A RESPECTABLE WOMAN/ O FEMEIE RESPECTABILA

KATE CHOPIN
Mrs. Baroda was a little provoked to learn that her husband expected his friend,
Gouvernail, up to spend a week or two on the plantation. Doamna Baroda a fost un putin
provocata sa afle ca sotul ei isi asteapta un prieten, pe Gouvernail, pentru ca sa petreaza o
saptamina sau doua la plantatie/ferma.
They had entertained a good deal during the winter; much of the time had also been
passed in New Orleans in various forms of mild dissipation. Ei au avut o afacere buna in timpul
iernii; o mare parte din timpul lor a fost, de asemenea, la New Orleans, unde au cheltuit ceva
bani. She was looking forward to a period of unbroken rest, now, and undisturbed tte-a-tte with
her husband, when he informed her that Gouvernail was coming up to stay a week or two. Ea a
fost asteptata cu nerabdare in perioada odihnii neintrerupte, acum, si conversatia intima cu sotul
ei/canapeluta pentru ea si sotul ei/ conversatia intre patru ochi cu sotul ei, cind acesta i-a zis ca
Gouvernail venea sa ramina pe o saptamina sau doua.
This was a man she had heard much of but never seen. Ea l-a cunoscut pe acest om doar
din auzite. He had been her husbands college friend; was now a journalist, and in no sense a
society man or a man about town, which were, perhaps, some of the reasons she had never met
him. Gouvernail a fost prietenul sotului ei de la Colegiu; fiind momentan journalist, si nici intrun sens nu putea fi considerat persoana din inalta societate sau domn despre oras, care au fost,
probabil, unele dintre motivele pentru care nu l-a intilnit niciodata. But she had unconsciously
formed an image of him in her mind. Dar ea si-a format in mod inconstient o imagine a lui
Gouvernail. She pictured him tall, slim, cynical; with eye-glasses, and his hands in his pockets;
and she did not like him. Aceasta si la imaginat ca era inalt, slab, cinic, care poarta ochelari si sta
cu miinile in buzunar; deci nu putea sa-l placa/agreeze. Gouvernail was slim enough, but he
wasnt very tall nor very cynical; neither did he wear eye-glasses nor carry his hands in his
pockets. Gouvernail era destul de slab, dar el nu era foarte inalt, nici prea cinic; nu purta din
ochelari si nu statea cu miinile in buzunar. And she rather liked him when he first presented
himself. Si ea mai degraba l-a placut atunci cind acesta mai intii s-a prezentat.
But why she liked him she could not explain satisfactorily to herself when she partly
attempted to do so. Dar, de ce i-a placut de el, aceasta nu si-a putut explica in de ajuns, atunci

cind a incercat sa faca acest lucru. She could discover in him none of those brilliant and
promising traits which Gaston, her husband, had often assured her that he possessed. Putea sa-l
descopere citusi de putin prin trasaturile sale splendide si promitatoare, pe care Gaston, sotul ei, a
convins-o de multe ori ca acesta poseda asemenea trasaturi. On the contrary, he sat rather mute
and receptive before her chatty eagerness to make him feel at home and in face of Gastons frank
and wordy hospitality. Din contra, el s-a asezat mai degraba tacut si ospitalier inainte ca
nerabdarea fiecaruia sa se simta la ea acasa si in fata ospitalitatii evidente si verbale al lui
Gaston. His manner was as courteous toward her as the most exacting woman could require; but
he made no direct appeal to her approval or even esteem. Modalitatea sa a fost la fel de
politicoasa fata de ea nu mai putin fata de femeia cea mai pretentioasa; in schimb el nu a facut
nici un apel direct la acordul/asentimentul ei sau mai bine zis cu stima.
Once settled at the plantation he seemed to like to sit upon the wide portico in the shade
of one of the big Corinthian pillars, smoking his cigar lazily and listening attentively to Gastons
experience as a sugar planter. Odata ce s-a stabilit la plantatia/ferma, acesta parea ca vrea sa se
aseze linga galeria/porticul larg la umbra unuia dintre pilonii mari corintici, sa fumeze trabucul si
sa asculte cu atentie asupra intimplarii lui Gaston in calitate de plantator de zahar.
This is what I call living, he would utter with deep satisfaction, as the air that swept
across the sugar field caressed him with its warm and scented velvety touch. Aceasta este ceea
ce numesc eu viata, va rosti el cu satisfactie profunda, deoarece aerul care l-a cuprins peste
cimpul de zahar il ademenente cu afectiune si cu parfumul sau catifelat. It pleased him also to get
on familiar terms with the big dogs that came about him, rubbing themselves sociably against his
legs. De asemenea, i-a placut sa inteleaga in termeni familiari cu ciinii mari , care au venit la el,
sa se mingiie de picioarele sale. He did not care to fish, and displayed no eagerness to go out and
kill grosbecs when Gaston proposed doing so. Nu-i pasa/placea sa pescuiasca, nu afisa/avea nici
o dorinta sa vineze pasarile botgros, cind Gaston i-a propus acest lucru.
Gouvernails personality puzzled Mrs. Baroda, but she liked him. Personalitatea lui
Governail o nedumerea pe d-na Baroda, dar acesteia il placea Indeed, he was a lovable,
inoffensive fellow. Intr-adevar, acesta era un tip simpatic, amabil. After a few days, when she
could understand him no better than at first, she gave over being puzzled and remained piqued.
Dupa citeva zile, cind aceasta l-a putut sa-l inteleaga mai bine decit la inceput/ prima cunostinta,
ea incetat sa fie nedumerita si a ramas enervate/suparata. In this mood she left her husband and

her guest, for the most part, alone together. In aceasta stare de spirit i-a lasat pe ei, pentru o
perioada lunga de timp singuri. Then finding that Gouvernail took no manner of exception to her
action, she imposed her society upon him, accompanying him in his idle strolls to the mill and
walks along the batture. Apoi ea a considerat ca Gouvernail nu a luat nici un fel de exceptie fata
de actiunea ei, ea si-a bagat sufletul ei asupra lui, prin insotirea la cutreierarea sale singure pina
la moara sau plimbarile pe malul lacului. She persistently sought to penetrate the reserve in
which he had unconsciously enveloped himself. Ea a umblat insistent dupa el sa patrunda in
retinerile sale, in care insusi s-a invaluit in mod inconstient.
When is he goingyour friend? she one day asked her husband. Cind se duce
prietenul tau? l-a intrebat aceasta pe sotul ei. For my part, he tires me frightfully. Din partea
mea sunt satula de el pina in git/ poate sa plece in toate cele patru parti ale lumii.
Not for a week yet, dear. I cant understand; he gives you no trouble. Nu a trecut nici o
saptamina, draga mea. Nu pot intelege de ce, dar el nu ti-a creat nici o problema.
No. I should like him better if he did; if he were more like others, and I had to plan
somewhat for his comfort and enjoyment. Nu. Mi-ar placea de el mai mult daca el a facut-o; in
cazul in care ar fi fost mai asemanator cu altii, atunci as fi trebuit sa-mi planifict oarecum pentru
comfortul si placerea sa.
Gaston took his wifes pretty face between his hands and looked tenderly and laughingly
into her troubled eyes. Gaston si-a pus miinile sale pe fata ei draguta si s-a uitat tandru si a ris
batjocorito in ochii ei ingrijorati. They were making a bit of toilet sociably together in Mrs.
Baroda's dressing-room. Ei au facut putin cam din toaleta/tinuta ei placuta in garderoba doamnei
Baroda.
You are full of surprises, ma belle, he said to her. Esti plina de surprise, frumoasa
mea a spus Gaston sotiei sale. Even I can never count upon how you are going to act under
given conditions. Chiar si eu nu pot conta pe modul in care urmezi sa actionezi in conditiile
date. He kissed her and turned to fasten his cravat before the mirror. Acesta a sarutat-o si s-a
intors pentru a-si fixa cravata de camasa in fata oglinzii.
Here you are, he went on, taking poor Gouvernail seriously and making a commotion
over him, the last thing he would desire or expect. Na/Poftim, a continuat el, luind in serios
pe sarmanul Gouvernail si facind excesiv galagie, ultimul lucru pe care acesta l-ar dori sau l-ar
astepta.

Commotion! she hotly resented. Agitatie a zis cu iritare. Nonsense! How can you
say such a thing? Commotion, indeed! But, you know, you said he was clever. Prostii! Cum
poti sa spui asa ceva! Agitatie, intr-adevar! Dar, stii, tu ai zis ca era inteligent.
So he is. But the poor fellow is run down by overwork now. Thats why I asked him here
to take a rest. Asa este. Dar sarmanul baiat este lovit acum de prea multa munca. Din acest
considerent l-am rugat aici sa ia o pauza.
You used to say he was a man of ideas, she retorted, unconciliated. Obisnuiai sa spui
ca el era omul cu idei, i-a replicat ea neimpacindu-se. I expected him to be interesting, at least.
Ma asteptam ca el sa fie citusi de putin plin de interes. Im going to the city in the morning to
have my spring gowns fitted. Dimineata ma duc in oras sa-mi iau rochiile mele de seara de
primavera. Let me know when Mr. Gouvernail is gone; I shall be at my Aunt Octavies. Lasama sa stiu cind dl Governail se duce, voi fi la matusa mea Ocatavie.
That night she went and sat alone upon a bench that stood beneath a live oak tree at the
edge of the gravel walk. In noaptea aceea s-a dus si s-a asezat singura pe o banca care statea sub
un copac de stejar la marginea aleii cu pietris
She had never known her thoughts or her intentions to be so confused. Ea niciodata nu
cunoscuse gindurile sau intentiile sale de a fi atit de confuza. She could gather nothing from
them but the feeling of a distinct necessity to quit her home in the morning. Ea nu a putut afla
nimic de la ei, doar sentimentul de o necesitate clara de a iesi din casa in aceasta dimineata.