Die Lorriedrywer – Hendrik Steyn
I’ve always wanted to drive (bestuur) trucks (lorries). I loved going to the
garage (motorhawe) and look at all the trucks that came to fill up (volmaak).
It is then that I dreamed about (oor) how (hoe) it would feel to one day drive
(ry) my own (eie) truck: the sound (gedreun) of the engine, the steering wheel
(stuurwiel) that comes alive (lewe) between (tussen) my hands … and the slight
(effense) pluck-movement (rukbeweging) of the trailer when it goes over bumps
(hobbels) in the road (pad): how the load (vrag) pushes (stoot) against (teen)
you and how the sound of the exhaust pipe’s brake (uitlaatpyp se briek)
resonates (galm) in your ears.
So, in my matric year, I applied (aansoek gedoen) for my learner’s license
(leerlinglisensie) and got it with the first (eerste) try (probeerslag).
Now, there was a problem: what truck am I going to ride with to do my
code fourteen?
My aunt Rosey from Pretoria, however (egter), solved (opgelos) it for me: she
borrowed (geleen) her nephew’s (neef) Ford on my behalf. The old truck had
already seen better days, but it could still run and there was no money (geld) to
rent (huur) a truck. To get my public (openbare) driver’s permit
(bestuurspermit), was also easy (maklik).
When I got out after the ride (rit) with the traffic officer (verkeersbeampte) and
took his hand as he wanted to congratulate (gelukwensing) me, he said: “Boet
(son), we play (speel) with big things. You can easily (maklik) kill someone
(doodmaak) or seriously (ernstig) injure (beseer) them. Remember (onthou):
you are one of the big vehicles (voertuie) on the road. Drive (ry) very
carefully (versigtig).”
My first (eerste) truck that I drove with, was not the world’s best. It was a
1970 Mercedes, without power steering (kragstuur) and with only (net) five
gears (ratte). But I loved (lief) her. She never (nooit) left me stranded on the
side of the road (pad) and my loads (vragte) were always on time (betyds).
The only bad (sleg) thing about the truck was that, when the diesel in the
bottom (onderste) tank was almost (byna) finished (klaar), the driver
(drywer) had to (moes) stop and open (oopdraai) the tap (kraan) of the big
tank, just on top of (bo) the small one, so that the diesel could run in (inloop)
from the reserve into the small tank for the engine. If it rained, you were almost
THIS SUMMARY AND TRANSLATION IS THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OF M SOUNES NO COPYING, SHARING
OR DISTRIBUTION ALLOWED, PLEASE[AUTHOR 1
NAME]
, (amper) dry (droog) by the time you had to stop again and climb out (uitklim) to
close (toe te draai) the tap (kraan).
After (na) two years, my employer (werkgewer) saw that I was responsible
(verantwoordelik): I check (kyk) that the pressure (druk) in the big tires
(bande) are always correct (reg) – it is important (belangrik) otherwise your
tire runs down (loop af) incorrectly (verkeerd); I fill in the log book of the
truck correctly (reg) and I don’t “drop (afval)” some of the load like some
(sommige) of my colleagues (kollegas).
I remember (onthou) the feeling (gevoel) well when he gave me the keys
(sleutels) to the MAN 4-40 and said: “She’s yours (joune). I know that you
will look after her (kyk na haar) well.”
And I did.
The ten-cylinder diesel machine was always (altyd) ready (reg) and took with
the first swing (swaai) of the starter (aansitter). The power steering (kragstuur)
was amazing (ongelooflik) and the gear box (ratkas) … fantastic!
Six years and more than (as) two million kilometres, that MAN drove
together (saam) and I.
Now the story that I actually (eintlik) want to get to, is that one about the
motorcycle riders (motorfietsryers).
It happened just (net) after (nadat) I got the honor (eer) of driving the
work’s brand-new (splinternuwe) Eagle International with a load of
fertilizer (kunsmis) from somewhere (iewers) to somewhere (êrens).
I was hungry (honger) and stopped in a small town (dorpie) between
somewhere (iewers) and somewhere (êrens) to buy a hamburger and oily
chips. When I entered the restaurant, I could smell (ruik) the coffee. Not
powder (poeier) coffee, but ground coffee (moerkoffie). And not just coffee that
you throw (gooi) in a cup and add water to, but proper (regte) coffee.
While I’m waiting (wag) for my food, I drink my coffee. I took about (omtrent)
three sips (slukke) when I heard the roar (gebrul) of the motorbikes – big
motorbikes. Through the window (venster) I could see the guys (jafels) get off
and walk towards (aangestap) the restaurant.
THIS SUMMARY AND TRANSLATION IS THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OF M SOUNES NO COPYING, SHARING
OR DISTRIBUTION ALLOWED, PLEASE[AUTHOR 2
NAME]
I’ve always wanted to drive (bestuur) trucks (lorries). I loved going to the
garage (motorhawe) and look at all the trucks that came to fill up (volmaak).
It is then that I dreamed about (oor) how (hoe) it would feel to one day drive
(ry) my own (eie) truck: the sound (gedreun) of the engine, the steering wheel
(stuurwiel) that comes alive (lewe) between (tussen) my hands … and the slight
(effense) pluck-movement (rukbeweging) of the trailer when it goes over bumps
(hobbels) in the road (pad): how the load (vrag) pushes (stoot) against (teen)
you and how the sound of the exhaust pipe’s brake (uitlaatpyp se briek)
resonates (galm) in your ears.
So, in my matric year, I applied (aansoek gedoen) for my learner’s license
(leerlinglisensie) and got it with the first (eerste) try (probeerslag).
Now, there was a problem: what truck am I going to ride with to do my
code fourteen?
My aunt Rosey from Pretoria, however (egter), solved (opgelos) it for me: she
borrowed (geleen) her nephew’s (neef) Ford on my behalf. The old truck had
already seen better days, but it could still run and there was no money (geld) to
rent (huur) a truck. To get my public (openbare) driver’s permit
(bestuurspermit), was also easy (maklik).
When I got out after the ride (rit) with the traffic officer (verkeersbeampte) and
took his hand as he wanted to congratulate (gelukwensing) me, he said: “Boet
(son), we play (speel) with big things. You can easily (maklik) kill someone
(doodmaak) or seriously (ernstig) injure (beseer) them. Remember (onthou):
you are one of the big vehicles (voertuie) on the road. Drive (ry) very
carefully (versigtig).”
My first (eerste) truck that I drove with, was not the world’s best. It was a
1970 Mercedes, without power steering (kragstuur) and with only (net) five
gears (ratte). But I loved (lief) her. She never (nooit) left me stranded on the
side of the road (pad) and my loads (vragte) were always on time (betyds).
The only bad (sleg) thing about the truck was that, when the diesel in the
bottom (onderste) tank was almost (byna) finished (klaar), the driver
(drywer) had to (moes) stop and open (oopdraai) the tap (kraan) of the big
tank, just on top of (bo) the small one, so that the diesel could run in (inloop)
from the reserve into the small tank for the engine. If it rained, you were almost
THIS SUMMARY AND TRANSLATION IS THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OF M SOUNES NO COPYING, SHARING
OR DISTRIBUTION ALLOWED, PLEASE[AUTHOR 1
NAME]
, (amper) dry (droog) by the time you had to stop again and climb out (uitklim) to
close (toe te draai) the tap (kraan).
After (na) two years, my employer (werkgewer) saw that I was responsible
(verantwoordelik): I check (kyk) that the pressure (druk) in the big tires
(bande) are always correct (reg) – it is important (belangrik) otherwise your
tire runs down (loop af) incorrectly (verkeerd); I fill in the log book of the
truck correctly (reg) and I don’t “drop (afval)” some of the load like some
(sommige) of my colleagues (kollegas).
I remember (onthou) the feeling (gevoel) well when he gave me the keys
(sleutels) to the MAN 4-40 and said: “She’s yours (joune). I know that you
will look after her (kyk na haar) well.”
And I did.
The ten-cylinder diesel machine was always (altyd) ready (reg) and took with
the first swing (swaai) of the starter (aansitter). The power steering (kragstuur)
was amazing (ongelooflik) and the gear box (ratkas) … fantastic!
Six years and more than (as) two million kilometres, that MAN drove
together (saam) and I.
Now the story that I actually (eintlik) want to get to, is that one about the
motorcycle riders (motorfietsryers).
It happened just (net) after (nadat) I got the honor (eer) of driving the
work’s brand-new (splinternuwe) Eagle International with a load of
fertilizer (kunsmis) from somewhere (iewers) to somewhere (êrens).
I was hungry (honger) and stopped in a small town (dorpie) between
somewhere (iewers) and somewhere (êrens) to buy a hamburger and oily
chips. When I entered the restaurant, I could smell (ruik) the coffee. Not
powder (poeier) coffee, but ground coffee (moerkoffie). And not just coffee that
you throw (gooi) in a cup and add water to, but proper (regte) coffee.
While I’m waiting (wag) for my food, I drink my coffee. I took about (omtrent)
three sips (slukke) when I heard the roar (gebrul) of the motorbikes – big
motorbikes. Through the window (venster) I could see the guys (jafels) get off
and walk towards (aangestap) the restaurant.
THIS SUMMARY AND TRANSLATION IS THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OF M SOUNES NO COPYING, SHARING
OR DISTRIBUTION ALLOWED, PLEASE[AUTHOR 2
NAME]
