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25 10 / NATION AND LANGUAGE
OWEN Yes?yes?soon?soon. MANUS But they. . . OWEN Easy, man, easy. Owen?Roland?what the hell. It's only a name. It's
the same me, isn't it? Well, isn't it? MANUS Indeed it is. It's the same Owen. OWEN And the same Manus. And in a way we complement each other.
[He punches MANUS lightly, playfully and turns to join the others. As he goes.]
Alright?who has met whom? Isn't this a job for the go-between?
[MANUS watches OWEN move confidently across the floor, taking MAIRE
by the hand and introducing her to YOLLAND.
HUGH is trying to negotiate the steps.
JIMMY is lost in a text.
DOALTY and BRIDGET are reliving their giggling.
SARAH is staring at MANUS.]
Act Two
SCENE ONE
The sappers have already mapped most of the area, YOLLAND'S official task, which OWEN is now doing, is to take each of the Gaelic names?every hill, stream, rock, even every patch of ground which possessed its own distinctive Irish name? and Anglicise it, either by changing it into its approximate English sound or by translating it into English words. For example, a Gaelic name like Cnoc Ban could become Knockban or?directly translated?Fair Hill. These new standardised names were entered into the Name-Book, and when the new maps appeared they contained all these new Anglicised names, OWEN'S official function as translator is to pronounce each name in Irish and then provide the English translation.
The hot weather continues. It is late afternoon some days later. Stage right: an improvised clothes-line strung between the shafts of the cart and a nail in the wall; on it are some shirts and socks.
A large map?one of the new blank maps?is spread out on the floor, OWEN is on his hands and knees, consulting it. He is totally engrossed in his task, which he pursues with great energy and efficiency.
YOLLAND'S hesitancy has vanished?he is at home here now. He is sitting on the floor, his long legs stretched out before him, his back resting against a creel,7 his eyes closed. His mind is elsewhere. One of the reference books?a church registry?lies open on his lap.
Around them are various reference books, the Name-Book, a bottle of poteen, some cups etc. OWEN completes an entry in the Name-Book and returns to the map on the floor.
OWEN Now. Where have we got to? Yes?the point where that stream enters
the sea?that tiny little beach there. George! YOLLAND Yes. I'm listening. What do you call it? Say the Irish name again? OWEN Bun na hAbhann. YOLLAND Again. OWEN Bun na hAbhann.
7. Large wicker basket.
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FRIEL: TRANSLATIONS, ACT 3 / 25 11
YOLLAND Bun na hAbhann. OWEN That's terrible, George. YOLLAND I know. I'm sorry. Say it again. OWEN Bun na hAbhann. YOLLAND Bun na hAbhann. OWEN That's better. Bun is the Irish word for bottom. And Abha means river.
So it's literally the mouth of the river. YOLLAND Let's leave it alone. There's no English equivalent for a sound like that. OWEN What is it called in the church registry?
[Only now does YOLLAND open his eyes.]
YOLLAND Let's see . . . Banowen.
OWEN That's wrong. [Consults text.] The list of freeholders calls it Owen- more?that's completely wrong: Owenmore's the big river at the west end of the parish. [Another text.] And in the grand jury lists it's called?God!? Binhone!?wherever they got that. I suppose we could Anglicize it to Bunowen; but somehow that's neither fish nor flesh.
[YOLLAND closes his eyes again.] YOLLAND I give Up. OWEN [At map.] Back to first principles. What are we trying to do? YOLLAND Good question. OWEN We are trying to denominate and at the same time describe that tiny
area of soggy, rocky, sandy ground where that little stream enters the sea, an area known locally as Bun na hAbhann . . . Burnfoot!8 What about Burnfoot?
YOLLAND [Indifferently.] Good, Roland. Burnfoot's good. OWEN George, my name isn't . . . YOLLAND B-u-r- n-f-o-o-t? OWEN I suppose so. What do you think?
YOLLAND Yes.
OWEN Are you happy with that?
YOLLAND Yes.
OWEN Burnfoot it is then. [He makes the entry into the Name-Book.] Bun na
nAbhann?B-u-r-n- YOLLAND You're becoming very skilled at this. OWEN We're not moving fast enough. YOLLAND [Opens eyes again.] Lancey lectured me again last night. OWEN When does he finish here? YOLLAND The sappers are pulling out at the end of the week. The trouble is,
