The Lottery Part 1 (INTERMEDIATE+) Uma leitura guiada em inglês

THE LOTTERY (PART 1)

(THE ORIGINAL TEXT)

THE MORNING of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green. The people of the village began to gather in the square, between the post office and the bank, around ten o’clock; in some towns there were so many people that the lottery took two days and had to be started on June 26th, but in this village, where there were only about three hundred people, the whole lottery took less than two hours, so it could begin at ten o’clock in the morning and still be through in time to allow the villagers to get home for noon dinner.

The children assembled first, of course. School was recently over for the summer, and the feeling of liberty sat uneasily on most of them; they tended to gather together quietly for a while before they broke into boisterous play, and their talk was still of the classroom and the teacher, of books and reprimands. Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets full of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example, selecting the smoothest and roundest stones; Bobby and Harry Jones and Dickie Delacroix—the villagers pronounced this name “Dellacroy”—eventually made a great pile of stones in one corner of the square and guarded it against the raids of the other boys. The girls stood aside, talking among themselves, looking over their shoulders at the boys, and the very small children rolled in the dust or clung to the hands of their older brothers or sisters.

Soon the men began to gather, surveying their own children, speaking of planting and rain, tractors and taxes. They stood together, away from the pile of stones in the corner, and their jokes were quiet and they smiled rather than laughed. The women, wearing faded house dresses and sweaters, came shortly after their menfolk. They greeted one another and exchanged bits of gossip as they went to join their husbands. Soon the women, standing by their husbands, began to call to their children, and the children came reluctantly, having to be called four or five times. Bobby Martin ducked under his mother’s grasping hand and ran, laughing, back to the pile of stones. His father spoke up sharply, and Bobby came quickly and took his place between his father and his oldest brother.

The lottery was conducted—as were the square dances, the teen-age club, the Halloween program—by Mr. Summers, who had time and energy to devote to civic activities. He was a round-faced, jovial man and he ran the coal business, and people were sorry for him, because he had no children and his wife was a scold. When he arrived in the square, carrying the black wooden box, there was a murmur of conversation among the villagers, and he waved and called, “Little late today, folks.” The postmaster, Mr. Graves, followed him, carrying a three-legged stool, and the stool was put in the center of the square and Mr. Summers set the black box down on it. The villagers kept their distance, leaving a space between themselves and the stool, and when Mr. Summers said, “Some of you fellows want to give me a hand?” there was a hesitation before two men, Mr. Martin and his oldest son, Baxter, came forward to hold the box steady on the stool while Mr. Summers stirred up the papers inside it.

The original paraphernalia for the lottery had been lost long ago, and the black box now resting on the stool had been put into use even before Old Man Warner, the oldest man in town, was born. Mr. Summers spoke frequently to the villagers about making a new box, but no one liked to upset even as much tradition as was represented by the black box. There was a story that the present box had been made with some pieces of the box that had preceded it, the one that had been constructed when the first people settled down to make a village here. Every year, after the lottery, Mr. Summers began talking again about a new box, but every year the subject was allowed to fade off without anything’s being done. The black box grew shabbier each year; by now it was no longer completely black but splintered badly along one side to show the original wood color, and in some places faded or stained.

Mr. Martin and his oldest son, Baxter, held the black box securely on the stool until Mr. Summers had stirred the papers thoroughly with his hand. Because so much of the ritual had been forgotten or discarded, Mr. Summers had been successful in having slips of paper substituted for the chips of wood that had been used for generations. Chips of wood, Mr. Summers had argued, had been all very well when the village was tiny, but now that the population was more than three hundred and likely to keep on growing, it was necessary to use something that would fit more easily into the black box. The night before the lottery, Mr. Summers and Mr. Graves made up the slips of paper and put them in the box, and it was then taken to the safe of Mr. Summers’ coal company and locked up until Mr. Summers was ready to take it to the square next morning. The rest of the year, the box was put away, sometimes one place, sometimes another; it had spent one year in Mr. Graves’s barn and another year underfoot in the post office, and sometimes it was set on a shelf in the Martin grocery and left there.

There was a great deal of fussing to be done before Mr. Summers declared the lottery open. There were the lists to make up—of heads of families, heads of households in each family, members of each household in each family. There was the proper swearing-in of Mr. Summers by the postmaster, as the official of the lottery; at one time, some people remembered, there had been a recital of some sort, performed by the official of the lottery, a perfunctory, tuneless chant that had been rattled off duly each year; some people believed that the official of the lottery used to stand just so when he said or sang it, others believed that he was supposed to walk among the people, but years and years ago this part of the ritual had been allowed to lapse. There had been, also, a ritual salute, which the official of the lottery had had to use in addressing each person who came up to draw from the box, but this also had changed with time, until now it was felt necessary only for the official to speak to each person approaching. Mr. Summers was very good at all this; in his clean white shirt and blue jeans, with one hand resting carelessly on the black box, he seemed very proper and important as he talked interminably to Mr. Graves and the Martins.

Just as Mr. Summers finally left off talking and turned to the assembled villagers, Mrs. Hutchinson came hurriedly along the path to the square, her sweater thrown over her shoulders, and slid into place in the back of the crowd.

“Clean forgot what day it was,” she said to Mrs. Delacroix, who stood next to her, and they both laughed softly. “Thought my old man was out back stacking wood,” Mrs. Hutchinson went on, “and then I looked out the window and the kids was gone, and then I remembered it was the twenty- seventh and came a-running.” She dried her hands on her apron, and Mrs. Delacroix said, “You’re in time, though. They’re still talking away up there.”

  Mrs. Hutchinson craned her neck to see through the crowd and found her husband and children standing near the front. She tapped Mrs. Delacroix on the arm as a farewell and began to make her way through the crowd. The people separated good-humoredly to let her through; two or three people said, in voices just loud enough to be heard across the crowd, “Here comes your Missus Hutchinson,” and “Bill, she made it after all.” Mrs. Hutchinson reached her husband, and Mr. Summers, who had been waiting, said cheerfully, “Thought we were going to have to get on without you, Tessie.” Mrs. Hutchinson said, grinning, “Wouldn’t have me leave m’dishes in the sink, now, would you, Joe?,” and soft laughter ran through the crowd as the people stirred back into position after Mrs. Hutchinson’s arrival.

“Well, now,” Mr. Summers said soberly, “guess we better get started, get this over with, so’swe can go back to work. Anybody ain’t here?”

“Dunbar,” several people said. “Dunbar, Dunbar.”

Mr. Summers consulted his list. “Clyde Dunbar,” he said. “That’s right. He’s broke his leg, hasn’t he? Who’s drawing for him?”

“Me, I guess,” a woman said, and Mr. Summers turned to look at her. “Wife draws for her husband,” Mr. Summers said. “Don’t you have a grown boy to do it for you, Janey?” Although Mr. Summers and everyone else in the village knew the answer perfectly well, it was the business of the official of the lottery to ask such questions formally. Mr. Summers waited with an expression of polite interest while Mrs. Dunbar answered.

“Horace’s not but sixteen yet,” Mrs. Dunbar said regretfully. “Guess I gotta fill in for the old man this year.”

“Right,” Mr. Summers said. He made a note on the list he was holding.

Then he asked, “Watson boy drawing this year?”

A tall boy in the crowd raised his hand. “Here,” he said. “I’m drawing for m’mother and me.” He blinked his eyes nervously and ducked his head as several voices in the crowd said things like “Good fellow, Jack,” and “Glad to see your mother’s got a man to do it.”

“Well,” Mr. Summers said, “guess that’s everyone. Old Man Warner make it?”

“Here,” a voice said, and Mr. Summers nodded.

  A sudden hush fell on the crowd as Mr. Summers cleared his throat and looked at the list. “All ready?” he called. “Now, I’ll read the names—heads of families first—and the men come up and take a paper out of the box. Keep the paper folded in your hand without looking at it until everyone has had a turn. Everything clear?”

The people had done it so many times that they only half listened to the directions; most of them were quiet, wetting their lips, not looking around. Then Mr. Summers raised one hand high and said, “Adams.” A man disengaged himself from the crowd and came forward. “Hi, Steve,” Mr. Summers said, and Mr. Adams said, “Hi, Joe.” They grinned at one another humorlessly and nervously. Then Mr. Adams reached into the black box and took out a folded paper. He held it firmly by one corner as he turned and went hastily back to his place in the crowd, where he stood a little apart from his family, not looking down at his hand.

---

Continued in part 2…

TRADUÇÃO EM PORTUGUÊS

The lottery (Part 1)
A Loteria (Parte 1)

The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day;
A manhã de 27 de junho estava límpida e ensolarada, com o calor refrescante de um dia em pleno verão;

the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green.
as flores desabrochavam em profusão, e a grama era de um verde vivo.

The people of the village began to gather in the square, between the post office and the bank, around ten o’clock;
Os habitantes do vilarejo começaram a se reunir na praça, entre os correios e o banco, por volta de dez da manhã;

in some towns there were so many people that the lottery took two days and had to be started on June 26th,
em algumas cidades, havia tantas pessoas que a loteria durava dois dias e tinha que começar em 26 de junho.

but in this village, where there were only about three hundred people, the whole lottery took less than two hours, so it could begin at ten o’clock in the morning and still be through in time to allow the villagers to get home for noon dinner.
Neste vilarejo, porém, no qual havia apenas cerca de 300 pessoas, a loteria inteira durava menos de duas horas, por isso, podia começar às dez da manhã e ainda acabar a tempo de permitir que seus habitantes voltassem a casa para fazer a refeição do meio-dia.

The children assembled first, of course.
Sem dúvida, as crianças foram as primeiras a se reunir.

School was recently over for the summer, and the feeling of liberty sat uneasily on most of them;
Recentemente, a escola fechara para o verão, e a sensação de liberdade instalara-se inquietamente na maioria;

they tended to gather together quietly for a while before they broke into boisterous play, and their talk was still of the classroom and the teacher, of books and reprimands.
elas tendiam a se juntar em silêncio por um tempo antes que irrompessem numa brincadeira barulhenta. E a conversa ainda era sobre a turma e a professora, os livros e os castigos.

Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets full of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example, selecting the smoothest and roundest stones;
Bobby Martin já enchera os bolsos com pedras; os outros garotos logo seguiram seu exemplo e selecionaram as mais lisas e redondas;

Bobby and Harry Jones and Dickie Delacroix—the villagers pronounced this name “Dellacroy”—eventually made a great pile of stones in one corner of the square and guarded it against the raids of the other boys.
Bobby, Harry Jones e Dickie Delacroix — os habitantes pronunciavam “Dellacroy” — finalmente fizeram uma grande pilha de pedras em um canto da praça e a protegeram dos ataques-surpresa dos outros garotos.

The girls stood aside, talking among themselves, looking over their shoulders at the boys, and the very small children rolled in the dust or clung to the hands of their older brothers or sisters.
As garotas se mantiveram a distância e conversavam entre si, olhando por cima dos ombros para os meninos; crianças muito pequenas rolavam na terra ou seguravam as mãos de irmãos ou irmãs mais velhos.

Soon the men began to gather, surveying their own children, speaking of planting and rain, tractors and taxes.
Pouco depois, os homens começaram a se reunir. Observando os próprios filhos, falavam sobre plantio e chuva, tratores e impostos.

They stood together, away from the pile of stones in the corner, and their jokes were quiet and they smiled rather than laughed.
Eles ficavam de pé, juntos, longe da pilha de pedras no canto, suas piadas eram silenciosas, e sorriam em vez de dar risadas.

The women, wearing faded house dresses and sweaters, came shortly after their menfolk.
As mulheres vestiam roupas de casa e suéteres desbotados, e chegaram pouco depois dos homens.

They greeted one another and exchanged bits of gossip as they went to join their husbands.
Elas se cumprimentavam e fofocavam conforme se juntavam aos maridos.

Soon the women, standing by their husbands, began to call to their children, and the children came reluctantly, having to be called four or five times.
Logo, as mulheres, de pé, ao lado dos homens, começaram a chamar seus filhos, e eles vinham, relutantes, tendo que ser chamados quatro ou cinco vezes.

Bobby Martin ducked under his mother’s grasping hand and ran, laughing, back to the pile of stones.
Bobby Martin abaixou-se sob a mão da mãe que o apertava e correu, às gargalhadas, de volta para a pilha de pedras.

His father spoke up sharply, and Bobby came quickly and took his place between his father and his oldest brother.
O pai ergueu a voz abruptamente, e Bobby se aproximou rápido, assumindo seu lugar entre o pai e o irmão mais velho.

The lottery was conducted—as were the square dances, the teen-age club, the Halloween program—by Mr. Summers, who had time and energy to devote to civic activities.
A loteria era conduzida — assim como as quadrilhas, o clube juvenil, o programa do Halloween — pelo Sr. Summers, que tinha tempo e energia para dedicar às atividades cívicas.

He was a round-faced, jovial man and he ran the coal business, and people were sorry for him, because he had no children and his wife was a scold.
Era um homem jovial, de rosto redondo, administrava o negócio de carvão, e as pessoas lamentavam por ele, pois não tinha filhos, e a esposa era uma megera.

When he arrived in the square, carrying the black wooden box, there was a murmur of conversation among the villagers, and he waved and called, “Little late today, folks.”
Quando chegou à praça, carregando a caixa de madeira preta, ouviu-se um murmúrio de conversa entre os habitantes, e ele acenou e falou: “Um pouco atrasado hoje, amigos”.

The postmaster, Mr. Graves, followed him, carrying a three-legged stool, and the stool was put in the center of the square and Mr. Summers set the black box down on it.
O carteiro, o Sr. Graves, o acompanhava e trazia um tamborete com três pernas. O banquinho foi colocado no centro da praça e o Sr. Summers pôs a caixa preta em cima dele.

The villagers kept their distance, leaving a space between themselves and the stool, and when Mr. Summers said, “Some of you fellows want to give me a hand?”
Os habitantes mantinham distância, deixando um espaço entre eles e o tamborete. E quando o Sr. Summers falou: “Algum de vocês, amigos, quer me dar uma ajuda?”;

there was a hesitation before two men, Mr. Martin and his oldest son, Baxter, came forward to hold the box steady on the stool while Mr. Summers stirred up the papers inside it.
houve uma hesitação antes de dois homens, o Sr. Martin e seu filho mais velho, Baxter, darem um passo a frente e segurarem a caixa equilibrada no banquinho enquanto o Sr. Summers remexia os papéis dentro dela.

The original paraphernalia for the lottery had been lost long ago, and the black box now resting on the stool had been put into use even before Old Man Warner, the oldest man in town, was born.
A parafernália original para a loteria fora perdida havia muito tempo, e a caixa preta que agora estava apoiada no banco havia sido posta em uso mesmo antes do Velho Warner, o homem mais velho da cidade, nascer.

Mr. Summers spoke frequently to the villagers about making a new box, but no one liked to upset even as much tradition as was represented by the black box.
O Sr. Summers conversava com frequência com os habitantes sobre fazer uma nova caixa, mas ninguém gostava de perturbar a tradição representada pelo objeto preto.

There was a story that the present box had been made with some pieces of the box that had preceded it, the one that had been constructed when the first people settled down to make a village here.
Havia uma história de que a caixa atual fora feita com alguns pedaços da caixa que a precedera, que fora construída quando as primeiras pessoas se instalaram para criar um vilarejo aqui.

Every year, after the lottery, Mr. Summers began talking again about a new box, but every year the subject was allowed to fade off without anything’s being done.
Todos os anos, após a loteria, o Sr. Summers começava a falar mais uma vez sobre uma nova caixa, mas todos os anos deixavam que o assunto morresse sem que coisa alguma fosse feita.

The black box grew shabbier each year;
A cada ano, a caixa preta ficava mais danificada:

by now it was no longer completely black but splintered badly along one side to show the original wood color, and in some places faded or stained.
agora nem era mais totalmente desta cor, mas, muito lascada em um dos lados, mostrava a cor original da madeira e, em alguns locais estava desbotada ou manchada.

Mr. Martin and his oldest son, Baxter, held the black box securely on the stool until Mr. Summers had stirred the papers thoroughly with his hand.
O Sr. Martin e o filho mais velho, Baxter, seguraram a caixa preta com firmeza em cima do banco até o Sr. Summers remexer totalmente os papéis com a mão.

Because so much of the ritual had been forgotten or discarded, Mr. Summers had been successful in having slips of paper substituted for the chips of wood that had been used for generations.
Como grande parte do ritual fora esquecida ou descartada, o Sr. Summers conseguira substituir as lascas de madeira, usadas durante gerações, por pedacinhos de papel.

Chips of wood, Mr. Summers had argued, had been all very well when the village was tiny,
Lascas de madeira, argumentara ele, tinham servido muito bem quando o vilarejo era minúsculo,

but now that the population was more than three hundred and likely to keep on growing,
mas agora que a população era de mais de 300 habitantes, e provavelmente continuaria a crescer,

it was necessary to use something that would fit more easily into the black box.
era necessário usar alguma coisa que coubesse mais facilmente na caixa preta.

The night before the lottery, Mr. Summers and Mr. Graves made up the slips of paper and put them in the box,
Na noite anterior à loteria, o Sr. Summers e o Sr. Graves prepararam os pedacinhos de papel e os guardaram na caixa,

and it was then taken to the safe of Mr. Summers’ coal company and locked up until Mr. Summers was ready to take it to the square next morning.
ela foi então levada para o cofre da companhia de carvão do Sr. Summers e ficou trancada lá até que ele estivesse pronto para levá-la à praça na manhã seguinte.

The rest of the year, the box was put away, sometimes one place, sometimes another;
No restante do ano, a caixa ficava guardada; às vezes, em um lugar, outras vezes, em outro;

it had spent one year in Mr. Graves’s barn and another year underfoot in the post office, and sometimes it was set on a shelf in the Martin grocery and left there.
ela passara um ano no celeiro do Sr. Graves e outro ano no chão dos correios. E, algumas vezes, era colocada em uma prateleira na quitanda de Martin e deixada ali.

There was a great deal of fussing to be done before Mr. Summers declared the lottery open.
Ouvia-se um grande burburinho até que o Sr. Summers declarasse a loteria aberta.

There were the lists to make up—of heads of families, heads of households in each family, members of each household in each family.
Havia listas a serem preparadas: com os chefes de família, chefes dos moradores de cada casa, moradores de cada casa em cada família.

There was the proper swearing-in of Mr. Summers by the postmaster, as the official of the lottery;
E o devido juramento feito pelo Sr. Summers ao carteiro, enquanto oficial da loteria;

at one time, some people remembered, there had been a recital of some sort, performed by the official of the lottery,
antigamente, como se recordavam algumas pessoas, ocorria um tipo de recital, cantado pelo oficial da loteria:

a perfunctory, tuneless chant that had been rattled off duly each year;
um cântico pouco melódico e monótono, que fora recitado apressadamente, como estava previsto, a cada ano;

some people believed that the official of the lottery used to stand just so when he said or sang it,
algumas pessoas acreditavam que o oficial da loteria costumava ficar simplesmente parado quando recitava ou cantava;

others believed that he was supposed to walk among the people,
outros julgavam que ele deveria caminhar entre as pessoas,

but years and years ago this part of the ritual had been allowed to lapse.
mas havia muitos anos que esta parte do ritual acabara caducando.

There had been, also, a ritual salute, which the official of the lottery had had to use in addressing each person who came up to draw from the box,
Além disso, via-se um ritual de saudação, que o oficial da loteria teria que usar ao se dirigir a cada pessoa que aparecia para sortear da caixa,

but this also had changed with time, until now it was felt necessary only for the official to speak to each person approaching.
mas isso também mudara com o tempo, e agora somente era necessário que o oficial cumprimentasse cada pessoa que se aproximava.

Mr. Summers was very good at all this; in his clean white shirt and blue jeans, with one hand resting carelessly on the black box, he seemed very proper and important as he talked interminably to Mr. Graves and the Martins.
O Sr. Summers era muito bom nisso tudo; com a camisa branca limpa e a calça jeans azul, uma das mãos apoiada negligentemente sobre a caixa preta, ele parecia muito decente e importante ao conversar interminavelmente com o Sr. Graves e os Martin.

Just as Mr. Summers finally left off talking and turned to the assembled villagers, Mrs. Hutchinson came hurriedly along the path to the square, her sweater thrown over her shoulders, and slid into place in the back of the crowd.
Assim que o Sr. Summers finalmente parou de falar e se voltou para os habitantes reunidos, a Sra. Hutchinson veio apressadamente pelo caminho até a praça, com o suéter jogado sobre os ombros, e se esgueirou até o local no fundo da multidão.

“Clean forgot what day it was,” she said to Mrs. Delacroix, who stood next to her, and they both laughed softly.
— Esqueci completamente que dia era — falou à Sra. Delacroix, que estava de pé junto a ela, e ambas esboçaram um sorriso.

“Thought my old man was out back stacking wood,” Mrs. Hutchinson went on, “and then I looked out the window and the kids was gone, and then I remembered it was the twenty- seventh and came a-running.”
— Pensei que meu velho tivesse saído de novo para empilhar lenha — emendou a Sra. Hutchinson — e então olhei pela janela, os garotos tinham sumido; aí me lembrei de que era dia 27 e vim correndo.

She dried her hands on her apron, and Mrs. Delacroix said, “You’re in time, though. They’re still talking away up there.”
Ela enxugou as mãos no avental, e a Sra. Delacroix falou:
— Mas você chegou a tempo. Eles ainda estão conversando por lá.

Mrs. Hutchinson craned her neck to see through the crowd and found her husband and children standing near the front.
A Sra. Hutchinson esticou o pescoço para enxergar através da multidão, e viu o marido e os filhos de pé quase na frente.

She tapped Mrs. Delacroix on the arm as a farewell and began to make her way through the crowd.
Ela tocou o braço da Sra. Delacroix para se despedir e começou a caminhar entre a multidão.

The people separated good-humoredly to let her through; two or three people said, in voices just loud enough to be heard across the crowd, “Here comes your Missus Hutchinson,” and “Bill, she made it after all.”
As pessoas se afastavam de bom humor e a deixavam passar: duas ou três disseram em voz alta o suficiente para serem ouvidas em meio à aglomeração: “Lá vai a sua Sra. Hutchinson” e “Bill, ela conseguiu, no fim das contas”.

Mrs. Hutchinson reached her husband, and Mr. Summers, who had been waiting, said cheerfully, “Thought we were going to have to get on without you, Tessie.”
A Sra. Hutchinson se aproximou do marido, e o Sr. Summers, que estivera esperando, falou alegremente: — Pensei que nós íamos ter que continuar sem você, Tessie.

Mrs. Hutchinson said, grinning, “Wouldn’t have me leave m’dishes in the sink, now, would you, Joe?,”
A mulher retrucou com um sorriso: — Você não ia querer que eu deixasse a louça na pia, não é, Joe?

and soft laughter ran through the crowd as the people stirred back into position after Mrs. Hutchinson’s arrival.
E uma risada baixa percorreu a multidão conforme as pessoas voltavam para suas posições após a chegada da Sra. Hutchinson.

“Well, now,” Mr. Summers said soberly, “guess we better get started, get this over with, so’swe can go back to work. Anybody ain’t here?”
— Bem, agora — falou o Sr. Summers gravemente —, acho melhor começar e acabar logo com isso para podermos voltar ao trabalho. Falta alguém aqui?

“Dunbar,” several people said. “Dunbar, Dunbar.”
— Dunbar — responderam algumas pessoas. — Dunbar, Dunbar.

Mr. Summers consulted his list. “Clyde Dunbar,” he said. “That’s right. He’s broke his leg, hasn’t he? Who’s drawing for him?”
O Sr. Summers consultou a lista. — Clyde Dunbar — disse ele. — Está certo. Ele quebrou a perna, não foi? Quem vai sortear por ele?

“Me, I guess,” a woman said, and Mr. Summers turned to look at her.
— Eu. Acho — falou uma mulher, e o Sr. Summers virou-se para fitá-la.

“Wife draws for her husband,” Mr. Summers said. “Don’t you have a grown boy to do it for you, Janey?”
— A mulher sorteia pelo marido — respondeu ele. — Você não tem um rapazinho para fazer isso por você, Janey? —

Although Mr. Summers and everyone else in the village knew the answer perfectly well, it was the business of the official of the lottery to ask such questions formally.
Embora o Sr. Summers e todos os outros no vilarejo soubessem a resposta perfeitamente bem, era tarefa do oficial da loteria fazer tais perguntas formalmente.

Mr. Summers waited with an expression of polite interest while Mrs. Dunbar answered.
O Sr. Summers aguardou com uma expressão de interesse polido enquanto a Sra. Dunbar respondia:

“Horace’s not but sixteen yet,” Mrs. Dunbar said regretfully. “Guess I gotta fill in for the old man this year.”
— Horace tem apenas 16 — respondeu com pesar. — Acho que vou ter que substituir o meu velho este ano.

“Right,” Mr. Summers said. He made a note on the list he was holding.
— Muito bem — disse o Sr. Summers. Ele anotou na lista que estava segurando.

Then he asked, “Watson boy drawing this year?”
Depois, perguntou: — O garoto dos Watson vai sortear este ano?

A tall boy in the crowd raised his hand.
Um rapaz alto levantou a mão na multidão.

“Here,” he said. “I’m drawing for m’mother and me.”
— Aqui — falou. — Vou sortear pela minha mãe e por mim. —

He blinked his eyes nervously and ducked his head as several voices in the crowd said things like “Good fellow, Jack,” and “Glad to see your mother’s got a man to do it.”
Ele piscou os olhos, nervoso, e abaixou a cabeça quando algumas vozes na multidão disseram coisas como “Bom garoto, o Jack” e “Feliz por ver que sua mãe tem um homem para fazer isso.”

“Well,” Mr. Summers said, “guess that’s everyone. Old Man Warner make it?”
— Ora — emendou o Sr. Summers —, acho que estão todos aqui. Será que o Velho Warner conseguiu?

“Here,” a voice said, and Mr. Summers nodded.
— Aqui — falou uma voz, e o Sr. Summers acenou com a cabeça.

A sudden hush fell on the crowd as Mr. Summers cleared his throat and looked at the list. “All ready?” he called.
Um silêncio repentino desceu sobre a multidão quando o Sr. Summers limpou a garganta e olhou a lista. — Todos prontos? — gritou ele.

“Now, I’ll read the names—heads of families first—and the men come up and take a paper out of the box.
— Agora vou ler os nomes — os chefes de família, primeiro —, e os homens se aproximam e tiram um papel da caixa.

Keep the paper folded in your hand without looking at it until everyone has had a turn. Everything clear?”
Mantenham o papel dobrado na mão sem olhar até que todos tenham tido a vez. Entendido?

The people had done it so many times that they only half listened to the directions;
As pessoas tinham feito isso tantas vezes que simplesmente nem prestavam atenção às orientações:

most of them were quiet, wetting their lips, not looking around.
a maioria estava em silêncio e passava a língua pelos lábios, sem olhar em volta.

Then Mr. Summers raised one hand high and said, “Adams.”
Depois, o Sr. Summers ergueu uma das mãos e chamou: — Adams.

A man disengaged himself from the crowd and came forward.
Um homem se separou da multidão e deu um passo à frente.

“Hi, Steve,” Mr. Summers said, and Mr. Adams said, “Hi, Joe.”
— Olá, Steve — disse o Sr. Summers, e o Sr. Adams respondeu:
— Olá, Joe.

They grinned at one another humorlessly and nervously.
Eles sorriram um para o outro sem senso de humor e com nervosismo.

Then Mr. Adams reached into the black box and took out a folded paper.
Depois, o Sr. Adams enfiou a mão dentro da caixa e retirou um papel dobrado.

He held it firmly by one corner as he turned and went hastily back to his place in the crowd, where he stood a little apart from his family, not looking down at his hand.
Ele o segurou firmemente por um dos cantos enquanto dava meiavolta e caminhava apressado até sua posição na multidão, onde ficou parado a alguma distância da própria família, sem baixar os olhos para a mão.

Continued em parte 2…

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Tradução de Ana Resende, publicada na Revista Literária em Tradução, nº 9 (set/2014), Fpolis/Brasil