Translation and Analysis of The Picture of Dorian Gray

MASARYK UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF EDUCATION Department of English Language and Literature

Translation and Analysis of The Picture of Dorian Gray Bachelor Thesis

Brno 2015

Author: Hana Ondrůjová

Supervisor: Mgr. Martin Němec, Ph.D.

ANNOTATION This bachelor thesis deals with the translation of Oscar Wilde’s novel The Picture of Dorian Gray and the analysis of the translation. Thesis consists of four parts. First part contains information about the author and the book. In the second part translation methods are described. The third part contains my own translation of the selected chapters alongside with the original text. The last part contains analysis of my translation compared with two older translations by Kateřina Hilská and Jiří Zdeněk Novák. Key words: Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray, translation, analysis of the translation, lexical analysis

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DECLARATION I declare that I wrote this thesis on my own and that I used only the literature and materials listed in the bibliography.

Brno, 29th March 2015

…………………………….. Hana Ondrůjová 3

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my gratitude to Mgr. Martin Němec, Ph.D., for his guidance, invaluable advice and patience that he provided as my supervisor.

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1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................ 6 2 ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND THE BOOK .................................................................................... 8 2.1. Oscar Wilde ................................................................................................................................ 8 2.2. Victorian England ....................................................................................................................... 9 2.3. The Picture of Dorian Gray.........................................................................................................10 3 TRANSLATION METHODS..........................................................................................................12 3.1. Literal vs. free translation ...........................................................................................................15 3.2. Levels of translation ...................................................................................................................16 4 THE TRANSLATION .....................................................................................................................18 5 ANALYSIS OF TRANSLATION....................................................................................................51 5.1. The speech of the main characters...............................................................................................51 5.2. Proper nouns ..............................................................................................................................52 5.3. Other lexical differences .............................................................................................................54 5.4. Cultural and time influence on translations..................................................................................58 5.5. The summary of the analysis ......................................................................................................60 6 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................................62 7 RESUMÉ..........................................................................................................................................63 8 BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................................64

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1 INTRODUCTION This bachelor thesis deals with the translation of the only Oscar Wilde’s novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, first published in book form in 1891. I have chosen this book because I consider it as an exceptional piece of writing. Wilde’s novel provides spectrum of vivid and various characters, from those naive to the experienced ones. In such an excellent way, the author develops relationships and characters, especially Dorian Gray’s, leaving no doubts about his artistic talent and his importance as a major writer of the Victorian period. To be more specific, the bachelor thesis deals with translation of two selected chapters (namely Chapters number eight and thirteen) of Wilde’s novel mentioned above and following analysis of this translation, as well as with comparison with two selected official Czech translations of the same book. The first translation used in comparison is by Jiří Zdeněk Novák (1958) and the latter one by Kateřina Hilská (2011). The whole thesis is divided into following chapters: The second chapter of this work deals briefly with the life and work of Oscar Wilde, mentioning some of the most important moments of his life and listing of his work as well. Second part of this particular chapter is devoted to novel The Picture of Dorian Gray as such, mentioning some basic opinions on its origin and theme, as well as some period criticism. This chapter includes brief characterization of the Victorian era as well. The following chapter presents a brief survey of translation methods. The methods, mentioned in this chapter, were used or taken in consideration when doing the translation. This chapter particularly is divided into three parts. The first one deals with introduction and basic selected methods, following part deals with the issue of literal and free translation and the last part is devoted to the levels of translation as presented by Dagmar Knittlová. The fourth chapter contains the core of the work, which is the translation of the selected chapters mentioned above. Next chapter provides the analysis of the translation. At the beginning of the chapter its aiming is explained. From this point on is the chapter divided into five parts, where each of them deals with some issue, namely the speech of the main characters, proper nouns, other lexical differences, cultural and time influence on translations. The last part of this 6

chapter contains analysis summary, where I summarized the main points of my efforts. At last but not least, comparison with other two Czech translations is included. The aim of this work is to provide satisfactory translation of the selected chapters and create the analysis, corresponding with the translation and the translating methods that were used during this process. The language of the translation reflects to a certain extend the language of the period of its origin. This means that the translation made in the early 2010s will differ from the one made in 1950s, as well as from the translation made by myself in 2015.

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2 ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND THE BOOK 2.1. Oscar Wilde Oscar Wilde was an Irish dramatist and poet, representative of Aestheticism. He was born on October 16, 1854 at Westland Row, Dublin to ophthalmologist surgeon Sir William Robert Wills Wilde and revolutionary poet and nationalist Jane Francesca Agnes Wilde. The family was wealthy enough to provide him home education as well as later attending of Trinity College, Dublin and Magdalen College, Oxford, England. During his studies in England, Wilde was influenced by writer and critic Walter Parker, one of the founders of Aesthetic movement. Wilde was very talented and he get his first prize even during his time at Oxford, namely Newdigate Prize for his poem Ravenna (1878).1 After finishing school he settled in London and he published his first poetry collection, simply named Poems (1881). Wilde also spent some time by traveling over America and Canada, and lecturing there about aestheticism. He came back to the Europe in 1883 and he settled in Paris. A year later Wilde married Constance Mary Lloyd with whom he had two sons. Wilde was very popular and a good companion with ability to attract else’s attention and entertain. His eventual downfall came with his relationship with English poet Lord Alfred Douglas “Boise” whom he met in 1891. Alfred’s father, 9 th Marques of Queensberry, was not approving his son’s lifestyle and after he learned about him openly living with Wilde, he decided to bring Wilde down. John Douglas’ plan was to humiliate and publicly expose Wilde during the opening performance of The Importance of Being Earnest in 1985. Wilde took legal steps to protect himself, but as the result Douglas won the case and Wilde was charged for homosexual acts. The outcome of this trial was two year sentence in prison for Wilde. During his imprisonment at the Reading Gaol outside London, Wilde wrote many poems, essays, and letters, and then after his release in May of 1897, he wrote Ballad of Reading Gaol, dealing with injustice connected with the death sentence and hanging of Charles Wooldridge. After his release from prison, Wilde changed his name to Sebastian Melmoth and retired to Paris, where he reunited with his long-time friend and lover, Canadian journalist Robert Baldwin “Robie” Ross, who stood by his deathbed as well.

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http://www.online-literature.com/wilde/ 8

Oscar Wilde died of meningitis on 30 November 1900 and is buried in Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris. Wilde’s work contains fairy stories The Happy Prince and Other Stories (1888), House of Pomegranates (1891), plays Lady Windermere’s Fan (1982), A Woman of No Importance (1893), An Ideal Husband (1895), The Importance of Being Earnest (1895), novel The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890), poems Ravenna (1878), Poems (1881) and The Ballad of Reading Gaol (1898), as well as epistle De Profundis (1897) and essays Intentions (1891) and The Soul of Man Under Socialism (1891).2

2.2. Victorian England Oscar Wilde lived during the Victorian era, i.e. the period of the reign of Queen Victoria. This period was characterized by the peace, prosperity and high cultural value, and liberal ideas, political reforms, etc. What was important for the literature of this time, rationalism was slowly replaced by romanticism and mysticism, which provided to the authors new possibilities, as to focus on social values, religion, art, etc. Literature of this time came through some kind of evolution, since it reflected everyday life, interests and problems of people. Literature also profited from the opposite of the Victorian moral values such as justice or freedom, which were greed, exploitation (connected with situation in industrial sphere and its factories) and cynicism, which is observable in the Wilde’s work as well. Among the famous writers of this time can be found names of Arthur Conan Doyle, Charlotte Brontë, Charles Dickens and others. During the Victorian era, homosexuality represented delicate problem in the culture, and these acts were considered as a capital offence as well (“Victorian Morality”). As follows from the chapter on Wilde’s life, once a man was proven of the homosexual practices, he was usually imprisoned. This was probably one of the reasons The Picture of Dorian Gray got slammed by the period critics as well. This period was influenced by science as well. Britain of this time was important country in the world of advanced engineering. However, fascination by industry had its darker side as well for many people moved to the centres of industry, which led to 2

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Wilde 9

lowering of the price of labour force. Victorian era is also well-known for its issue of the employment of young children, who usually worked in the factories or as chimney sweeps, many more hours than they actually should. This situation should have been solved by Factory acts from 1802 and 1819 restricting the time of child labour to the certain amount of hours. However, these laws were not used effectively (“Victorian Era”).

2.3. The Picture of Dorian Gray The Picture of Dorian Gray is a novel, first published in Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine in 1890, then in book form in 1891. It is Wilde’s only novel. As I mentioned in the previous part of this chapter, Wilde was representative of Aestheticism. This art movement is centred on the fact that art should not serve any political and other purposes, since it exists for the sake of its beauty (“Aestheticism, Art Movement”). Basically, its aim was to support the aesthetical value of work. And this attitude is clearly visible not only in Wilde’s novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, but in his other works as well. Wilde’s language in this particular book is almost poetic, flowery, for he uses truly vivid and detailed description of the settings as well as of the main characters of the book. The novel tells the story about a young man of remarkable beauty, who, while standing as a subject for portrait by Basil Hallward, meets and later befriends his friend lord Henry Wotton, a man with hedonic approach towards life, who slowly reshapes naive Dorian into selfish and flippant man. Dorian, supported by general admiration of his looks, finds his soul linked to Basil’s portrait which causes that portrait alters instead of Dorian, and bears all of his bad deeds and sin. Since the young man does not have to be worried about impact of his acts upon his beautiful face, he becomes cruel and heartless, even against his own friends, not even dreading of the worst deeds such as murder. Based on my research, opinions on the origin of the story do vary, although they do agree in one point; that is that Wilde drawn from some kind of his personal experience. It is widely known and simply observable in his work, that he created many characters based on his opinions and personality. This matter is observable in The Picture of Dorian Gray as well, for he projected himself into characters of two Dorian Gray’s companions, 10

Basil Hallward and lord Henry Wotton: ‘Basil Hallward is what I think I am: Lord Henry is what the world thinks me. Dorian what I would like to be – in other ages, perhaps.’ (Wilde 1992: 28) As one of the theories about the origin of the story Hesketh Pearson (Pearson 145) states that Wilde got his idea about the story from the painter Basil Ward in whose studio he used to drop in 1884. Wilde would admire portrait of one of the models and express his regret that the young should grew old eventually. The painter would then come with suggestion how wonderful would be if the portrait could age instead. On the other hand, Hyde comes with completely different story. According to him (Hyde 120) Wilde suggested the story itself and by chance. He sat as a model himself for the young painter Frances Richards. After the painting was over, he would say: ‘What a tragic thing it is! The portrait will never grow older, and I shall. If it was only the other way!’ (120). Neil McKenna then sees the story as an ‘exploration and a celebration of the nature of sexual desire and sexual pleasure between men.’ (McKenna 171) Although all the theories on the origin of the story remain hidden in front of a common reader, Wilde’s homosexual orientation is relatively easy to guess from the context, therefore McKenna’s statement mentioned previously is not off-topic. Wilde is focused on the friendship between the three men in his story. This friendship basically stands on the two men’s admiration for the youngest one and from their dialogues is easily noticeable how hearty their friendship was. Also, the only important female character of the book is in the result criticised and her death made light a little bit. Period critics was not pleased by the novel as well, calling it: ‘esoteric prurience’ – ‘stupid and vulgar’ – ‘malodorous putrefaction’ or ‘ought to be chucked into the fire’ (Pearson 148). First Czech translation of the novel was done by Antonín Tille and Jaromír Borecký and published in 1905 in Nakladatelské družstvo Máje.

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3 TRANSLATION METHODS As Jiří Levý explains in his book Umění překladu, there is not such a thing as manual for translating since every translator have to take in consideration their own cultural background. Based on the analysis of the translation, we have the use of various strategies. (40-41) As the literature dealing with translation and its theory shows, translators have at their disposal infinite number of translating methods and theories. This chapter is devoted to the selected methods I used in the practical part of the work. The selection of these methods is not random since they do cover the basic translation issues, such as the matter of literal and free translation, dealing with the translation of proper nouns etc. To demonstrate the actual use of some of these methods I chose examples from my own translation. Knittlová provides in her book K teorii i praxi překladu well-arranged list of basic methods, which are beside other things, proceeding from the work of Canadian authors Vinay and Darbelnet (14): 1) Transcription -

Transcription is adapted to the common usage of the target language. The translator has to take in consideration the transliteration as well, i.e. transcription of different kind of alphabet which causes distortion of sound.

This method is widely used in connection with the names; however I decided not to apply this method on proper nouns, i.e. I left the character’s names in their original form.

2) Calque -

Calque means literal translation ‘‘Ah, what is impossible?’ murmured the young man’ ‘“Ach, co je nemožné?” zašeptal mladý muž’ 12

3) Substitution -

Substitution is replacement of one linguistic tool by another, usually by the word with equivalent meaning, i.e. substantive by personal pronoun and vice versa. ‘“I have got through all that,” said Dorian, shaking his head…’ ‚„Tím vším jsem si již prošel,“ řekl Dorian a zavrtěl (…) hlavou.‘

4) Transposition -

Transposition presents necessary grammatical changes in case of different language system For example, we do not have present perfect tense in Czech: ‘I am not sorry for anything that has happened.’ “Nelituji, že se to stalo.”

5) Modulation -

Modulation is a change of the point of view

6) Equivalence -

Equivalence is a method for usage of structural and stylistics methods different from those originally used. This method can be space saving and it can help preserve the fluency of the text in the target language. ‘Dorian Gray turned slowly around, and looked at him with tear-dimmed eyes.’ “Dorian se pomalu otočil a pohlédl na něj uslzenýma očima.”

7) Adaptation -

Adaptation is substitution of situation described in the original work by another equivalent situation in the target language. It is common with proverbs etc. ‘He knew it, and he felt as if his blood had changed from fire to sluggish ice in a moment.’ “‘Poznával ho a cítil, jako by mu krev tuhla v žilách.” 13

Knittlová further mentioned other strategic methods proceeding from the work translation theorists, such as Gerard Vázques-Ayora, from whose work she points out 8 methods (14), including: -

Compensation o In translating, the making good of some communicative loss by substituting equivalent effects (Knittlová 199)

-

Explication o Means addition of the explaining information. This method can be found in the translation made by Novák as well as Kateřina Hilská or my own: original: ‘buzzed round the blue-dragon bowl’ my translation: “bzučela kolem vázy se vzorem modrých draků“

As Knittlová mentiones, Joseph L. Malone, American theorist of linguistic of translation, offers 9 strategic methods, including -

Reordering o restructuring of word order (Knittlová 15)

Important issue for translators is dealing with the foreign language in the text as well. Knittlová states in K teorii i praxi překladu, that the determinative criterion is the functional one. In case of addressing, greetings, social phrases etc., is the expression kept in the original form even in the translation. ‘Monsieur has well slept this morning,’ he said, smiling.‘ ‚„Monsieur spal dnes ráno dobře,” řekl s úsměvem.‘ This also applies to the expressions whose meaning can be guessed based on the context.

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3.1. Literal vs. free translation Personally, I do consider the aspect of potential literality or freedom of translation as a very important one, since it can have fundamental influence on the final form of the translation therefore have either positive or negative influence on the reader of such translation. As I mentioned previously in this chapter, the approaches towards the translation methods do differ. Peter Newmark focused in one chapter of his book A textbook of translation on the problem whether to translate literally or freely. He introduces 8 translation methods but as the most crucial are considered semantic and communicative translations since they fulfil two main aims of translation, which are accuracy and economy (47). I am going to shortly introduce all of these eight methods, since they provide vivid spectre in this issue: -

Word-for-word translation o This type of translation can be easily recognizable since the target language words are straight equivalents of the source language words, which means the translation is based on the common meanings of the source language words and since the words order is preserved, this type of translation can seem to be out of context.

-

Literal translation o As in the previous type, target language words are translated mainly on the common meaning of the source language words even in this case, but grammatical construction as such is taken in deeper consideration.

-

Faithful translation o Its attempt is to be completely faithful, which means that the cultural words are somehow transferred and it still preserves some level of grammatical and lexical dissimilarity in the translation.

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-

Semantic translation o is more flexible type of translation, less important cultural words may be translated by culturally neutral third of functional terms; allows more empathy with the original and is exact.

-

Adaptation o Is the most free form of translation. It preserves the characters, themes, etc. but the text can be converted to the target language culture and therefore slightly rewritten.

-

Free Translation o This type of translation might not be considered as translation at all since it is a paraphrase therefore it can be much longer than the original text.

-

Idiomatic translation o Is characterized by usage of idioms and colloquialisms that do not exist in the source language, but it reproduces the message of the original.

-

Communicative translation o Aims to preserve the original context in such a way that is acceptable to the readership.

As can be seen, the translation cannot be simply completely literal or free, for there can always occur some aspects from each of these types of translation.

3.2. Levels of translation Hilská provides in her book K teorii i praxi překladu well-arranged list of levels of translation, which should definitely be taken in consideration while translating or doing analysis. I integrated this theoretical part into the chapter about translating methods since every translator will came across these issues when translating:

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-

Lexical level o Knittlová states that when looking for the equivalence at lexical level, translator can encounter following situations: 

Equivalence exists: translator is then dealing with total or absolute equivalence, partial equivalence or there are more equivalents at translator’s disposal (33)



Equivalence does not exists: translator uses calque, or loanword, or an equivalent of situation can be used (20)

-

Grammatical level o Knittlová points out some theoretically major issues on the grammatical filed when translating, such as problems on number, person, gender, voice, tense and aspect (92)

-

Textual level o Textual equivalency is as important as the grammatical or lexical ones. This equivalency is dealing with appropriate text organisation, its informative structure and coherence and cohesion (96). In my opinion, the issue of coherence and cohesion especially is an important one and it is necessary for the translator to keep them in mind while translating.

-

Pragmatic level o Pragmatic equivalency is taking in consideration customs and empirical context of given language (104). This means that translator have to keep in mind the potential cultural differences of the source language and be able to recognize insult and the irony in the form of address and suchlike. In my analysis, I focused on the lexical level of the translation, since The Picture of Dorian Gray provides many interesting issues in this area.

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4 THE TRANSLATION Bylo už dávno po poledni, když se probudil.

Chapter 8

It was long past noon when he awoke. His Jeho sluha se několikrát po špičkách připlížil valet had crept several times on tiptoe into do jeho pokoje, aby viděl, zda již nevstává a the room to see if he was stirring, and had přemítal, co donutilo jeho mladého pána wondered what made his young master sleep spát tak dlouho. Když se jeho zvonek so late. Finally his bell sounded, and Victor konečně rozezněl, Victor vešel zlehka came in softly with a cup of tea, and a pile dovnitř s šálkem čaje a hromádkou dopisů of letters, on a small tray of old Sèvres china, na malém tácku ze starého sévreského and drew back the olive-satin curtains, with porcelánu, a roztáhl saténové závěsy olivové their shimmering blue lining, that hung in barvy s lesknoucí se modrou podšívkou, front of the three tall windows.

které visely před třemi vysokými okny.

‘Monsieur has well slept this morning,’ he “Monsieur spal dnes ráno dobře,” řekl s úsměvem.

said, smiling.

‘What o’clock is it, Victor?’ asked Dorian “Kolik je hodin, Victore?” zeptal se Dorian Gray, drowsily.

Gray ospale.

‘One hour and a quarter, Monsieur.’

“Čtvrt na dvě, Monsieur.”

How late it was! He sat up, and, having Jak pozdě bylo! Posadil se, usrkl čaje a vzal sipped some tea, turned over his letters. One si dopisy. Jeden z nich byl od lorda Henryho of them was from Lord Henry, and had been a byl doručen ten den ráno. Na moment brought by hand that morning. He hesitated zaváhal a pak ho odložil stranou. Ostatní for a moment, and then put it aside. The otevřel bez zájmu. Obsahovaly obvyklou others he opened listlessly. They contained sbírku navštívenek, pozvánek na večeři, the usual collection of cards, invitations to lístků na soukromé představení, programů dinner,

tickets

for

private

views, charitativních koncertů a podobně, tedy

programmes of charity concerts, and the věcí,

jimiž

je

mladý

oblíbený

muž

like, that are showered on fashionable young zahrnován během sezóny každé ráno. Byl tu men every morning during the season. There poněkud velký účet za tepanou stříbrnou was a rather heavy bill, for a chased silver toaletní soupravu z dob Ludvíka XV., kterou Louis-Quinze toilet-set, that he had not yet neměl

stále

had the courage to send on to his guardians, opatrovníkům,

tu

kuráž

jelikož

to

poslat

jeho

byli

velmi

who were extremely old-fashioned people staromódní lidé a neuvědomovali si, že 18

and did not realize that we live in an age žijeme v době, kdy pouze ty zbytečné věci when only unnecessary things are our only jsou pro nás naprosto nezbytné; bylo zde necessities; and there were several very také několik velmi zdvořile formulovaných courteously worded communications from zpráv od poskytovatelů půjček z Jermyn Jermyn Street money-lenders offering to street, jenž nabízeli půjčit jakoukoliv sumu advance any sum of money at a moment’s peněz za nejrozumnější úroky, a na notice and at the most reasonable rates of požádání. interest. After about ten minutes he got up, and, Asi za deset minut vstal, přehodil si přes throwing on an elaborate dressing-gown of sebe nádherný, hedvábím vyšívaný župan silk-embroidered cashmere wool, passed z kašmírové vlny, a přešel do onyxem into the onyx-paved bathroom. The cool dlážděné koupelny. Studená voda ho po water refreshed him after his long sleep. He dlouhém spánku osvěžila. Zdálo se, jako by seemed to have forgotten all that he had pozapomněl všechno, čím prošel. Jednou gone through. A dim sense of having taken nebo dvakrát ho přepadl nejasný pocit, že part in some strange tragedy came to him byl součástí nějaké zvláštní tragédie, ale once or twice, but there was the unreality of bylo v tom něco ze snové nereálnosti. a dream about it. As soon as he was dressed, he went into the Jakmile se oblékl, vešel do knihovny, kde se library and sat down to a light French posadil k malému kulatému stolku u breakfast, that had been laid out for him on otevřeného

okna,

na

nějž

mu

byla

a small round table close to an open window. naservírována lehká francouzská snídaně. It was an exquisite day. The warm air Byl to vskutku nádherný den. Teplý vzduch seemed laden with spices. A bee flew in, and se zdál být přesycen vůněmi. Dovnitř vletěla buzzed round the blue-dragon bowl, filled včela

a

bzučela

kolem

vázy

se

with sulphur-yellow roses, that stood in vzorem modrých draků, naplněné sírově front of him. He felt perfectly happy.

žlutými růžemi, která stála před ním. Cítil se naprosto šťastný.

Suddenly his eye fell on the screen that he Najednou jeho zrak padl na paraván, který had placed in front of the portrait, and he umístil před obraz a trhnul sebou. started.

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‘Too cold for Monsieur?’ asked his valet, „Je příliš chladno pro Monsieur?“ zeptal se putting an omelette on the table. ‘I shut the jeho sluha a položil podnos s omeletou na window?’

stůl. „Mám zavřít okno?“

Dorian shook his head. ‘I am not cold,’ he Dorian zavrtěl hlavou. „Není mi zima,“ murmured.

zamumlal.

Was it all true? Had the portrait really Byla to všechno pravda? Opravdu se portrét changed? Or had it been simply his own změnil? Nebo to byla jednoduše jeho vlastní imagination that had made him see a look of představivost,

která ho

nechala

vidět

evil where there had been a look of joy? neštěstí, když tu byla radost? Opravdu Surely a painted canvas could not alter? The nemohlo namalované pláto stárnout? Ta věc thing was absurd. It would serve as a tale to byla absurdní. Jednoho dne by to mohlo být tell Basil someday. It would make him příběhem pro Basila, rozesmálo by ho to. smile. And, yet, how vivid was his recollection of A přesto, jak živá byla jeho vzpomínka na the whole thing! First in the dim twilight, celou tu věc! Nejprve v šerém soumraku, a and then in the bright dawn, he had seen the pak za jasného rozbřesku, pozoroval dotek touch of cruelty in the warped lips. He krutosti na zkřivených rtech. Téměř se almost dreaded his valet leaving the room. obával odchodu jeho sluhy z pokoje. Věděl, He knew that when he was alone he would že v okamžiku, kdy bude sám, bude muset have to examine the portrait. He was afraid portrét

prozkoumat.

Obával

se

of certainty. When the coffee and cigarettes nevyhnutelného. Když byla přinesena káva had been brought and the man turned to go, a cigarety a muž se otočil k odchodu, ucítil he felt a mad desire to tell him to remain. As silnou touhu požádat ho, aby zůstal. Jen co the door closed behind him he called him se za ním zavřely dveře, zavolal ho zpět. back. The man stood waiting for his orders. Muž zůstal sát a čekal na jeho příkazy. Dorian looked at him for a moment. ‘I am Dorian se na něj na okamžik zahleděl. not at home to any one, Victor,’ he said, with „Nejsem pro nikoho doma, Victore,“ a sigh. The man bowed and retired.

povzdechl si. Muž se uklonil a odešel.

Then he rose from the table, lit a cigarette, Dorian pak vstal od stolu, zapálil si cigaretu and flung himself down on a luxuriously- a svezl se na pohodlnou měkkou pohovku, cushioned couch that stood facing the která

stála

naproti paravánu.

Tepaný

screen. The screen was an old one, of gilt paraván byl starý, z pozlacené španělské Spanish leather, stamped and wrought with kůže, jež byla potištěna jakýmsi barokním 20

a rather florid Louis-Quatorze pattern. He květinovým

vzorem.

Zvědavě

si

ho

scanned it curiously, wondering if it had prohlížel a přemítal, zda již někdy předtím ever before concealed the secret of a man’s skrýval tajemství lidského života. life. Should he move it aside, after all? Why not Měl by paraván přece jen odsunout? Proč ho let it stay there? What was the use of tam nenechat? K čemu bylo dobré vědět? knowing? If the thing was true, it was Pokud byla celá ta věc pravda, bylo to terrible. If it was not true, why trouble about děsivé. Pokud to pravda nebyla, proč se tím it? But what if, by some fate or deadlier obtěžovat? Avšak, co kdyby nějakou chance, other eyes than his spied behind, and strašlivou náhodou anebo snad osudem, saw the horrible change? What should he do nakoukly za paraván nějaké jiné oči než ty if Basil Hallward came and asked to look at jeho a uviděly tu hrozivou změnu? Co by his own picture? He would be sure to do that. udělal, kdyby přišel Basil Hallward a chtěl No; the thing had to be examined, and at se podívat na vlastní obraz? A on to určitě once. Anything would be better than this udělá. Ne; věc musí být prozkoumána a to dreadful state of doubt.

najednou. Všechno bude lepší, než tento hrozný stav pochybností.

He got up, and locked both doors. At least Vstal a zamknul oboje dveře. Alespoň bude he would be alone when he looked upon the sám, až bude hledět na roušku jeho hanby. mask of his shame. Then he drew the screen Pak odtáhnul paraván stranou a stanul tváří aside, and saw himself face to face. It was v tvář sám sobě. Byla to naprostá pravda. perfectly true. The portrait had altered.

Obraz se změnil.

As he often remembered afterwards, and Jak mnohdy poté vzpomínal, a pokaždé always with no small wonder, he found s nemalým údivem, zjistil, že na obraz hledí himself at first gazing at the portrait with a s pocitem téměř vědeckého zájmu. Ta feeling of almost scientific interest. That změna, která se udála, se mu zdála such a change should have taken place was neuvěřitelná. A přesto to byla pravda. Byla incredible to him. And yet it was a fact. Was zde nějaká nepatrná spřízněnost mezi there some subtle affinity between the chemickými atomy, které tvořily tvar a chemical atoms, that shaped themselves into barvu plátna, a jeho vlastní duší? Mohly by form and colour on the canvas, and the soul si uvědomovat to, co si duše myslí, o čem that was within him? Could it be that what sní a to uskutečnily? Nebo zde byla nějaká that soul thought, they realized?—that what jiná, více děsivá příčina? Pln obav se 21

it dreamed, they made true? Or was there zachvěl, vrátil se na pohovku, lehl si na ni a some other, more terrible reason? He znechucen hrůzou hleděl na obraz. shuddered, and felt afraid, and, going back to the couch, lay there, gazing at the picture in sickened horror. One thing, however, he felt that it had done Nicméně, uvědomoval si, že to pro něj jednu for him. It had made him conscious how věc vykonalo. Byl donucen uvědomit si, jak unjust, how cruel, he had been to Sibyl nespravedlivý, jak krutý k Sibyl Vaneové Vane. It was not too late to make reparation byl. Ještě to nebylo pozdě napravit, ještě for that. She could still be his wife. His stále mohla být jeho ženou. Jeho neskutečná unreal and selfish love would yield to some a sobecká láska, která se podvolila nějakému higher influence, would be transformed into vyššímu

vlivu,

byla

přeměněna

some nobler passion, and the portrait that v ušlechtilejší vášeň, a jeho portrét, který Basil Hallward had painted of him would be Basil Hallward namaloval, ho mohl vést a guide to him through life, would be to him životem, mohl mu být tím, čím je jedněm what holiness was to some, and conscience svátost, a jiným svědomí, a strach z Boha to others, and the fear of God to us all. There nám všem. Byly zde opiáty na zármutek, were opiates for remorse, drugs that could drogy, které ukolébaly mravní smysly ke lull the moral sense to sleep. But here was a spánku. Ale byl zde viditelný symbol visible symbol of the degradation of sin. úpadku hříchu. A byl zde navždy přítomný Here was an ever-present sign of the ruin symbol zkázy, kterou lidé přivolávali na men brought upon their souls.

svoji duši.

Three o’clock struck, and four, and half-past Odbily tři hodiny, a pak čtyři, a půl páté, ale four rang its double chime, but Dorian Gray Dorian Gray se nepohnul. Snažil se did not stir. He was trying to gather up the shromáždit šarlatová vlákna života, a splést scarlet threads of life, and to weave them je do vzorce; najít svoji cestu skrze krvavý into a pattern; to find his way through the labyrint vášně, jímž se toulal. Nevěděl, co sanguine labyrinth of passion through which dělat nebo co si myslit. Nakonec zasedl ke he was wandering. He did not know what to stolu a napsal vášnivý dopis dívce, kterou do, or what to think. Finally, he went over to miloval, prosil o její odpuštění a naříkal se the table and wrote a passionate letter to the ze šílenství. Plnil stránku za stránkou girl he had loved, imploring her forgiveness, bouřlivými slovy smutku, a divokými slovy and accusing himself of madness. He bolesti. Ve vyčítání sám sobě je přepych; 22

covered page after page with wild words of když se sami obviňujeme, máme pocit, že sorrow, and wilder words of pain. There is a nikdo jiný nás už obviňovat právo nemá. Je luxury in self-reproach. When we blame to přiznání, není to kněz, kdo nám dává ourselves we feel that no one else has a right rozhřešení. Když Dorian dokončil dopis, to blame us. It is the confession, not the cítil, že mu bylo odpuštěno. priest, that gives us absolution. When Dorian had finished the letter, he felt that he had been forgiven. Suddenly there came a knock to the door, Najednou se ozvalo zaklepání na dveře a and he heard Lord Henry’s voice outside. uslyšel zvenku hlas lorda Henryho. ‘My dear boy; I must see you. Let me in at „Můj drahý chlapče, musím vás vidět. once. I can’t bear your shutting yourself up Pusťte mne dovnitř. Nesnesu pomyšlení, že like this.’

se takhle zavíráte.“

He made no answer at first, but remained Nejdříve

neodpověděl

a

zůstal

zcela

quite still. The knocking still continued, and nehybný. Klepání stále pokračovalo a bylo grew louder. Yes, it was better to let Lord čím dál víc hlasitější. Ano, bylo lepší pustit Henry in, and to explain to him the new life lorda Henryho dovnitř a objasnit mu nový he was going to lead, to quarrel with him if život, který se chystal vést, hádat se s ním, it became necessary to quarrel, to part if bude-li to nutné; rozdělit jejich přátelství, parting was inevitable. He jumped up, drew bude-li to nevyhnutelné. Vyskočil, rychle the screen hastily across the picture, and přitáhl paraván před obraz a odemknul unlocked the door.

dveře.

‘I am so sorry for it all, Dorian,’ said Lord “Je mi to všechno líto, Doriane,” řekl lord Henry, as he entered. ‘But you must not Henry, když vešel. “Ale nesmíte o tom příliš think too much about it.’

přemýšlet.”

‘Do you mean about Sibyl Vane?’ asked the „Myslíte o Sibyl Vaneové?“ zeptal se lad.

mladík.

‘Yes, of course,’ answered Lord Henry, „Ano, samozřejmě,“ odpověděl lord Henry, sinking into a chair, and slowly pulling off posadil se do křesla a pomalu si sundal žluté his yellow gloves. ‘It is dreadful, from one rukavice. „Na jednu stranu je to příšerné, ale point of view, but it was not your fault. Tell nebyla to vaše chyba. Řekněte mi, šel jste za me, did you go behind and see her after the ní do zákulisí a viděl se s ní po představení?“ play was over?’ 23

‘Yes.’

„Ano.“

‘I felt sure you had. Did you make a scene „Předpokládal jsem, že ano. Udělal jste jí with her?’

scénu?“

‘I was brutal, Harry,—perfectly brutal. But „Byl jsem brutální, Harry – naprosto it is all right now. I am not sorry for anything brutální. Ale už je to v pořádku. Nelituji, že that has happened. It has taught me to know se to stalo. Znám se teď mnohem lépe.“ myself better.’ ‘Ah, Dorian, I am so glad you take it in that „Ach Doriane, jsem opravdu rád, že to way! I was afraid I would find you plunged berete takhle. Obával jsem se, že vás najdu in remorse, and tearing that nice curly hair v hlubokém zármutku, a že si budete rvát ty vaše krásné kadeřavé vlasy.“

of yours.’

‘I have got through all that,’ said Dorian, „Tím vším jsem si již prošel,“ řekl Dorian a shaking his head, and smiling. ‘I am zavrtěl s úsměvem hlavou. „Nyní jsem perfectly

happy

now.

I

know

what opravdu šťastný. Pro začátek vím, co je

conscience is, to begin with. It is not what svědomí. Není tím, čím jste mi říkal, že je. you told me it was. It is the divinest thing in Je to

ta nejnádhernější

věc

v

nás.

us. Don’t sneer at it, Harry, any more,—at Neušklíbejte se tomu, Harry, už ne – nebo least not before me. I want to be good. I can’t alespoň ne přede mnou. Chci být dobrý. bear the idea of my soul being hideous.’

Nedokáži snést představu, že by byla moje duše šeredná.“

‘A very charming artistic basis for ethics, „To

je

velmi

kouzelně

umělecké

Dorian! I congratulate you on it. But how are opodstatnění etiky, Doriane! Gratuluji vám. you going to begin?’

Ale jak hodláte začít?“

‘By marrying Sibyl Vane.’

„Sňatkem se Sibyl Vaneovou.“

‘Marrying Sibyl Vane!’ cried Lord Henry, „Sňatkem se Sibyl Vaneovou!“ zvolal lord standing up, and looking at him in perplexed Henry, stoupnul si a pohlédl na něj ve amazement. ‘But, my dear Dorian—’

zmateném údivu. „Ale můj drahý Doriane-„

‘Yes, Harry, I know what you are going to „Ano, Harry, vím, co mi chcete říct. Něco say. Something dreadful about marriage. příšerného o manželství. Neříkejte to. Nikdy Don’t say it. Don’t ever say things of that mi takové věci neříkejte. Před dvěma dny kind to me again. Two days ago I asked jsem Sibyl požádal o ruku. Nehodlám Sibyl to marry me. I am not going to break porušit slib, který jsem jí dal. Bude mojí my word to her. She is to be my wife.’

ženou.“ 24

‘Your wife! Dorian! … Didn’t you get my „Vaši ženou! Doriane! … Copak jste letter? I wrote to you this morning, and sent nedostal můj dopis? Napsal jsem vám dnes the note down, by my own man.’

ráno a poslal vám ho po mém vlastním člověku.“

‘Your letter? Oh, yes, I remember. I have not „Váš dopis? Ach ano, pamatuji se. Ne, ještě read it yet, Harry. I was afraid there might jsem ho nečetl, Harry. Bál jsem se, že by be something in it that I wouldn’t like. You v něm mohlo být něco, co by se mi nelíbilo. cut life to pieces with your epigrams.’

Svými epigramy trháte životy na cucky.“

‘You know nothing then?’

„Takže vy nic nevíte?“

‘What do you mean?’

„Jak to myslíte?“

Lord Henry walked across the room, and, Lord Henry přešel místnost, posadil se vedle sitting down by Dorian Gray, took both his Doriana a pevně ho uchopil za ruce. hands in his, and held them tightly. ‘Dorian,’ „Doriane,“ řekl, „můj dopis – nelekejte se – he said, ‘my letter—don’t be frightened— vám měl oznámit, že je Sibyl Vaneová was to tell you that Sibyl Vane is dead.’

mrtvá.“

A cry of pain rose from the lad’s lips, and he Z mladíkových rtů se vydral bolestný leaped to his feet, tearing his hands away výkřik, vytrhl ruce ze sevření lorda Henryho from Lord Henry’s grasp. ‘Dead! Sibyl a vyskočil na nohy. „Mrtvá! Sibyl mrtvá! To dead! It is not true! It is a horrible lie! How není pravda! Jak příšerná lež! Jak se to dare you say it?’

opovažujete říci?“

‘It is quite true, Dorian,’ said Lord Henry, „Je to docela pravda, Doriane,“ řekl lord gravely. ‘It is in all the morning papers. I Henry vážně. „Je to ve všech ranních wrote down to you to ask you not to see any novinách. Psal jsem vám, abyste s nikým one till I came. There will have to be an nemluvil, dokud za vámi nepřijdu. Bude tu inquest, of course, and you must not be samozřejmě vyšetřování, a vy do něj mixed up in it. Things like that make a man nesmíte být zapleten. Takové věci proslaví fashionable in Paris. But in London people člověka v Paříži, ale v Londýně jsou lidé are so prejudiced. Here, one should never předpojatí. Podívejte, jeden by nikdy neměl make one’s début with a scandal. One debutovat skandálem. To by si měl každý should reserve that to give an interest to schovat pro zpestření stáří. Předpokládám, one’s old age. I don’t suppose they know že v divadle neznají vaše jméno? Pokud ne, your name at the theatre? If they don’t, it is 25

all right. Did anyone see you going round to pak je to v pořádku. Viděl vás někdo chodit her room? That is an important point.’

kolem její šatny? To je důležitá věc.“

Dorian did not answer for a few moments. Dorian,

otřesený

He was dazed with horror. Finally he neodpovídal. murmured, in a stifled voice, ‘Harry, did you zadušeným

hrůzou,

Nakonec hlasem:

„Harry,

chvíli zamumlal řekl

jste

say an inquest? What did you mean by that? vyšetřování? Co tím myslíte? Copak Sibyl Did Sibyl—? Oh, Harry, I can’t bear it! But ? Ach, Harry, to nemohu snést! Řekněte mi be quick. Tell me everything at once.’

všechno naráz, ale udělejte to rychle.“

‘I have no doubt it was not an accident, „Nepochybuji,

že

to

nebyla

nehoda,

Dorian, though it must be put in that way to Doriane, ačkoliv to teď musí být veřejnosti the public. It seems that she was leaving the řečeno. Zdá se, že když kolem půl jedné theatre with her mother, about half-past opouštěla divadlo se svou matkou, řekla, že twelve or so, she said she had forgotten nahoře něco zapomněla. Nějakou chvíli na something up-stairs. They waited some time ni čekali, ale už dolů nepřišla. Nakonec ji for her, but she did not come down again. nalezli ležet mrtvou na podlaze v její šatně. They ultimately found her lying dead on the Nešťastnou

náhodou

pozřela

nějakou

floor of her dressing-room. She had nebezpečnou věc, co používají v divadle. swallowed something by mistake, some Nevím, co to bylo, ale obsahovalo to buď dreadful thing they use at theatres. I don’t kyanid, a nebo olovnatou bělobu. Budu know what it was, but it had either prussic předpokládat, že to byl kyanid, neboť se zdá, acid or white lead in it. I should fancy it was že zemřela okamžitě.“ prussic acid, as she seems to have died instantaneously.’ ‘Harry, Harry, it is terrible!’ cried the lad.

„Harry, Harry, to je hrozné!“ naříkal mladík.

‘Yes; It is very tragic, of course, but you „Ano, je to samozřejmě velmi tragické, ale must not get yourself mixed up in it. I see by nesmíte se do toho nechat zaplést. Podle the Standard that she was seventeen. I Standardu vím, že jí bylo sedmnáct. Myslel should have thought she was almost younger bych si, že byla mladší. Vypadala jako dítě, than that. She looked such a child, and a zdálo se, že o hraní ví velmi málo. Doriane, seemed to know so little about acting. nesmíte dopustit, aby se vám tato věc dostala Dorian, you mustn’t let this thing get on pod kůži. Musíte přijít a povečeřet se mnou, your nerves. You must come and dine with a poté se půjdeme podívat na operu. Dnes me, and afterwards we will look in at the vystupuje Patti a budou tam všichni. Můžete 26

Opera. It is a Patti night, and everybody will přijít do lóže mé sestry, bude s sebou mít be there. You can come to my sister’s box. několik elegantních žen.“ She has got some smart women with her.’ ‘So I have murdered Sibyl Vane,’ said „Takže jsem zavraždil Sibyl Vaneovou,“ Dorian Gray, half to himself— ‘murdered řekl napůl pro sebe Dorian Gray. „Zavraždil her as surely as if I had cut her little throat ji stejně jistě, jako kdybych podřízl její with a knife. Yet the roses are not less lovely drobné hrdlo. A přesto, růže kvůli tomu for all that. The birds sing just as happily in nejsou méně půvabné, a ptáci v mé zahradě my garden. And to-night I am to dine with zpívají stejně vesele. A dnes s vámi mám you, and then go on to the Opera, and sup povečeřet, pak jít do opery a poté, jak somewhere, I suppose, afterwards. How předpokládám,

někde

popíjet.

Jak

extraordinarily dramatic life is! If I had read neobyčejně dramatický život je! Harry, all this in a book, Harry, I think I would have kdybych to všechno četl v knize, myslím, že wept over it. Somehow, now that it has bych kvůli tomu plakal. Ačkoliv se to happened actually, and to me, it seems far doopravdy stalo – a mně, zdá se to být jaksi too wonderful for tears. Here is the first příliš úžasné na slzy. Zde je první vášnivý passionate love-letter I have ever written in milostný dopis, co jsem kdy napsal. my life. Strange, that my first passionate Zvláštní, že můj první vášnivý milostný love-letter should have been addressed to a dopis měl být adresován mrtvé dívce. Říkám dead girl. Can they feel, I wonder, those si, mohou tito bledí lidé, které nazýváme white silent people we call the dead? Sibyl! mrtvými, cítit? Sibyl! Může cítit, nebo Can she feel, or know, or listen? Oh, Harry, vědět, nebo poslouchat? Ach Harry, jak jsem how I loved her once! It seems years ago to ji kdysi miloval! Zdá se mi to být celé roky! me now. She was everything to me. Then Byla mi vším. Pak přišel ten hrozný večer – came that dreadful night—was it really only bylo to opravdu teprve včera? – kdy hrála last night?—when she played so badly, and tak špatně a mé srdce téměř puklo. Vše mi to my heart almost broke. She explained it all vysvětlila. Bylo to opravdu patetické, ale to me. It was terribly pathetic. But I was not nedojalo mne to ani trochu, považoval jsem moved a bit. I thought her shallow. Then ji za povrchní. Pak se stalo něco hrozivého, something happened that made me afraid. I co mne přimělo k obavám. Nemohu vám can’t tell you what it was, but it was terrible. říct, co to bylo, ale bylo to hrozné. Říkal I said I would go back to her. I felt I had done jsem si, že bych za ní šel zpět, cítil jsem, že wrong. And now she is dead. My God! my jsem udělal chybu. A teď je mrtvá. Můj 27

God! Harry, what shall I do? You don’t bože! Můj bože! Harry, co mám dělat? know the danger I am in, and there is nothing Nevíte, v jakém nebezpečí jsem, a není tu to keep me straight. She would have done nic, co by mne drželo přímo. Ona by to pro that for me. She had no right to kill herself. mne udělala. Neměla právo zabít se, bylo to It was selfish of her.’

od ní sobecké.“

‘My dear Dorian,’ answered Lord Henry, „Můj drahý Doriane,“ odpověděl lord Henry taking a cigarette from his case, and a vytáhnul cigaretu z pouzdra, společně s producing a gold-latten matchbox, ‘the only pozlacenou

krabičkou

sirek.

„Jediný

way a woman can ever reform a man is by způsob, jak může žena změnit muže, je že ho boring him so completely that he loses all znudí tak moc, až ztratí veškerou chuď do possible interest in life. If you had married života. Pokud byste si tuto dívku vzal, byl this girl you would have been wretched. Of byste nešťastný. Samozřejmě byste s course you would have treated her kindly. ní jednal mile; člověk může být vždy milý One can always be kind to people about k lidem, o které se nezajímá. Ale ona by brzy whom one cares nothing. But she would zjistila, že je vám naprosto lhostejná. A když have soon found out that you were tohle žena o svém muži zjistí, přestane o absolutely indifferent to her. And when a sebe buď dbát, anebo začne nosit velmi woman finds that out about her husband, she elegantní klobouky, za které platí manžel either becomes dreadfully dowdy, or wears jiné ženy. A to neříkám nic o společenském very smart bonnets that some other woman’s omylu, který by byl žalostný, což bych, husband has to pay for. I say nothing about samozřejmě, nedopustil, ale ujišťuji vás, že the social mistake, which would have been v jakémkoliv případě by celá věc skončila abject, which, of course, I would not have naprostým zklamáním.“ allowed, but I assure you that in any case the whole thing would have been an absolute failure.’ ‘I suppose it would,’ muttered the lad, „Pravděpodobně ano,“ zamumlal mladík, walking up and down the room, and looking který hrozivě bledý přecházel po místnosti. horribly pale. ‘But I thought it was my duty. „Ale myslel jsem, že to bylo mou It is not my fault that this terrible tragedy has povinností. Není mojí vinou, že mi tahle prevented my doing what was right. I hrozivá tragédie zabránila v tom, co by bylo remember your saying once that there is a správné. Pamatuji se, jak jste mi jednou řekl fatality about good resolutions— that they 28

are always made too late. Mine certainly o fatálnosti dobrých předsevzetí – totiž že were.’

jsou udělána pozdě. Moje zcela jistě bylo.“

‘Good resolutions are useless attempts to „Dobrá předsevzetí jsou zbytečnými pokusy interfere with scientific laws. Their origin is o zasahování do vědeckých zákonů. Jejich pure vanity. Their result is absolutely nil. původem je čirá marnivost a jejich výsledek They give us, now and then, some of those je naprosto nulový. Občas nám dopřejí luxurious sterile emotions that have a certain trochu těch přepychových emocí, které pro charm for us. That is all that can be said for nás mají určité kouzlo. To je vše, co může them. They are simply cheques that men být na jejich obranu řečeno. Jsou to draw on bank where they have no account.’

jednoduše šeky, které lidé vystavují na banku, u které nemají účet.“

‘Harry,’ cried Dorian Gray, coming over and „Harry,“ zvolal Dorian, přišel k němu a sitting down beside him, ‘why is it that I posadil se vedle něj. „Čím to je, že nemohu cannot feel this tragedy as much as I want tuhle tragédii vnímat tak moc, jak bych to? I don’t think I am heartless. Do you?’

chtěl? Nemyslím si, že jsem bezcitný. Vy ano?“

‘You have done too many foolish things „Během posledních čtrnácti dní jste udělal during the last fortnight to be entitled to give příliš pošetilých věcí, než abyste měl nárok yourself that name, Dorian,’ answered Lord být takhle nazýván, Doriane,“ odpověděl Henry, with his sweet, melancholy smile.

lord Henry s jeho vlídným, melancholickým úsměvem.

The lad frowned. ‘I don’t like that Mladík se zamračil. „To vysvětlení se mi explanation, Harry,’ he rejoined, ‘but I am nelíbí,“ odvětil, „ale jsem rád, že mne glad you don’t think I am heartless. I am nepovažujete za bezcitného. Nejsem takový. nothing of the kind. I know I am not. And Vím, že nejsem. A přesto musím připustit, yet I must admit that this thing that has že tahle věc, která se stala, mne nedojímá happened does not affect me as it should. It tak, jak by měla. Jednoduše mi to připadá seems to me to be simply like a wonderful jako úžasný konec úžasné hry. Má to v sobě ending to a wonderful play. It has all the všechnu tu hrozivou krásu řecké tragédie; terrible beauty of a Greek tragedy, a tragedy tragédie, jíž jsem byl aktérem, ale jíž jsem in which I took part, but by which I have not nebyl zasažen.“ been wounded.’

29

‘It is an interesting question,’ said Lord „To je zajímavý problém,“ řekl lord Henry, Henry, who found an exquisite pleasure in který

nacházel

ohromné

uspokojení

playing on the lad’s unconscious egotism,— v působení na mladíkův neuvědomělý ‘an extremely interesting question. I fancy egoismus, - „nesmírně zajímavý problém. that the true explanation is this. It often Představuji si, že skutečné vysvětlení je happens that the real tragedies of life occur tohle. Často se stává, že skutečné životní in such an inartistic manner that they hurt us tragédie se dějí naprosto neuměleckým by their crude violence, their absolute způsobem, až nás raní svou hrubou incoherence, their absurd want of meaning, násilností a naprostou nesouvislostí, svou their entire lack of style. They affect us just absurdní touhou po smyslu, a naprostým as vulgarity affects us. They give us an nedostatek stylu. Působí na nás tak, jak to impression of sheer brute force, and we vulgárnost umí. Dávají nám dojem naprosto revolt against that. Sometimes, however, a hrubé síly, a proti tomu revoltujeme. Avšak tragedy that possess artistic elements of někdy nám překříží život tragédie, která má beauty crosses our lives. If these elements of umělecké prvky krásy. Pokud jsou tyto beauty are real, the whole thing simply prvky skutečné, celá ta věc působí na naše appeals to our sense of dramatic effect. smysly dramatickým efektem. Najednou Suddenly we find that we are no longer the zjišťujeme, že nejsme nadále herci, ale actors, but the spectators of the play. Or diváky hry. Anebo spíše obojí. Sledujeme rather we are both. We watch ourselves, and sami sebe, a pouhý údiv diváka nás okouzlí. the mere wonder of the spectacle enthrals us. V tomto případě, co se to stalo? Někdo se In the present case, what is it that has really zabil z lásky k vám. Kéž bych sám býval měl happened? Someone has killed herself for takovou zkušenost. Byl bych z toho v lásce love of you. I wish I had ever had such an s láskou po zbytek mého života. Ženy, které experience. It would have made me in love mne milovaly, nebyla jich spousta, ale pár with love for the rest of my life. The people jich tu bylo – vždy chtěly žít dál a to i dlouho who have adored me—there have not been po tom, co jsem se o ně přestal zajímat, very many, but there have been some— have anebo ony o mne. Ztloustly a staly se always insisted on living on, long after I had nudnými, a pokud se potkáme, začnou ceased to care for them, or they to care for vzpomínat. Ta příšerná ženská paměť! Jak me. They have become stout and tedious, hrozivá věc to je! A jak naprosto nesmyslné and when I meet them they go in at once for duševní stagnace odhaluje! Člověk by měl reminiscences. That awful memory of vstřebat barvy života, ale nikdy by si neměl 30

woman! What a fearful thing it is! And what pamatovat jeho detaily. Detaily jsou vždy an utter intellectual stagnation it reveals! vulgární. One should absorb the colour of life, but one should never remember its details. Details are always vulgar.’ ‘I must sow poppies in my garden,’ sighted „Musím v mé zahradě zasít mák,“ povzdechl Dorian.

si Dorian.

‘There is no necessity,’ rejoined his „To

nebude

nutné,“

odporoval

jeho

companion. ‘Life has always poppies in her společník. „Život má vždy v rukou nějaký hands. Of course, now and then things mák. Samozřejmě, tu a tam věci přetrvávají. linger. I once wore nothing but violets all Kdysi jsem po jednu sezonu, jako vyjádření through one season, as mourning for a smutku za romanci, která mne nechtěla romance that would not die. Ultimately, opustit, nenosil nic jiného, než fialky. Avšak however, it did die. I forget what killed it. I nakonec se tomu tak stalo. Zapomněl jsem, think it was her proposing to sacrifice the co ji zabilo. Myslím, že to byl její návrh whole world for me. That is always a obětovat pro mne celý život. To je vždy dreadful moment. It fills one with the terror příšerný okamžik, člověka to naplní hrůzou of eternity. Well,— would you believe it?— věčnosti. Nuže – věřil byste tomu? – zrovna a week ago, at Lady Hampshire’s, I found před

týdnem

jsem

večeřel

u

lady

myself seated at dinner next the lady in Hampshirové, a nacházel jsem se usazený question, and she insisted on going over the vedle oné dámy, a ona trvala na tom projít whole thing again, and digging up the past, celou věc znova, vytahovat minulost a and raking up the future. I had buried my

probírat budoucnost. Pohřbil jsem románek

romance in a bed of asphodel. She dragged v záhonu asfodele. A ona ho znovu it out again, and assured me that I had vytahovala a ujišťovala mne, že jsem jí spoiled her life. I am bound to state that she zničil život. Jsem nucen uvést, že spořádala ate an enormous dinner, so I did not feel any obří večeři, tudíž jsem necítil žádnou úzkost. anxiety. But what a lack of taste she showed! Ale jaký nedostatek vkusu ukázala! Jedním The one charm of the past is that it is the z půvabů minulosti je to, že je minulostí. Ale past. But women never know when the ženy nikdy netuší, kdy spadla opona. curtain has fallen. They always want a sixth Pokaždé chtějí šesté dějství, a jakmile je act, and as soon as the interest of the play is jejich zájem o hru na vrcholu, požadují entirely over they propose to continue it. If pokračování. Kdyby měly dovoleno, aby 31

they were allowed to have their way, every bylo po jejich, každá komedie by měla comedy would have a tragic ending, and tragický konec, a každá tragédie by vyústila every tragedy would culminate in a farce. ve frašku. Jsou půvabně vyumělkované, ale They are charmingly artificial, but they have nemají žádný smysl pro umění. Máte větší no sense of art. You are more fortunate than štěstí, než já. Ujišťuji vás, Doriane, že žádná I am. I assure you, Dorian, that not one of z žen, které jsem znal, by pro mne neudělala the women I have known would have done to, co Sibyl Vaneová udělala pro vás. for me what Sibyl Vane did for you. Obyčejné ženy se vždy utěšují. Některé Ordinary

women

always

console z nich to dělají tak, že se rozhodnou pro

themselves. Some of them do it by going in sentimentální barvy. Nikdy nevěřte ženě, for sentimental colours. Never trust a která nosí lila, ať už je její věk jakýkoliv, woman who wears mauve, whatever her age nebo ženě přes třicet pět, která má v oblibě may be, or a woman over thirty-five who is růžové stuhy. To vždy znamená, že mají fond of pink ribbons. It always means that minulost. Jiné nacházejí útěchu v tom, že they have a history. Others find a great náhle objeví dobré kvality jejich manžela. consolation in suddenly discovering the Chvástají se jejich manželským štěstím good qualities of their husbands. They flaunt jiným do obličeje, jako kdyby to byl ten their conjugal felicity in one’s face, as if it nejvíc fascinující z hříchů. Některé utěšuje was the most fascinating of sins. Religion náboženství. Jednou mi žena řekla, že consoles some. Its mysteries have all the mystičnost náboženství má všechen šarm charm of a flirtation, a woman once told me; flirtu; a já to celkem chápu. Mimo to, nic and I can quite understand it. Besides, nemůže jednoho učinit tak marnivým, jako nothing makes one so vain as being told that když mu řeknete, že je hříšník. Svědomí dělá one is a sinner. Conscience makes egoists of egoisty z nás všech. Ano; opravdu zde není us all. Yes; there is really no end to the konce pro útěchu, kterou ženy v moderním consolations that women find in modern life. životě nacházejí. Ve skutečnosti jsem Indeed, I have not mentioned the most nezmínil tu nejdůležitější ze všech.“ important one of all.’ ‘What is that, Harry?’ said the lad, listlessly „Co je to, Harry?“ zeptal se mladík malátně. ‘Oh, the obvious consolation. Taking „Ach, očividná útěcha. Sebrat něčího someone else’s admirer when one loses obdivovatele, když přišly o toho svého. one’s own. In good society that always V dobré společnosti to ženě vždy přidá na whitewashes a woman. But really, Dorian, kráse. Ale opravdu, Doriane, jak odlišná 32

how different Sibyl Vane must have been musela Sibyl Vaneová od všech těchto žen, from all the women one meets! There is které muž potká, být! V její smrti je podle something to me quite beautiful about her mne něco docela krásného. Jsem šťastný, že death. I am glad I am living in a century žiji ve století, kde se takové zázraky dějí. when such wonders happen. They make one Nutí nás to věřit ve skutečnost pojmů, believe in the reality of the things we all play s nimiž hrajeme, jako jsou romantika, vášeň with, such as romance, passion, and love.’

a láska.

‘I was terribly cruel to her. You forget that.’ „Zapomínáte na to, že jsem k ní byl neskutečně krutý.“ ‘I am afraid that women appreciate cruelty, „Obávám se, že ženy oceňují krutost, downright cruelty, more than anything else. vyloženou krutost více, než cokoliv jiného. They have wonderfully primitive instincts. Mají úžasně primitivní instinkty. My jsme je We have emancipated them, but they remain zrovnoprávnili, ale ony stále zůstávají slaves looking for their masters, all the otroky hledajícími své pány. Milují být same. They love being dominated. I am sure ovládány. Jsem si jistý, že jste byl ohromný. you were splendid. I have never seen you Nikdy jsem vás neviděl opravdu a úplně really and absolutely angry, but I can fancy rozhněvaného, ale dokáži si představit, jak how delightful you looked. And, after all, krásně

jste

vypadal.

A

nakonec,

you said something to me the day before předevčírem jste mi řekl něco, co se mi v ten yesterday that seemed to me at the time to be okamžik zdálo být jen jako výmysl, ale jak merely fanciful, but that I see now was teď vidím, byla to naprostá pravda a je v tom absolutely true, and it holds the key to klíč ke všemu.“ everything.’ ‘What was that, Harry?’

„Co to bylo, Harry?“

‘You said to me that Sibyl Vane represented „Řekl jste mi, že Sibyl Vaneová pro vás to you all the heroines of romance—that she představovala všechny hrdinky romantické was Desdemona one night, and Ophelia the lásky – že byla Desdemonou jednu noc, other; that if she died as Juliet, she came to Ofélií tu další; že pokud zemřela jako Julie, life as Imogen.’

probrala se k životu jako Imogena.“

‘She will never come to life again now,’ „Ona se již nikdy k životu neprobere,“ muttered the lad, burying his face in his zamumlal mladík, a schoval obličej do dlaní. hands.

33

‘No, she will never come to life. She has „Ne, nikdy se už k životu neprobere. Zahrála played her last part. But you must think of svoji poslední roli. Ale musíme smýšlet o té that lonely death in the tawdry dressing- osamělé smrti v nevkusné šatně jednoduše room simply as a strange lurid fragment jako o podivně hrůzném úlomku z nějaké from some Jacobean tragedy, as a wonderful jakubovské tragédie, jako o nádherné scéně scene from Webster, or Ford, or Cyril od Webstera, nebo Forda, nebo Cyrila Tourneur. The girl never really lived, and so Tourneura. Ta dívka nikdy doopravdy she has never really died. To you at least she nežila, a tudíž nikdy doopravdy nezemřela. was always a dream, a phantom that flitted Pro vás byla nakonec vždy jen snem, through Shakespeare’s plays and left them přeludem,

který

poletoval

skrz

lovelier for its presence, a reed through Shakespearovy hry a zanechal je díky jeho which Shakespeare’s music sounded richer přítomnosti

půvabnějšími,

flétna,

skrz

and more full of joy. The moment she kterou zněla Shakespearova hudba více touched actual life, she marred it, and it raodstněji. V okamžiku, kdy se dotkla marred her, and so she passed away. Mourn skutečného života, zničila ho, a zničilo to i for Ophelia, if you like. Put ashes on your ji, a tak zemřela. Truchlete pro Ofélii, pokud head because Cordelia was strangled. Cry chcete. Sypte si popel na hlavu, protože byla out against Heaven because the daughter of Cordélie oběšena. Volejte do nebe, protože Brabantio died. But don’t waste your tears dcera Barbantiova zemřela. Ale neplýtvejte over Sibyl Vane. She was less real than they slzami nad Sibyl Vaneovou. Byla méně are.’

skutečnou, než ony jsou.“

There was a silence. The evening darkened Nastalo ticho. Večer v místnosti potemněl. in the room. Noiselessly, and with silver Stín se neslyšně vplížil bledou nohou ze feet, the shadows crept in from the garden. zahrady. Barvy z věcí unaveně vybledly. The colours faded wearily out of things. After some time Dorian Gray looked up. Po chvíli Dorian Gray vzhlédl. „Vysvětlil ‘You have explained me to myself, Harry,’ jste mi, co se ve mně děje, Harry,“ he murmured, with something of a sigh of zamumlal, s lehkým náznakem úlevy. „Cítil relief. ‘I felt all that you have said, but jsem vše, co jste řekl, ale nějakým způsobem somehow I was afraid of it, and I could not jsem se toho obával, a nemohl jsem to express it to myself. How well you know vysvětlit sám sobě. Jak dobře mne znáte! me! But we will not talk again of what has Ale nebudeme již o tom, co se událo, znovu happened. It has been a marvellous mluvit. Byl to úžasný zážitek. To je vše. 34

experience. That is all. I wonder if life has Zajímalo by mne, zda pro mne má život still in store for me anything as marvellous.’ v zásobě ještě něco podobně úžasného.“ ‘Life has everything in store for you, Dorian. „Život pro vás má v zásobě všechno, There is nothing that you, with your Doriane. Není zde nic, co byste nemohl extraordinary good looks, will not be able to s vaším neobyčejným vzhledem dělat.“ do.’ ‘But suppose, Harry, I became haggard, and „Ale předpokládejme, Harry, že se stanu old, and wrinkled? What then?’

ztrhaným, starým a vrásčitým. Co pak?“

‘Ah, then,’ said Lord Henry, rising to go,— „Ach, pak,“ řekl lord Henry a zvedl se ‘then, my dear Dorian, you would have to k odchodu, - „pak, můj drahý Doriane, fight for your victories. As it is, they are budete muset za svá vítezství bojovat. Teď brought to you. No, you must keep your jsou vám dána. Ne, musíte si udržet váš good looks. We live in an age that reads too dobrý vzhled. Žijeme v době, která čte příliš much to be wise, and that thinks too much to na to, aby byla moudrá, a která myslí příliš be beautiful. We cannot spare you. And now na to, aby byla krásná. Nemůžeme vás you had better dress, and drive down to the ušetřit. A teď si vezměte lepší šaty a club. We are rather late, as it is.’

pojedeme do klubu. Už tak máme dost zpoždění.“

‘I think I shall join you at the Opera, Harry. „Myslím, že se k vám připojím až v opeře, I feel too tired to eat anything. What is the Harry. Cítím se příliš unavený, než abych number of your sister’s box?’

něco jedl. Jaké je číslo lóže vaší sestry?“

‘Twenty-seven, I believe. It is on the grand „Dvacet sedm, myslím. Nachází se v prvním tier. You will see her name on the door. But patře. Uvidíte její jméno na dveřích. Ale I am sorry you won’t come and dine.’

mrzí mne, že nepřijdete povečeřet.“

‘I don’t feel up to it,’ said Dorian, listlessly. „Necítím se na to,“ řekl Dorian unaveně. ‘But I am awfully obliged to you for all that „Ale jsem vám nesmírně zavázán za you have said to me. You are certainly my všechno, co jste mi řekl. Jste skutečně mým best friend. No one has ever understood me nejlepším as you have.’

přítelem.

Nikdo

mi

nikdy

nerozuměl tak, jako vy.“

‘We are only at the beginning of our „Naše přátelství je teprve na začátku, friendship, Dorian,’ answered Lord Henry, Doriane,“ odpověděl lord Henry a potřásl shaking him by the hand. ‘Good-bye. I shall mu rukou. „Na shledanou. Doufám, že vás

35

see

you

before

nine-thirty,

I

Remember, Patti is singing.’

hope. uvidím před půl devátou. Pamatujte, zpívá Patti.“

As he closed the door behind him, Dorian Jakmile za sebou zavřel dveře, Dorian Gray Gray touched the bell, and in a few minutes sáhl po zvonku a během pár minut se objevil Victor appeared with the lamps and drew the Victor s lampami a zatáhl rolety. Dorian blinds down. He waited impatiently for him netrpělivě vyčkával jeho odchodu. Zdálo se, to go. The man seemed to take an že muži trvá všechno nekonečně dlouho. interminable time about everything. As soon as he had left, he rushed to the Jen co odešel, Dorian spěchal k paravánu a screen, and drew it back. No; there was no odtáhl ho. Ne; na obraze nebyla žádná další further change in the picture. It had received změna - obdržel zprávu o smrti Sibyl the news of Sibyl Vane’s death before he Vaneové ještě předtím, než to věděl on sám. had known of it himself. It was conscious of Bylo to vědomí událostí života, jak se děly. the events of life as they occurred. The Surová krutost, která zničila jemnou linku vicious cruelty that marred the fine lines of úst, se bez jakýchkoliv pochyb objevila the mouth had, no doubt, appeared at the v tom samém okamžiku, kdy dívka vypila very moment that the girl had drunk the jed, ať už byl jakýkoliv. Nebo to bylo pro poison, whatever it was. Or was it výsledek nepodstatné? Anebo se zde bralo indifferent to results? Did it merely take v povšimnutí jen to, co se dělo v duši? cognizance of what passed within the soul? Uvažoval, a doufal, zda jednoho dne bude He wondered, and hoped that some day he moci vidět změnu dějící se přímo před jeho would see the change taking place before his vlastníma očima, a zachvěl se nad tím, jak si very eyes, shuddering as he hoped it.

to přál.

Poor Sibyl! what a romance it had all been! Ubohá Sibyl! Jaký románek to byl! Často She had often mimicked death on the stage. napodobovala smrt na jevišti. Smrt sama se Then Death himself had touched her, and jí dotkla, a vzala ji s sebou. Jak zahrála tu brought her with him. How had she played strašlivou scénu? Proklela ho, když umírala? that dreadful scene? Had she cursed him, as Ne; zemřela pro něj z lásky, a láska pro něj she died? No; she had died for love of him, bude od teď navždy posvátností. Odčinila and love would always be a sacrament to všechno obětí, kterou vykonala. Nemyslel him now. She had atoned for everything, by by na to, čím ho nechala projít tu hroznou the sacrifice she had made of her life. He noc v divadle, již nikdy více. Když o ní would not think any more of what she had přemýšlel, bylo to jako by byla nádherně 36

made him go through, that horrible night at tragická postava, poslána na prkna světa, the theatre. When he thought of her, it would aby ukázala nejvyšší skutečnost lásky. be as a wonderful tragic figure sent on the Nádherně tragická postava? Do očí mu world’s stage to show supreme reality of vyhrkly slzy, když si vzpomněl na její Love. A wonderful tragic figure? Tears dětský vzhled,

podmanivé,

neskutečné

came to his eyes as he remembered her způsoby a její stydlivý rozechvělý půvab. childlike look, and winsome fanciful ways Rychle slzy otřel a znovu se podíval na and shy tremulous grace. He wiped them obraz. away hastily, and looked again at the picture. He felt that the time had really come for Cítil, že přišel opravdu čas, aby udělal making his choice. Or had his choice already rozhodnutí. Anebo bylo jeho rozhodnutí již been made? Yes, life had decided that for uděláno? Ano, život to za něj rozhodl – život him— life, and his own infinite curiosity a jeho vlastní nekonečná zvídavost ohledně about life. Eternal youth, infinite passion, života. Věčné mládí, nekonečná vášeň, pleasures subtle and secret, wild joys and potěšení jemné a tajné, nespoutaná radost a wilder sins,—he was to have all these things. nejdivočejší hříchy – to všechno měl mít. The portrait was to bear the burden of his Portrét měl nést břemeno jeho studu: to bylo shame: that was all.

vše.

A feeling of pain came over him as he Náhle ho přepadl pocit bolesti, když thought of the desecration that was in store přemýšlel o znesvěcení, které bylo v zásobě for the fair face on the canvas. Once, in pro čestný obličej na plátně. Jednou, boyish mockery of Narcissus, he had kissed, v chlapeckém výsměchu Narcissovi, políbil, or feigned to kiss, those painted lips that nebo předstíral polibek, těch namalovaných now smiled so cruelly at him. Morning after rtů, které se na něj teď smály tak krutě. Ráno morning he had sat before the portrait za ránem seděl před portrétem a rozjímal wondering at its beauty, almost enamoured nad jeho krásou, téměř jí okouzlený, jak se of it, as it seemed to him at times. Was it to mu někdy zdálo. Měl se teď portrét měnit alter now with every mood to which he s každým rozmarem, jemuž podlehl? Měl se yielded? Was it to become a hideous and stát šerednou a odpornou věcí, která má být loathsome thing, to be hidden away in a schována v zamčené místnosti, skryta před locked room, to be shut out from the sunlight slunečními paprsky, které se tak často that had so often touched to brighter gold the 37

waving wonder of the hair? The pity of it! dotýkaly vlnitých vlasů a zdůrazňovaly the pity of it!

jejich zlato? Jaká škoda! Jaká škoda!

For a moment he thought of praying that the Na moment ho napadlo, že by se mohl horrible sympathy that existed between him modlit, aby to hrozivé soucítění mezi ním a and the picture might cease. It had changed obrazem

zaniklo.

Obraz

se

měnil

in answer to a prayer; perhaps in answer to a jako odpověď na modlitbu; možná by jako prayer it might remain unchanged. And, yet, odpověď

na

modlitbu

mohl

zůstat

who, that knew anything about Life, would nezměněn. A přesto, který člověk, jenž surrender the chance of remaining always nevěděl nic o životě, by se vzdal šance zůstat young, however fantastic that chance might navždy mladý, jakkoliv úžasná ta šance be, or with what fateful consequences it byla, nebo jaké osudové důsledky by to might be fraught? Besides, was it really s sebou mohlo nést? Mimo to, bylo to under his control? Had it indeed been prayer opravdu pod jeho kontrolou? Byla to that had produced the substitution? Might vskutku modlitba, která záměnu vyvolala? there not be some curious scientific reason Nemohl by zde pro to všechno být nějaký for it all? If thought could exercise its zvláštní vědecký důvod? Pokud mohla influence upon a living organism, might not myšlenka uplatnit její vliv na živoucí thought exercise an influence upon dead and organismus, nemohla myšlenka uplatnit vliv inorganic things? Nay, without thought or na mrtvé a neživoucí věci? Ba dokonce, conscious desire, might not things external nemohly by vnější věci vibrovat současně to ourselves vibrate in unison with our bez našeho vědomí nebo touhy s naší moods and passions, atom calling to atom, náladou a vášní, atom svolávat atom v tajné in secret love or strange affinity? But the lásce nebo zvláštní příbuznosti? Ale důvod reason was of no importance. He would nebyl nikterak důležitý. Už nikdy by never again tempt by a prayer any terrible nepokoušel modlitbou žádnou hroznou sílu. power. If the picture was to alter, it was to Pokud se měl obraz měnit, pak se měl měnit. alter. That was all. Why inquire too closely To bylo všechno. Proč se tím zabývat tak do into it?

hloubky?

For there would be a real pleasure in Neboť tu bylo opravdové potěšení v jeho watching it. He would be able to follow his sledování. Byl by schopen následovat jeho mind into its secret places. This portrait mysl do jejích tajných zákoutí. Tenhle would be to him the most magical of portrét by mu byl nejmagičtějším zrcadlem. mirrors. As it had revealed to him his own Tak, jak mu odhalil jeho vlastní tělo, mohl 38

body, so it would reveal to him his own soul. by mu odhalit i jeho vlastní duši. A když by And when winter came upon it, he would portrét dospěl do zimy, stál by Dorian stále still be standing where spring trembles on tam, kde se jaro třepotá na okraji léta. Když the verge of summer. When the blood crept se z toho obličeje na plátně vytratí krev a from its face, and left behind a pallid mask zanechá za sebou sinalou křídovou masku of chalk with leaden eyes, he would keep the s temnýma očima, on by si mohl zachovat glamour of boyhood. Not one blossom of his půvab chlapectví. Jediný květ z jeho krásy loveliness would ever fade. Not one pulse of by nikdy nezvadl. Jediný pulz jeho života by his life would ever weaken. Like the gods of nikdy nezeslábl. Jako řečtí bohové, i on by the Greeks, he would be strong, and fleet, byl silný, svižný a radostný. Co by záleželo and joyous. What did it matter what na tom, co se stalo s barevným portrétem na happened to the coloured image on the plátně? On by byl v bezpečí. To bylo canvas? He would be safe. That was nejpodstatnější. everything. He drew the screen back into its former S úsměvem zatáhl paraván zpět na jeho place in front of the picture, smiling as he místo před obraz, a odešel do ložnice, kde na did so, and passed into his bedroom, where něj již čekal jeho sluha. O hodinu později his valet was already waiting for him. An byl v opeře, a lord Henry se nakláněl nad hour later he was at the Opera, and Lord jeho křeslem. Henry was leaning over his chair.

Chapter 13 He passed out of the room, and began the Vyšel z pokoje a s Basilem Hallwardem ascent, Basil Hallward following close v těsném závěsu začal stoupat po schodech. behind. They walked softly, as men Šli tiše, tak jak to lidé v noci instinktivně instinctively do at night. The lamp cast dělají. Lampa vytvářela na schodech a zdech fantastic shadows on the wall and staircase. fantastické stíny, a zvedající se vítr rachotil A rising wind made some of the windows některými okny. rattle. When they reached the top landing, Dorian Když došli na poslední odpočívadlo, postavil set the lamp down on the floor, and taking Dorian lampu na zem, vytáhl klíč a zastrčil out the key turned it in the lock. ‘You insist ho do zámku. „Vážně to chcete vědět, Basile?“ zeptal se tiše. 39

on knowing, Basil?’ he asked, in a low voice. ‘Yes.’

„Ano.”

‘I am delighted,’ he answered, smiling. „To

jsem

velmi

potěšen,”

odpověděl

Then he added, somewhat harshly, ‘You are s úsměvem, hned však poněkud tvrději dodal: the one man in the world who is entitled to „Jste jediný člověk na světě, který je know everything about me. You have had oprávněný vědět o mně všechno. Máte s mým more to do with my life than you think:’ životem více co dočinění, než si myslíte.“ and, taking up the lamp, he opened the door Zvedl lampu, otevřel dveře a vešel. Ovanul je and went in. A cold current of air passed chladný vzduch a světlo se na okamžik them, and the light shot up for a moment in zbarvilo do temně oranžové. Dorian se a flame of murky orange. He shuddered. zachvěl. „Zavřete za sebou dveře,“ zašeptal a ‘Shut the door behind you,’ he whispered, postavil lampu na stůl. as he placed the lamp on the table. Hallward glanced round him, with a Hallward se rozhlížel kolem sebe, plný puzzled expression. The room looked as if smíšených pocitů. Pokoj vypadal, jako by se it had not been lived in for years. A faded v něm nežilo celé roky. Vybledlá vlámská Flemish tapestry, a curtained picture, an old tapisérie, zakrytý obraz, stará italská truhlice, Italian cassone, and an almost empty a téměř prázdná knihovna – to bylo vše, co se bookcase,—that was all that it seemed to v místnosti kromě křesla a stolu nacházelo. contain, besides a chair and a table. As Zatímco Dorian Gray zapaloval napůl Dorian Gray was lighting a half-burned shořelou svíci, která stála na krbové římse, candle that was standing on the mantelshelf, povšimnul si, že je celé místo pokryté he saw that the whole place was covered prachem a koberec plný děr. Za obložením with dust, and that the carpet was in holes. šramotila myš a byl zde cítit vlhký zápach A

mouse

ran

scuffling

behind

the plísně.

wainscoting. There was a damp odour of mildew. ‘So you think that it is only God who sees „Myslíte si, Basile, že je to jen a pouze Bůh, the soul, Basil? Draw that curtain back, and kdo vidí lidskou duši? Odhrňte závěs, a you will see mine.’

uvidíte tu moji.“

The voice that spoke was cold and cruel.

Jeho hlas zněl chladně a krutě.

40

‘You are mad, Dorian, or playing a part,’

„Jste buď šílený, Doriane, nebo skvělý

muttered Hallward, frowning.

herec,“ zamumlal Hallward a mračil se.

‘You won’t? Then I must do it myself,’ said “Neuděláte to? Pak to tedy musím udělat the young man; and he tore the curtain from sám,” řekl mladý muž, strhnul závěs z tyče a its rod, and flung it on the ground.

mrštil jím na zem.

An exclamation of horror broke from Ze rtů jeho přítele se vydral zděšený výkřik, painter’s lips as he saw in the dim light the jakmile v mdlém světle uviděl šeredný hideous face on the canvas grinning at him. obličej, šklebící se na něj z plátna, v jehož There was something in its expression that výrazu

bylo

něco,

co

ho

naplnilo

filled him with disgust and loathing. Good znechucením a odporem. Dobré nebe! Díval heavens! it was Dorian Gray’s own face that se do obličeje samotného Doriana Graye! he was looking at! The horror, whatever it Hrůza, ať byla jakákoliv, was, had not yet entirely spoiled that nezkazila

tu

úžasnou

ještě zcela

krásu.

V

jeho

marvellous beauty. There was still some řídnoucích vlasech bylo stále trochu barvy gold in the thinning hair and some scarlet on zlata, a na smyslných ústech stále trochu the sensual mouth. The sodden eyes had šarlatové červeně. Vodnaté oči v sobě ještě kept something of the loveliness of their stále držely trošku jejich modré krásy, blue, the noble curves had not yet passed ušlechtilé křivky ještě zcela nezmizely ani entirely away from chiselled nostrils and z ostře řezaných nozder, nebo tvárného hrdla. from plastic throat. Yes, it was Dorian Ano, byl to sám Dorian. Ale kdo mu tohle himself. But who had done it? He seemed to udělal? Basil poznával jeho způsob malby a recognize his own brushwork, and the také rám byl jeho vlastního návrhu. Ta frame was his own design. The idea was představa byla děsivá, přesto ho přepadly monstrous, yet he felt afraid. He seized the obavy. Popadnul zapálenou svíci a přidržel ji lighted candle, and held it to the picture. In u obrazu. V rohu na levé straně bylo jeho the left-hand corner was his own name, vlastní jméno, zvěčněno dlouhými písmeny traced in long letters of bright vermilion.

rumělkovou barvou.

It was some foul parody, some infamous, Byla to nějaká odporná parodie, hanebný, ignoble satire. He had never done that. Still, opovržení hodný výsměch. Tohle nikdy it was his own picture. He knew it, and he nenamaloval, a přesto to byl jeho vlastní felt as if his blood had changed from fire to obraz. Poznával ho a cítil, jako by mu krev sluggish ice in a moment. His own picture! tuhla v žilách. Jeho vlastní obraz! Co to What did it mean? Why had it altered? He znamenalo? Proč se změnil? Malátně se 41

turned, and looked at Dorian Gray with the otočil a pohlédl na Doriana Graye. V ústech eyes of a sick man. His mouth twitched, and mu cukalo a jeho vyprahlý jazyk nebyl his parched tongue seemed unable to schopný artikulovat. Otřel si čelo rukou; bylo articulate. He passed his hand across his vlhké od lepkavého potu. forehead. It was dank with clammy sweat. The young man was leaning against the Mladý muž se opíral o krbovou římsu a mantel-shelf, watching him with that sledoval ho s podivným výrazem, který lze strange expression that is on the faces of vidět na obličejích těch, jež jsou pohrouženi those who are absorbed in a play when a do hry, když je na scéně skvělý herec. V tom great artist is acting. There was neither real výrazu

nebyl

zármutek,

ani

skutečné

sorrow in it nor real joy. There was simply potěšení. Bylo tu jednoduše nadšení diváka, the passion of the spectator, with perhaps a možná s náznakem triumfu v očích. Vytáhl flicker of triumph in the eyes. He had taken z klopy kabátu růži a přivoněl si k ní, nebo to the flower out of his coat, and was smelling alespoň předstíral. it, or pretending to do so. ‘What does this mean?’ cried Hallward, at “Co tohle znamená?” zvolal Hallward last. His own voice sounded shrill and nakonec. Jeho hlas zněl jeho vlastním uším curious in his ears.

pronikavě a cize.

‘Years ago, when I was a boy,’ said Dorian “Před lety, když jsem byl chlapec,” řekl Gray, crushing the flower in his hand, ‘you Dorian Gray, a mačkal květinu v jeho ruce, met me, flattered me, and taught me to be „jste mne potkal, lichotil mi a naučil mne být vain of my good looks. One day you marnivým nad mou krásou. Jednoho dne jste introduced me to a friend of yours, who mne představil vašemu příteli, který mi explained to me the wonder of youth, and vysvětlil zázrak mládí, a dokončil jste můj you finished a portrait of me that revealed portrét, který mi odhalil zázrak krásy. to me the wonder of beauty. In a mad V jednom šíleném okamžiku, o němž sám moment, that I don’t know, even now, doteď nevím, zda ho lituji či ne, jsem vyřkl whether I regret or not, I made a wish, přání, možná byste ho nazval modlitbou…“ perhaps you would call it a prayer ….’ ‘I remember it! Oh, how well I remember it! “Pamatuji se! Ach jak dobře se pamatuji! Ne, No! the thing is impossible. The room is taková věc je nemožná! Pokoj je vlhký. Do damp. The mildew has got into the canvas. plátna se dostala plíseň. Barvy, které jsem The paints I used had some wretched 42

mineral poison in them. I tell you the thing použil, v sobě měly nějaký mizerný nerostný is impossible.’

jed. Říkám vám, taková věc je nemožná.“

‘Ah, what is impossible?’ murmured the “Ach, co je nemožné?” zašeptal mladý muž, young man, going over to the window, and přešel k oknu, a opřel se čelem o chladné, leaning his forehead against the cold, mist- zamlžené sklo. stained glass. ‘You told me you had destroyed it.’

“Řekl jste mi, že jste ho zničil.”

‘I was wrong. It has destroyed me.’

“Mýlil jsem se, to on zničil mne.”

‘I don’t believe it is my picture.’

“Nevěřím, že je to můj obraz.”

‘Can’t you see your ideal in it?’ said Dorian, “Cožpak v něm nepoznáváte svůj ideál?” řekl bitterly.

Dorian hořce.

‘My ideal, as you call it …’

“Můj ideál, jak tomu říkáte…”

‘As you called it.’

“Jak jste tomu vy říkal.”

‘There was nothing evil in it, nothing “Nebylo na tom nic zlého, nic ostudného. Byl shameful. You were to me such and ideal as jste mi ideálem, jaký již nikdy nepotkám. I shall never meet again. This is the face of Tohle je obličej výsměchu.” a satyr.’ ‘It is the face of my soul.’

“Tohle je odraz mé duše.”

‘Christ! what a thing I must have “Prokrista, jakou věc jsem to tedy musel worshipped! It has the eyes of a devil.’

uctívat! Má to oči ďábla.”

‘Each of us has Heaven and Hell in him, “Každý z nás v sobě má nebe i peklo, Basile,” Basil,’ cried Dorian, with a wild gesture of zvolal Dorian v zoufalém, divokém gestu. despair. Hallward turned again to the portrait, and Hallward se znovu otočil k portrétu a gazed at it. ‘My God! if it is true,’ he zahleděl se na něj. “Můj bože, jestli je to exclaimed, ‘and this is what you have done pravda,” vyřkl, “a tohle je obraz toho, co jste with your life, why, you must be worse even udělal se svým životem, pak musíte být ještě than those who talk against you fancy you horší než ti, co vás pomlouvají!” Zvedl světlo to be!’ He held the light up again to the k plátnu a zkoumal ho; povrch se zdál být canvas, and examined it. The surface neporušený, přesně tak, jak ho zanechal. Bylo seemed to be quite undisturbed, and as he zřejmé, že hrůza a hrubost vyšly zevnitř. 43

had left it. It was from within, apparently, Lepra hříchu se skrz nějaký zrychlený vnitřní that the foulness and horror had come. život

pomalu

prožírala

portrétem.

Through some strange quickening of inner Trouchnivění mrtvoly v mdlém hrobě nebylo life the leprosies of sin were slowly eating tak děsivé. the thing away. The rotting of a corpse in a watery grave was not so fearful. His hand shook, and the candle fell from its Hallwardovy ruce se třásly a svíce vypadla z socket on the floor, and lay there sputtering. jejího držáku na podlahu, kde zůstala s He placed his foot on it and put it out. Then prskáním ležet. Stoupl na plamen a zhasil ho. he flung himself into the rickety chair that Pak se svezl do rozviklaného křesla stojícího was standing by the table and buried his u stolu a skryl obličej v dlaních. face in his hands. ‘Good God, Dorian, what a lesson! what an “Dobrý bože, Doriane, jaká lekce! Jak awful lesson!’ There was no answer, but he příšerná lekce!” Nepřišla žádná odpověď, ale could hear the young man sobbing at the slyšel mladého muže vzlykat u okna. window. ‘Pray, Dorian, pray,’ he murmured. ‘What “Modlete se, Doriane, modlete,” zamumlal. is it that one was taught to say in one’s “Jak jsme se to učívali jako mladí říkat? boyhood? ‘Lead us not into temptation. ‚Neuveď nás v pokušení. Odpusť nám naše Forgive us our sins. Wash away our viny. Zbav nás hříchu.‘ Řekněme to společně. iniquities.’ Let us say that together. The Prosba vaší pýchy byla vyslyšena, modlitba prayer of your pride has been answered. The vašeho pokání bude také. Uctíval jsem vás až prayer of your repentance will be answered příliš, byl jsem za to potrestán. I vy jste se also. I worshipped you too much. I am uctíval až příliš. Oba jsme byli potrestáni. punished for it. You worshipped yourself too much. We are both punished.’ Dorian Gray turned slowly around, and Dorian Gray se pomalu otočil a pohlédl na něj looked at him with tear-dimmed eyes. ‘It is uslzenýma očima. „Je příliš pozdě, Basile,“ too late, Basil,’ he faltered.

řekl smířeně.

‘It is never too late, Dorian. Let us kneel “Nikdy

není

příliš

pozdě,

Doriane.

down and try if we can remember a prayer. Poklekněme společně a zkusme si vybavit Isn’t there a verse somewhere, ‘Though modlitbu. Není v ní někde verš ‚Ačkoli jsou

44

your sins be as scarlet, yet I will make them vaše hříchy rudé jako šarlat, učiním je bílými as white as snow’?’

jako padlý sníh?“

‘Those words mean nothing to me now.’

“Ta slova pro mne již nic neznamenají.”

‘Hush! don’t say that. You have done “Jděte, to neříkejte! Udělal jste v životě už enough evil in your life. My God! don’t you dost zlého. Můj bože, cožpak nevidíte, jak na see that accursed thing leering at us?’

nás ta zpropadená věc pošilhává?“

Dorian Gray glanced at the picture, and Dorian Gray pohlédl na obraz a najednou ho suddenly an uncontrollable feeling of hatred vůči

Basilu

Hallwardovi

zaplavil

for Basil Hallward came over him, as nekontrolovatelný pocit nenávisti, jako by thought it had been suggested to him by the mu ji vnukl sám obraz na plátně, jako by byla image on the canvas, whispered into his ear zašeptána do jeho ucha těmi šklebícími se rty. by those grinning lips. The mad passions of Uvnitř něj se vzmáhaly vášně loveného a hunted animal stirred within him, and he zvířete, a nenáviděl muže sedícího u stolu loathed the man who was seated at the table, víc, než cokoliv jiného za celý jeho život. more than he had ever loathed anything in Rozhlédl se divoce okolo. Na víku malované his whole life. He glanced wildly around. truhly před ním se něco zatřpytilo. Padl na to Something glimmered on the top of the jeho zrak. Věděl, co to je. Byl to nůž, který painted chest that faced him. His eye fell on přinesl před pár týdny, aby uřízl kus šňůry a it. He knew what it was. It was a knife that zapomněl ho vzít s sebou pryč. Vydal se he had brought up, some days before, to cut pomalu k němu a minul přitom Hallwarda. a piece of cord, and had forgotten to take Jakmile se dostal za něj, popadl nůž a otočil away with him. He moved slowly towards se. Hallward se v křesle pohnul tak, jako by it, passing Hallward as he did so. As soon se chtěl zvednout. Přispěchal k němu a as he got behind him, he seized it, and zabodl nůž do veliké tepny za jeho uchem, turned round. Hallward stirred in his chair čímž přirazil Hallwardovu hlavu dolů na stůl, as if he was going to rise. He rushed at him, a bodal znovu a znovu. and dug the knife into the great vein that is behind the ear, crushing the man’s head down on the table, and stabbing again and again. There was a stifled groan, and the horrible Ozvalo se zadušené zasténání, společně sound of someone choking with blood. s hrozivým zvukem člověka dávícího se krví. 45

Three times the outstretched arms shot up Natažené paže třikrát křečovitě vystřelily, a convulsively,

waving

grotesque

stiff- mávaly rukama s groteskně ztuhlými prsty ve

fingered hands in the air. He stabbed him vzduchu. Bodl ho ještě jednou, muž se však once more, but the man did not move. již nepohnul. Něco začalo kapat na podlahu. Something began to trickle on the floor. He Na okamžik počkal a stále tiskl hlavu dolů. waited for a moment, still pressing the head Pak odhodil nůž na stůl a poslouchal. down. Then he threw the knife on the table, and listened. He could hear nothing, but the drip, drip on Neslyšel nic jiného, než kapku za kapkou the threadbare carpet. He opened the door, dopadající na ošoupaný koberec. Otevřel and went out on the landing. The house was dveře a vyšel na odpočívadlo. Dům byl absolutely quiet. No one was about. For a naprosto tichý. Kolem nikdo nebyl. Na few seconds he stood bending over the okamžik

zůstal

stát,

nakloněný

přes

balustrade, and peering down into the black balustrádu a zíral dolů do černé propasti. Pak seething well of the darkness. Then he took vytáhl klíč a vrátil se do pokoje, kde se out the key and returned to the room, zamknul. locking himself in as he did so. The thing was still seated in the chair, Ta věc stále seděla v křesle, natažená nad straining over the table with bowed head, stolem se skloněnou hlavou, shrbenými zády, and humped back, and long fantastic arms. a dlouhými nepřirozenými pažemi. Kdyby Had it not been for the red jagged tear in the nebylo rudé rozeklané rány na krku a sražené neck, and the clotted black pool that slowly černé kaluže rozšiřující se po stole, dalo by se widened on the table, one would have said říct, že muž jednoduše usnul. that the man was simply asleep. How quickly it had all been done! He felt Jak rychle se to všechno událo! Cítil se strangely calm, and, walking over to the podivně klidný; přešel k oknu, otevřel ho a window, opened it, and stepped out on the vystoupil na balkon. Vítr rozehnal mlhu a balcony. The wind had blown the fog away, nebe bylo jako ocas monstrózního páva, and the sky was like a monstrous peacock’s pokryté myriádami zlatých ok. Podíval se tail, starred with myriads of golden eyes. He dolů a uviděl policistu na jeho obchůzce, jak looked down, and saw the policeman going svítil dlouhým paprskem lucerny na dveře his rounds and flashing the long beam of his tichých domů. Tečka rudého světla plížícího lantern on the doors of the silent houses. se dvoukolového kočáru zazářila na rohu a 46

The crimson spot of a prowling hansom pak zmizela. Vrávorající žena v třepotajícím gleamed at the corner, and then vanished. A se šálu se plížila okolo plůtků. Čas od času se woman in a fluttering shawl was creeping zastavila, a ohlédla. V jednu chvíli začala round by the railings, staggering as she zpívat chraplavým hlasem. Policista k ní went. Now and then she stopped, and přišel a něco jí řekl. Odklopýtala se smíchem peered back. Once, she began to sing in a pryč. Náměstím se prohnal prudký závan; hoarse voice. The policeman strolled over plameny plynových lamp se zatřepotaly a and said something to her. She stumbled zmodraly,

holé

stromy

zatřásly

jejich

away, laughing. A bitter blast swept across černými větvemi tam a zpět. Dorian se the Square. The gas-lamps flickered, and zachvěl, vešel dovnitř a zavřel okno. became blue, and the leafless trees shook their black iron branches to and fro. He shivered, and went back, closing the window behind him. Having reached the door, turned the key, Přišel ke dveřím, otočil klíčem a otevřel. Na and opened it. He did not even glance at the zavražděného muže ani nepohlédl. Cítil, že murdered man. He felt that the secret of the podstatou celé věci bylo nepřipouštět si whole thing was not to realize the situation. situaci. Přítel, jenž namaloval osudový obraz, The friend who had painted the fatal portrét, který zapříčinil jeho mizérii, odešel portrait, the portrait to which all his misery z jeho života, a to stačilo. had been due, had gone out of his life. That was enough. Then he remembered the lamp. It was a Pak si vzpomněl na lampu. Byla to poměrně rather

curious

one

of

Moorish neobvyklá lampa, maurské řemeslné výroby,

workmanship, made of dull silver inlaid zhotovená z matného stříbra vykládaného with arabesques of burnished steel, and arabeskou

z

leštěné

oceli,

a

pobitá

studded with coarse turquoises. Perhaps it neopracovaným tyrkysem. Jeho sluha by ji might be missed by his servant, and mohl postrádat a vyptávat se. Na moment questions would be asked. He hesitated for zaváhal, potom se otočil a vzal ji ze stolu. a moment, then he turned back and took it Nemohl přehlédnout tu mrtvou věc. Jak from the table. He could not help seeing the klidná byla! Jak hrůzostrašně bílé ty dlouhé dead thing. How still it was! How horribly ruce vypadaly! Byl jako strašlivá vosková figurína. 47

white the long hands looked! He was like a dreadful wax image. Having locked the door behind him, he Když za sebou zamknul, plížil se tiše dolů. crept quietly downstairs. The woodwork Dřevo skřípalo, jako kdyby naříkalo bolestí. creaked, and seemed to cry out as if in pain. Párkrát se zastavil a vyčkával. Ne; všechno He stopped several times, and waited. No: bylo stále tiché. Byl tu jen zvuk jeho everything was still. It was merely the vlastních kroků. sound of his own footsteps. When he reached the library, he saw the bag Když přišel ke knihovně, uviděl v rohu and coat in the corner. They must be hidden zavazadlo a kabát, věci, které se budou muset away somewhere. He unlocked a secret někam schovat. Odemknul tajnou zásuvku, press that was in the wainscoting, a press in která byla v obložení; zásuvku, ve které which he kept his own curious disguises, schovával jeho vlastní nezvyklé převleky a and put them into it. He could easily burn uložil kabát se zavazadlem dovnitř. Může ty them afterwards. Then he pulled out his věci později spálit. Pak vytáhnul hodinky; watch. It was twenty minutes to two.

bylo za pět minut tři čtvrtě na dvě.

He sat down, and began to think. Every Posadil se a zamyslel se. Každý rok, - téměř year—every month, almost— men were každý měsíc -, byli v Anglii oběšeni lidé za strangled in England for what he had done. to, co té noci udělal. Ve vzduchu bylo cítit There had been a madness of murder in the šílenství vraždy. Nějaká rudá hvězda se příliš air. Some red star had come too close to the přiblížila k zemi… A přesto, jaký důkaz proti earth… And yet what evidence was against němu existoval? Basil Hallward opustil dům him? Basil Hallward had left the house at v

jedenáct.

Nikdo

ho

neviděl

znovu

eleven. No one had seen him come in again. přicházet. Většina služebníků byla v Selby Most of the servants were at Selby Royal. Royal. Jeho komorník šel už spát… Paříž! His valet had gone to bed… Paris! Yes. It Ano, Basil odjel do Paříže půlnočním was to Paris that Basil had gone, and by the vlakem, jak zamýšlel. Při jeho podivně midnight train, as he had intended. With his rezervovaných způsobech to může trvat curious reserved habits, it would be months měsíce, než vznikne nějaké podezření. before any suspicious would be aroused. Měsíce! Všechno by mohlo být zničeno Months! Everything could be destroyed dlouho předtím. long before then.

48

A sudden thought struck him. He put on his Náhle ho něco napadlo. Nasadil si jeho fur coat and hat, and went out into the hall. kožešinový kabát a klobouk a sešel do haly. There he paused, hearing the slow heavy Pozastavil se a naslouchal pomalým těžkým tread of the policeman on the pavement krokům policisty ozývajícím se z chodníku outside, and seeing the flash of the bulls’ venku před domem a viděl záblesk světla eye reflected in the window. He waited, and odražený v okně. Čekal a zadržoval dech. held his breath. After a few moments he drew back the Po chvíli odsunul závoru, proklouznul ven a latch, and slipped out, shutting the door velmi opatrně za sebou zavřel dveře. Pak very gently behind him. Then he began začal zvonit za zvonek. Asi za pět minut se ringing the bell. In about five minutes his objevil jeho komorník; byl napůl oblečený a valet appeared half dressed, and looking zjevně velmi ospalý. very drowsy. ‘I am sorry to have had to wake you up, “Omlouvám se, že jsem vás musel vzbudit, Francis,’ he said, stepping in; ‘but I had Francisi,” řekl a vešel dovnitř; „ale zapomněl forgotten my latchkey. What time is it?’

jsem svůj klíč od domu. Kolik je hodin?“

‘Ten minutes past two, sir,’ answered the “Deset minut po druhé, pane,” odpověděl man, looking at the clock and blinking.

muž, když zamrkal na hodiny.

‘Ten minutes past two? How horribly late! “Deset minut po druhé! Jak hrozně pozdě! You must wake me at nine to-morrow. I Musíte mne zítra vzbudit v devět, mám něco have some work to do.’

na práci.”

‘All right, sir.’

“Jistě, pane.”

‘Did any one call this evening?’

“Zastavil se dnes večer někdo?”

‘Mr. Hallward, sir. He stayed here till “Pan Hallward, pane. Zůstal zde do jedenácti eleven, and then he went away to catch his a pak odešel na vlak.” train.’ ‘Oh! I am sorry I didn’t see him. Did he “Ach to mne mrzí, že jsem ho neviděl! Zanechal nějakou zprávu?” leave any message?’ ‘No, sir, except that he would write to you “Ne, pane, jen že vám napíše z Paříže, pokud from Paris, if he did not find you at the vás nezastihne v klubu.” club.’

49

‘That will do, Francis. Don’t forget to call “To bude všechno, Francisi. Nezapomeňte me at nine tomorrow.’

mne vzbudit v devět.“

‘No, sir.’

“Ano, pane.”

The man shambled down the passage in his Muž v bačkorách se odšoural chodbou pryč. slippers. Dorian Gray threw his hat and coat upon the Dorian Gray hodil kabát a klobouk na stůl, a table, and passed into the library. For a odešel

do

knihovny.

Čtvrt

hodiny

quarter of an hour he walked up and down pochodoval místností, kousal si ret a the room biting his lip, and thinking. Then přemýšlel. Pak vytáhl z poličky adresář a he took down the Blue Book from one of the začal jím listovat. ‚Alan Campbell, Hertford shelves, and began to turn over the leaves. street 152, Mayfair.‘ Ano, to byl člověk, ‘Alan Campbell, 152 Hertford Street, kterého potřeboval. Mayfair.’ Yes; that was the man he wanted.

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5 ANALYSIS OF TRANSLATION In the analysis of my translation I am going to mainly focus on a lexical equivalence and differences between mine and two selected original translations, so I am going to provide some kind of comparison with these particular translations as well. The analysis will clarify why I did use the particular expressions in my translation and whether I concur more with a previous translation by Jiří Zdeněk Novák (1958) or the latter one by Kateřina Hilská (2011). Both the analysis and translation is done with the consideration of cultural settings and time-period influence. The two translations mentioned above differ not only by the time of their creation but their approach towards the reader as well, since Hilská’s language is less literary than Novák’s, as can be seen later in this chapter. Based on my study of the translation techniques (see chapter 3) and detailed reading of the original work as well as its Czech versions, I came in conclusion that Hilská’s translation is in some points relatively more free; however, Novák tends to stick to the original work unnecessarily once too often. These differences will be demonstrated on the particular examples taken from these translations as well as from the one I done by myself. I divided this chapter into three parts dealing with the main issues, such as usage of polite form of address, translation of proper nouns and other lexical differences as such. The last, fourth, part of this chapter provides some kind of summary of my findings.

5.1. The speech of the main characters Although the book does not contain any dialects in the speech of the main characters, cultural setting and time-period influence had to be taken in consideration. The origin of the story is in the second half of the nineteenth century and its setting is in the higher society since neither Dorian nor his friends are not poverty-stricken. For this reason, I decided to use the polite form of addresses in the dialogues. Translations by Hilská and Novák do differ in this point as well for Novák uses the polite form of addresses while the characters in Hilská’s translation are on first-name terms with each other, e.g.

51

Novák’s translation

Original

‘‘My dear boy; I ‘“Drahý

Hilská’s translation

My translation

hochu, ‘“Hochu, musím s ‘“Můj

drahý

must see you. Let musím vás vidět. tebou mluvit. Pusť chlapče, musí mvás me in at once. I Hned can’t

bear

shutting

mě

you dovnitř.

yourself abyste

up like this.’’

pusťte mě

Nesnesu, dovnitř. se

zavíral.”’ 1971: 110)

okamžitě vidět. Pusťte mne Nesnesu, dovnitř.

Nesnesu

takhle aby ses před lidmi pomyšlení, že se (Novák takhle

uzavřel.”‘ takhle zavíráte.”‘

(Hilská 2011: 105)

5.2. Proper nouns Proper nouns are naming specific items and are beginning with a capital letter. They denote people, places, animals, day, moths etc. and are an inseparable part of any written text. This puts them among a really common translation problems. Knittlová deals with this problematic in the chapter named Scheme of textual filters, where she mentions cultural transposition, which means transferring from one culture to another. Crucial points are exoticism (adoption of expression from the default language with or without small changes) and cultural transplantation (for instance, substitution of name by the different name of the same or different cultural connotation). (22) After a careful consideration I decided not to use Czech equivalents of the original first names since I am not defender of their translation. Czech language provides equivalents to the majority of English names. Based on my research I would be able to translate the following names: Dorian – ø, Henry – Jindřich, Harry – ø, Basil – ø, Sibyl – Sibyla, Francis – František, Victor – Viktor. As can be seen, not all of the names have the use of their Czech equivalent and this is one of the determinative findings for my decision. Leaving aside fairy tales, I consider it as a very bizarre when translator uses Czech equivalents only with some selected names. I did not change any other names, including the name of the opera singer Patti. This name reappears in other chapters of the book as well. However, neither in the eighth chapter nor any other is mentioned the whole name of the singer therefore, the reader of 52

the novel does not know whether is it her first name or surname. For this reason, I left it in its original form, Patti. I did not take any further research in this matter, since this information is not necessarily essential for the continuity of the story. However, both Novák and Hilská do modulate the name: Novák’s translation

Original

Hilská’s translation

‘It is a Patti night, and ‘Dneska zpívá Pattiová, a ‘Dneska everybody will be there.’

zpívá

Adelina

tak tam bude kdekdo.’ Pattiová a budou tam (Novák

1971:

113) všichni.”

(Hilská

2011:

108)

Similar situation occurred with Sibyl’s surname – Vane, where I used its Czech version with –ová ending, Vaneová, as well as in the case of mention of Lady Hampshire’s name, whose name is in my translation in a form Lady Hampshirová. Foreign names are quite a common matter nowadays and society is not bound by usage of traditional names. However, we do use ending –ová. Gender inflection is a characteristic of Czech language. As Miroslava Knappová explaines in her article (“Přechylování příjmení jako problem kodifikační a legislativní (návrh doplňkové kodifikační úpravy)”), Czech surnames are modified in other foreign languages as well for they have to be intelligible, i.e. names are written without diacritics etc. I also did not modulate the names of places such as Jermyn Street or Selby Royal since their meaning is easy to understand from the text. Again, translating approaches towards this proper noun did differ: Novák’s translation Hilská’s translation

Original ‘Most

of

the ‘Většina sluhů je v ‘Většina služebníků ‘Většina sužebníků

servants were at Selby Selby Royal.’

My translation

Royal.’ byla v Dorianově byla

(Novák 1971: 177)

v

Selby

venkovském sídle.’ Royal.’ (Hilská 2011: 171)

The previous chapter (chapter number twelve) is set to Dorian’s country estate, Selby Royal. The estate is described there, therefore there is no need for additional information or for the substitution of its name. 53

5.3. Other lexical differences As I mentioned in one of the previous chapters, translation can range from the literal form to the free form, which makes it relatively subjective. This fact is observable on the word choice of the translator. -

Cassone

Wilde uses in the description of the room Italian word cassone, which is equivalent for a large chest, also known as marriage chest. Novák’s translation

Original ‘an

old

Italian ‘stará cassone’

cassone’

Hilská’s translation

italská ‘staodávná (Novák truhlice’

1971: 172)

My translation

italská ‘stará

italská

(Hilská truhlice’

2011: 166)

I did use in my translation the Czech equivalent for the Italian word cassone simply because the meaning of the word is not clear from the text. As Knittlová states, we leave foreign language in the text when it is easy to deduce its content from the context (114), and this situation is not the case. The usage of the original world cassone is not necessary for the text as well. -

Nil

Relatively same situation occurred again with the word nil. Novák’s translation

Original ‘Their

result

absolutely nil.’

is ‘A výsledkem naprosté

Hilská’s translation

jejich ‘Neplyne je naprosto

z

My translation

nich ‘Jejich výsledek je nic.’ naprosto nulový.’

nil.’ (Hilská 2011: 109)

(Novák 1971: 114)

Based on the Oxford dictionary of English, the meaning of this particular word would be as follows: nil, which is a contraction of Latin nihil (nothing), means nothing, and is used especially then as the score in certain games or as an equivalent of zero (1190)

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Reader would probably understand the meaning of the word but there is no necessity in leaving the original form in here, since it disrupts continuity of the text as well. -

Sup

Original

Novák’s translation Hilská’s translation My translation

‘And tonight I am ‘A já má jít s vámi ‘A dnes večer mám ‘A dnes s vámi mám to dine with you, dnes na večeři a a s tebou povečeřet a povečeřet, pak jít do and then go on to pak do opery a pak jít do Opery, a opery a poté, jak the opera, and sup potom patrně ještě nejspíš si potom předpokládám, somewhere, suppose,

I na nějaké sousto.’ dáme někde ještě někde popíjet.’ (Novák 1971: 113)

afterwards.’

něco

malého.’

(Hilská 2011: 108)

The dictionary mentioned above defines the word as ‘take (drink or liquid food) by sips or spoonfuls’ (1770). Based on this explanation, sup is used in a connection with liquid. I do consider Czech equivalent popíjet as more apt. Also I did take in consideration the previous mention of having dinner before going to the opera and having drink afterwards seems to be more natural. -

Blue book

Original

Novák’s translation

‘he took down the ‘vyňal blue book’

z

Hilská’s translation

jedné ‘pak z jedné police ‘pak

přihrádky knihovny vzal diplomatický adresář’

My translation vytáhl

z

adresář’ poličky adresář’

(Hilská 2011: 172)

(Novák

1971: 178)

The set phrase diplomatický adresář as it Novák uses, does not exist in the Czech language. The dictionaries provide different explanations of the word, but the most suitable would be the one from The Free Dictionary, which explains it as a book listing the names of socially prominent people (“Blue Book”). Adjective diplomatický sounds rather artificially.

55

The translator’s approach towards the original wording of the text and whether the translation is done rather literally or freely can be seen on the following example: Novák’s translation

Original

Hilská’s translation

My translation

‘He knew it, and he ‘Poznával to a měl ‘Poznal ho a měl ‘Poznával ho a cítil, felt as if his blood pocit, jako by se mu pocit, jako by mu jako by mu krev had changed from krev v okamžení krev tuhla v žilách.’ tuhla v žilách.’ fire to sluggish ice proměnila z ohně v (Hilská 2011: 167) in a moment.’

nehybný

led.’

(Novák 1971: 173)

Novák used literal translation, but modulation of the Czech phrase tuhne krev v žilách is not only more economical solution but more natural as well, since the meaning is basically same.

Novák’s translation

Original ‘who

found

an ‘který

hrál

Hilská’s translation

na ‘kterého

My translation

očividně ‘který

exquisite pleasure chlapcův

bavilo brnkat na uspokojení

in playing on the neuvědomělý

strunu

lad’s unconscious egocentrismus egotism.’

nacházel

mladíkova působení

s nevědomého

pocitem

úžasné sobectví.’

rozkoše.’

(Novák 2011: 110)

v na

mladíkův

(Hilská neuvědomělý egoismus.’

1971: 115)

Hilská’s translation seems to be rather free in this case although the phrase brnkat na strunu is quite an elegant solution. I would determine Novák’s usage of Czech word egocentrismus as a completely unsuitable, even though its meaning is relatively same as egoismus or sobectví. Word egocentrismus as such would be literal translation of English egocentrism.

56

-

Lad x Young man

The meaning of these two words is basically same as the word lad is defined as a boy or a young man (“Definition of “lad”“). However, taking the context in consideration, Wilde refers by this expression to young Dorian Gray, a man in his youth. On the contrary, noun young man is used in the latter chapter to describe the older Dorian who did alter only psychically. Nevertheless, it is important to distinguish between these language nuances. Novák uses Czech equivalent chlapec for the word lad, which refers to its English synonym boy. I did choose as an equivalent word mladík just as Hilská did. As for the noun young man I chose equivalent mladý muž, which is its literal translation. Novák uses in his translation the same expression but Hilská continues using the word mladík as in the earlier chapter. I consider differentiation of these expressions as important.

Jiří Levý states in his Umění překladu that the language of the original text and language of the translated text are not ‘straightforwardly commensurate’, i.e. they are not equivalent as such; therefore, they cannot be translated mechanically. The translator has to take in consideration their aesthetic value and the context as such. (64) Wilde, as an aesthete, did use rather flowery, almost poetic language which is observable on his detailed descriptions of everyday objects. However, when translated, some of these descriptions are relatively vague. I am going to demonstrate this issue with the sentences ‘chased silver Louis-Quinze toilet set,’ and ‘with a rather florid Louis-Quatroze pattern.’ Louis-Quinze – Louis XV. Style, datable to the reign of Louis XV. Louis-Quatroze – Louis XIV. Style, datable to the reign of Louis XIV.

As my research shows, period of Louis XIV. is in Europe connected with baroque, period of Louis XV. then with rococo. Although Czech language possess adjective for rococo (rokokový), it is widely used in connection with buildings, and so I used the reference to the period of Louis XV.:

57

‘chased silver Louis-Quinze toilet set’ “tepanou stříbrnou toaletní soupravu z doby Ludvíka XV.” However, usage of adjective baroque (barokní) is in Czech language quite common but mainly provides relatively good notion of how the described object looks like. ‘with a rather florid Louis-Quatroze pattern’ “jakýmsi barokním květinovým vzorem” Both Novák and Hilská use “z doby Ludvíka XV.” and “z doby Ludvíka XIV.”

I came across a relative cultural discrepancy during comparison of my translation to the previously mentioned ones, namely in the case of translation of the expression hansom. Hansom, as defined by Oxford dictionary of English, is a two wheeled horse-drawn cab accommodating two inside, with the driver seated behind (1834) while drožka (as translated by Novák and Hilská) is defined by Ottův slovník naučný (part VIII) as a cart for two or four inside (45), although there can be found some slight differences. However, I consider the expression dvoukolový kočár as more accurate and descriptive, or at least easily imaginable.

5.4. Cultural and time influence on translations

Every person using a certain language is fully naturally aware of its variability, which can be noticeable on everyday life and communication, since we use different choice of words in different situations, based on its formality etc. These differences can be observable on the written text as well, especially when it comes to the books. The language, especially then choice of the words of the translated text, corresponds to a certain extent to the time period of when it was drawn up. Language goes through a constant, natural development which is noticeable on its vocabulary and its subsequent usage. This means that the time difference between the origins of two

58

different translations of one book is noticeable, primarily when the time difference makes fifty-three years as in this case. The choice of equivalent expression is to a certain degree in the hands of translator and up to his sense of the time setting of the translated work. However, a younger translator will not use the same expressions as the older colleague, even in the case of relatively historical setting of the work. This language approach can be seen on Novák’s and Hilská’s translations of The Picture of Dorian Gray as well. Novák’s translation is, as showed previously, more literal. To evoke the atmosphere, Novák uses literary expressions as well as other signs not common for the contemporary language, i.e. infinitive form with ending –ti and –ci which are considered as obsolete and literal form, i.e. říci (108). Other obsolete and literal forms can be found in this particular translation; words dosti (177), odvětil (110), pojednout (108), musit (108), zhasit (175), etc. Novák uses present transgressive, which is considered as archaic nowadays as well. On the other hand, Hilská’s translation is relatively free in some points: Original

Novák’s translation

Hilská’s translation

‘‘If they don’t, it is all ‘“Jestli to nevědí, pak je ‘“Pokud ne, jsi z toho right.’’

všechno

v

pořádku.”’ venku.”’

(Novák 1971: 112)

(Hilská

2011:

107)

Although some literal expressions can be found in her translation (odvětil, 105), her language is basically related to the time of the translation, which means no use of transgressive form or any archaic infinitive forms. In her translation can be observable some non-standard forms of the words as well. However, the biggest difference between these two translations is the approach towards Lord Henry and Dorian’s dialogues, since Hilská does not use the polite form of address. As can be seen, time influence is in the case of these translations noticeable. My aim was to create translation somewhere in between, i.e. one that would not look neither archaic nor too modern and therefore inappropriate.

59

5.5. The summary of the analysis First noticeable difference between Czech translations is with no doubt the approach towards the usage of polite form of addresses. As I did previously mention in this chapter, Novák uses this level of politeness. However Hilská depicts the relationship between the main characters as more close and she induces this feeling by the fact that the characters are on first-name terms with each other. As I explained in my analysis at some point, I decided to depict the relationship between the main characters as a slightly more polite as well. Later in my analysis, I was dealing with the translation of proper nouns where I stated my attitude towards the translation of first names. All three analysed translations do differ at this point, since I did not translated names at all, Novák left in its natural, original form primarily the name of Victor and Hilská used Czech equivalents where it was possible and suitable. As I premised in the introduction of the chapter dealing with analysis, I mainly focused on lexical differences therefore the third part of the chapter, named Other lexical differences (5.3.), dealt with the most noticeable differences between translations done by Novák, Hilská and myself. I provided explanation of every expression I decided to analyse, as well as Czech equivalent I considered as the most suitable one, considering the context of its usage. Also, I did touch the issue of indirect equivalency, where I expressed my opinion on translation of English word hansom, or expressions Louis-Quinze and Louis-Quatroze. The last part of my analysis as such is dedicated to period influence on the language of translation, where I clarified how it was achieved of these findings. In conclusion, as can be seen from the results of the analysis, Novák’s translation may be considered as slightly more literal, but in some points as more culturally and historically accurate as well (taking in consideration his work with the language). On the other hand, Hilská’s translation is in this respect more free, since she substitutes some phrases by some of completely different sound (as can be seen in the part 5.3.) Based on the analysis, I dare to say that the translation made by myself rage between those made by Hilská and Novák. I avoided using of the obsolete and literal 60

forms, such as infinitive form with ending –ti and –ci, as well as some overly literal translations (as can be seen in the part 5.3.). However, I tried to preserve the atmosphere of the time, namely by the usage of polite form of address.

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6 CONCLUSION This bachelor thesis deals with the translation and analysis of the only novel The Picture of Dorian Gray by Irish author Oscar Wilde. The story with philosophical notions is not originated to the specific type of reader, which makes its language and used vocabulary as intelligible. However, Wilde as an aesthete took delight in the description of things, situations and characters of persons, creating truly aesthetical value of the text in this way. This was the determinative fact why I did focus on the lexical feature of the book in my latter analysis. I translated two selected chapters of the book, with application of the translation methods and approaches I mentioned in the third chapter. The beginning of the work contains chapters on Wilde’s work, life and periodical cultural setting as well. As I premised I deal with the lexical point of view in my analysis, which means I pointed out some of the expressions I translated truly differently than two Czech translators whose work I used for comparison. The meaning of every of these particular expressions was explained as well as the reasons leading into usage of certain Czech equivalent. Leaving lexical level aside, I also explained my attitude towards the translation of proper nouns, especially then first names. I dealt in my analysis with the usage of polite form of addresses and cultural influence upon translations as well. Translating is a very important aspect of our culture and everyday life for if we would be depended only on the literature and other texts written in our mother tongue, the whole social development would be undoubtedly different. Each nation has its own language and dialects etc. which provides us not only better insight into its functioning but new cultural possibilities as well. The possibility of translation broadened every nation’s horizons. But as the culture evolves, new translations are needed since younger generations might find some of them as obsolete and not corresponding to the contemporary language. The Picture of Dorian Gray is one of the books which got new translation quite recently and because of all the possibilities, present day readers are free to choose which of the translations they want to read. My first encounter with this novel was through Jiří Zdeněk Novák’s translation and when I saw how different the translation by Kateřina Hilská is, I have decided to create the translation which would be intelligible to the current reader but not excessively modern at the same time. Personally, I did my best in this matter and I hope I have succeeded.

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7 RESUMÉ This bachelor thesis deals with the translation of the only novel by Irish author Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray. The thesis is divided into four main parts. The first part introduces Oscar Wilde, the author of the book, his life and his work as well as some basic information about his only and most famous novel. The second part deals with translating methods which I used in my work. I illustrated some of these methods by my examples. Following part contains my translation side by side with the original text of the book. The last part is dedicated to the analysis of my translation in which I focused mainly on the lexical equivalency. The analysis is accompanied by comparison of my translation with two older Czech translations of the book.

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8 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Wilde, Oscar. Obraz Doriana Graye. Praha: Odeon, 2011. Print. Wilde, Oscar. Obraz Doriana Graye. Praha: Lidové nakladatelství, 1971. Print. Wilde, Oscar. The picture of Dorian Gray. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1949. Print.

"Aestheticism, Art Movement." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 25 March 2015. “Blue Book.“ The Free Dictionary. Farlex, n.d. Web. 27 March 2015. “Czech Names.“ Behind the Name, n.p., n.d. Web. 27 March 2015. “Definition of “lad”“. Collins dictionary, n.p., n.d. Web. 27 March 2015. Knappová, Miloslava. “Přechylování příjmení jako problém kodifikační a legislativní (návrh doplňkové kodifikační úpravy)“ Nase-rec.ujc.cas.cz. Naše řeč, n.d. Web. 26 March 2015 Knittlová, Dagmar. K teorii překladu. Olomouc: Univerzita Palackého, 2000. Print. Levý, Jiří. Umění překladu. Praha: Panorama, 1983. Print. McKenna, Neil. The Secret Life of Oscar Wilde. London: Arrow Books, 2004. Print. Newmark, Peter. About translation. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters, 2001. Print. Newmark, Peter. A textbook of translations. London: Prentice Hall, 1998. Print. Newmark, Peter. Approaches to translation. Hemel Hempstead : Phoenix ELT, 1995. Print. “Oscar Wilde“ The literature network, n.p., 2008. Web. 27 March 2015. "Oscar Wilde." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 27 March 2015. Ottův slovník naučný. Praha, 1894. Print.

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Pearson, Hesketh. The Life of Oscar Wilde. London: Methuen, 1947. Print. Soanes, Catherine, and Angus Stevenson. Oxford Dictionary of English. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2003. Print. "Victorian Era." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 29 March 2015. "Victorian Morality." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 29 March 2015. Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. Ware: Wordsworth Classics, 1992. Print.

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