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E-Books (english-e-reader), The Photograph

The Photograph

In today's world there are photographs everywhere - web pages on the internet, magazines full of fashion and film stars, newspapers full of photos of war and sport, places and people from other lands.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and maybe it is, but what is the picture telling us? Sometimes we only see what we want to see...

Make a picture in your mind: a girl with thin cheeks and tired eyes. Her arms and legs are as thin as sticks; she is only skin and bone. Clouds of dust circle above her head as the food trucks drive away. Their wheels leave marks on the dry ground, and soon only, the marks show that the food trucks came to the village, and left.

The sun is at its hottest; the African sky is unending and cruel. Even the white men with cameras, busily taking photographs of the usual fighting over the food, are now getting ready to leave. They pack away their cameras, jump into their cars, and drive quickly away to cool, modern hotels in a city miles away. They are photojournalists.

One of them, sunburned and hot, dressed in a shirt and jeans, kneels down on the dusty ground to take some photographs of the girl before he leaves. In the pocket of his shirt, is a protein bar, soft from the sun, uneaten, untouched, forgotten.

He doesn't stop to think about the uneaten bar in his pocket and the starving girl. He is only one man. What can one man do in a world where life is cruel, and governments cannot or will not help their people? And who wants to stay in a place like this, with its dirt and its terrible smells, if they can drive away from it?

The girl caught the photographer's eye. She was in the middle of a group of boys, fighting just as strongly as they were, when the food trucks arrived. But she was pushed down and fell under the boys' feet. The boys stepped all over her, and when she could move again, the bags of rice were all gone. She stayed there, red-eyed, moving her fingers slowly over the dusty ground.

The journalist takes his last photo, returns to America with his bag full of films. One of his photographs of the girl sells and is placed on the front cover of a news magazine.

'You've caught the face of hunger in Africa,' the news editor tells him.

He wants to tell the editor that this photograph is just one face, in one village, in a country full of hungry faces. But he does not say it. The photograph is good for him. More people admire his work and want to buy his photographs for their magazines and newspapers.

The photograph is in most news stores by the end of the month, even in those bookstores where people go only to read the magazines and not to buy. They look at the face of the African girl, and quickly turn away to enjoy the rest of their shopping trip.

But the girl's picture stays in their minds.

A teenager has just finished looking at the clothes in Vogue, an expensive fashion magazine. She sees the photograph under the heading STARVING AFRICA. Her parents are from Africa. She herself was born and schooled in America, watching American TV, American films, and has never travelled out of America. She is uncomfortable with photographs like these. She remembers her classmates in school, who joke about starving Africans. She isn't African in that kind of way, but she isn't truly American either.

When she was younger, Cinderella, Snow White, and all the other girls and princesses in the Disney films didn't look like her. When she was older and became interested in fashion, the models on the magazine covers didn't look like her either. Then the magazines found out that Africa had beautiful women.

A Nigerian model is in the latest copy of Vogue, dressed in blue, and thin, so thin. The teenager feels the fat at the top of her legs. She wants to be thin like the model. She wants to wear jeans that are like a second skin. She wants a photograph of herself with cool, unsmiling eyes like the Nigerian model. She is careful about what she eats, and if she eats too much, she puts her finger down her throat to make herself sick.

Why does our world have people who starve, and people who decide to starve themselves? It doesn't matter why. The hunger inside this teenager is real. So she stares at the girl in the photograph, does not think about the dry dusty hungry land behind her, and admires her cheek bones.

- THE END -

The Photograph Die Photographie La fotografía La photographie 写真 사진 Zdjęcie A fotografia Fotoğraf 照片 照片

In today's world there are photographs everywhere - web pages on the internet, magazines full of fashion and film stars, newspapers full of photos of war and sport, places and people from other lands.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and maybe it is, but what is the picture telling us? Sometimes we only see what we want to see...

Make a picture in your mind: a girl with thin cheeks and tired eyes. Her arms and legs are as thin as sticks; she is only skin and bone. Clouds of dust circle above her head as the food trucks drive away. Their wheels leave marks on the dry ground, and soon only, the marks show that the food trucks came to the village, and left. Leurs roues laissent des traces sur le sol sec, et bientôt seulement, les traces montrent que les camions de nourriture sont venus au village, et qu'ils sont repartis.

The sun is at its hottest; the African sky is unending and cruel. Even the white men with cameras, busily taking photographs of the usual fighting over the food, are now getting ready to leave. Sogar die weißen Männer mit den Kameras, die eifrig Fotos von den üblichen Kämpfen um das Essen machen, machen sich jetzt bereit, zu gehen. They pack away their cameras, jump into their cars, and drive quickly away to cool, modern hotels in a city miles away. Sie packen ihre Kameras ein, springen in ihre Autos und fahren schnell weg in kühle, moderne Hotels in einer weit entfernten Stadt. They are photojournalists.

One of them, sunburned and hot, dressed in a shirt and jeans, kneels down on the dusty ground to take some photographs of the girl before he leaves. Einer von ihnen, sonnenverbrannt und heiß, bekleidet mit Hemd und Jeans, kniet sich auf den staubigen Boden, um einige Fotos von dem Mädchen zu machen, bevor er geht. In the pocket of his shirt, is a protein bar, soft from the sun, uneaten, untouched, forgotten.

He doesn't stop to think about the uneaten bar in his pocket and the starving girl. Er denkt nicht an den ungegessenen Riegel in seiner Tasche und das hungrige Mädchen. He is only one man. What can one man do in a world where life is cruel, and governments cannot or will not help their people? Was kann ein einzelner Mensch in einer Welt tun, in der das Leben grausam ist und die Regierungen ihren Bürgern nicht helfen können oder wollen? And who wants to stay in a place like this, with its dirt and its terrible smells, if they can drive away from it? Und wer will schon an einem Ort wie diesem bleiben, mit seinem Schmutz und seinen schrecklichen Gerüchen, wenn er davon wegfahren kann?

The girl caught the photographer's eye. Das Mädchen fiel dem Fotografen ins Auge. She was in the middle of a group of boys, fighting just as strongly as they were, when the food trucks arrived. Sie befand sich inmitten einer Gruppe von Jungen, die sich ebenso heftig stritten wie sie, als die Essenswagen eintrafen. Она была посреди группы мальчиков, сражавшихся так же яростно, как и они, когда прибыли грузовики с едой. But she was pushed down and fell under the boys' feet. Aber sie wurde zu Boden gestoßen und fiel unter die Füße der Jungen. The boys stepped all over her, and when she could move again, the bags of rice were all gone. She stayed there, red-eyed, moving her fingers slowly over the dusty ground. Sie blieb dort mit roten Augen stehen und fuhr mit den Fingern langsam über den staubigen Boden.

The journalist takes his last photo, returns to America with his bag full of films. One of his photographs of the girl sells and is placed on the front cover of a news magazine.

'You've caught the face of hunger in Africa,' the news editor tells him. Sie haben das Gesicht des Hungers in Afrika eingefangen", sagt der Nachrichtenredakteur zu ihm.

He wants to tell the editor that this photograph is just one face, in one village, in a country full of hungry faces. Er möchte dem Herausgeber sagen, dass dieses Foto nur ein Gesicht in einem Dorf in einem Land voller hungriger Gesichter zeigt. But he does not say it. The photograph is good for him. More people admire his work and want to buy his photographs for their magazines and newspapers. Immer mehr Menschen bewundern seine Arbeit und wollen seine Fotos für ihre Zeitschriften und Zeitungen kaufen.

The photograph is in most news stores by the end of the month, even in those bookstores where people go only to read the magazines and not to buy. Das Foto ist Ende des Monats in den meisten Zeitungsläden zu finden, selbst in den Buchhandlungen, in denen die Leute die Zeitschriften nur lesen, aber nicht kaufen. They look at the face of the African girl, and quickly turn away to enjoy the rest of their shopping trip. Sie blicken in das Gesicht des afrikanischen Mädchens und wenden sich schnell ab, um den Rest ihres Einkaufsbummels zu genießen.

But the girl's picture stays in their minds.

A teenager has just finished looking at the clothes in Vogue, an expensive fashion magazine. Ein Teenager hat sich gerade die Kleider in der Vogue, einer teuren Modezeitschrift, angesehen. She sees the photograph under the heading STARVING AFRICA. Sie sieht das Foto unter der Überschrift STARVING AFRICA. Her parents are from Africa. She herself was born and schooled in America, watching American TV, American films, and has never travelled out of America. She is uncomfortable with photographs like these. Sie fühlt sich bei solchen Fotos unwohl. She remembers her classmates in school, who joke about starving Africans. Sie erinnert sich an ihre Klassenkameraden in der Schule, die Witze über hungernde Afrikaner machten. She isn't African in that kind of way, but she isn't truly American either. Sie ist keine Afrikanerin, aber sie ist auch keine echte Amerikanerin.

When she was younger, Cinderella, Snow White, and all the other girls and princesses in the Disney films didn't look like her. Als sie jünger war, sahen Cinderella, Schneewittchen und all die anderen Mädchen und Prinzessinnen in den Disney-Filmen nicht so aus wie sie. When she was older and became interested in fashion, the models on the magazine covers didn't look like her either. Then the magazines found out that Africa had beautiful women. Dann entdeckten die Zeitschriften, dass Afrika schöne Frauen hatte. Puis les magazines ont découvert que l'Afrique avait de belles femmes.

A Nigerian model is in the latest copy of Vogue, dressed in blue, and thin, so thin. In der neuesten Ausgabe der Vogue ist ein nigerianisches Model zu sehen, das blau gekleidet und dünn, sehr dünn ist. Un mannequin nigérian figure dans le dernier numéro de Vogue, vêtu de bleu et très mince. The teenager feels the fat at the top of her legs. Der Teenager spürt das Fett an den Spitzen ihrer Beine. L'adolescente sent la graisse en haut de ses jambes. She wants to be thin like the model. She wants to wear jeans that are like a second skin. She wants a photograph of herself with cool, unsmiling eyes like the Nigerian model. Sie möchte ein Foto von sich mit kühlen, nicht lächelnden Augen wie das nigerianische Model. She is careful about what she eats, and if she eats too much, she puts her finger down her throat to make herself sick. Sie achtet darauf, was sie isst, und wenn sie zu viel isst, steckt sie sich den Finger in den Hals, damit ihr schlecht wird.

Why does our world have people who starve, and people who decide to starve themselves? It doesn't matter why. Es spielt keine Rolle, warum. The hunger inside this teenager is real. So she stares at the girl in the photograph, does not think about the dry dusty hungry land behind her, and admires her cheek bones. Also starrt sie das Mädchen auf dem Foto an, denkt nicht an das trockene, staubige, hungrige Land hinter ihr und bewundert ihre Wangenknochen. Так она смотрит на девушку на фотографии, не думает о сухой пыльной голодной земле позади нее и любуется ее скулами.

- THE END -