1984-bilingue

George Orwell 1 9 8 4
There was a furious, deafening roar from the
telescreen. The chinless man jumped in his tracks.
The skull-faced man had quickly thrust his hands
behind his back, as though demonstrating to all the
world that he refused the gift.
‘Bumstead!’ roared the voice. ‘2713 Bumstead J.!
Let fall that piece of bread!’
The chinless man dropped the piece of bread on the
floor.
‘Remain standing where you are,’ said the voice.
‘Face the door. Make no movement.’
The chinless man obeyed. His large pouchy cheeks
were quivering uncontrollably. The door clanged
open. As the young officer entered and stepped
aside, there emerged from behind him a short
stumpy guard with enormous arms and shoulders.
He took his stand opposite the chinless man, and
then, at a signal from the officer, let free a frightful
blow, with all the weight of his body behind it, full
in the chinless man’s mouth. The force of it seemed
almost to knock him clear of the floor. His body
was flung across the cell and fetched up against the
base of the lavatory seat. For a moment he lay as
though stunned, with dark blood oozing from his
mouth and nose. A very faint whimpering or
squeaking, which seemed unconscious, came out of
him. Then he rolled over and raised himself
unsteadily on hands and knees. Amid a stream of
blood and saliva, the two halves of a dental plate
fell out of his mouth.
The prisoners sat very still, their hands crossed on
their knees. The chinless man climbed back into his
place. Down one side of his face the flesh was
darkening. His mouth had swollen into a shapeless
cherry-coloured mass with a black hole in the
middle of it.
From time to time a little blood dripped on to the
breast of his overalls. His grey eyes still flitted from
267
La telepantalla rugió furiosa. El de la cara de ratón
volvió a su sitio de un brinco. El esquelético se
había llevado inmediatamente las manos detrás de
la espalda como para demostrarle a todo el mundo
que se había negado a aceptar el ofrecimiento.
— ¡Bumstead! — gritó la voz de un modo
ensordecedor —. ¡2713 Bumstead! Tira ese
pedazo de pan.
El individuo tiró el mendrugo al suelo.
— Ponte de pie de cara a la puerta y sin hacer
ningún movimiento.
El hombre obedeció mientras le temblaban los
bolsones de sus mejillas. Se abrió la puerta de
golpe y entró el joven oficial, que se apartó para
dejar pasar a un guardia achaparrado con enormes
brazos y hombros. Se colocó frente al hombre del
mendrugo y, a una orden muda del oficial, le lanzó
un terrible puñetazo a la boca apoyándolo con todo
el peso de su cuerpo. La fuerza del golpe empujó
al individuo hasta la otra pared de la celda. Se
cayó junto al retrete. Le brotaba una sangre
negruzca de la boca y de la nariz. Después,
gimiendo débilmente, consiguió ponerse en pie.
Entre un chorro de sangre y saliva, se le cayeron
de la boca las dos mitades de una dentadura
postiza.
Los presos estaban muy quietos, todos ellos con
las manos cruzadas sobre las rodillas. El hombre
ratonil volvió a su sitio. Se le oscurecía la carne en
uno de los lados de la cara. Se le hinchó la boca
hasta formar una masa informe con un agujero
negro en medio.
Sus ojos grises seguían moviéndose, sintiéndose
más culpable que nunca y como tratando de