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2014 annual ProZ.com translation contest: "Celebrations" » English to Swahili » Entry by IYOGA74


Source text in English

Translation by IYOGA74 (#19021)

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 ametupa lile nyanya la kwanza la majaliwa lililoanzisha mapinduzi ya "La Tomantina"? Ukweli ni kwamba hakuna anayejuwa. Labda ilikuwa uasi dhidi ya Ufaransa, ama kanivali iliosawijika. Kutokana na tafsiri ya karibu watu wote kuusu hadithi, wakati wa tamasha la mwaka 1945 la Los Gigantes (jitu la gwaride za karatasi), wenyeji walikua natafuta kufanya tamthilia la ghasia ili kuvutia macho. Walitukia juu ya mkokoteni za mboga za majani lililokua karibu na walianza kutupa kwa nguvu nyanya za kuiva. Watazamaji wasio na hatia waliusishwa hadi mandhari liligeuzwa mrundikano wa vurumai nyingi ya matunda inayoruka. Wachochezi walilazimika kulipa mara kwa mara wauza-nyanya, ila hiyo haikusimamisha marudilio ya ugomvi zaidi wa nyanya na kuzaliwa kwa desturi mpya.

Kwa hofu la ongezeko tukutu, wakubwa waliifanya kuwa sheria, waliipunguza, na wakati ule walirejesha mahali pake mfululizo safu za amri ya kupiga marufuku mnamo miaka 1950. Mnamo mwaka 1951, wenyeji waliodharau sheria walifungwa jela hadi yowe ya umma uliomba ufunguliaji wao. Ujuvi mashuhuri kuliko yote ulitukia mwaka 1957 wakati watetezi walishika dhihaki kamili ya mazishi ya nyanya pamoja na jeneza na mfanyiko tendani. Baada ya mwaka 1957, serikali ya kienyeji liliamua kuenda na panchi, kuweka sheria kidogo hapo mahali, na lilipokea kwa moyo desturi ya upuuzi.

Ingawa nyanya imechukua jukwaa iliolengwa, wiki mmoja ya sherehe ilifanya matayarisho ya onyesho la mwisho. Ni maadhimisho ya watakatifu walezi wa Bunol, Mtakatifu Maria na Mt. Louis Bertrand, pamoja na maonyesho ya mitaa, muziki, na fataki kwa mtindo wa kihispania ulio na furaha. Kwa kuongeza nguvu kwa ghasia inayokaribia, utendi wa paella anahudumiwa kabla ya mapambano, ikionyesha sahani ya wavalensi iliyochapiwa ya wali, vyakula vya baharini, zafarani, na mafuta ya zeituni.

Leo, hii sherehe isio na vikwazo ina kiasi kya kipimo kya taratibu. Waandalizi wamebuni mbali hadi kulima jamii maalum ya nyanya isio na ladha kwa ajili tu ya tukio la mwaka. Shangwe za sikukuu zinaanza karibia saa 4 asubuhi wakati washiriki wanashindana kunyakua paja ya nyama iliokazwa juu ya nguzo yenye grisi. Watazamaji wanamwagilia maji viparaganyio wakati wanaimba na kucheza mitaani. Wakati kengele ya kanisa inagonga saa sita mchana, lori iliyopakizwa nyanya inapita ndani ya jiji, wakati nyimbo ya "To-ma-te, to-ma-te!" inafikia kilele.

Tena, na mashambulizi ya mzinga wa maji, tukio kuu linaanza. Ni ule mwanga wa kijani wa maangamizi na kutupa nyanya kwa jitihada zote ya shambulio dhidi ya washirika wenzi. Warusha-nyanya kwa mbali, wauaji walenga-kwa-karibu, na wenye shabaha ya wastani wanapiga makombora. Hata ufundi wako uweje, wakati ukifika ukingoni, utaonekana (na kuhisi) tofauti kabisa. Karibu saa moja baadaye, watupaji mabomu waliolowanishwa na nyanya wanaachwa wacheze ndani ya bahari laini na chepechepe ya mtaa salsa na mabaki ndogo inafanana nyanya moja kupatikana. Mlio wa pili wa mzinga unaadhimisha mwisho wa mapambano.


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