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Mario Vargas Llosa was born in Arequipa, Peru, in 1936. His early studies were completed in Cochabamba, Bolivia, and his secondary studies in Lima and Piura, Peru. It's worth noting that he successfully completed his Literature degree at the prestigious University of San Marcos in Lima, and later earned a well-deserved doctorate from the renowned University of Madrid.
He is a Peruvian novelist, journalist, essayist, and a former politician, who also holds Spanish citizenship. Llosa rose to international fame in the 1960s with novel such as La Ciudad y Los Perros, literally translated as The City and the Dogs).
Title: La Ciudad y Los Perros
Author: Mario Vargas Llosa
Genre: Narrative
Published: October 1963
Source:
https://www.guao.org/sites/default/files/biblioteca/La%20ciudad%20y%20los%20perros%20Vargas%20LLosa.pdf
Short Description:
La Ciudad y Los Perros takes place at the Leoncio Prado Military School, located in La Perla, Callao, Peru. The characters of the novel, a group of young people who are “educated” in a relentless and violent military discipline, learn to survive in an environment in which racial prejudices and differences between social and economic classes are deeply rooted. In a world where everyone is not who they are, and transgressing established norms seems to be the only way to survive.
This is Llosa's first novel. In 1963, he published La Ciudad y Los Perros (First Edition/Seix Barral Editorial), a novel that won the Biblioteca Breve Award in 1962 and the Critics' Award in 1963, and which was translated into twenty languages almost immediately after its publication.
Source Text: Spanish
Mate Cat - Cat Tool
DeepL Translator
La Ciudad y Los Perros
The City and the Dogs
The City and the Dogs
Boa y Rulos salieron. Uno de ellos tropezó al cruzar el umbral y maldijo.
-Apenas regreses, me despiertas -ordenó el Jaguar- No te demores mucho. Van a ser las doce.
-Sí -dijo Cava. Su rostro, por lo común impenetrable, parecía fatigado-. Voy a vestirme.
Boa and Rulos came out. One of them stumbled across the threshold and cursed.
"As soon as you come back, you wake me up," the Jaguar ordered. "Don't take too long." It's going to be twelve.
"Yes," Cava said. His face, usually impenetrable, seemed fatigued. I am going to get dressed.
Boa and Rulos came out. One of them stumbled as he crossed the threshold and cursed.
-As soon as you get back, wake me up," ordered the Jaguar, "Don't be too long. It will be twelve o'clock.
-Yes," said Cava. His face, usually impenetrable, looked weary. I'm going to get dressed.
Salieron del baño. La cuadra estaba a oscuras, pero Cava no necesitaba ver para orientarse entre las dos columnas de literas; conocía de memoria ese recinto estirado y alto. Lo colmaba ahora una serenidad silenciosa, alterada instantáneamente por ronquidos o murmullos. Llegó a su cama, la segunda de la derecha, la de abajo, a un metro de la entrada. Mientras sacaba a tientas del ropero el pantalón, la camisa caqui y los botines, sentía junto a su rostro el aliento teñido de tabaco de Vallano, que dormía en la litera superior.
They came out of the bathroom. The block was dark, but Cava did not need to see to orient himself between the two columns of bunk beds; he knew that stretched and tall enclosure by heart. It was now filled with a silent serenity, instantly altered by snoring or murmuring. He reached his bed, the second on the right, the one below, a meter from the entrance. As he groped his trousers, khaki shirt, and ankle boots out of the closet, he felt the tobacco-tinted breath of Vallano, who slept on the upper bunk, next to his face.
They came out of the bathroom. The block was dark, but Cava didn't need to see to find his way between the two columns of bunk beds; he knew that tall, stretched room by heart. He was now filled with a silent serenity, instantly disturbed by snoring or murmuring. He reached his bed, the second from the right, the bottom one, three feet from the entrance. As he groped from the closet for his pants, khaki shirt and boots, he felt next to his face the tobacco-tinged breath of Vallano, who slept in the upper bunk.
Distinguió en la oscuridad la doble hilera de dientes grandes y blanquísimos del negro y pensó en un roedor. Sin bulla, lentamente, se despojó del pijama de franela azul y se vistió. Echó sobre sus hombros el sacón de paño. Luego, pisando despacio porque los botines crujían, caminó hasta la litera del Jaguar, que estaba al otro extremo de la cuadra, junto al baño.
He distinguished in the dark the double row of large, whitish teeth from the black and thought of a rodent. Without a fuss, he slowly shed his blue flannel pajamas and dressed himself. He threw the cloth sack over his shoulders. Then, stepping slowly because the boots were crunching, he walked to the bunk of the Jaguar, which was at the other end of the block, next to the bathroom.
He distinguished in the darkness the black man's double row of big white teeth and thought of a rodent. Without any fuss, slowly, he took off his blue flannel pajamas and got dressed. He threw the cloth jacket over his shoulders. Then, stepping slowly because his boots creaked, he walked to the Jaguar's bunk, which was at the other end of the block, next to the bathroom.
-Jaguar.
-Sí. Toma.
Cava alargó la mano, tocó dos objetos fríos, uno de ellos áspero. Conservó en la mano la linterna,
guardó la lima en el bolsillo del sacón.
-¿Quiénes son los imaginarias? -preguntó Cava;
-El poeta y yo.
-¿Tú?
-Me reemplaza el Esclavo.
-¿Y en las otras secciones?
-¿Tienes miedo?
Cava no respondió.
GALLERY - Jaguar
-Yes. Here.
Cava reached out, touched two cold objects, one of them rough. He kept the flashlight in his hand,
he kept the file in his sack pocket.
"Who are the imaginary ones?" Cava asked.
"The poet and me."
You?
"The Slave replaces me."
code to the other sections,
“Are you scared?
Cava did not answer.
-Jaguar.
-Yes. Here.
Cava reached out, touched two cold objects, one of them rough. He kept the flashlight in his hand,
put the file in his coat pocket.
-Who are the imaginary ones? -Cava asked;
-The poet and I.
-You?
-The Slave replaces me.
-And in the other sections?
-Are you afraid?
Cava did not answer.
Se deslizó en puntas de pie hacia la puerta. Abrió uno de los batientes, con cuidado, pero no pudo evitar que crujiera.
-¡Un ladrón! -gritó alguien, en la oscuridad- ¡Mátalo, imaginaria!
Cava no reconoció la voz. Miró afuera: el patio estaba vacío, débilmente iluminado por los globos eléctricos de la pista de desfile, que separaba las cuadras de un campo de hierba. La neblina disolvía el contorno de los tres bloques de cemento que albergaban a los cadetes del quinto año y les comunicaba una apariencia irreal.
He tiptoed to the door. He opened one of the wings, carefully, but he couldn't stop it from rustling.
A thief! someone shouted, in the dark - Kill him, imaginary!
Cava did not recognize the voice. He looked outside: the courtyard was empty, dimly lit by the electric balloons of the parade track, which separated the blocks from a field of grass. The mist dissolved the outline of the three cement blocks that housed the fifth-year cadets and gave them an unrealistic appearance.
He slid on tiptoe toward the door. He opened one of the hinges, carefully, but couldn't stop it from creaking.
-A thief! -someone shouted in the darkness, "Kill him, you imaginary one!
Cava did not recognize the voice. He looked outside: the courtyard was empty, dimly lit by the electric globes of the parade ground, which separated the stables from a grassy field. The fog dissolved the outline of the three cement blocks that housed the fifth-year cadets and gave them an unreal appearance.
Salió. Aplastado de espaldas contra el muro de la cuadra, se mantuvo unos instantes quietos y sin pensar. Ya no contaba con nadie; el Jaguar también estaba a salvo. Envidió a los cadetes que dormían, a los suboficiales, los soldados entumecidos en el galpón levantado a la otra orilla del estadio. Advirtió que el miedo lo paralizaría si no actuaba. Calculó la distancia: debía cruzar el patio y la pista de desfile; luego, protegido por las sombras del descampado, contornear el comedor, las oficinas, los dormitorios de los oficiales y atravesar un nuevo patio, éste pequeño y de cemento, que moría en el edificio de las aulas, donde habría terminado el peligro: la ronda no llegaba hasta allí.
She left. Crushed on his back against the wall of the block, he stood still for a few moments without thinking. He had no one left; the Jaguar was safe, too. He envied the sleeping cadets, the non-commissioned officers, the numb soldiers in the shed on the other side of the stadium. He warned that fear would paralyze him if he did not act. He calculated the distance: he had to cross the courtyard and the parade track; then, protected by the shadows of the open field, outline the dining room, the offices, the officers' bedrooms and cross a new courtyard, this one small and made of cement, which died in the classroom building, where the danger would have ended: the round did not reach there.
He got out. Flattened on his back against the block wall, he stood for a few moments still and thoughtlessly. He no longer counted on anyone; the Jaguar was safe too. He envied the sleeping cadets, the NCOs, the numb soldiers in the shed erected on the other side of the stadium. He warned that fear would paralyze him if he did not act. He calculated the distance: he had to cross the courtyard and the parade ground; then, protected by the shadows of the open field, he had to go around the dining room, the offices, the officers' dormitories and cross a new courtyard, this one small and made of concrete, which ended at the classroom building, where the danger would have ended: the patrol did not reach there.
Final Version as reviewed by a human translator:
La cuadra estaba a oscuras, pero Cava no necesitaba ver para orientarse entre las dos columnas de literas; conocía de memoria ese recinto estirado y alto.
The block was dark, but Cava didn't need to see to find his way between the two columns of bunks; he knew that long, tall room by heart.
Cava alargó la mano, tocó dos objetos fríos, uno de ellos áspero. Conservó en la mano la linterna, guardó la lima en el bolsillo del sacón.
Cava reached out, touched two cold objects, one of them rough. He kept the flashlight in his hand,
he kept the lime in his coat pocket.
-¿Quiénes son los imaginarias? -preguntó Cava;
-El poeta y yo.
-Who are the guard one's? -asked Cava;
-The poet and me.
Se deslizó en puntas de pie hacia la puerta. Abrió uno de los batientes, con cuidado, pero no pudo evitar que crujiera.
-¡Un ladrón! -gritó alguien, en la oscuridad- ¡Mátalo, imaginaria!
He tiptoed toward the door. He opened one of the doors, carefully, but he couldnt stopt it from creaking.
_A thief! _soemone shouted, in the darkness- Kill him, guard!
Salió. Aplastado de espaldas contra el muro de la cuadra, se mantuvo unos instantes quietos y sin pensar.
He left. Leaning with his back against the wall of the block, he remained still for a few moments and without thinking.
Glosario:
Litera: mueble que se compone por dos camas superpuestas.
Sacón: abrigo con capucha y bolsillos en el frente con tapa, que a modo de cierre cuenta con piezas de madera o hueso que se incrustan en ojales.
Imaginaria: guardia o vigilancia que distintos soldados realizan por turnos mientras sus compañeros duermen.
Cadete: Alumno de una institución académica militar.
Ronda: servicio de vigilancia que durante la noche hacen los oficiales subalternos tanto en guarnición como en campaña para sostener la vigilancia de los puestos y centinelas.
Glossary:
Bunk bed: piece of furniture consisting of two superimposed beds.
Sacon: coat with a hood and pockets on the front with a cover, which as a closure has pieces of wood or bone that are embedded in eyelets.
Imaginary: guard or watch that different soldiers perform in turns while their comrades sleep.
Cadet: Student of a military academic institution.
Round: watch duty performed during the night by junior officers, both in garrison and in the field, to keep watch over posts and sentries.
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