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


Source text in English

Translation by Mlenge Mgendi (#18028)

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.
Nani ndiye mtu wa kwanza kurusha nyanya iliyoibua mchezo wa kutupiana nyanya uitwao La Tomatina? Hakika hakuna ajuaye. Labda ilikuwa ni kitendo cha kuonesha uasi dhidi ya Franko, au ni furaha iliyopindukia katika shamrashamra fulani. Kwa mujibu wa moja kati ya masimulizi mengi, wakati wa shamrashamra za Los Gigantes (maandamano makubwa ya watu waliojivika vinyago usoni), wenyeji walikuwa wanatafuta namna ya kujidai wanapigana kusudi watu wengi wawaangalie. Kwa bahati jirani palikuwa na mkokoteni wenye mbogamboga na hivyo kuanza kutupiana nyanya mbivu. Waliokuwa wakitazama tu maandamano yale nao polepole walijiunga kwenye mapambano mpaka pale hali ilipofikia kuwa ni vurumai kubwa ya matunda yaliyorushwa. Wale wenyeji walioanzisha mapigano walilazimika kuwalipa wauza nyanya, lakini jambo hilo halikuzuia kuibuka tena mapigano ya kutupiana nyanya—na mwanzo wa utamaduni mpya.

Wakihofia mapigano kupitiliza, watawala waliyapiga marufuku, kuyaruhusu na kisha kuyazuia tena mapigano hayo katika miaka ya 1950. Mnamo mwaka 1951, watu wote waliokiuka marufuku hiyo walifungwa jela hadi pale nguvu ya umma ilipowafanya waachiliwe huru. Mfano mashuhuri wa nguvu ya umma ni ule wa mwaka 1957, pale wananchi walipoigiza msiba kamili kuomboleza kifo cha nyanya wakiwa na jeneza na msafara. Baada ya mwaka 1957, serikali iliamua kukumbatia utamaduni huu mpya, huku ikiweka kanuni chache.

Japo kurushiana nyanya ndio shughuli kuu, juma zima la sherehe anuai huitangulia tafrani kuu. Ni maadhimisho ya watakatifu wanaotambuliwa mjini Buñol, yaani Bikira Maria na Mt. Luisi Bertrand, kwa maandamano, nyimbo, na mafataki kama ilivyo desturi ya sherehe za Kihispania. Ili kupata nguvu tayari kwa pambano, washiriki hula pilau mahsusi usiku wa kuamkia siku ya mapambano, mlo maalum wa watu wa Valensia wenye mchele, samaki, binzari na mafuta ya mizeituni.

Hivi sasa, kanuni chache zinaongoza sherehe hizi huria. Kwa mfano waandaaji hulima aina fulani ya nyanya zisizolika mahsusi kwa sherehe hizi za kila mwaka. Sherehe huanza takriban saa nne kamili asubuhi pale ambapo washiriki hushindana kunyakua pande la nyama lililo kwenye nguzo inayoteleza. Hali wakiimba na kucheza mitaani, watazamaji huwamwagia maji washiriki hao. Pale kengele za kanisani zinapolia muda wa mchana, magari yaliyosheheni nyanya hufika mjini, ambapo kelele za kushangilia "To-ma-te, to-ma-te!" hufikia kilele.

Kisha, tukio kuu huzinduliwa kwa kupiga mzinga unaorusha maji. Hiyo ndio alama ya kuruhusu kukamua na kurusha nyanya dhidi ya washiriki wengine. Mashambulizi ya masafa ya mbali, ya kuwapiga walio karibu kabisa, na yale ya masafa ya kati. Mbinu yoyote utakayoitumia, utaonekana (na kujihisi) uko tofauti kabisa mwishoni mwa mapambano. Takriban lisaa lizima baadaye, wapiganaji waliolowa nyanya bado hurushiana rojo la nyanya mtaani huku kukiwa na nyanya chache zilizosalimika. Mzinga wa pili hupigwa kuashiria mwisho wa mapambano.


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