| The summer sun was beating down
| El sol de verano golpeaba
|
| Oh pity would it show
| Oh, lástima, se mostraría
|
| George Chester’s office air conditioner
| El aire acondicionado de la oficina de George Chester
|
| Would no longer go
| ya no iría
|
| As pools of sweat rolled off his brow
| Mientras charcos de sudor rodaban por su frente
|
| He had one reverie
| Tuvo una ensoñación
|
| He saw himself with his wife and kids
| Se vio a sí mismo con su esposa e hijos.
|
| In his cottage by the sea
| En su cabaña junto al mar
|
| He paid for his car at the parking lot
| Pagó su auto en el estacionamiento.
|
| Which gave the poor man chills
| Que le dio escalofríos al pobre
|
| The attendant laughed and walked away
| El asistente se rió y se alejó.
|
| Thumbing a roll of bills
| Pulgar un rollo de billetes
|
| He started his engine with trembling hands
| Arrancó su motor con manos temblorosas.
|
| At the end of a long, hard day
| Al final de un día largo y duro
|
| And placing himself in the hands of God
| Y poniéndose en las manos de Dios
|
| He drove to the long freeway
| Condujo hasta la larga autopista
|
| The traffic stretched far as the eye can see
| El tráfico se extendía hasta donde alcanzaba la vista
|
| As bumper to bumper they sped
| De parachoques a parachoques aceleraron
|
| They drove at supernatural speeds
| Condujeron a velocidades sobrenaturales
|
| Which filled his heart with dread
| Que llenó su corazón de pavor
|
| Sometimes they stopped for an hour or more
| A veces se detenían durante una hora o más
|
| And a thousand horns would blow
| Y mil cuernos sonarían
|
| George Chester’s eyes rolled back in his head
| Los ojos de George Chester se pusieron en blanco
|
| And his poor brain started to go
| Y su pobre cerebro comenzó a ir
|
| He came at last to the turnpike gate
| Llegó por fin a la puerta de la autopista de peaje
|
| And he laid his money down
| Y puso su dinero
|
| He took the fist turn to the right
| Tomó el puño a la derecha
|
| And he followed the curve around
| Y siguió la curva alrededor
|
| He took each bend of the clover leaf
| Tomó cada curva de la hoja del trébol
|
| He followed every sign
| Siguió cada señal
|
| And when he came back to the same toll gate
| Y cuando volvió a la misma barrera de peaje
|
| He gave them another dime
| Él les dio otro centavo
|
| His hands were tight on the steering wheel
| Sus manos estaban apretadas en el volante
|
| His lips and throat were dry
| Sus labios y garganta estaban secos.
|
| He swore by all that he held dear
| Juró por todo lo que amaba
|
| He’d make it through or die
| Lo lograría o moriría
|
| He took the first turn to the right
| Tomó el primer desvío a la derecha
|
| The clover leaf to go through
| La hoja de trébol para atravesar
|
| He was quite sure of his success
| Estaba bastante seguro de su éxito.
|
| Till the toll gate rose in view
| Hasta que la puerta de peaje se elevó a la vista
|
| And now they say when the moon is full
| Y ahora dicen cuando hay luna llena
|
| And the clover leaf is still
| Y la hoja de trébol es todavía
|
| The sound of an engine can be heard
| Se escucha el sonido de un motor
|
| Laboring up the hill
| Trabajando en la colina
|
| A dime drops in the toll machine
| Un centavo cae en la máquina de peaje
|
| In the cool of a summer’s night
| En el fresco de una noche de verano
|
| And eternally that poor car
| Y eternamente ese pobre coche
|
| Takes the first turn to the right | Toma el primer giro a la derecha |