and?
JIMMY Nonne Latine loquitur?4
[HUGH holds up a restraining hand.] HUGH James. LANCEY [To JIMMY.] I do not speak Gaelic, sir. [He looks at OWEN.] OWEN Carry on. LANCEY A map is a representation on paper?a picture?you understand pic
ture??a paper picture?showing, representing this country?yes??showing your country in miniature?a scaled drawing on paper of?-of?of?
[Suddenly DOALTY sniggers. Then BRIDGET. Then SARAH. OWEN leaps in
quickly.] OWEN It might be better if you assume they understand you? LANCEY Yes? OWEN And I'll translate as you go along. LANCEY I see. Yes. Very well. Perhaps you're right. Well. What we are doing
is this. [He looks at OWEN. OWEN nods reassuringly.] His Majesty's government has ordered the first ever comprehensive survey of this entire country? a general triangulation which will embrace detailed hydrographic and topographic information and which will be executed to a scale of six inches to the English mile.
HUGH [Pouring a drink.] Excellent?excellent. [LANCEY looks fltlOWEN.]
OWEN A new map is being made of the whole country. [LANCEY looks to OWEN: Is that all? OWEN smiles reassuringly and indicates to proceed.]
LANCEY This enormous task has been embarked on so that the military authorities will be equipped with up- to-date and accurate information on every corner of this part of the Empire.
OWEN The job is being done by soldiers because they are skilled in this work. LANCEY And also so that the entire basis of land valuation can be reassessed for purposes of more equitable taxation. OWEN This new map will take the place of the estate-agent's map so that from now on you will know exactly what is yours in law.
LANCEY In conclusion I wish to quote two brief extracts from the white paper which is our governing charter: [Reads.] 'All former surveys of Ireland originated in forfeiture and violent transfer of property; the present survey has for its object the relief which can be afforded to the proprietors and occupiers of land from unequal taxation.'
OWEN The captain hopes that the public will cooperate with the sappers and
that the new map will mean that taxes are reduced. HUGH A worthy enterprise?opus honestum! And Extract B? LANCEY 'Ireland is privileged. No such survey is being undertaken in England.
So this survey cannot but be received as proof of the disposition of this government to advance the interests of Ireland.' My sentiments, too.
4. Does he not speak Latin? [Friel's note].
.
FRIEL: TRANSLATIONS, ACT 3 / 25 11
OWEN This survey demonstrates the government's interest in Ireland and the
captain thanks you for listening so attentively to him. HUGH Our pleasure, Captain. LANCEY Lieutenant Yolland? YOLLAND I?I?I've nothing to say?really? OWEN The captain is the man who actually makes the new map. George's
task is to see that the place-names on this map are . . . correct. [To YOLLAND.] Just a few words?they'd like to hear you. [To class.] Don't you want to hear George, too?
MAIRE Has he anything to say? YOLLAND [To MAIRE.] Sorry?sorry? OWEN She says she's dying to hear you. YOLLAND [To MAIRE.] Very kind of you?thank you . . . [To class.] I can only
say that I feel?I feel very foolish to?to be working here and not to speak your language. But I intend to rectify that?with Roland's help?indeed I do.
OWEN He wants me to teach him Irish! HUG H You are doubly welcome, sir. YOLLAND I think your countryside is?is?is?is very beautiful. I've fallen in
love with it already. I hope we're not too?too crude an intrusion on your
lives. And I know that I'm going to be happy, very happy, here. OWEN He is already a committed Hibernophile5? JIMMY He loves? OWEN Alright, Jimmy?we know?he loves Baile Beag; and he loves you all. HUGH Please . . . May I . . . ?
[HUGH is now drunk. He holds on to the edge of the table.] OWEN Go ahead, Father. [Hands up for quiet.] Please?please. HUGH And we, gentlemen, we in turn are happy to offer you our friendship,
our hospitality, and every assistance that you may require. Gentlemen? welcome!
[A few desultory6 claps. The formalities are over. General conversation. The soldiers meet the locals. MANUS and OWEN meet down stage. ]
OWEN Lancey's a bloody ramrod but George's alright. How are you anyway? MANUS What sort of a translation was that, Owen? OWEN Did I make a mess of it? MANUS You weren't saying what Lancey was saying! OWEN 'Uncertainty in meaning is incipient poetry'?who said that? MANUS There was nothing uncertain about what Lancey said: it's a bloody
military operation, Owen! And what's Yolland's function? What's 'incorrect'
about the place-names we have here? OWEN Nothing at all. They're just going to be standardised. MANUS YOU mean changed into English? OWEN Where there's ambiguity, they'll be Anglicised. MANUS And they call you Roland! They both call you Roland! OWEN Shhhhh. Isn't it ridiculous? They seemed to get it wrong from the very
beginning?or else they can't pronounce Owen. I was afraid some of you bastards would laugh. MANUS Aren't you going to tell them?
5. Lover of Ireland (in Latin, Hibernia). 6. Scattered.
