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2014 annual ProZ.com translation contest: "Celebrations" » English to Swahili » Entry by Alfred Mtawali


Source text in English

Translation by Alfred Mtawali (#15538)

Who cast that first fateful tomato that started the La Tomatina revolution? The reality is no one knows. Maybe it was an anti-Franco rebellion, or a carnival that got out of hand. According to the most popular version of the story, during the 1945 festival of Los Gigantes (a giant paper mâché puppet parade), locals were looking to stage a brawl to get some attention. They happened upon a vegetable cart nearby and started hurling ripe tomatoes. Innocent onlookers got involved until the scene escalated into a massive melee of flying fruit. The instigators had to repay the tomato vendors, but that didn't stop the recurrence of more tomato fights—and the birth of a new tradition.

Fearful of an unruly escalation, authorities enacted, relaxed, and then reinstated a series of bans in the 1950s. In 1951, locals who defied the law were imprisoned until public outcry called for their release. The most famous effrontery to the tomato bans happened in 1957 when proponents held a mock tomato funeral complete with a coffin and procession. After 1957, the local government decided to roll with the punches, set a few rules in place, and embraced the wacky tradition.

Though the tomatoes take center stage, a week of festivities lead up to the final showdown. It's a celebration of Buñol's patron saints, the Virgin Mary and St. Louis Bertrand, with street parades, music, and fireworks in joyous Spanish fashion. To build up your strength for the impending brawl, an epic paella is served on the eve of the battle, showcasing an iconic Valencian dish of rice, seafood, saffron, and olive oil.

Today, this unfettered festival has some measure of order. Organizers have gone so far as to cultivate a special variety of unpalatable tomatoes just for the annual event. Festivities kick off around 10 a.m. when participants race to grab a ham fixed atop a greasy pole. Onlookers hose the scramblers with water while singing and dancing in the streets. When the church bell strikes noon, trucks packed with tomatoes roll into town, while chants of "To-ma-te, to-ma-te!" reach a crescendo.

Then, with the firing of a water cannon, the main event begins. That's the green light for crushing and launching tomatoes in all-out attacks against fellow participants. Long distance tomato lobbers, point-blank assassins, and medium range hook shots. Whatever your technique, by the time it's over, you will look (and feel) quite different. Nearly an hour later, tomato-soaked bombers are left to play in a sea of squishy street salsa with little left resembling a tomato to be found. A second cannon shot signals the end of the battle.
Ni nani aliyetupa nyanya ya kwanza iliyoleta mapinduzi ya La Tomantina? Ukweli ni kwamba hakuna ajuaye. Huenda ulikuwa uasi dhidi ya Franco, au sherehe iliyokithiri mipaka. Kulingana na habari zinazoaminika zaidi kuhusu kisa hicho, katika wakati wa sherehe ya Los Gigantes mnamo mwaka 1945 (paredi ya karatasi kubwa ya mâché puppet), wenyeji walikuwa wakitarajia kuanzisha vurugu ili waweze kuonekana. Walikuwa kwenye mkokoteni wa mboga hapo karibu na hivyo wakaanza kurusha nyanya zilizoiva. Watu wasiokuwa na hatia waliokuwa wakitazama tukio hilo walijiingiza katika kitendo hicho hadi mwishowe kikawa ni kizaazaa cha kurushiana matunda mengi. Wale walioanzisha vurugu hilo walikuwa hawana budi ila kuwalipa wauzaji nyanya hizo, lakini huko kulipa hakukusitisha marudio ya vita vya kurushiana nyanya-na chanzo cha desturi mpya.

Viongozi waliogopa kuenea kwa vurugu hilo, hivyo wakaweka sheria, kisha wakazilegeza, kisha baadaye wakapiga marufuku itikadi hiyo mnamo miaka ya 1950. Ulipofika mwaka wa 1951, wale wenyeji waliovunja sheria hiyo walifungwa jela hadi wananchi waliposhinikiza serikali kuwaachilia huru ndipo wakatolewa jela. Marufuku ya vurugu la nyanya iliyokuwa mashuhuri zaidi ni ile ya mwaka 1957 wakati watu wa mrengo wa nyanya walipoandaa mazishi ya mwigo ya nyanya yaliyojumuisha jeneza na vilevile msafara. Baada ya mwaka 1957, serikali ya mitaa iliamua kulegeza msimamo wao mkali, na kuweka sheria kadhaa na hatimaye kukubali itikadi hii ya kuchekesha.

Hata ijapokuwa nyanya hujumuishwa sana katika itikadi hii, sherehe mbalimbali huadhimishwa kwa juma zima hadi kufikia kilele cha kushambuliana kwa nyanya. Hii huwa ni sherehe ya watawa wa Buñol, Bikira Maria, na Mtakatifu Louis Bertrand, paredi za barabarani, muziki, fataki katika mtindo wa Kihispaniola. Katika hali ya kujiandaa kwa kujitia nguvu kwa makabiliano hayo, mlo mzuri wa paella huandaliwa katika mkesha wa makabiliano hayo. Mlo huo huwa ni wali wa Valencia, samaki, rangi ya njano inayotiwa kwenye chakula, na mafuta ya mzeituni.

Leo hii, tamasha hili lina mpangilio wa kiasi fulani. Waandaaji wamefikia kiwango cha kutafuta aina maalum ya nyanya ambazo si tamu kwa ajili ya tukio hili la kila mwaka. Shamra shamra huanza kama saa 4:00 asubuhi, huo ndio wakati ambao wahusika hupiga mbio kuchukua hemu iliyowekwa juu ya mlingoti unaoteleza. Watazamaji huwamwagia maji kwa kutumia bomba huku wakiimba na kucheza barabarani. Kengele ya kanisani inapopigwa mnamo saa sita mchana, malori makubwa yenye shehena za nyanya huingia mjini, huku kelele za "To-ma-te, to-ma-te!" hufikia kilele.

Kisha, mizinga ya maji hupigwa, na tukio lenyewe likaanza. Hicho huwa ndicho kiashirii cha wale wahusika kuanza kusaga nyanya na kushambuliana kwazo. wahusika wengine ni warushaji wa nyanya kutoka mbali, wengine ni washambulizi wa nyanya wa karibu, na wengine huzirusha kutoka umbali wa wastani. Haijalishi mbinu yako ni gani, lakini wakati tamasha litakapokwisha utakuwa na mwonekano (na utahisi) tofauti. Takriban saa moja baadaye, wale washambulizi wa nyanya husalia wakicheza salsa kwenye bahari ya nyanya zilizosagwa kiasi kwamba huwezi kuzitambua ni nyanya. Kisha mzinga wa pili huashiria mwisho wa mashambulizi hayo.


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