Drakula

BramStokerDracula DrakulaCzytamy w oryginale

Dracula / Drakula

SeriaCzytamy w oryginale to atrakcyjna pomoc dla uczących się języka angielskiego. Śledząc losy bohaterów powieści możemy na bieżąco porównywać tekst angielski i polski, ucząc się na podstawie wielkiej literatury. Adaptacja została przygotowana z myślą o czytelnikach średniozaawansowanych, jednak dzięki wersji polskiej z książki korzystać mogą również początkujący.

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DraculaI. THE COUNT

[ 1 ] Jonathan Harker’s
Journal

[ 2 ] 3
May – Bistritz

[ 3 ] Before leaving
for Transylvania to do business with a nobleman of this country, I did
some research and found that the district the Count directed me to was
in the middle of the Carpathian Mountains; one of the wildest and least
known parts of Europe. I also read that every known superstition in
the world is collected here. If this is true, my stay here should be
very interesting.

[ 4 ] It was evening
when we got to Bistritz, which is a very interesting, old place. Count
Dracula had directed me to go to the Golden Krone Hotel, and when I got
near the door of the hotel, I faced a cheery-looking landlady. She
smiled and gave a message to an elderly man who was standing next to
her. He left, but immediately returned with a letter:

[ 5 ] “My
Friend,

[ 6 ] Welcome to
the Carpathians. At three tomorrow the coach will start for Bukovina. At
the Borgo Pass my carriage will be waiting for you
and will bring you to me. I trust that your journey from London has
been a happy one, and that you will enjoy your stay in my beautiful
land.

[ 7 ] Your friend,
Dracula.”

[ 8 ] 4 May

[ 9 ] Just before
I was leaving, the landlady came up to my room and went down on her
knees begging me not to go. She seemed very worried for me, but there
was business to be done, and I could allow nothing to stop me. She then
stood up, took a crucifix from her neck and put it round my neck.

[ 10 ] “For your
mother’s sake,” she said and went out of the room.

[ 11 ] When I got
on the coach, I saw the driver talking to the landlady. They were
evidently talking about me, for they occasionally looked over at me,
and I could hear a lot of words often repeated. I must say they
didn’t sound too cheering to me, for amongst them were: Satan, hell,
witch and vampire.

[ 12 ] After
a time our driver cracked his big whip over his four small horses,
and we set off on our journey. The road was rough, but we still seemed
to fly over it. The driver was clearly losing no time in reaching our
destination.

[ 13 ] When it grew
dark there seemed to be some excitement amongst the other passengers,
and the mountains seemed to come nearer to us on each side as we were
entering the Borgo Pass. As we slowed to a stop, I looked out for the
next coach that was to take me to the Count, but all was dark, and there
was no sign of a vehicle.

[ 14 ] I was thinking
what I should do, when, suddenly, the horses began to act strangely
and jump about wildly. Then a coach with four horses appeared beside
us. I could see from the flash of our lamps that the horses were black
as night and driven by a tall man with a long beard and a great,
black hat, which seemed to hide his face from us. I could only see the
shine of a pair of very bright eyes, which seemed red in the lamplight,
and sharp-looking teeth as white as snow. I got into the other coach,
and, without a word, the strange driver shook his reins, and we drove
into the darkness of the pass. I looked at my watch and saw it was
within a few minutes of midnight. As we rode further and further into
the Pass, I began to hear the sound of the howling of wolves. The
sound came nearer and nearer, as though they were closing round on us
from every side. I grew terribly afraid, but the driver was not at all
disturbed.

[ 15 ] Suddenly,
away on our left, both the driver and I saw a faint blue flame. At
once he stopped the horses, jumped to the ground and went rapidly over
to the flame.

[ 16 ] While he was
gone, the horses began to shake with fright. I could not see any reason
for this as the howling had stopped. Just then the moon appeared, and by
its light I was horrified to see around us a ring of wolves with white
teeth, red tongues, and bright white eyes. They were a hundred times more
terrible in the silence than when they were howling. Then, suddenly and
without warning, they began to howl. The frightened horses jumped about
and looked helplessly round. In front of them suddenly appeared the figure
of the coachman who began shouting at the wolves. He held his hands high
in the air as if he was somehow commanding them. As he swept his long
arms back and forth, the wolves moved back further and further. A moment
later, the wolves had disappeared and the driver climbed back into the
coach. This was all so strange that I was afraid to speak or move.

[ 17 ] We travelled
a bit further, and then I began to notice that the driver was pulling
up the horses into the courtyard of a huge ruined castle, whose windows
were dark and very unwelcoming. When the coach stopped, I got out, driver
shook the reins and disappeared down one of the dark openings.

[ 18 ] I was standing
in front of a huge door wondering what to do when I heard a heavy
step behind the door and saw the glow of a light.

[ 19 ] A key was turned
with a loud noise as if it hadn’t been used for years, and the door
swung open. Inside stood a tall old man dressed in black from head
to foot. He had a hooked nose, and the mouth under his heavy white
moustache was rather cruel-looking, with very sharp white teeth. His
ears were pale and extremely pointed, and his fingernails were long and
cut to a sharp point.

[ 20 ] “Welcome to
my house!” he said. “Enter freely and of your own free will! I am
Dracula, and I welcome you, Mr. Harker, to my house. It is late, and
my people are not available. Let me see to your comfort myself.” With
this, he took my bags, and I followed him into the house.

[ 21 ] At the end of
a great winding stair and along another passage, he threw open a heavy
door, and I was happy to see a well-lit room with a huge fire and
a table that was set for supper.

[ 22 ] “You will
excuse me that I do not eat with you,” said the Count, “but I have
eaten already.”

[ 23 ] After I had
finished my supper, I looked towards the window and saw the first light
of the coming dawn. There seemed a strange stillness over everything,
but as I listened, I could hear the howling of many wolves.

[ 24 ] The Count’s
eyes shined. “Listen to them, the children of the night. What music
they make!” Then he rose and said, “But you must be tired. Tomorrow
you shall sleep as late as you will. Sleep well and dream well!”

II. ESCAPE

[ 25 ] 7 May

[ 26 ] I slept till
late in the day, and when I had dressed myself, I went into the dining
room where I saw that a cold breakfast had been laid out for me. There
was a card on the table on which was written:

[ 27 ] “I have
to be absent for a while. Do not wait for me. D.”

[ 28 ] Some time
after I had finished my meal, I looked about for something to read and
found a sort of library. Here I found a large number of English books,
magazines and newspapers.

[ 29 ] While I was
looking at them, the door opened, and the Count entered. “I am glad you
found your way in here, for I am sure there is much that will interest
you. These books have told me much about my new home in England. Now
come and tell me of London and of the house which you have found for
me.”

[ 30 ] “The estate
is