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


Source text in English

Translation by Jonah Ondieki (#18892)

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 alikuwa wa kwanza kurusha nyanya zilizoanzisha mageuzi ya La Tomatina? Ukweli ni kwamba, hakuna ajuaye. Labda ni uasi uliompinga Franco, au nduli liloshidwa kuthibitiwa. Kwa mujibu wa hadithi iliyopata umaarufu zaidi, wakati wa tamasha ya 1945 ya Los Gigantes (waridhe kubwa la vibonzo vilivyoundwa kutokana na karasi zilizoloweshwa maji), wenyeji walikusudia kufanya fujo ili waweze kutambuliwa. Walipata rukwama yenye nyanya mbivu karibu nao na kuanza kuzirusha. Watazamaji waliokuwepo walijipata ndani ya fujo hizo na hali ikazorota na kuwa mrusho mkali wa nyanya. Wachunguzi waliwafidia wauzaji wa nyanya, lakini hilo halikuzuia marudio ya vita zaidi vya nyanya – na mwanzo wa utamaduni mpya.

Kutokana na uoga wa kuongezeka kwa hali ya kutotii sheria, mamlika ziliweka, zikaondoa na kurudisha tena misururu ya marufuku katika miaka 1950. Mnamo mwaka wa 1951, wenyeji waliokiuka sheria walifungwa jela mpaka umma ukalilia kuwachiliwa kwao. Ukiukaji maarufu zaidi dhidi ya marufuku ya nyanya ulifanyika mwaka wa 1957 wakati waungaji mkono walifanya sarakasi ya mazishi bandia wakiwa na jeneza na matembezi. Baada ya 1957, serikali ya mtaa iliamua kuhepa hepa, ikaweka kanuni chache, na ikakubali utamaduni huu usioleweka.

Ingawa nyanya zinaangaziwa zaidi, juma moja la tamasha mbali mbali humalizia kwa pambano la mwisho. Ni sherehe za watakatifu wa Buñol's patron, bikira Maria na Mtakatifu Louis Bertrand, pamoja na mawaridhe ya barabarani, muziki, na fataki za mtindo wa furaha wa Kihispania. Ili kujenga nguvu zako kwa maandalizi ya pambano linalotarajiwa, mlo wa mwaka wa paella huliwa siku moja kabla ya makabiliano, ili kuonyesha chakula cha utamaduni wa Valencia ambacho ni mchanganyiko wa wali, vyakula vya majini, saffron, na mafuta ya mizeituni.

Siku hizi, tamasha hili hili lisilokuwa na vikwazo lina utaratibu fulani. Waandalizi wameendelea kiasi kwamba wamelima aina ya nyanya fulani ambazo haziliwi kwa minajili ya tukio hili la kila mwaka. Hekaheka huanza mwendo wa saa nne asubuhi ambapo washiriki huanza hushindana kukimbia kuchukua nyama ya nguruwe ambayo imewekwa kwenye mlingoti uliopakwa grisi. Watazamaji hunyunyiza maji kwa kutumia mipira ya maji huku wakiimba na kucheza kwenye barabara. Kengele ya kanisa inapogonga saa sita adhuhuri, magari makubwa yaliyojaa nyanya huingia mjini, huku kelele "To-ma-te, to-ma-te!" zikifika kileleni.

Halafu, kwa tufyatua maji kwa kutumia kanoni, tukio kamili huanza. Hiki ndicho kibali cha mwanzo wa kufinya na kurushiana nyanya katika mashambulizi baina ya washiriki. Warushaji nyanya wa masafa marefu, wauajia wa wazi, warushaji wa masafa ya wastani. Mbinu yoyote utumiayo, kufikia mwisho, utaonekana (na kujihisi) tofauti kabisa. Takribani saa moja baadaye, washambuliaji walioloa nyanya wanaachwa wakicheza kwenye barabara iliyojaa vitu visivyoweza kutambulika kama awali vilikuwa nyanya. Ufyatuaji wa pili wa maji kwa kutumia kanoni hukamilisha pambano.


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