Ernest Miller Hemingway
† 2 липня 1961
† 2 липня 1961
ДУЖЕ КОРОТКЕ ОПОВІДАННЯ*
Одного задушного вечора в Падуї його винесли на дах, звідки він міг дивитись понад будинками міста аж ген у далечінь. У небі шугали стрижі. Невдовзі споночіло, засвітилися прожектори. Всі інші пішли з даху і забрали з собою пляшки. Вони з Люз чули їхні голоси внизу на балконі. Люз сіла на край його ліжка. Вона була прохолодна і свіжа в тій вечірній задусі.
Ось уже три місяці Люз залишалася на нічні чергування. Їй радо це дозволяли. Коли йому мали робити операцію, Люз сама готувала його до неї, і обоє жартували: мовляв, дружба дружбою, а клізма клізмою. Вдихаючи наркоз, він напружив усю свою волю, щоб не вибовкати чогось у хвилини безтямної балакучости. А коли став на милиці, то почав сам розносити по палатах термометри, щоб Люз могла не вставати з ліжка. Пацієнтів у шпиталі було мало, і вони знали про нього та Люз.
Всі вони любили Люз. Повертаючись назад коридорами, він думав про те, що Люз лежить у його ліжку.
Перед тим як він вирушив назад на фронт, вони пішли в Duomo** й помолилися. Там було темно й тихо, і інші люди також молилися. Вони хотіли одружитись, але вже не вистачало часу на церковне оголошення, до того ж ні він, ні вона не мали при собі метрик. Власне, — вони й так вважали себе одруженими, але їм хотілося, щоб усі про це знали й щоб це було навіки.
Люз писала йому багато листів, але він отримав їх тільки після перемир'я. Вони надійшли на фронт цілою пачкою, п'ятнадцять одразу, і він розіклав їх за датами й прочитав підряд. Усі вони були про шпитальні справи, і про те, як вона його кохає, і як не може без нього жити, і як їй бракує його вночі.
Після перемир'я вони домовилися, що він поїде додому і знайде роботу, щоб вони могли одружитись. А Люз повернеться тільки тоді, коли він матиме добру роботу й зможе приїхати в Нью-Йорк зустріти її. Певно ж, у Штатах він не питиме, не зустрічатиметься з давніми друзями і взагалі ні з ким. Єдина мета — це знайти роботу й одружитись. Їдучи поїздом з Падуї до Мілана, вони посварилися через те, що вона не хотіла одразу повертатись додому. На міланському вокзалі, коли настав час прощатися, вони поцілувались, однак це не означало остаточного примирення. Йому було прикро, що вони отак попрощалися.
З Генуї він відплив пароплавом до Америки. Люз повернулась у Пордононе, де мав відкритися новий шпиталь. Там було смутно, йшли дощі, а в місті квартирував батальйон агditі***. Відбуваючи зиму в тому грязькому дощовитому містечку, майор батальйону почав упадати за Люз, а що доти вона ніколи не мала справ з італійцями, то врешті написала до Штатів, що оте їхнє кохання було лише дитячою забавкою. Їй дуже прикро, і хоч вона знає, що він навряд чи зрозуміє її, та, можливо, колись усе пробачить і навіть буде їй вдячний; ну, а вона, цілком несподівано для себе, навесні виходить заміж. Вона любить його, як і раніш, але тепер зрозуміла, що то було в них просто дитяче захоплення. Вона сподівається, що він багато досягне у житті, й непохитно вірить у нього. Вона певна, що так буде тільки краще.
Той майор не одружився з нею ні навесні, ні будь-коли. Люз так і не отримала з Чикаґо відповіді на свій лист про це. Що ж до нього, то він невдовзі заразився гонореєю від продавчині з однієї крамниці, катаючись з нею в таксі по Лінкольн-Парку.
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* В основі оповідання - стосунки Ернеста Гемінґвея з медсестрою Agnes von Kurowsky. Вперше оповідання побачило світ 1924 року. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Very_Short_Story Медсестра Agnes стала прототипом героїні роману "Прощавай, зброє!".
* В основі оповідання - стосунки Ернеста Гемінґвея з медсестрою Agnes von Kurowsky. Вперше оповідання побачило світ 1924 року. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Very_Short_Story Медсестра Agnes стала прототипом героїні роману "Прощавай, зброє!".
** Собор.
*** Аrditi («відважні, сміливці») - штурмові підрозділи в італійській армії, що з'явилися під час Першої світової війни.
Усі знимки - 1918 року.
Ориґінал:
A Very Short Story by Ernest Hemingway
One hot evening in Padua they carried him up onto the roof and he could look out over the top
of the town. There were chimney swifts in the sky. After a while it got dark and the searchlights
came out. The others went down and took the bottles with them. He and Luz could hear them
below on the balcony. Luz sat on the bed. She was cool and fresh in the hot night.
of the town. There were chimney swifts in the sky. After a while it got dark and the searchlights
came out. The others went down and took the bottles with them. He and Luz could hear them
below on the balcony. Luz sat on the bed. She was cool and fresh in the hot night.
Luz stayed on night duty for three months. They were glad to let her. When they operated on
him she prepared him for the operating table; and they had a joke about friend or enema. He
went under the anaesthetic holding tight on to himself so he would not blab about anything
during the silly, talky time. After he got on crutches he used to take the temperatures so Luz
would not have to get up from the bed. There were only a few patients, and they all knew about
it. They all liked Luz. As he walked back along the halls he thought of Luz in his bed.
him she prepared him for the operating table; and they had a joke about friend or enema. He
went under the anaesthetic holding tight on to himself so he would not blab about anything
during the silly, talky time. After he got on crutches he used to take the temperatures so Luz
would not have to get up from the bed. There were only a few patients, and they all knew about
it. They all liked Luz. As he walked back along the halls he thought of Luz in his bed.
Before he went back to the front they went into the Duomo and prayed. It was dim and quiet,
and there were other people praying. They wanted to get married, but there was not enough
time for the banns, and neither of them had birth certificates. They felt as though they were
married, but they wanted everyone to know about it, and to make it so they could not lose it.
and there were other people praying. They wanted to get married, but there was not enough
time for the banns, and neither of them had birth certificates. They felt as though they were
married, but they wanted everyone to know about it, and to make it so they could not lose it.
Luz wrote him many letters that he never got until after the armistice. Lifteen came in a bunch
to the front and he sorted them by the dates and read them all straight through. They were all
about the hospital, and how much she loved him and how it was impossible to get along
without him and how terrible it was missing him at night.
to the front and he sorted them by the dates and read them all straight through. They were all
about the hospital, and how much she loved him and how it was impossible to get along
without him and how terrible it was missing him at night.
After the armistice they agreed he should go home to get a job so they might be married. Luz
would not come home until he had a good job and could come to New York to meet her. It was
understood he would not drink, and he did not want to see his friends or anyone in the States.
Only to get a job and be married. On the train from Padua to Milan they quarreled about her not
being willing to come home at once. When they had to say good-bye, in the station at Milan,
they kissed good-bye, but were not finished with the quarrel. He felt sick about saying good-
bye like that.
would not come home until he had a good job and could come to New York to meet her. It was
understood he would not drink, and he did not want to see his friends or anyone in the States.
Only to get a job and be married. On the train from Padua to Milan they quarreled about her not
being willing to come home at once. When they had to say good-bye, in the station at Milan,
they kissed good-bye, but were not finished with the quarrel. He felt sick about saying good-
bye like that.
He went to America on a boat from Genoa. Luz went back to Pordonone to open a hospital. It
was lonely and rainy there, and there was a battalion of arditi quartered in the town. Living in
the muddy, rainy town in the winter, the major of the battalion made love to Luz, and she had
never known Italians before, and finally wrote to the States that theirs had only been a boy and
girl affair. She was sorry, and she knew he would probably not be able to understand, but might
some day forgive her, and be grateful to her, and she expected, absolutely unexpectedly, to be
married in the spring. She loved him as always, but she realized now it was only a boy and girl
love. She hoped he would have a great career, and believed in him absolutely. She knew it was
for the best.
was lonely and rainy there, and there was a battalion of arditi quartered in the town. Living in
the muddy, rainy town in the winter, the major of the battalion made love to Luz, and she had
never known Italians before, and finally wrote to the States that theirs had only been a boy and
girl affair. She was sorry, and she knew he would probably not be able to understand, but might
some day forgive her, and be grateful to her, and she expected, absolutely unexpectedly, to be
married in the spring. She loved him as always, but she realized now it was only a boy and girl
love. She hoped he would have a great career, and believed in him absolutely. She knew it was
for the best.
The major did not marry her in the spring, or any other time. Luz never got an answer to the
letter to Chicago about it. A short time after he contracted gonorrhea from a sales girl in a loop
department store while riding in a taxicab through Lincoln Park.
letter to Chicago about it. A short time after he contracted gonorrhea from a sales girl in a loop
department store while riding in a taxicab through Lincoln Park.
