Mysteries of vernacular: Ukulele - Jessica Oreck and Rachael Teel

Prevoditelj: Sanda L Recezent: Ivan Stamenković

Mysteries of vernacular:

Misteriji kolokvijalnog jezika

Ukulele,

Ukulele,

a small, four-stringed guitar.

mala četverožična gitara.

Oddly enough, the word ukulele,

Začudo, riječ ukulele

in its native Hawaiian,

na havajskom

literally translates to jumping flea.

doslovno znači "buha koja skače".

Even more surprising,

Još je veće iznenađenje

the instrument itself did not originate in Hawaii.

što sâm instrument ne potječe sa Havaja.

So, how did a Hawaiian word

Kako to onda havajska riječ

come to describe a non-Hawaiian instrument?

opisuje nehavajski instrument?

Back in the late 1800s,

Krajem 19. stoljeća

King Kalākaua was the last reigning king

kralj Kalākaua je bio posljednji vladar

of the kingdom of Hawaii.

kraljevstva Havaji.

He was nicknamed "The Merry Monarch"

Imao je nadimak "Veseli monarh"

because of his joy for life

zbog svog uživanja u životu

and, in particular, his love of music.

i posebno, svoje ljubavi prema glazbi.

In the King's court,

Na kraljevom dvoru

there was a former British army officer

nalazio se bivši britanski časnik

named Edward Purvis.

Edward Purvis.

Though a small man,

Premda nizak rastom,

he was quite lively,

bio je prilično živahan

and his nickname was "Jumping Flea,"

i imao je nadimak "buha koja skače",

"Ukulele" in Hawaiian.

"ukulele" na havajskom.

Like the King, he was a great lover of music.

Poput kralja, i on je bio veliki ljubitelj glazbe.

In 1879, a group of Portuguese immigrants

Godine 1879. skupina portugalskih imigranata

arrived on the islands of Hawaii,

stigla je na Havajsko otočje

bringing with them a small, four-stringed guitar

i donijela sa sobom malu četverožičnu gitaru

known as a braguinha.

poznatu kao braguinha.

Purvis was immediately taken with the instrument

Purvisu se odmah jako svidio instrument

and helped spread its popularity

i pomogao je njegovoj popularizaciji

throughout the King's court.

na kraljevom dvoru.

As the story goes,

Kako priča kaže,

it was not long before his nickname, Ukulele,

nije prošlo dugo do trenutka kad je njegov nadimak Ukulele

jumped from the man to his favorite instrument.

prešao s čovjeka na njegov omiljeni instrument.

As demand grew, several Portuguese families

Kako je potražnja rasla, nekoliko portugalskih obitelji

began to manufacture

je počelo proizvoditi

the minuscule guitar on the islands,

na otocima malenu gitaru

making small modifications

uz male izmjene,

until it became the same ukulele we recognize today.

sve dok nije nastao ukulele kakav znamo danas.