ProZ.com translation contests »
6th ProZ.com Translation Contest: "Relationships" » English to Afrikaans » Entry by Hermien Desaivre

Source text in English

Translation by Hermien Desaivre (#4540) — Winner

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.
Eros

'n Essay deur Tim Parks.

Die erotiek is in een opsig net soos ‘n dwelmmiddel: sy genot is ‘n dwang waaraan ons deels medepligtig is, en deels nie. Van die vroegste tye af het mans probeer om die plesiere van die erotiek te geniet sonder dat dit hulle in die verderf bring. ‘n Mens kan ‘n hele samelewing en self ‘n godsdiens definieer na aanleiding van hoe hulle diè strikvraag hanteer. Daar is veelwywery, monogamie met beteueling, monogamie met buite-egtelike verhoudings, monogamie met prostitute en sommer ook reeksmonogamie - om nie eens te praat van individuele oplossings wat getuig van groot vindingrykheid - of groot raserny! Victor Hugo het deur sy kantoormuur gebreek en 'n deur laat insit om elke middag 'n jong dame in te laat; Audin had ‘n gawe om in elke dorp die seunsprostitute te vind; Picasso het volstrek geweier om onder druk van beide sy vrou en sy minnares te kies tussen hulle. En dan is daar natuurlik nog die boetekleed, wat sou help om versoekings te weerstaan...

Maar wanneer 'n mens ontwaak tot ‘n lewe wat ruik na vars verf en slinkse komplikasies, is dit miskien wys om te onthou dat die erotiek nooit vir jou onthalwe bedink is nie, en selfs nie eers vir die mens se oorlewing nie: nee, dis uit en uit daar vir die gode se vermaak. Daar is niks wat soveel geleentheid gee vir leedvermaak en ‘n verkneukelry ten koste van iemand anders nie as die erotiek. En dit is presies om hierdie rede dat die erotiek so dikwels die hoofkarakter in die verhaal speel. Hoe het die gode mekaar nie op die balkonne van die hemelruim verdring om die gevolge van Helena se verraad te aanskou nie! En net so hou jou vriende jou ook dop: jou manewales het beslis al menige laataandgesprek opgekikker.

Odysseus, daardie geslepe karakter wat op die grens tussen mitologie en geskiedenis loop, was die eerste man wat geleer het hoe om die gode te fnuik. Sy slimste slenter was sekerlik om homself aan sy skip se mas vas te bind voordat hy die lokroep van die Sirenes kon hoor. Daar is natuurlik diegene wat maar te graag oor die relings hang, en selfs op die uitkyk bly vir Sirenesang. Maar as dit nie jy is nie, kies jou mas en die tou wat jou pas: sport, of werksverslawing of selibaat met gebedeboekie en klok in die hande... En op die ou end sal jy tog vind dat die sterkste toue, gebonde met die diepste deernis, dié is van ‘n bondel lawaaierige kinders in ‘n voorstedelike meenthuis, met ‘n vrou wat jou op jou tone hou.