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6th ProZ.com Translation Contest: "Relationships" » English to Croatian » Entry #3505

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Translation #3505

Eroticism has this in common with an addictive drug: that there is a coercive element to its pleasure with which part of us is in complicity, and part not. Thus ever since time began men have been trying to enjoy eroticism without being destroyed by it. Societies, religions can be defined in the way they deal with this conundrum. Polygamy, monogamy with repression, monogamy with affairs, monogamy with prostitutes, serial monogamy. Not to mention individual solutions of great ingenuity, or desperation: Victor Hugo with the door knocked through the wall of his office, to let in a girl each afternoon. Auden's flair for finding call-boys in every town. Picasso who simply refused when wife and mistress demanded he choose between them. Then there is always the hair-shirt of course. But perhaps the thing to remember when you wake up with a life full of fresh paint and tortuous complications is that eroticism wasn't invented for you, nor merely for the survival of the species perhaps, but for a divinity's entertainment. Nothing generates so many opportunities for titillation and schadenfreude as eroticism. Which is why it lies at the centre of so much narrative. How the gods thronged the balconies of heaven to see the consequences of Helen's betrayal! And your friends are watching too. Your antics have put the shine on many a late-night conversation.

On the borders between mythology and history, that wily survivor Odysseus was the first who learnt to trick the gods. And perhaps his smartest trick of all was that of lashing himself to the mast before the Sirens came in earshot. There are those of course who are happy to stand at the railings, even scan the horizon. Otherwise, choose your mast, find the ropes that suit you: sport, workaholism, celibacy with prayerbook and bell... But the kindest and toughest ropes of all are probably to be found in some suburban semi-detached with rowdy children and a woman who never allows the dust to settle for too long.
Eroticizmu je jedno zajedničko s opojnom drogom: da postoji prisilan element u njegovu čulnom užitku s kojim je dio nas u dosluhu, a dio ne. Tako otkad je svijeta i vijeka ljudi nastoje uživati u eroticizmu, a da ih on ne uništi. Društva, religije mogu se definirati načinom na koji izlaze nakraj s tom zagonetkom. Poligamija, monogamija s potiskivanjem, monogamija s ljubavnim aferama, monogamija s prostitutkama, serijska monogamija. Da se i ne govori o pojedinačnim rješenjima velike dovitljivosti, ili očajanja: Victor Hugo s vratima probijenim u zidu svoga ureda, kako bi svakoga poslijepodneva propustila jednu djevojku. Audenova pronicljivost u pronalaženju mladića lakoga morala u svakom gradu. Picasso koji je jednostavno odbio kada su supruga i ljubavnica zahtijevale da se odluči za jednu od njih. Ta, dakako, uvijek postoji samožrtvovanje. Međutim, stvar koje se možda valja prisjetiti kada se probudite sa životom punim svježe boje i zamršenim komplikacijama jest ta da eroticizam nije izmišljen za vas, pa možda ni zbog pukog održanja vrste, već za razonodu božanstva. Ništa ne stvara toliko puno prilika za golicanje i zluradost kao eroticizam. I upravo se stoga nalazi u središtu tako brojnih pripovijesti. Kako su bogovi preplavili balkone nebeske ne bi li vidjeli posljedice Helenine izdaje! I vaši prijatelji također gledaju. Vaše šale začinile su mnoge kasnonoćne razgovore.

Na razmeđima između mitologije i povijesti, onaj prepredeni preživjeli Odisej bijaše prvi koji je naučio kako prevariti bogove. I možda njegova najdomišljatija smicalica od svih bijaše vezati se uz jarbol prije nego što su se Sirene našle u dosegu zvuka. Postoje dakako i oni koji su sretni kad mogu stajati na obodnicama palube broda, čak i pomno motriti obzor. U suprotnom, odaberite svoj jarbol, pronađite užad koja vam odgovara: sport, radoholičarstvo, celibat s molitvenikom i zvoncem... Međutim, najdobrostivija i najčvršća užad od svih vjerojatno se mogu pronaći u nekoj obiteljskoj kući u predgrađu s nasrtljivom djecom i ženom koja nikada ne dopušta da se prašina predugo sliježe.


Iz: Eros, esej Tima Parksa.