Beyond Translation
Amit Chandburi
“The Daklhine Bookshop, atthe tarnng of Lansdowne Rosd end
Rashhehati Aven, was ealy no more chan a pavement bookstall It
sands even now, though with moe thin Fal ie books gone, stl
ling business, but shadow of ie formes al Yer if you go down
Resehas Avene ronads Cale Marke in the evening, you an stl
see iy serie of cupboards gains wal i by am lec ight and
take leaning gst eachother upon bockales behind hee lss-
panel door; 3 wonderful bookshelf exposed co the surtoundiog
pavement ated the crf, a the Rouse around ie hed anceonly
Aisppeaeed.
‘When Ima boy, and avstr to Caleuta and ny cousins! house,
this wat chemin honk inthe te. Alhough wa » good Bale
fan howe ayy From where my cousins lived, we would eek 0 #0
Foot ther with each othe, o with our patents and anes, on esa
ays Any pasing co at hat ie and ha year would have seen thee
bop there thie bck tothe toad shee Beads bene
“Then we would return hoe withthe books in ou hands adventure
noi and peter rts my book an English ne sod my ous
books in Benga Childhood waa cime when Ted nohing in Bengali
‘and my cousins nothing in English yet neither of us ely needed 9
fneoach onthe other's erty. 20 sch was the store of clden's
Tteratre in both languages Siting side by side we would begin to
tend aloe immedinely enveloped inthe sume contentment 38 we
tend our books in different languages, and inhabiting different
imagnacy wold
“Ar we cea, the soutines of the house continued sound ws. For
iat published nthe New Yk, 19975 subsequently calleced i
‘Amit Chaudhuri, eal Tinea Remini, New Yorks Fc,
Seuss & Girout, 2002.
Boend Taation 367
insace, he id ight be swabbing he Noo ad the tas, leving
‘dae onthe red sane tse so How sift st anonyme
nd lil wat het, lon a fs Got ad doe levi
hose day nit mat on te Rove whch ded and perl
soon afer! Downstaismysunt—my cousin mother—migin be
rersecing something in the Riche, whe my ancl mighe be
Fearing to hve on sly ch fee gong Ou o oth ed
Tralee
I at spe i cing he ip
side a hl on the foo spcing tii mig fre
OF the bok Finish. Thowe wares yes ofthe Naa upecing
cuts, wih young men dn ea the movement io ce sping
‘od, bond eld ot be cove ad the ln ick
Beth Neal and Congres spot ined in ome ofthe hen
srarmaie ythor ee Cres wal ear betes brokers
‘ey the explosion of homeme deve My uncle did nor know
‘hn toma fis; mith shal wrapped round hikes, he
Bech volble snd inccet He nd say supped de Marsa,
Snow ths ws detroit
vege of bnkwptey. Then the er pied, And esl eadng
Sie by side, of world th cal mt be wanted ino ck othe
the changes wound ws came cow sound he set ad rm