bilingüe [pdf] - Blog de Javier Smaldone
bilingüe [pdf] - Blog de Javier Smaldone
bilingüe [pdf] - Blog de Javier Smaldone
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George Orwell 1 9 8 4<br />
The Ministry of Truth contained, it was said,<br />
three thousand rooms above ground level, and<br />
corresponding ramifications below. Scattered<br />
about London there were just three other<br />
buildings of similar appearance and size. So<br />
completely did they dwarf the surrounding<br />
architecture that from the roof of Victory<br />
Mansions you could see all four of them<br />
simultaneously. They were the homes of the four<br />
Ministries between which the entire apparatus of<br />
government was divi<strong>de</strong>d. The Ministry of Truth,<br />
which concerned itself with news, entertainment,<br />
education, and the fine arts. The Ministry of<br />
Peace, which concerned itself with war. The<br />
Ministry of Love, which maintained law and<br />
or<strong>de</strong>r. And the Ministry of Plenty, which was<br />
responsible for economic affairs. Their names, in<br />
Newspeak: Minitrue, Minipax, Miniluv, and<br />
Miniplenty.<br />
The Ministry of Love was the really frightening<br />
one. There were no windows in it at all. Winston<br />
had never been insi<strong>de</strong> the Ministry of Love, nor<br />
within half a kilometre of it. It was a place<br />
impossible to enter except on official business,<br />
and then only by penetrating through a maze of<br />
barbed-wire entanglements, steel doors, and<br />
hid<strong>de</strong>n machine-gun nests. Even the streets<br />
leading up to its outer barriers were roamed by<br />
gorilla-faced guards in black uniforms, armed<br />
with jointed truncheons.<br />
Winston turned round abruptly. He had set his<br />
features into the expression of quiet optimism<br />
which it was advisable to wear when facing the<br />
telescreen. He crossed the room into the tiny<br />
kitchen. By leaving the Ministry at this time of<br />
day he had sacrificed his lunch in the canteen,<br />
and he was aware that there was no food in the<br />
kitchen except a hunk of dark-coloured bread<br />
which had got to be saved for tomorrow's<br />
breakfast. He took down from the shelf a bottle<br />
of colourless liquid with a plain white label<br />
marked VICTORY GIN. It gave off a sickly, oily<br />
smell, as of Chinese rice-spirit. Winston poured<br />
out nearly a teacupful, nerved himself for a<br />
Se <strong>de</strong>cía que el Ministerio <strong>de</strong> la Verdad tenía tres<br />
mil habitaciones sobre el nivel <strong>de</strong>l suelo y las<br />
correspondientes ramificaciones en el subsuelo. En<br />
Londres sólo había otros tres edificios <strong>de</strong>l mismo<br />
aspecto y tamaño. Éstos aplastaban <strong>de</strong> tal manera la<br />
arquitectura <strong>de</strong> los alre<strong>de</strong>dores que <strong>de</strong>s<strong>de</strong> el techo<br />
<strong>de</strong> las Casas <strong>de</strong> la Victoria se podían distinguir, a la<br />
vez, los cuatro edificios. En ellos estaban instalados<br />
los cuatro Ministerios entre los cuales se dividía<br />
todo el sistema gubernamental. El Ministerio <strong>de</strong> la<br />
Verdad, que se <strong>de</strong>dicaba a las noticias, a los<br />
espectáculos, la educación y las bellas artes. El<br />
Ministerio <strong>de</strong> la Paz, para los asuntos <strong>de</strong> guerra. El<br />
Ministerio <strong>de</strong>l Amor, encargado <strong>de</strong> mantener la ley<br />
y el or<strong>de</strong>n. Y el Ministerio <strong>de</strong> la Abundancia, al que<br />
correspondían los asuntos económicos. Sus<br />
nombres, en neolengua: Miniver, Minipax, Minimor<br />
y Minindantia.<br />
El Ministerio <strong>de</strong>l Amor era terrorífico. No tenía<br />
ventanas en absoluto. Winston nunca había estado<br />
<strong>de</strong>ntro <strong>de</strong>l Minimor, ni siquiera se había acercado a<br />
medio kilómetro <strong>de</strong> él. Era imposible entrar allí a no<br />
ser por un asunto oficial y en ese caso había que<br />
pasar por un laberinto <strong>de</strong> caminos ro<strong>de</strong>ados <strong>de</strong><br />
alambre espinoso, puertas <strong>de</strong> acero y ocultos nidos<br />
<strong>de</strong> ametralladoras. Incluso las calles que conducían<br />
a sus salidas extremas, estaban muy vigiladas por<br />
guardias, con caras <strong>de</strong> gorila y uniformes negros,<br />
armados con porras.<br />
Winston se volvió <strong>de</strong> pronto. Había adquirido su<br />
rostro instantáneamente la expresión <strong>de</strong> tranquilo<br />
optimismo que era pru<strong>de</strong>nte llevar al enfrentarse<br />
con la telepantalla. Cruzó la habitación hacia la<br />
diminuta cocina. Por haber salido <strong>de</strong>l Ministerio a<br />
esta hora tuvo que renunciar a almorzar en la<br />
cantina y en seguida comprobó que no le quedaban<br />
víveres en la cocina a no ser un mendrugo <strong>de</strong> pan<br />
muy oscuro que <strong>de</strong>bía guardar para el <strong>de</strong>sayuno <strong>de</strong>l<br />
día siguiente. Tomó <strong>de</strong> un estante una botella <strong>de</strong> un<br />
líquido incoloro con una sencilla etiqueta que <strong>de</strong>cía:<br />
Ginebra <strong>de</strong> la Victoria. Aquello olía a medicina,<br />
algo así como el espíritu <strong>de</strong> arroz chino. Winston se<br />
sirvió una tacita, se preparó los nervios para el<br />
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