Fantoma din Canterville. The Canterville Ghostcdn4.libris.ro/userdocspdf/775/Fantoma din...
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The Canterville GhostOscar Wilde
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Fantoma din CantervilleOscar Wilde
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WILDE, OSCARFantoma din Canterville' The Canterville Ghost /
Oscar Wilde; Rad.: Laura Frunzi - Bucuregti: Lrtera,2076
ISBN 978-506-33-777 2-7
I. Frunzi, Laura (trad.)
827.777(94)-37=735.7
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OSCAR WILDEFantoma din Canterville
The Canterville Ghost
*e
I
Cind domnul Hiram B. Otis, ministrul americanr,
a cumpirat Canterville Chase, toati lumea i-a spus ciface o mare nerozie, intrucit nu exista nici o indoiali
ci locul era bintuit. Ba mai mult, lordul Canterville
insugi, un birbat care preguia onoarea pAni la pedanterie,
simgise de datoria lui si-i mentioneze acest lucru dom-
nului Otis atunci cAnd se intAlniseri Pentru a discuta
termenii :uanzac\ieL
-Noi n-am mai vrut si locuim acolo, i-a spus lordul
Canterville, de cind strimituga mea, ducesa mogteni-
toare de Bolton, a fbcut o crizl de isterie din care nu gi-a
mai revenit niciodatl dupi ce doui miini scheletice
au inspiimintat-o de moarte cAnd i s-au agezat pe umeri
in timp ce se imbrica pentru cini. Mi v1d obligat si-gi
spun, domnule Otis, ci stafia a fost vizuti de mai mulgi
membri in viaEi ai familiei mele, precum ;i de preotul
nostru paroh, reverendul Augustus Dampier, profesor la
King's College din Cambridge. Dupi nefericitul incident
cu ducesa, nici unul dintre servitorii nogtri mai tineri
n-a vrut si mai lucreze la noi, iar lady Canterville n-a mai
reugit si doarmi bine noaptea din cauza zgomotelor
misterioase care se avzeau de pe coridor 9i din biblioteci.
1 Ambasadorul era numit la vremea respectivi ministru. (n.led.)
I
\7hen Mr. Hiram B. Otis, the American Minister,bought Canterville Chase, every one told him he was do-
ing a very foolish thing, as there was no doubt at all that
the place was haunted. Indeed, Lord Canterville himself,
who was a man of the most punctilious honour, had felt
it his duty to mention the fact to Mr. Otis when they
came to discuss terms.
"\7e have not cared to live in the place ourselves," said
Lord Canterville, "since my grandaunt, the Dowager
Duchess of Bolton, was frightened into a fit, from which
she never really recovered, by rwo skeleton hands being
placed on her shoulders as she was dressing for dinner,
and I feel bound to tell you, Mr. Otis, that the ghost has
been seen by several living members of my family, as well
as by the rector of the parish, the Rev. Augustus Dampier,
who is a Fellow of King's College, Cambridge. After the
unfortunate accident to the Duchess, none of our young-
er servants would stay with us, and Lady Cantervilleoften got very little sleep at night, in consequence ofthemysterious noises that came from the corridor and
the library."
Fantoma din Canteruille
-Lord Canterville, a rispuns ministrul, voi evalua
mobila;i stafia. Eu vin dintr-o gari moderni, unde avem
tot ce se poate cumplra cu bani; 9i, cu togi tinerii igtia
energici care vin de la noi ln Lumea Veche, igi fac de cap
9i vI furl cei mai buni actori gi cele mai bune soliste de
operi, sunt sigur cL, dacl' ar fi existat o staffe in Europa,
ar fi inchis-o imediat intr-unul dintre muzeele noastre
publice sau ar fi plimbat-o din loc in loc cu circul.
- MI tem ci stafia existi, a sPus lordul Canterville
zimbind, si cred ci a respins propunerile afacerigtilor
vogtri intreprinzitori, cici igi duce traiul aici de peste trei
secole, din 1584, de fapt, si intotdeauna igi face aparigia
inainte de moartea unui membru al familiei noastre.
- Pii, daci e s-o luim aga, 9i medicul de familie face
la fel, lord Canterville. Dar domnule, insist ci nu existi
fantome gi nu cred ci legile naturii se suspendi Pentru
aristocragia britanici.
- Cu sigurangi ci suntegi foarte naturali, voi, ameri-
canii, a rispuns lordul Canterville, care nu ingelesese prea
bine ultima remarcS. a domnului Otis, gi, daci nu videranjeazl,si avegi o stafie tn casi, nu-i nici o problemi.
Dar gine minte ci eu te-am avertizat!
7be Canteruille Ghost
"My Lord," answered the Minister, "I will take the
furniture and the ghost at a valuation. I come from amodern country, where we have everything that money
can buy; and with all our spry young fellows painting the
Old World red, and carrying offyour best actresses and
prima-donnas, I reckon that if there were such a thing as
a ghost in Europe, we'd have it at home in a very short
time in one of our public museums, or on the road as a
show."
"I fear that the ghost exists," said Lord Canterville,
smiling, "though it may have resisted the overtures ofyour enterprising impresarios. It has been well known forthree centuries, since l5B4 in fact, and always makes
its appearance before the death of any member ofour family."
"\7ell, so does the family doctor for that matter, Lord
Canterville. But there is no such thing, sir, as a ghost, and
I guess the laws of Nature are not going to be suspended
for the British aristocracy."
"You are certainly very natural in America," answered
Lord Canterville, who did not quite understand Mr.Otis's last observation, "and if you dont mind a ghost inthe house, it is all right. Only you must remember
I warned you."