Why should you read “Dune” by Frank Herbert? - Dan Kwartler

Translator: Nika Kotnik Reviewer: Klavdija Černilogar Dwyer

A mother and her son trek across an endless desert.

Mati in sin hodita čez neskončno puščavo.

Wearing special skin-tight suits to dissipate heat and recycle moisture,

Nosita posebna, ozka oblačila, ki razpršijo toploto in reciklirajo vlago,

the travelers aren’t worried about dying of thirst.

zato ju ne skrbi, da bi umrla od žeje.

Their fears are much greater.

Njun strah je veliko hujši.

The pair try to walk without rhythm,

Par poskuša hoditi brez ritma,

letting the vibrations of their footsteps blend into the shifting sands.

da bi se vibracije njunih korakov zlile s premikajočim se peskom.

But soon, the sound of the desert is drowned out by a louder hissing.

A kmalu zvok puščave preglasi glasno šumenje.

As a mound of sand races towards them,

Ko kup peska drvi proti njima,

the pair’s unnatural gait turns into a sprint.

se njuna nenaravna hoja spremeni v tek.

The two clamber into a nearby rock face,

Splezata na skalo,

as a sandworm 400 meters long bursts from the desert floor.

ko se 400-metrski peščeni črv požene s peščenih tal.

This is the world of "Dune."

To je svet "Peščenega planeta".

Written by Frank Herbert and published in 1965,

Zgodbo je napisal Frank Herbert in izdal leta 1965.

"Dune" takes place in a far-flung future,

Dogaja se v daljnji prihodnosti,

where humanity rules the stars in a giant feudal empire.

kjer človeštvo vlada zvezdam v ogromnem fevdalnem imperiju.

This medieval motif goes beyond just the government.

Ta srednjeveški motiv ne velja le za vlado.

Unlike most interstellar sci-fi,

Za razliko od ostalih sci-fi zgodb v vesolju

Herbert's humans conquered the stars without any computers.

so Herbertovi ljudje osvojili zvezde brez računalnikov.

Following an ancient war with robots,

Po starodavni vojni z roboti

humanity has forbidden the construction of any machine

je človeštvo prepovedalo izdelavo kakršnekoli naprave

“in the likeness of a human mind.”

"v podobi človeškega uma".

But rather than stifling their expansion,

A namesto da bi to ustavilo njihovo širjenje,

this edict forced humans to evolve in startling ways—

je prisililo ljudi v razvoj v nenavadnih smereh -

becoming biological computers, psychic witches, and prescient space pilots.

v biološke računalnike, jasnovidne čarovnice in daljnovidne vesoljske pilote.

Members of these super-powered factions

Člani teh neverjetno močnih ločin

are regularly employed by various noble houses,

so pogosto zaposleni pri različnih plemiških družinah,

all competing for power and new planets to add to their kingdoms.

ki tekmujejo za moč in nove planete, da bi jih dodali svojim kraljestvom.

But almost all these superhuman skills rely on the same precious resource:

A skoraj vse te nadčloveške sposobnosti so odvisne od enega samega vira:

the spice.

začimbe.

This mystical crop also known as “melange” is essential for all space travel,

Ta mistični pridelek, znan kot "melanža", je nujen za potovanje po vesolju

making it the cornerstone of the galactic economy.

in je zato temelj galaktičnega gospodarstva.

And it only grows on the desert planet Arrakis,

Raste samo na puščavskem planetu Arrakis,

a dangerous and inhospitable world whose native inhabitants

nevarnem in neprijaznem svetu, katerega domačini

have long rebelled against the empire.

se že dolgo upirajo imperiju.

Arrakis, also called Dune, is the setting for Herbert’s novel,

Arrakis, imenovan tudi Dune, je prizorišče Herbertovega romana,

which follows Paul of the noble House Atreides.

ki piše zgodbo Paula iz plemiške hiše Atreides.

The book begins with Paul’s family being assigned control of Dune

Knjiga se začne, ko Paulovi družini dodelijo nadzor nad Peščenim planetom

as part of an elaborate plot by their sworn enemies:

kot del zapletene spletke njihovih zapriseženih sovražnikov:

the sadistic slave drivers of House Harkonnen.

sadističnih sužnjelastnikov iz družine Harkonnen.

The conflict between these houses upends the delicate political balance on Arrakis.

Konflikt med družinama zruši krhko politično ravnovesje na Arrakisu.

Soon, Paul is catapulted into the middle of a planetary revolution,

Kmalu se Paul znajde sredi planetarne revolucije,

where he must prove himself capable of leading— and surviving—

kjer mora dokazati svoje sposobnosti vodenja in preživetja

on this hostile desert world.

v tem neprijaznem puščavskem svetu.

But Arrakis is not simply an endless sea of sand.

A Arrakis ni samo neskončen ocean peska.

Herbert was an avid environmentalist,

Herbert je bil strasten naravovarstvenik,

who spent over five years creating Dune’s complex ecosystem.

ki je pet let ustvarjal zapleteni svet Peščenega planeta.

The planet is checkered with climate belts and wind tunnels

Planet je posejan s klimatskimi pasovi in vetrovniki,

that have shaped its rocky topography.

ki so oblikovali njegovo skalnato topografijo.

Different temperate zones produce varying desert flora.

Raznolike temperaturne cone ustvarijo različno puščavsko floro

And almost every element of Dune’s ecosystem works together

in skoraj vsi elementi ekosistema na Peščenem planetu sodelujejo,

to produce the planet’s essential export.

da ustvarijo glavni izvozni proizvod planeta.

Herbert’s world building also includes a rich web of philosophy and religion.

Herbertov svet prav tako vključuje bogato mrežo filozofije in religije.

Paul’s mother Jessica, is a member of the Bene Gesserit,

Paulova mati Jessica je članica Bene Gesserit,

an ancient cult of spice-assisted psychics.

starodavnega kulta jasnovidcev, ki si pomagajo z začimbo.

Sometimes called “witches” for their mysterious powers,

Včasih jim zaradi skrivnostnih sposobnosti pravijo "čarovnice",

the Bene Gesserit have operated as a shadow government for millennia

Bene Gesserit pa že tisočletja delujejo kot vlada v senci

in an effort to guide society towards enlightenment.

in želijo voditi družbo v razsvetljenje.

Similarly ancient are the Mentats—

Enako starodavni so Mentati -

human computers capable of processing incredible amounts of data.

človeški računalniki, ki so sposobni predelati neverjetne količine podatkov.

While the Mentats are bastions of logic and reason,

Čeprav so Mentati braniki logike in razuma,

their results are not mere calculations,

njihovi rezultati niso samo izračuni,

but rather, streams of constantly shifting possibilities.

ampak so bolj tokovi neprestano spreminjajočih se možnosti.

However, no group is more central to "Dune" than the Fremen.

A nobena skupina ni tako centralna za "Peščeni planet" kot Fremeni.

Natives of Arrakis, they are the keepers of the planet’s many secrets.

Ti domorodci na Arrakisu so zaščitniki planetovih mnogih skrivnosti.

Paul’s journey takes him deep into the Fremen’s exclusive brotherhood,

Paulovo potovanje ga ponese globoko v ekskluzivno bratovščino Fremenov,

where he must prove himself trustworthy

kjer mora dokazati, da je vreden zaupanja

in a series of increasingly deadly challenges.

v seriji vedno bolj smrtonosnih izzivov.

All these factions have deep histories that pervade the text,

Vse te ločine imajo daljnjo zgodovino, ki preveva besedilo,

and Herbert also incorporates that sense of scale into the book’s structure.

in Herbert v strukturo knjige vključi ta občutek veličine.

Each chapter begins with a quote from a future history book,

Vsako poglavje se začne s citatom iz zgodovinske knjige iz prihodnosti,

recalling elements of the events that are about to unfold.

ki opisuje dogodke, ki se bodo šele odvili.

The book also contains in-universe appendices

Knjiga prav tako vključuje dodatke o tem svetu,

that further explore the Empire’s history;

ki še dlje raziskujejo zgodovino Imperija,

alongside a glossary of words like “Gom jabbar” and “Shai-Hulud."

vključno s slovarjem besed kot sta “Gom jabbar” in “Shai-Hulud."

Dune’s epic story continues to unfold over a six-book saga that spans millennia.

Epska zgodba Peščenega planeta obsega šest knjig, ki obsegajo tisočletja.

But every story of Arrakis’ future begins here:

A vsaka zgodba Arrakisove prihodnosti se začne tu:

as Paul pursues a path that is dangerous, demanding,

Paul je na nevarni in zahtevni poti

and always on the verge of being consumed by the oncoming storm.

in vedno na robu tega, da ga pogoltne prihajajoča nevihta.