The Canterville GhostOscar Wilde

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Fantoma din CantervilleOscar Wilde

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WILDE, OSCARFantoma din Canterville' The Canterville Ghost /

Oscar Wilde; Rad.: Laura Frunzi - Bucuregti: Lrtera,2076

ISBN 978-506-33-777 2-7

I. Frunzi, Laura (trad.)

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OSCAR WILDEFantoma din Canterville

The Canterville Ghost

*e

I

Cind domnul Hiram B. Otis, ministrul americanr,

a cumpirat Canterville Chase, toati lumea i-a spus ciface o mare nerozie, intrucit nu exista nici o indoiali

ci locul era bintuit. Ba mai mult, lordul Canterville

insugi, un birbat care preguia onoarea pAni la pedanterie,

simgise de datoria lui si-i mentioneze acest lucru dom-

nului Otis atunci cAnd se intAlniseri Pentru a discuta

termenii :uanzac\ieL

-Noi n-am mai vrut si locuim acolo, i-a spus lordul

Canterville, de cind strimituga mea, ducesa mogteni-

toare de Bolton, a fbcut o crizl de isterie din care nu gi-a

mai revenit niciodatl dupi ce doui miini scheletice

au inspiimintat-o de moarte cAnd i s-au agezat pe umeri

in timp ce se imbrica pentru cini. Mi v1d obligat si-gi

spun, domnule Otis, ci stafia a fost vizuti de mai mulgi

membri in viaEi ai familiei mele, precum ;i de preotul

nostru paroh, reverendul Augustus Dampier, profesor la

King's College din Cambridge. Dupi nefericitul incident

cu ducesa, nici unul dintre servitorii nogtri mai tineri

n-a vrut si mai lucreze la noi, iar lady Canterville n-a mai

reugit si doarmi bine noaptea din cauza zgomotelor

misterioase care se avzeau de pe coridor 9i din biblioteci.

1 Ambasadorul era numit la vremea respectivi ministru. (n.led.)

I

\7hen Mr. Hiram B. Otis, the American Minister,bought Canterville Chase, every one told him he was do-

ing a very foolish thing, as there was no doubt at all that

the place was haunted. Indeed, Lord Canterville himself,

who was a man of the most punctilious honour, had felt

it his duty to mention the fact to Mr. Otis when they

came to discuss terms.

"\7e have not cared to live in the place ourselves," said

Lord Canterville, "since my grandaunt, the Dowager

Duchess of Bolton, was frightened into a fit, from which

she never really recovered, by rwo skeleton hands being

placed on her shoulders as she was dressing for dinner,

and I feel bound to tell you, Mr. Otis, that the ghost has

been seen by several living members of my family, as well

as by the rector of the parish, the Rev. Augustus Dampier,

who is a Fellow of King's College, Cambridge. After the

unfortunate accident to the Duchess, none of our young-

er servants would stay with us, and Lady Cantervilleoften got very little sleep at night, in consequence ofthemysterious noises that came from the corridor and

the library."

Fantoma din Canteruille

-Lord Canterville, a rispuns ministrul, voi evalua

mobila;i stafia. Eu vin dintr-o gari moderni, unde avem

tot ce se poate cumplra cu bani; 9i, cu togi tinerii igtia

energici care vin de la noi ln Lumea Veche, igi fac de cap

9i vI furl cei mai buni actori gi cele mai bune soliste de

operi, sunt sigur cL, dacl' ar fi existat o staffe in Europa,

ar fi inchis-o imediat intr-unul dintre muzeele noastre

publice sau ar fi plimbat-o din loc in loc cu circul.

- MI tem ci stafia existi, a sPus lordul Canterville

zimbind, si cred ci a respins propunerile afacerigtilor

vogtri intreprinzitori, cici igi duce traiul aici de peste trei

secole, din 1584, de fapt, si intotdeauna igi face aparigia

inainte de moartea unui membru al familiei noastre.

- Pii, daci e s-o luim aga, 9i medicul de familie face

la fel, lord Canterville. Dar domnule, insist ci nu existi

fantome gi nu cred ci legile naturii se suspendi Pentru

aristocragia britanici.

- Cu sigurangi ci suntegi foarte naturali, voi, ameri-

canii, a rispuns lordul Canterville, care nu ingelesese prea

bine ultima remarcS. a domnului Otis, gi, daci nu videranjeazl,si avegi o stafie tn casi, nu-i nici o problemi.

Dar gine minte ci eu te-am avertizat!

7be Canteruille Ghost

"My Lord," answered the Minister, "I will take the

furniture and the ghost at a valuation. I come from amodern country, where we have everything that money

can buy; and with all our spry young fellows painting the

Old World red, and carrying offyour best actresses and

prima-donnas, I reckon that if there were such a thing as

a ghost in Europe, we'd have it at home in a very short

time in one of our public museums, or on the road as a

show."

"I fear that the ghost exists," said Lord Canterville,

smiling, "though it may have resisted the overtures ofyour enterprising impresarios. It has been well known forthree centuries, since l5B4 in fact, and always makes

its appearance before the death of any member ofour family."

"\7ell, so does the family doctor for that matter, Lord

Canterville. But there is no such thing, sir, as a ghost, and

I guess the laws of Nature are not going to be suspended

for the British aristocracy."

"You are certainly very natural in America," answered

Lord Canterville, who did not quite understand Mr.Otis's last observation, "and if you dont mind a ghost inthe house, it is all right. Only you must remember

I warned you."