeal to the 'ears' of the listeners. For a TV play, the translator must visualize the play through the lens of the camera. A knowledge of the medium is a must for any translator of a radio or TV play.

Translation or Transformation? Ro we translate or transform a drama-script? If we think minutely, we transform qther than translate. But then this is also true of the transformation of any story or novel. Because it is not only the language that we translate. We try to make the personalities of the characters come alive in the translated version. We transform the idiomatic dialogue of the SL into the TL. The of one language has to be reproduced in another language and its specific nature kept intact. All this is equally trDe for a poem or a novel. In drama, however, the translator has the added problem 01 reproducing the 'playability' of the original into the TL. As we know a play is written for performance and it has certain specific features which make it performable. We are not referring simply to stage-directions but to certain in-built sttuctures in the play itself. The translator has to grasp these and then transform them into the TL.Let us look at and compare the two translated versions of Vijay Tendulkar's play Chashiram Kotwal. Both these versic~nshave been translated from the Marathi original directly. Hindi Version*

English Version Twelve men standing in a line, sing, Ganapati comes in.

ALL (swaying to andjro). Ganapati dances the Ganapati dance, Brahmans of Poona bow and prance, (Repeat.) Pious Brahmans, Keep on dancing, Holy Ganapati, Keep on dancing. Now let the drum beat! Now let the drama heat! Heaven, hell and earth complete! Heaven, hell and earth complete! Saraswati-devi, Goddess of wisdom. Translated by Jayant Karve & Eleanor Zelliot

Why do we need drama ? If we translate world classics into Hindi or one of the Modern Indian , the non-English speaking readership will have access to the masterpieces of . But as we know, most people read or poems. People do not generally take up a drama for reading on a train journey. Dramas are meant to be watched in a theatre or viewed on television. Dramas may also be translated for anthologies or complete works. For example, we may have a collection of the works of . the Greek dramatist. If these texts are translated without keeping 'performance' in mind, we will find that the main focus is on linguistic fidelity that is faithfuless to the language of the original. If dramas are translated for production, the extra-linguistic criteria has also to be kept in mind. Here lies the difficulty. Sometimes the translation is too literal and sounds 'bookish' and unperformable or is so free that the original can hardly be recognized.

While translating a play we have to keep in mind the following : Aspects of Translating Drama the potential audience cultural symbols r names of characters and places Translating Drama historical context I the use of language playability Potential Audience Who is the play being translated for? A production for a slum-dwelling audience, a rural audience or an elite audience in a metropolitan-city, will be different. This will, to some extent, dictate the theatrical conventions that will be adopted. For example, a translation for a Marathi audience will make use of the conventions of Marathi theatre. This is done because of the expectations of the audience. If they recognize something familiar (their own theatrical conventions in this case) their delight in the performance increases. For example, try to recollect your own delight at recognizing a familiar tune from a favourite . Let us give you another example discussed by Susan Bassnett-McGuire in her book . She tells us how the first performance of a translated version of the French playwright Racine's Andromache failed on the British stage. Some years later, Philip's version was a great success. What did Philips do? He made several additions, shortened it in places, added and even scenes keeping in mind the expectations of his English audience. Thus, the translator must cater to the expectations of the audience and the conventions that they are familiar with. Cultural Symbols The cultural symbols will also have to be adopted in a similar manner. For example, while white garments signify mourning in Hindi culture, they are symbolic of purity and worn at weddings in Christian ceremonies. A bride wearing white in a Hindi version of a play will appear a widow to our audiences. Names of Characters and Places While adapting a play to a different cultural context; sometimes the names of oharacters and places are changed. 'Michael' can become 'Mohammed' and 'John', ! 'Jeevan'. I Let us look at an excerpt from Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice Portia-Why doth the Jew pause? take thy forfeiture. Shylock--Give me my principal, and let me go. Bassanio--I have it ready for thee; here it is. Portia-He hath refus's it in the open court; He shall have merely justice, and his bond. Gratiaro-A Deniel, still say I! a second Daniel!- I thank the, Jew, for teaching me that word. Shylock-Shall I not have barely my principal? Portia-Thou shall have nothing but the forfeiture. To be so taken at thy peril, Jew. Shylock-Why, then the devil give him good of its! I'll stay no longer question. In Bharatendu Harish Chander's translation, the title changes to 'm and also how the names have been changed from Portia to HPrff and Shylock to - Literary Translation

A play set in eighteenth century can be adapted to the contemporary Indian context. Let us look at an example from Racine's play Phaedra. Phaedra is one of the most powerful women characters ever created. The play is about Phaedraes fatal and incestuous passion for her own stepson Hippolytus. In this scene she confesses her secret to her maid. We are not giving you the scene in the original French but two translated versions. Tony Harrison does not give any references to Greece where the original is set but transfers it to colonial lndia where Phaedra is simply the 'Memsahib' and the Nurse Oenone is 'Ayah'. On the other hand, Lowell retains the Greek context. Phaedra : Remorseless Aphrodite drives me, 1, my race's last and worst live-victim, die. Oenone : Are you in love? Phaedra : l am in love? Oenone : Who is he? I Phaedra : I'll tell you, Nothing love can do could equal... Nurse, 1 am in love. , The shame. Kill me. 1 love the... Do not ask his name. Oenone : Who? Phaedra : Nurse, you know my old loathing of Theseus and the barborous Amazon? Oenone : Hippolytus? My God, Oh my God! Phaedra : You, not 1, have named him. (Robert Lovell) Memsahib : Its 'lndia' Your cruel gods athirst for victims. Me the last and most accused! Ayah : (truth dawning) Not love? Memsahib : Love. Like fever. Hyab : Memsahib, whom? Memsahib : Prepare to bear witness to the hand of doom. 1 love ... 1 love... 1 love ... You know the one. 1 seemed to hate so much ... the Rajput's son... Ayah : Thomas Theophilus? The half-breed! Shame! Memsahib : 1 couldn't bring myself to speak his name. (Tony Harrison) The language can either be standard or a dialect depending upon the character. The may have to borrow from more than one language. We have discussed this in 36.3. A play is seen as well as heard. As a play is seen we have to keep in mind its visual elements; setting, costumes, the movements of actors, their gestures and expressions. And as a play is also heard the dialogue must have the necessary , intonation, voice modulations, speed of delivery and pauses. How these elements are to be incorporated in the TL will depend a lot on the sensitivity and creativity of the translator. Sometimes of course no such changes may be made. For instance, most plays of Kalidas and Shakespeare are translated with close fidelity to the original. On the other hand, the plays of Brecht have been freely adapted to the Indian context, with characters bearing Indian names and sp on.

Exercise I a) Why is drama a complex and multidimensional genre? Explain in about 50-60 words. Translating Drama

b) How is drama translation different from translating a story? (about 50 words) ......

C) If YOU were asked to translate an English play for a Bengali slum-dwelling audience, what points would you keep in mind?

38.4 ' PROCESS OF TRANSLATING DRAMA

What are the requirements of a translator of drama? Think about it and write down your opinion in the following lines:

Don't you think that the primary requirement of any translator is proficiency in both rhe SL and TL? S/he should also be well-informed about the relationship between drama and theatre. One is not merely translating drama from one language to bnothcr but also transforming the cultural and historical context as well as the dramatic conventions from the SL into the TL.

bow do we begin? 'The first step would be to understand the play by reading it as often as necessary. heaim of this exercise is to understand the content, the characters, their personalities, the way they speak and react and the nature of their relationships with tach other. What kind of society is being portrayed, what are the values depicted? 'These details must be taken down along with details of cultural traits, food habits, costumes and settine. Literary Translation Once the play has been grasped in its entirety, we can take up its translation scene by scene. Even though we can only translate the text scene by scene we must do so keeping in mind its relevance within the context of the whole play. While translating. it may be useful to take Robert Corrigan's advice that the translator must at all ! times hear the voice that speaks and take into account the 'gesture' of the language, 1 the cadence, rhythm and pauses that occur when the written text is spoken. After the first draft has been prepared, it can be read aloud to check for flow and readability. How will we know if it is a 'good' translation? If it seems that it is a translated version, then we know that we have either been too literal or else have slipped in some respect. If our translated version reads as if it was originally written in that language, we know we have succeeded. But have we deviated completely from the original? We must be careful to maintain a balance between literal and free translation as also between the scenes, characters and speeches of the original. Let us now take up some specific problems. 38.4.1 Search for the Appropriate Word 1 When we sit down to translate, we face the problem of finding the appropriate word. 1 Each word in the dialogue is there for a specific purpose and we cannot ignore a , I word that we cannot find an equivalent for. Moreover, sometimes the words in dialogues are placed in such a way that they have to be taken in their literal sense. At times, they express a mental state, a mood and sometimes suggest a situation by their very tone or rhythm. Therefore the appropriate word can only be found in relation to its context. Of course consulting a is the most obvious solution. But even sometimes prove inadequate because some words assume certain connotations which only become clear if taken in the context in which they occur. Let us try and understand this problem with the help of some examples :

Example 1

This is a passage from Mohan Rakesh's play "Aashad Ka Ek Din". The passage depicts two characters, both king's men, who have come from Uijain to a village where the great poet Kalidas lives. In this passage, there is a word v.You know the type of v that we use in our villages. How do we translate this into English? Can we use "stove" for w.If we consult a dictionary,-we will find the following meanings of stove: 1) Close apparatus in which heat is produced by combustion of he1 or electricity for use in warming rooms, cooking etc. (Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary of Current English). 2) F&, m, I (Chambers English-Hindi Dictionary)

As you know, is not used in and hence the equivalent word does not exist in English. Similary, is a unknown in the West and hence no such word can be found in English. In our village we also have the practice of ** dhm which Mulk Raj Anand, the famous Indian novelist has translated as "treating the floor with cow dilng". To go back to our immediate problem of translating v.We can use the word "Chulha" and give an explanation in brackets such as (a hearth or stove fixed on the ground and made of bricks and baked soil. It uses firewood or dung.cakes for fuel. The pot is placed on top for cooking). Do you think, 'chulha' will make sense to an English speaking audience? While in a novel 'chulha' could have been used, in drama we have no but to used the word 'stove' and give the explanation in brackets. Mulk Raj Anand in his novel Untouchable refers to it first as 'to light a fire between two bricks'. A few lines later he calls it 'little stove'. i Example 2 Translating Drama Look at the following dialogues paying special attention to the emphasized words and expressions. Try and translate them in the space provided.

In all three dialogues, we not only find out what one character says but we also get an idea of the situation and the relationship of the characters to each other. This can help us visualize the scene and the translation that results is bound to be a sensitive one. How would you tanslate WVT and WlTCT t?Can WIT be translated as skirt? A skirt, as we know, may be short or long, tight or flared. Consulting a dictionary is not likely to be too helpful. So we may retain the original and explain the actual meaning in brackets.

What about WnT 8?7f;9m 8 means to work wonders so WWf will mean 'how wonderful!' Would this work within the context of the passage? No.The feeling conveyed is that of 'how incredible' rather than 'how wonderful, and it is this exptession that we have to use even though literally incredible means -, We have learnt that it is not always easy to find TL equivalents in the dictionary. Moteover, we have to understand the sense of the word in its overall context and whiQh word is used as appropriate is finally the decision of the translator keeping in mind various textual considerations. Let us now try and do the following exercise:

Exetcise I1 Translate the following passage in the space provided and once you have completed your' translation, turn to 'A,iswers to Exercises'. Here you will be able to compare Literary Translation your translation with that of Paulos and Sharma. It might be well to remember that different versions of the same original are inevitable. So it is not necessary that one version is worse than another. They are just different: 1 pmyF : mmfrmtr?m*mm~ h*l Ffr : (~mmr4~n&W)~mi?;bmtr~3it,a~ rnnf%&8*1d&~4~? gf;BW : ~*l~~~lm+il Ttf : (mvnrs~~~+i37~)rn~~rn*Ww9~~?~dn m43~-~~m~l : (~r~mm)a~3it,@h2t1 Ffr : (m+~mfm*d@)~rnb$?m~oftahd$~ (* m,'w-3-4*') ...... (

38.4.2 Translating Dialogues Let us now take up the specific case of translating dialogues. We already know the importance of dialogues in a play. Each character has his/ her own style of speaking and it is partly through dialogues that a characier's personality emerges. Each character has his/ her own style of delivering dialogues in terms of tone and rhythm. How does one deal with these variations? The first thing to do is to understand the characters and try to visualize them in the society of the TL culture. Let us take up a passage from a famous Hindi play 'Adhe-Adhure' by Mohan Rakesh. The play is about the problems of an. Indian middle-class family. Stree is trying to find a complete man without losing her identity and dignlty as an individual. The men she meets are double-faced and hypocritical. The husband is totally ineffective and does not have money to fulfil the desires of his wife and children. This has strained their relations and the atmosphere at home is extremely tense. In this scene, the married daughter returns to her parents home after a tiff with her husband. She knows that she has inherited her problem from her parents but none of them wants to face the truth. Reading between the lines, you can understand that all the characters are trying to hide something from one another. We are told that Man 1 is about 45, polite, with a satirical expression on his face and wears a shirt and slacks, looks anguished for having lost the battle of life. W = woman, approaching 40, traces of a glamorous youth on a face that is not without passion, wears an ordinary sari and blouse tastefully. OD =Older Daughter; not older than 20, feeling dejected as well as impulsive because of previous unhappy circumstances. This background information will help you understand the passage better. Read both the original and the translated version. em : (w~ikd~A)Ait~&v;r~m~ Translating Drama ytww : W~*WM~W**."I : mm**? p : ~~*,.if~~prm~...~ *m : mW*tl *v :*arttmwwmi *d : wmw*t? (&*ww&A) *v : ww~t,~8m~@l (*&*Fmkr*m&*rn* stmrmtT$l) a?43 : (&*)~*~tmmw*t,m? : **TiT*rn? 3#r : ad$v&~&vm* dl****! dh : *jgjff *wrnw?t$R...~ mv : (*~~JmcF~?lTT*~~ =4T@,itit*m*1 : wmQ+mm3**? ktus now look at the translation by Steven M. Paulos and Ram Nath Sharma: alder Daughter : What's the matter, Daddy? Man 1 : Matter? Nothing. OD : (slightly disturbed) Sure, there's something going on. M 1 : Nothing really important. Your mother was saying something.... OD : What it? M I : I mean she wasn't saying anything. 1 was talking to her .... 01D : About what? M I : About you. OiD : What were you saying about me? (The W comes back) M I : Now that she's back, shell tell you. (as if trying to remove himself from the situation, he steps to one side. OD : (to the W) What was Daddy saying about me, Mama? W : Why don't you ask him? OD : He says you'll tell me and you ask me to ask him. W : Your father wants to find out from you if ..... M I : (Interrupting her) If you're not interested yourself, then let's drop the whole matter. OD : But what's there to know? <.

Qt us now analp how this passage was translated, what has been transformed, what left out or added to the original text. 1) Let us first look at the first response. *v:m?...WiTv**l (SL) M 1 : Matter? Nothing. (TL) You will notice that WiT has been left out in the translated version. Why do you think the translators have done that? Is it that Wl'T is easily spoken and can be mpeated twice, thrice, four times? Is matter more difficult to pronounce? Or is it bttcause of the context in this scene when the character does not want to reveal much aqd just stop short at Nothing? We could also translate it as 'Matter? Nothing's the matter.' In this case, 'matter' is repeated twice and stresses the fact that 'WiT * T@' I But the desire not to reveal anything is encapsulated in the word Nothing. The minimal use of words makes the dialogue racy and crisp. m:(wfk*$)*ititv;r;rml OD : (slightly disturbed) Sure, there's something going on. The girl is suspicious and prods her father to tell her what's going on. Could we have translated this literally as OD : (weakening) Something is certainly the matter. But you will notice that weakening does not convey the sense of the girl's feeling. She inisists that something is wrong and wants to find out what it is. Slightly disturbed is parhaps a better choice of words here. As you must have noticed, translation is not Literary Translation simply a search for equivalent words. It is a process of understanding the text in its entirety, interpreting it and translating it freely rather than literally. Something is certainly the matter can also be an acceptable translation. What we wish to point out is that one can have several translations, all of them correct. The translator has to decide which is the best one that fits into the flow of the dialogue. Flow is certainly a very important consideration. In a novel or , we can read the translated version and find out whether the passage flows smoothly. In poetry we must preferably read aloud to check the and rhythm. Similarly in a dialogue, we must find out if the translated version sounds 'natural' or 'bookish'. Would we speak in ordinary everyday conversation like this or not? 3) In the next line : ~w:w#?%WT~fi~%~@l M 1 : Nothing really important. Your mother was saying something. w 8 becomes Nothing really important. Don't you think Nothing really could also have sufficed? & has also been dropped. WT becomes mother. How would you translate the sentence? Perhaps we could say: a) Your mamma was just saying something. (or) b) Your mamma was saying something now. a) fits in better with 'w #' 4) Let us take up yf;Bw:(*.if#)m~&m*ejm;rrm,?if*ttmdl (a) M 1 : (interrupting her) If you're not interested yourself then lets drop the whole matter. We can also translate this as : (b) M I : (cutting her short) If you don't want to find out yourself, let it be. f (c) M 1 : (interrupting) If you're not interested lets forget it. As you have noticed in (a), the translators have changed into interested and T& 3 W a into let's drop the whole matter. Instead of translating literally, they have used colloquial expressions, that is, expressions used informally in everyday speech. Version (b) is also correct but lacks the punch of version (c). Which version do you think is closest to the original? In terms of sense as well as the number of words used, perhaps versions (a) and (c) have the closest equivalence. We have discussed some of the ways in which we can translate dialogues. Let us now do the following exercise.

Exercise 111 You already know something about the characters of the play 'JTT~W@'. We have given you some dialogues from the same play to translate. Read the complete scene first, try and understand its full implications and then try to translate it. Once you have prepared the first draft, read it aloud to check the flow of the language. If possible, discuss it with someone. As we have pointed out, several versions of the same text are possible. We may translate in one way now, and after an interval we may come up with an entirely different translation. Revisions and re- revisions are inevitable so do be patient while approaching the task. Don't forget to keep a dictionary at hand. yf;Bw yf;Bw : *mm*3b8mvml .Fff : (dk=md~4if)*wrmm*3~ rn*l...in: mh 3ll.h &**41 rniit~~rnmq~ yf;Bw yf;Bw : (GT9k)*m?fimmm? .Fff : &M3wlmzn3mbam1~h?j:f+1-q wlfim1 y-~~~fw3~Raw'~3m~* qal3m*1 *~3ma&ed?islrfflmm7i;i: *ti yf;Byw$f*n9mh*1 Translating Drama Literary Translation

38.5 LET US SUM UP

In this Unit,we have discussed that drama is a complex and multidimensional genre. It is complex because drama is not simply meant to be read like a poem or a novel but is written to be performed. It is multi-dimensional because it borrows from other literary genres and fine arts; while translating drama, the translator has to keep in mind the potential audience, the cultural symbols, the historical and cultural context, the use of language and the 'playability' of the text; the translator of drama must 'see' the scene and 'hear' the voices of the characters in order to come up with a sensitive translation; the search for the appropriate word and translating dialogues are some of the important tasks to be taken up very carefully by the translator of the drama. 38.6 SUGGESTING READING

There is very little material available on translating drama. However, if you find Susan Bassnett McGuire's little book on Translation Studies you will find a brief section on 'Translating Dramatic Texts' very interesting and useful.

38.7 ANSWERS TO EXERCISES

Exercise 1 a) Refer to Section 38.2.

b) Refer to Section 38.2.

c) Refer to Section 38.3 and after thinking carefully about the question frame your response in your own words. Example 1 But this stove should definitely be removed from here. But that would mean removing everything around it. That would take a lot of time. Translating Dnma 1 I Example 2

a) Shiela : Look, here is a 'ghagra' that belonged to my great grandmother. Rita : How incredible! It still looks so new! The 'gota'trimmings arestill shining! b) Mourad : Nur, come let's hear you sing a really good ghazal. Nur : Rut bhai sahib, finish your biryani first. C) Rama Come, tell me please. I don't have to go to sahib with my application? Ramesh What else do you think? Do you expect a job at home? You'll have to run around for months, months, 1 tell you. You'll need to pull many many strings and keep up a stream of visits. Do you think its easy to get a job? Rama : Then 1 don't want such a job! 1 feel so embarrassed giving in my application. How will 1 ever suck up to the boss? First 1 used to laugh at a clerk's job and to think 1 have now to put up with it! Exercise I1 M 1 : So you're back from the office? It looks like you got the bus sooner than usual. W : (Putting the tray back on the table) Is it nice to find no one here when 1 get home from the office? Where were you? M 1 : Nowhere. Just outside in the market. W : (Picking up his pajamas) 1 don't know what goes on in this house. Everyday 1 find loads of things scattered here and there. M 1 : (Stretching out his hand) Here, let me have it. W : (Brushing them off and folding them) Why should I? You should have taken care of it before. Paulos and Sharma

I I Exercise 111 M 1 : 1 was out for just a little while. W : (Busying herself in tidying up other things) Who knows how long you have been out! He will come again today in a little while. Will you be at home then? M 1 : (Stops swinging the chair) Who? Singhania? W : He has to go off somewhere to eat dinner. He'll drop in here for five minutes on his way. (M 1, again with the same sigh starts swinging the chair.) 1 don't like this habit of yours. How many times have 1 told you that. (M 1 takes his hand off the chair.) i M 1 : 1 guess you must have told him to come. I W : Shouldn't I have? After all, he is my boss. M I : Being a boss doesn't mean that- W : How do you know so much? I have to work under him and not you. (M 1 is about to start swinging the chair again but draws his hand back from it suddenly) M 1 : When is he coming? W : 1 don't know. Whenever he happens to be passing by. M 1 : (With an offended voice.) well, that's something! W : People envy me because he's come to my place a couple of times. Today will be the third time. (She puts the scissors, magazines, the pictures in the drawer of the study table. Putting books in a bag, she stands it up straight.) M 1 : So everyone knows that he comes here? W : (With a stiff glance at him.) Why? Is that bad? M 1 : Did 1 say that? Rather. 1 think it is all right. W : 1 understand what you mean. M 1 : It is better for me not to say a word. But if 1 kept quiet- W : Do you really keep quiet? That's not you. (She starts putting her own things away.) M 1 : Did 1 ever say anything when he came here before? W : You were ashamed. You didn't even stay home. M I : There's nothing wrong with that. Can't a man have something to do somewhere else? W : (Busying herself.) It will be the same today. Pa~ilncanrl Charmn