ProZ.com translation contests »
17th Translation Contest: "The Sounds of Silence" » English to Sicilian

Competition in this pair is now closed.

Discussion and feedback about the competition in this language pair may now be provided by visiting the "Discussion & feedback" page for this pair. Entries may also be individually discussed by clicking the "Discuss" link next to any listed entry.

Source text in English

A theme of the age, at least in the developed world, is that people crave silence and can find none. The roar of traffic, the ceaseless beep of phones, digital announcements in buses and trains, TV sets blaring even in empty offices, are an endless battery and distraction. The human race is exhausting itself with noise and longs for its opposite—whether in the wilds, on the wide ocean or in some retreat dedicated to stillness and concentration. Alain Corbin, a history professor, writes from his refuge in the Sorbonne, and Erling Kagge, a Norwegian explorer, from his memories of the wastes of Antarctica, where both have tried to escape.

And yet, as Mr Corbin points out in "A History of Silence", there is probably no more noise than there used to be. Before pneumatic tyres, city streets were full of the deafening clang of metal-rimmed wheels and horseshoes on stone. Before voluntary isolation on mobile phones, buses and trains rang with conversation. Newspaper-sellers did not leave their wares in a mute pile, but advertised them at top volume, as did vendors of cherries, violets and fresh mackerel. The theatre and the opera were a chaos of huzzahs and barracking. Even in the countryside, peasants sang as they drudged. They don’t sing now.

What has changed is not so much the level of noise, which previous centuries also complained about, but the level of distraction, which occupies the space that silence might invade. There looms another paradox, because when it does invade—in the depths of a pine forest, in the naked desert, in a suddenly vacated room—it often proves unnerving rather than welcome. Dread creeps in; the ear instinctively fastens on anything, whether fire-hiss or bird call or susurrus of leaves, that will save it from this unknown emptiness. People want silence, but not that much.

Winning entries could not be determined in this language pair.

There was 1 entry submitted in this pair during the submission phase. Not enough entries were submitted for this pair to advance to the finals round, and it was therefore not possible to determine a winner.

Competition in this pair is now closed.

Entries (1 total) — Expand all entries

Lu silenziu. 'Nta li zoni sviluppati di stu munnu, tutti pari lu cercunu comu na ugghia persa, eppuru non si n'attrova. Lu scrùxu di li machini, e di li tilifunini, li vuci intra l'autubùssi e intra li treni, li tilivisioni addumati intra li posti di travagghiu lassati vacanti, sunu l'urchestra di la distrazzioni. L'omu si sta cunsumannu facennu scrùxu unni e gghiè e circannu silenziu a autri banni: 'nta li voschi, a mari, o 'nta qualchi ritiru spirituali pi truvari paci e cuncintrazzioni. Lu pruvussuri di storia Alain Corbin scrivi di lu so rifuggiu di l'università Sorbona, e l'esploraturi nurviggisi Erling Kagge, di li so rigordi di li terri morti di l'Antarticu. Tuttu dui hana pruvatu a scapparasinni di l'urchestra.

Eppuru ca forsi c'è cchiu picca scrùxu ora di quantu ci n'era prima, comu scrissi lu signo' Corbin 'nta lu so libbru "A History of Silence". Prima di li cupirtuni di gomma, n'ta li strati di li paisi, li scrùxi di li roti di ferru e li zocculi di li cavaddi stunavunu l'aricchi. Prima ca n'ammucciavumu di nuatri stissi, suli, d'arreri a li tilifunini, li giurnalara non lassavunu li giurnali davanti li putii, ma ittavunu schigghi a vuci di testa pi vinnìrili, e accusì facevunu chiddi ca vinnevunu cirasi, xuri, e pixi friscu. O tiatru si ittavunu schigghi pi lu bissi. Macari 'nte campagni si cantava mentri si travagghiava. Oggi finìu.

Zoccu canciau appiddaveru nun è lu scruxu; di chiddu lu munnu s'ha lamintatu sempri. La distrazzioni addivintau lu pobblema, picchì si 'ntrica a tutti li banni unni trasi lu silenziu, e macari 'nta li voschi, 'nta lu desertu, o 'nta li cammiri vacanti, ni fa annirbari a locu di farini arrizzittari! La nostra testa stissa, quann'è leggia di scrùxu, ni pari furastera. E quannu arriva chista cuntraddizioni, ni scantamu e attintamu ogni scruxu p' allinchirini la testa: ascutamu l'acidduzzi, i fogghi 'nta l'arbuli e lu cafè ca acchiana. Allura lu vulemu, ma no accussì assai, chistu silenziu.
Entry #22325 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specified
Entry tagging:
  • No "like" tags