Krog in jutranja ladja

Brodgarski krog stoji na ozkem pasu zemlje med dvema jezeroma. Kamni stojijo v krogu s premerom približno sto štirih metrov. Okoli njega je v živo skalo vsekan jarek. Postavili so ga pred štiri tisoč do štiri tisoč petsto leti. Je del območja svetovne dediščine.

The Ring of Brodgar sits on a narrow strip of land between two lochs. The stones stand in a circle about one hundred and four metres across. A ditch was cut around it into solid rock. It was built between four and four and a half thousand years ago. It is part of a world heritage site.

Nekoč je bilo kamnov okoli šestdeset. Danes jih stoji šestintrideset. Vrzeli so prav toliko del oblike kot kamni. Polly je krog obhodila po zunanji strani, z resjem do kolen in s svetlobo, ki se je ploščato razlivala čez vodo. Nič pri njem ni bilo urejeno za obiskovalca.

There were around sixty stones once. Thirty-six are standing now. The gaps are as much of the shape as the stones are. Polly walked around the outside of the ring, with heather to her knees and the light going flat across the water. Nothing about it was arranged for a visitor.

Potem so prišli običajni opravki pred odhodom. V pristaniški pisarni je za pultom sedel vranjek."Kdaj odpelje trajekt?"je vprašala Polly."Koliko to stane?"Skupaj z njim je gledala v natisnjen list."Rada bi kupila vozovnico, prosim."

Then came the ordinary business of leaving. At the harbour office there was a shag behind a counter. "What time does the ferry leave?" Polly asked. "How much does this cost?" She looked at the printed sheet with him. "I would like to buy a ticket, please."

"Koliko časa traja vožnja?"je vprašala nazadnje. Vozovnico je pospravila. Zjutraj je ladja odplula mimo istega nizkega rtiča, otoki pa so drug za drugim tonili za njo.

"How long does the crossing take?" she asked last. She put the ticket away. In the morning the boat went out past the same low headland, and the islands went down behind it one by one.