Blog 1
The Translator-Daoud Hari
“I am sure you know how important it can be to get a good phone signal. We were speeding through the hot African desert in a scratched and muddy Land Cruiser that had been much whiter a week earlier. Our driver, a Darfur tribesman like me, was swerving through thorny acacia bushes, working the gears expertly in the deep sands of another, and always another ravine, which we call a wadi, and sailing over the bumps in the land—there are no roads to speak of…” –Pg. 1
This is the opening passage in Daoud Hari’s The Translator. It is very effective in immediately engaging the reader by almost talking to him/her, “I am sure you know how important it can be to get a good phone signal.” Hari then begins to take the reader on his journey through the desert. The language he uses is simple but effective for it reaches one on a personal level. The detail that Hari provides puts the reader in the place of a passenger on that muddy Land Cruiser. One can almost see the mountains of sand as they drive by. This passage prides a good start to a wonderful account of a tribesman’s journey through Darfur.
Blog 2
The Translator-Daoud Hari
“In the Tine marketplace, men were cleaning their guns—mostly old rifles and Kalashnikovs—and talking about where they might be most useful. They were buying and trading ammunition and supplies. Others, without guns, were also organizing to go back into Darfur to find relatives and friends. That, of course was my situation, and I was soon on the road.”-Pg. 35
In this passage, Mr. Hari provides a marketplace scene. Where this place may have once been an area of trade and innocent purchases, it is now basically a military checkpoint. He describes this scene with an undertone of sadness and regret, but he acknowledges that he is participating, albeit positively. His diction and sentence structure is again simple, but in a way this makes it even more powerful. The lack of detail in this passage contrasts a lot of what is found in the rest of book, but it leaves room for imagination. His matter of fact tone offers a simple sense of reality.
Blog 3
The Translator-Daoud Hari
“See you soon, Daoud,” said an old school friend with a serious smile, meaning not in this lifetime.”-Pg. 47
This is a short and moving passage. It demonstrates the enormous magnitude of the situation in Darfur. Although short, the selected text is very well expressed. In this scene Hari is moving towards his childhood village just days before he knows it will be attacked. There is a certain undertone of sadness and sorrow that resonates through to the heart of the reader.
Blog 4
The Translator-Daoud Hari
“I walked into the family enclosure where a donkey, several goats, and some chickens watched my arrival. My father was on the far side of the village with some other men, as were my brothers. I saw my mother under the shade rood attached to the cooking hut; she was with my sister Ayasha and with several other women of the village; they were all in mourning. Mother looked very old now. Her hair was matted with the earth of grieving. She wore dark clothing, a dark shawl over her old head. She saw me and wept her hands, as if to think that my homecoming had to be at such a time.”-Pg. 48
This quote does a marvellous job in displaying the endless mourning of war. Hari makes it clear that although his homecoming is meant to be a joyous occasion he is still met with grieving family and friends. The passage displays how war can tear apart life in all forms. The usage of words is again simple and contains an undertone of sorrow for the current situation in Darfur and the impending danger. The words that Hari uses allow the reader to let his/her imagination reign free.
Blog 5
The Translator-Daoud Hari
“It is interesting how many ways there are for people to be hurt and killed, and for villages to be terrorized and burned, and for children to die in deserts, and for young mothers o suffer. I would say that these ways to die in deserts, and for young mothers to suffer. I would say that these ways to die and suffer are unspeakable, and yet they were spoken: we interviewed 1,134 human beings over the next weeks; their stories swirled through my near-sleepless nights. I found that if I made little drawings of the scenes described to me, it would sometimes get the stories out of my head long enough for me to get some sleep…”-Pg. 84
This bit of Hari’s inspiring tale is very jolting. It demonstrates, as he phrased it, the unspeakable horrors of genocide. He also identifies clearly that those who have been at the receiving end of the war are human beings. It is clear that in this particular part of the book he has carefully chosen the words to phrase himself. One can easily tell that the sentence structure is carefully made to evoke the most emotion (and rightfully so) from the reader.
Blog 6
The Translator-Daoud Hari
“…Here is a woman in a small shelter of wood sticks and white plastic, living with her four small children. Her husband and two other children were killed when her village was attacked. Her surviving children often go to sleep hungry because the monthly food ration from the U.N. is not enough. Even so, she always sells some of the wheat in the nearest market so she can buy nutritious foods such as milk, meat, and vegetables. She is trying very hard, but you can see that her children have patches of deep orange in their hair, which means malnutrition…”-Pg. 89
Mr. Hari has clearly structured his sentences here to almost include the reader in his tale. He beckons the reader to join him. The engaging style in which he writes makes this part of the book all the more enjoyable. It is admirable the way he tells stories like this with no extrapolation; this speaks of his character and humanly qualities. His diction represents a desirable flow and movement from word to word. This too catches the reader’s interest and encourages them to continue following Hari’s incredible quest.
Blog 7
The Translator-Daoud Hari
“The Heat wakes you up in N’Djamena. The Children playing outside your door also wake you. I had taken a small room in a low, mud-walled building of eight families, so I can testify to this. Men and boys on camels, riding along the dirt streets to market, shouting from camel to camel, wake you up, too-though it is not unpleasant to hear this as you wake, for the French and Arabic of N’Djamena blend together very musically. Little scrappy motorcycles also wake you up and you can smell their smoke…”-106
The detail and happiness behind Hari’s words is a reminder that there is a little joy to be found in the smallest of things, regardless of the situation one finds themselves in. Hari manages to express in his word the utmost joy for the wonders of life. Once again, his structure beckons the reader to join him in his story. This engaging style is not only interesting, but also fun to read.
Blog 8
The Translator-Daoud Hari
“Some of the BBC had to return to Chad, where they were in a medical clinic for three days to recover from what they saw, and smelled, and learned about the nature of what must simply be called evil.”-Pg. 113
Hari’s “no frills” writing style resurfaces here. He explains in a matter of fact manner the nature of evil. He uses simple language to describe a simple occurrence. In a sense he could go into greater detail, but that would take away from his trademark style. As with everything Hari writes, this short passage has a defined undertone to it. This one in particular is of mortification regarding the Sudanese governments treatment of its own people. It is also of sadness for the reporters’ sickness.
Blog 9
The Translator-Daoud Hari
“They didn’t shoot us. They sat us under a tree and we waited. We got a little sleep finally. Nine rebel commanders soon arrived for a meeting a little ways away in the rocks. I knew two of the men from previous trips when this rebel group had not joined with the government. It was raining and each drop of it felt good on my face.”-Pg. 129
This passage first indicates a downtrodden and dejected mood from Daoud. As this excerpt progresses, however, his attitude changes to pleasure. He notices the presence of some men that he knows and this could bode well for his situation. He again uses basic sentence structure, to explain a situation that is relatively complex. He demonstrates that hope is always present through his magnificent storytelling.
Blog 10
The Translator-Daoud Hari
“At this time, though we did not know it, letters from big stars such as Bono and from famous leaders such as Jimmy Carter and Jesse Jackson were piling up on this man’s desk-copies of letters sent to President Bashir. The Vatican had even written, and the government of France. When I heard about these things several days later, I hoped that Bashir was a stamp collector, because this would be a good time for him…”-171
This is a humorous passage from the closing chapters Hari’s book. Bashir, someone who has done so much wrong to Hari is being wished well from Daoud. Not only is this surprising, but it is also touching. His unfaltering positive attitude is admirable and clearly expressed here. Hari seems to be flattered by the international interest being shown in him, and he is grateful for it. By the words chosen he could not describe this in a more evident fashion.
