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2014 annual ProZ.com translation contest: "Celebrations" » English to Swahili » Entry by cirujoy


Source text in English

Translation by cirujoy (#18107)

Who cast that first fateful tomato that started the La Tomatina revolution? The reality is no one knows. Maybe it was an anti-Franco rebellion, or a carnival that got out of hand. According to the most popular version of the story, during the 1945 festival of Los Gigantes (a giant paper mâché puppet parade), locals were looking to stage a brawl to get some attention. They happened upon a vegetable cart nearby and started hurling ripe tomatoes. Innocent onlookers got involved until the scene escalated into a massive melee of flying fruit. The instigators had to repay the tomato vendors, but that didn't stop the recurrence of more tomato fights—and the birth of a new tradition.

Fearful of an unruly escalation, authorities enacted, relaxed, and then reinstated a series of bans in the 1950s. In 1951, locals who defied the law were imprisoned until public outcry called for their release. The most famous effrontery to the tomato bans happened in 1957 when proponents held a mock tomato funeral complete with a coffin and procession. After 1957, the local government decided to roll with the punches, set a few rules in place, and embraced the wacky tradition.

Though the tomatoes take center stage, a week of festivities lead up to the final showdown. It's a celebration of Buñol's patron saints, the Virgin Mary and St. Louis Bertrand, with street parades, music, and fireworks in joyous Spanish fashion. To build up your strength for the impending brawl, an epic paella is served on the eve of the battle, showcasing an iconic Valencian dish of rice, seafood, saffron, and olive oil.

Today, this unfettered festival has some measure of order. Organizers have gone so far as to cultivate a special variety of unpalatable tomatoes just for the annual event. Festivities kick off around 10 a.m. when participants race to grab a ham fixed atop a greasy pole. Onlookers hose the scramblers with water while singing and dancing in the streets. When the church bell strikes noon, trucks packed with tomatoes roll into town, while chants of "To-ma-te, to-ma-te!" reach a crescendo.

Then, with the firing of a water cannon, the main event begins. That's the green light for crushing and launching tomatoes in all-out attacks against fellow participants. Long distance tomato lobbers, point-blank assassins, and medium range hook shots. Whatever your technique, by the time it's over, you will look (and feel) quite different. Nearly an hour later, tomato-soaked bombers are left to play in a sea of squishy street salsa with little left resembling a tomato to be found. A second cannon shot signals the end of the battle.
Nani aliyerusha nyanya hiyo ya kwanza ya kimatukio iliyoanzisha mapinduzi ya ''La Tomatina''? Ukweli ni kwamba hakuna anayejua. Labda yalikuwa maasi dhidi ya Franco, au sherehe ya barabarani iliyozidi mipaka. Kulingana na maelezo yaliyo maarufu zaidi juu ya tukio hilo, katika sherehe ya "Los Gigantes" ya mwaka elfu moja mia kenda na tano(gwaride la majigumegume makubwa zaidi yaliyotengenezwa kwa karatasi za gundi), wenyeji walinuia kuzua ghasia za barabarani ili kuteka fikra za hadhira. Walivamia rukwama ya mboga iliyokuwa karibu na wakaanza kurusha nyanya mbivu. Waliokuwa katika hamsini zao walitekwa hadi eneo likakua kuwa ghasia kubwa za matunda yaliyopeperuka. Ilibidi wachochezi kuwalipa wachuuzi wa nyanya, ingawa hayo hayakuzuia kutukia tena kwa vita zaidi vya nyanya na uzawa wa desturi mpya.
Kwa kuchelea tukio kupanda kuwa kiwango kisichozuilika, utawala ulitunga, ukalegeza kisha ukarejesha mfululizo wa marufuku katika miaka ya elfu moja mia kenda na hamsini. Wenyeji waliokaidi sheria wakifungwa jela hadi umma ulipozua kilio wafunguliwe. Uchokozi maarufu zaidi kwa marufuku dhidi ya nyanya ulitokea mwaka wa elfu moja mia kenda hamsini na saba wakati ambapo waneneaji walifanya mazishi maskhara ya nyanya makamilifu yaliyokuwa hata na jeneza na maandamano. Baada ya mwaka wa 1957 , serikali ya mtaa iliamua kukubaliana na hali kama ilivyokuwa, kiwango fulani cha kanuni na kukubaliana na desturi hii ya ajabu.
Ingawa nyanya huchukua sehemu ya msingi kabisa, juma la sherehe hufikia tamati kwa mapambano ya mwisho. Ni maadhimisho ya watakatifu walezi wa Kibunol, Bikira Maria na mtakatifu Louis Bertrand, gwaride za barabarani, muziki na fataki kwa sherehe zenye shangwe za mitindo ya Kihispania. Ili kujenga siha yako kwa rabsha ijayo, huandaliwa ‘paella’- wali murwa usiku kutangulia pigano, kujivunia mlo wa wali maarufu wa Kivalensia, dagaa zafarani na mafuta ya mizeituni.
Wa leo, sherehe hii isiyozuilika ina kiwango fulani cha utaratibu. Waandaji wamepiga hatua hata kukuza aina spesheli ya nyanya zisizolika kwa niaba tu ya tukio hilo la kimwaka. Sherehe huanzia takriban saa nne asubuhi wakati ambapo washiriki hukimbia kunyakua kipande cha nyama iliyokaushwa ya paja la nguruwe kilichotundikwa kwenye kikingi kilicholoa mafuta. Watazamaji huwapiga wanyang’anyanaji kwa mifereji ya maji wakiimba na kucheza densi barabarani. Kengele ya kanisa ikigonga saa sita mchana, malori yaliyosheheni nyanya huingia mjini hali nyimbo za “To-ma-te, to-ma-te” zikifika kilele.
Kisha kwa ufyatuaji wa kanoni za maji, sherehe kuu huanza. Hiyo huwa ni kibali cha kuvunja nyanya na kufanya shambulizi pande zote dhidi ya washiriki wengine. Warushaji nyanya wa kulenga mbali, walengaji karibu na walenga shabaha wa wastani. Bila kujalisha mbinu yako ni gani, kipindi kinapofika hatima, utaonekana na kujihisi ukiwa tofauti kabisa. Takriban nusu saa baadaye, warushaji kombora za nyanya wanaachwa kucheza salsa ya barabarani katika bahari lililoloana likiwa na machache yanayofanana na nyanya kupatikana huko. Ufyatuaji wa kanoni ya pili huashiria mwisho wa vita.


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