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- El viejo y la niña
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El viejo y la niña (c.1783), Leandro Fernández de Moratín
- The Old Man and the Girl : ACT ONE Scene One , ACT ONE Scene Four , ACT ONE Scene Twelve, excerpt 1 , ACT ONE Scene Twelve, excerpt 2
The Old Man and the Girl, translated by Gwynneth Dowling
ACT ONE Scene One
- Context:
- Roque is concerned that his young wife Isabel has been overly friendly to their houseguest Juan. Roque’s servant Muñoz reveals that Isabel and Juan have known each other for years. Muñoz also makes his feelings clear about the marriage between an old man and a young girl.
- Sample text
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- MUÑOZ:
It’s the stuff of nonsense … a rickety old 70-something getting hitched. And who does he decide to marry? A girl, hardly 19 years old! And then, not knowing the risk he’s running, the old man invites a man into his house who knows her well. She and he, close as children, and still close today …
- ROQUE:
You’re telling me they’ve known each other for years?
- MUÑOZ:
For God’s sake! Don’t you know who she is?
- ROQUE:
I know her tutor was her guardian, Don Juan Antonio de Lara, who brought her up.
- MUÑOZ:
That’s it. You must also know that when she was a child she often visited the nearby home of your friend, Don Álvaro. There, she spent her time with the happy little nephew. He didn’t mind her visits, he’s very attentive as you can see! They formed a little group, and while the old folk played, they played too. Lots of running about and laughing. In short, they became friends as children. If she is bad, if they’ve moved on from toys to something more (and it wouldn’t be surprising at their age), you’ll need to find out for yourself. I don’t understand a word.
- ROQUE:
My word Muñoz! My visits to Álvaro were so infrequent that it’s not surprising that I didn’t know. I was there on business. So there we have it! The bond between them is from way back!
- Copyright
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The above sample taken from the translation The Old Man and the Girl by Gwynneth Dowling is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
ACT ONE Scene Four
- Context:
- Juan expresses his anger at Isabel. He tells his servant Ginés how betrayed he feels that his former lover is now married to Roque.
- Sample text
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- JUAN: You know everything, Ginés. You know we’ve been in love ever since we were children, that she lived with her guardian and I with my uncle. He wanted me to marry a rich woman in Madrid … well, you know this already … I said nothing, I didn’t consent, all the while hiding my love for Isabel from him. That’s when my uncle decided to return to Madrid, to attend to some pressing business. I felt obliged to go with him. Who would have thought my absence would cause such grief! I said goodbye to her, and I’ve never seen her so in love. She cried, sobbed, pleaded with me not to leave her. Now I see! Such deception! We arrived in Madrid and only her letters got me through the bitter separation. She wrote such beautiful things, and I replied in turn. But after four months the letters stopped. And, miserable, I’d no idea why! I’ve imagined thousands of reasons. But then a friend who was in Cadiz at that time wrote to me to tell me that Isabel was getting married. But he didn’t tell me to whom, nor how the ungrateful wretch could throw away so many years of hope in just one day.
- Copyright
-
The above sample taken from the translation The Old Man and the Girl by Gwynneth Dowling is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
ACT ONE Scene Twelve, excerpt 1
- Context:
- Juan encounters Isabel alone. He is angry at her and refuses to listen to her.
- Sample text
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- JUAN:
Are you still here?
- ISABEL:
Please don’t go, we’re alone. No! You’d turn your back on me? On your Isabel?
- JUAN:
Leave me alone.
- ISABEL:
No, I won’t leave you alone. You’re angry at the one who loves you, admit it. Juan, I know why, but listen to me, you must know that …
- JUAN:
What must I know? That you’re false, that you forgot me, that … I know that already!
- ISABEL:
Juan!
- JUAN:
Ungrateful wretch!
- ISABEL:
Listen to me! Will you not even allow me that?
- JUAN:
There’s no use trying to manipulate me. One day … Well, it’s too late. Suffering ends sooner or later, even in the broken-hearted.
- ISABEL:
Aren’t these tears enough for you?
- JUAN:
Fake.
- ISABEL:
No, they’re not.
- JUAN:
Leave me, get away from me Isabel.
- ISABEL:
How can you be so cruel to a humiliated woman?
- Copyright
-
The above sample taken from the translation The Old Man and the Girl by Gwynneth Dowling is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
ACT ONE Scene Twelve, excerpt 2
- Context:
- Isabel and Juan realise that they were both deceived by Isabel’s guardian, who was jealous of their love and of Juan’s wealth.
- Sample text
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- ISABEL:
My guardian made it his business to get involved. He smelt victory when he saw that you and I would be separated by fate. Then, he decided that I absolutely had to marry Don Roque. I refused, he insisted, what a terrible time that was! He came up with all sorts of ways to make me, and then he learned that Don Álvaro was thinking of arranging a marriage for you in Madrid. That’s when he knew he could make his move. He forged two letters ...
- JUAN:
What?
- ISABEL:
Yes, Juan, letters in which two friends of yours told us that you had already married. He made sure that they arrived …
- JUAN:
Curse him! He’s taken away what I most loved!
- ISABEL:
He made sure I saw them. His vile plan worked. How easy it is to deceive a woman in love! Once again, he pressed me to marry, and in the end …
- JUAN:
Let me past so I can run that traitor through with my sword.
- ISABEL: (Holding him back.)
Sir, it’s too late! What would you do? Don’t add to my troubles. Tomorrow, pain and heartache will be the death of me. Cruel fate did not want our love to have a happy ending. There’s nothing to be done. Go, live your life. Perhaps a better fate awaits you than awaits me. Don’t reject whatever comes your way, just for the sake of this poor woman who’s no longer yours. I’ll tolerate my suffering and my heartache. Live a happy life, that’s all I want for you.
- Copyright
-
The above sample taken from the translation The Old Man and the Girl by Gwynneth Dowling is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Entry written by Gwynneth Dowling. Last updated on 24 May 2011.
