Why should you read “The Master and Margarita”? - Alex Gendler

Prevoditelj: Katarina Mikjel Recezent: Sanda L

The Devil has come to town.

Vrag je stigao u grad.

But don’t worry – all he wants to do is stage a magic show.

No ne brinite – samo želi prirediti mađioničarsku predstavu.

This absurd premise forms the central plot

Ta je apsurdna premisa središte zapleta remek-djela Mihaila Bulgakova

of Mikhail Bulgakov’s masterpiece, "The Master and Margarita."

„Majstor i Margarita”.

Written in Moscow during the 1930s,

Napisana u Moskvi 1930-ih,

this surreal blend of political satire, historical fiction,

ta nadrealna mješavina političke satire, povijesne fikcije i okultnog misticizma

and occult mysticism

has earned a legacy as one of the 20th century’s greatest novels–

smatra se jednim od najznačajnijih romana 20. stoljeća,

and one of its strangest.

kao i jednim od najčudnovatijih.

The story begins when a meeting between two members

Priča počinje kad sastanak dva člana moskovske literarne kreme

of Moscow’s literary elite

is interrupted by a strange gentleman named Woland,

prekine neobičan gospodin po imenu Woland,

who presents himself as a foreign scholar

koji se predstavi kao strani učenjak

invited to give a presentation on black magic.

pozvan da održi prezentaciju o crnoj magiji.

As the stranger engages the two companions in a philosophical debate

Stranac uvlači dvojicu drugova u filozofsku raspravu

and makes ominous predictions about their fates,

i nagoviješta im zlu kob,

the reader is suddenly transported to 1st century Jerusalem.

a čitatelj se odjednom nađe u Jeruzalemu 1. stoljeća.

There a tormented Pontius Pilate

Ondje napaćeni Poncije Pilat

reluctantly sentences Jesus of Nazareth to death.

nevoljko osuđuje na smrt Isusa iz Nazareta.

With the narrative shifting between the two settings,

Radnja se naizmjenično odvija na dvjema lokacijama,

Woland and his entourage– Azazello, Koroviev, Hella,

a Woland i njegova svita – Azazello, Korovjov, Hella

and a giant cat named Behemoth–

i divovski mačak imenom Behemot –

are seen to have uncanny magical powers,

pokazuju izvanredne magične moći,

which they use to stage their performance

koje koriste kako bi postavili predstavu,

while leaving a trail of havoc and confusion in their wake.

ostavljajući za sobom rasulo i zbrku.

Much of the novel’s dark humor comes not only from this demonic mischief,

Taj demonski nestašluk izvor je velikog dijela crnog humora u romanu,

but also the backdrop against which it occurs.

baš kao i njegov kontekst.

Bulgakov’s story takes place in the same setting where it was written–

Bulgakovljeva priča odvija se ondje gdje je i nastala –

the USSR at the height of the Stalinist period.

u SSSR-u na vrhuncu staljinizma.

There, artists and authors worked under strict censorship,

Djela umjetnika i pisaca strogo se cenzuriraju,

subject to imprisonment, exile, or execution

a prijete im zatvor, egzil ili smrt

if they were seen as undermining state ideology.

padne li na njih sumnja da potkopavaju državnu ideologiju.

Even when approved, their work–

Čak i kad im odobre djela, njima –

along with housing, travel, and everything else–

kao i stanovanjem, putovanjima i svim ostalim –

was governed by a convoluted bureaucracy.

upravlja zamršena birokracija.

In the novel,

U romanu Woland manipulira tim sustavom kao i samom stvarnošću,

Woland manipulates this system along with the fabric of reality,

to hilarious results.

uz urnebesne posljedice.

As heads are separated from bodies and money rains from the sky,

Na obezglavljena tijela i novac što pljušti s neba

the citizens of Moscow react with petty-self interest,

građani Moskve reagiraju slijedeći svoje sitne interese,

illustrating how Soviet society bred greed and cynicism

što pokazuje kako je sovjetsko društvo razmnožilo pohlepu i cinizam

unatoč svojim idealima.

despite its ideals.

And the matter-of-fact narration

Realistična naracija namjerno miješa

deliberately blends the strangeness of the supernatural events

čudnovatost nadnaravnih događaja

with the everyday absurdity of Soviet life.

s apsurdnošću sovjetske svakodnevice.

So how did Bulgakov manage to publish such a subversive novel

Kako je Bulgakov uspio objaviti tako subverzivan roman

under an oppressive regime?

pod opresivnim režimom?

Well… he didn’t.

Pa… nije.

He worked on "The Master and Margarita" for over ten years.

Radio je na „Majstoru i Margariti” više od deset godina.

But while Stalin’s personal favor

No premda je Staljinova naklonjenost

may have kept Bulgakov safe from severe persecution,

spasila Bulgakova od teškog progona,

many of his plays and writings were kept from production,

mnoge njegove drame i druga djela nisu ugledali svjetlost dana,

leaving him safe but effectively silenced.

pa je, iako pošteđen, bio učinkovito ušutkan.

Upon the author’s death in 1940,

Nakon autorove smrti 1940.

the manuscript remained unpublished.

rukopis ostaje neobjavljen.

A censored version was eventually printed in the 1960s,

Cenzurirana verzija konačno je tiskana 1960-ih,

while copies of the unabridged manuscript

dok su primjerci potpunog rukopisa nastavili kružiti

continued to circulate among underground literary circles.

tajnim književnim miljeima.

The full text was only published in 1973,

Cjeloviti tekst objavljen je tek 1973.,

over 30 years after its completion.

više od 30 godina nakon što je dovršen.

Bulgakov’s experiences with censorship and artistic frustration

Bulgakovljevo iskustvo s cenzurom i umjetničkom frustracijom

lend an autobiographical air to the second part of the novel,

dalo je autobiografsku notu drugom dijelu romana,

when we are finally introduced to its namesake.

u kojemu napokon upoznajemo naslovnog junaka.

"The Master" is a nameless author who’s worked for years on a novel

„Majstor” je bezimeni autor koji je godinama radio na svojem romanu,

but burned the manuscript after it was rejected by publishers–

ali je spalio rukopis nakon što su ga izdavači odbili –

just as Bulgakov had done with his own work.

baš kao što je i Bulgakov napravio sa svojim djelima.

Yet the true protagonist is the Master’s mistress Margarita.

Ipak, stvarna je protagonistica Majstorova ljubavnica Margarita.

Her devotion to her lover’s abandoned dream

Njezina predanost ljubavnikovu napuštenom snu neobično je povezana

bears a strange connection to the diabolical company’s escapades–

s vratolomijama dijabolične družine –

and carries the story to its surreal climax.

i dovodi priču do nadrealnog vrhunca.

Despite its dark humor and complex structure,

Unatoč crnom humoru i složenoj strukturi,

"The Master and Margarita" is, at its heart,

„Majstor i Margarita” u biti je razmatranje o umjetnosti, ljubavi i iskupljenju

a meditation on art, love, and redemption,

that never loses itself in cynicism.

koje nikad ne zapada u cinizam.

And the book’s long overdue publication and survival against the odds

Zakašnjela objava knjige i činjenica da je preživjela unatoč svemu

is a testament to what Woland tells the Master:

potvrda su Wolandovih riječi upućenih Majstoru:

“Manuscripts don’t burn.”

„Rukopisi ne gore.”