MICHAEL CRICHTON

(Primeros Escritos)
Fuente Consultada: First Words: Earliest Writings from Favorite Contemporary Writers
(Primeras Palabras: Los Primeros Escritos de Escritores Contemporneos Favoritos), por
Paul Mandelbaum, Google Books.
Transcripcin, Traduccin, Adaptacin y Notas: Pablo Martn Agero.
JOHNNY AT 8:30 (Juancito a las 8:30)
(circa 1957)
The bad guys had him, Johnny had to admit,
Trapped in a winecellar, black as a pit,
Outside were the villains, forty or more,
And the only thing keeping them out was that door.
(Los chicos malos lo tenan a l, Juancito tuvo que admitir,
Atrapado en una bodega de vino, negra como un foso,
Afuera estaban los villanos, cuarenta o ms,
Y lo nico que los alejaba era esa puerta.)
The heroine, too, was trapped in the dim,
John had to protect her, no matter what happened to him,
Now they were breaking the door down and with a rattle,
John drew his sword, and prepared for the battle.
(La herona, tambin., estaba atrapada en esa oscuridad,
Juan tena que protegerla, sin importar lo que le sucedera a l,
Ahor ellos estaban derribando la puerta y con un bullicio,
Juan desenvain su espada, y se prepar para la batalla.)
And now the door was splintered,
And the multitude poured through,
But John promptly skewered them,
And flicked them all askew.
(Y ahora la puerta estaba astillada,
Y la multitud entr a montones,
Pero Juan rpidamente los espet,
Y los apart a un lado.)
The much relieved heroine let out a long sigh,
The villains were dead, and with a wave of goodbye,
John jumped on his horse and into the sunset so redTurned off the television set and went up to bed.

(La herona, ms aliviada, emiti un largo suspiro,

Los villanos estaban muertos, y diciendo adis con la mano,
Juan salt sobre su caballo y en el ocaso tan rojoApag el televisor y subi a su dormitorio.)
(Nota del Traductor: El verdadero nombre del autor era John Michael Crichton).

Untitled (Sin Ttulo)

(Ao: 1960)
Well?
Well what?
Well, what did you find out?
Nothing.
Really?
Not a thing.
No kidding. Thats a tough break.
Yeah.
You mean, you went to talk to him, and he still didnt say anything?
Yeah.
Well, didnt you pry a little and try to find out whats going on?
Of course. That was why I went.
And he wouldnt talk.
Not a single word. And I was over there for nearly an hour. I couldnt stay any
longer and have him figure out what was coming off.
Yeah, thats true. Have you talked to the girl?
What girl?
Julie or whatever her name is.
Oh-yeah, I did. Or, at least I tried to.
She have anything to say?
Nothing much.
A silence.
Looks like you got problems, kid.
Hell! I just wish I knew.
Nobody else talked to you about it at all?
Nope.
In other words, you dont really know if its true or not.
Yeah, I guess so.
Maybe he doesnt know anything about it either. Maybe thats why he didnt
mention it. Was he friendly?
Yeah, he was friendly. I mean, as friendly as he ever is. You know, like always.
Did he give you any funny looks or stuff like that?
I dont know. Hes always giving me funny looks. Ever since Ive known him
hes been giving me funny looks. He just kind of stops whatever he is doing and

looks at me like he was trying to figure a math problem written on my forehead. You
know that funny stare he has.
No, I never met him.
Oh, I thought you had someplace. Lots of guys know him-more than you think.
Yeah, I know quite a few guys that met him, but I never have.
Well, he has this real funny stare. And hes never completely serious anyhow.
You can never tell whether hes serious or whether hes just kidding around.
You scared?
I dont know. Would you be?
You mean if I were you?
Yeah.
Probably.
And what would you do, if you were me.
Hell, I dont know. I dont have any idea. I mean, I never thought about it.
(Bueno?
Bueno, qu?
Bueno, qu descubriste?
Nada.
Realmente?
Nada.
No es broma. Eso es mala suerte.
S.
Quers decir que fuiste a hablar con l, y no dijo nada?
S.
Bueno, no curioseaste un poco y trataste de descubrir qu est pasando?
Por supuesto. Para eso fu.
Y l no habl.
Ni una palabra. Y estuve all por casi una hora. No me pude quedar ms tiempo y
hacerlo explicar que estaba sucediendo.
S, eso es cierto. Has hablado con la muchacha?
Qu muchacha?
Julia o como sea que se llame.
Oh-s, lo hice. O, al menos, lo intent.
Tiene algo que decir?
No demasiado.
Un silencio.
Parece que tienes problemas, muchacho.
Diablos! Ojal supiera.
Nadie ms habl con vos acerca de eso en absoluto?
No.
En otras palabras, realmente no sabes si es cierto o no.
S, supongo.
Quizs l tampoco sabe nada acerca de eso. Quizs es por eso que no lo mencion.
Era l amigable?

S, l era amigable. Quiero decir, tan amigable como l es siempre. T sabes, como
siempre.
l te mir curiosamente o algo parecido?
No s. l siempre me ha mirado curiosamente. Desde la primera vez que lo he conocido l me ha mirado curiosamente. l deja de hacer lo que est haciendo y me mira
como estuviera tratando de solucionar un problema matemtico escrito en mi frente.
T sabes, esa mirada curiosa que l tiene.
No, nunca lo conoc.
Oh, pens que lo habas conocido en algn lugar. Muchos tipos lo conocen-ms de lo
que t crees.
S, conozco bastante a unos tipos que lo conocieron, pero yo nunca lo he conocido.
Bueno, l tiene esa mirada realmente curiosa. Y l nunca es completamente serio,
de cualquier modo. T nunca puedes decir si l es serio o si l slo est bromeando..
Ests asustado?
No s. T estaras asustado?
Quieres decir, si yo fuera t?
S.
Probablemente.
Y qu haras, s t fueras yo.
Diablos, no s. No tengo idea. Quiero decir, nunca pens acerca de eso.)

The Most Important Part of The Lab (La Parte Ms Importante del Laboratorio)
(Ao: 1961)
I ate quickly and headed for the lab right after lunch. It was a clear, windy March afternoon, but not very cold. As I came up Mt. Auburn street, I saw that Elsies was crammed
with wonks, all standing around with their elbows high, munching. They stared out at me
through the dirty glass, beneath the neon sign. I walked by quickly.
(Com rpidamente y me dirig al laboratorio despus del almuerzo. Era una tarde clara
y ventosa de marzo, pero no muy fra. Mientras llegaba a la calle Monte Auburn, vi que
Elsie estaba atestada de tontos, todos parados alrededor con sus codos a lo alto, mascando. Ellos me miraban fijamente a travs del vidrio sucio, debajo de la seal de nen. Segu caminando rpidamente.)
As I passed Elsies, I heard someone trip on the brick sidewalk behind me, and then I
heard a groan. I looked back without breaking stride, and I saw someone lying there,
stretched out on the ground. It was a guy, lying half on the pavement, half in the street,
and he wasnt moving. I waited for a moment to see if someone nearer the guy would
stop and help him, but nobody did, so I went back , and bent over him. People walked
by me on both sides, their coats flapping in the wind. They gave me funny looks as
they passed, as if I had done something to the guy.

(Mientras pasaba por Elsie, o que alguien tropez sobre la acera de ladrillos detrs mo,
y luego o un gemido. Mir hacia atrs sin dejar de caminar a zancadas, y vi a alguien yaciendo all, echado sobre el piso. Era un tipo, yaciendo mitad sobre la acera, mitad en la
calle, y no se estaba moviendo. Esper por un momento para ver si alguien ms cerca del
tipo se detendra y lo ayudara, pero nadie lo ayud, entonces, regres, y me agach sobre
l. La gente caminaba al lado mo por ambos lados, sus abrigos aleteando en el viento. Ellos me miraban curiosamente, como si le hubiera hecho algo al tipo.)
The fellows eyes were shut; his forehead rested on the edge of the curb, and the skin was
split slightly. He was bleeding, but not much. As the people walked by, I caught snatches of
conversation over my head.
(Los ojos del tipo estaban cerrados; su frente descansaba sobre el borde de la orilla de la acera, y la piel estaba un poco partida. l estaba sangrando, pero no mucho. Mientras la gente segua caminando, capt pedacitos de conversacin sobre mi cabeza.)
doesnt have any idea how to run a seminar
( no tiene idea cmo exponer un seminario)
I dont know why she said it
(No s por qu ella dijo eso )
The guy was young, an undergraduate. Carefully, I shook him by the shoulder. I felt a
little foolish, squatting there in the early afternoon at the corner of Mt. Auburn and Holyoke, shaking some guy lying on the ground.
(El tipo era joven, un estudiante universitario no graduado. Cuidadosamente, lo sacud
por el hombro. Me sent un poco tonto, agazapado all al comenzar la tarde en la esquina
de Monte Auburn y Holyoke, sacudiendo a un tipo yaciendo sobre el suelo.)
Yes, but is it valid?
(S, pero, es vlido?)
never knew he drank until I saw him sober
( nunca supe que l beba hasta que lo vi sobrio).