Skup na hridima

Vožnja brodom do stijena je kratka. Stijene su niske i mokre. Sivi tuljani ležali su po njima. Nisu radili ništa.

The boat to the rocks is short. The rocks are low and wet. Grey seals lay all over them. They were not doing anything.

Polly je odabrala velikog tuljana. „Koliko vas je u obitelji?” pitala je. Dugo je razmišljao. Svi na ovoj stijeni, rekao je. I svi na sljedećoj.

Polly chose a big seal. "How many are there in your family?" she asked. He thought for a long time. Everyone on this rock, he said. And everyone on the next one.

„Imate li braće ili sestara?” Gotovo sigurno, rekao je. Nije znao koje. Orkneyski otoci imaju oko dvadeset dvije tisuće mladih tuljana svake godine.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" Almost certainly, he said. He did not know which ones. Orkney has about twenty-two thousand seal pups every year.

Polly je isprobala jednu rečenicu. „Danas želim provesti vrijeme sa svojom obitelji.” Ovdje je to zvučalo čudno. Onda je rekla: „Iako živimo daleko jedni od drugih, uvijek ostajemo u kontaktu.” To je bliže, rekao je tuljan.

Polly tried a phrase. "I want to spend time with my family today." It sounded strange here. Then she tried, "Even though we live far apart, we always keep in touch with each other." That is closer, the seal said.