Kolodvor Jaroslavski

Kolodvor Jaroslavski u Moskvi iz zraka je izgledao kao torta koju je ukrasio entuzijast. Zelene i bijele kule. Šiljati krovovi. Zlatni ukrasi. Arhitekt, Fjodor Šehtel, dizajnirao ga je 1902. godine.

Yaroslavsky Station in Moscow looked, from the air, like a cake decorated by an enthusiast. Green and white turrets. Pointed roofs. Gold trim. The architect, Fyodor Shekhtel, had designed it in 1902.

Polly je nisko letjela kroz gradski smog. Moskva u lipnju bila je topla i svijetla. Obišla je kolodvor jednom i sletjela na željezni nadstrešak iznad glavnog ulaza.

Polly came in low through the city haze. Moscow in June was warm and bright. She circled the station once and landed on the iron canopy over the main entrance.

Transsibirska željeznica počinje ovdje. Proteže se na istok 9.289 kilometara, duž cijelog euroazijskog kopna, završavajući u Vladivostoku na Pacifiku. Linija je dovršena 1916. godine. Još uvijek je najduža željeznička linija na svijetu. Vodeći vlak, Rossiya, polazi s kolodvora Jaroslavski svaki drugi dan u jedan popodne. U Vladivostok stiže sedam dana i sedam vremenskih zona kasnije.

The Trans-Siberian Railway begins here. It runs east for 9,289 kilometres, the length of the entire Eurasian landmass, ending at Vladivostok on the Pacific. The line was completed in 1916. It is still the longest railway line in the world. The flagship train, the Rossiya, leaves Yaroslavsky Station every other day at one in the afternoon. It arrives in Vladivostok seven days and seven time zones later.

Polly je imala mjesto uz prozor u drugom razredu, kupe broj 7. Kondukter je bacio pogled na njezine naočale i mudro odlučio da to nije njegov problem.

Polly had a window berth in second class compartment 7. The conductor had taken one look at her glasses and decided, sensibly, that this was not his problem.

Njezin kupe bio je mala soba obložena drvom s dva gornja i dva donja ležaja. Dva ležaja već su bila zauzeta. Jedan od strane tihe umirovljenice u bež kardiganu koja je čitala. Drugi od mladog muškarca s bradom koji je tipkao na laptopu, vidio Polly, rekao "OK" i nastavio tipkati.

Her compartment was a small wood-panelled room with two upper and two lower bunks. Two bunks were already taken. One by a quiet retired woman in a beige cardigan, reading. The other by a young man with a beard typing on a laptop, who saw Polly, said "OK," and went back to typing.

Polly je skočila na mali stol i pogledala kroz prozor. Peron je bio pun pokreta. Samovar u kutu vagona šištao je.

Polly hopped onto the small table and looked out the window. The platform was full of motion. A samovar in the corner of the carriage hissed.

Točno u jedan sat, vlak se pokrenuo. Nije se činilo kao početak. Kotači su pronašli svoj ritam za dvije minute i zadržali ga. Peron je klizio unatrag.

At exactly one o'clock, the train moved. It did not feel like a beginning. The wheels found their rhythm in two minutes and held it. The platform slid away.

Unutar pola sata, Moskva se prorijedila do predgrađa. Unutar sat vremena, predgrađa su postala dače, male ruske ljetne kuće. Unutar dva sata, dače su postale šuma. Polly je ispravila naočale na svom kljunu.

Within half an hour, Moscow had thinned to suburbs. Within an hour, suburbs to dachas, small Russian summer houses. Within two hours, dachas to forest. Polly tilted her glasses straight against her beak.

Tiha žena podigla je pogled. "Prvi put?" rekla je pažljivo na engleskom. Polly je nagnula svoju crvenu glavu. "Dug je put. Smjesti se."

The quiet woman looked up. "First time?" she said in careful English. Polly tilted her red head. "It is a long way. Settle in."