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Waiting for the Barbarians is 'n roman geskryf deur J.M. Coetzee.

Die verhaal word vertel uit die oogpunt van 'n landdros in 'n klein Suid-Afrikaanse grensdorpie wat geleë is aan die buiterand van "die Ryk." Die Ryk verklaar 'n noodtoestand en ontplooi 'n spesiale magte-groep genaamd die Derde Buro, as gevolg van gerugte dat die "barbare," soos die koloniste die inheemse volke genoem het, beplan het om die dorp aan te val.

Die Derde Buro waag dit in die gebied buitekant die dorp en vang 'n hele paar van hulle.

Gelei deur die verskriklike Kolonel Joll, vervoer die groep die gevangenes na die dorp en gesel hulle voordat 'n paar van hulle tereggestel word.

Hulle keer dan terug na die hoofstad om 'n groter militêre operasie te formuleer.

Ná hulle vertrek, begin die landdros omsien na 'n meisie wat die Derde Buro onbevoeg gelaat het en gedeeltelik blind.

Later trek hy oor die wildernis om haar terug te gee aan haar mense en op daardie gevaarlike reis, word hulle verhouding intiem.

Hy probeer haar oorreed om saam met hom terug te keer na die dorp toe, maar sy weier.

Die Derde Buro was reeds terug toe die landdros aankom in die dorp.

Hulle neem hom gevange omdat hy sy pos verlaat het en vir verbroedering met die vyand.

Uiteindelik ontsnap hy uit die tronk en vlug na die gebied buite die dorp waar hy aas vir kos.

Later keer die Derde Buro terug met meer gevangenes en martel hulle in die openbaar.

Die landdros probeer hulle keer, maar word self gevang en ook gemartel in die openbaar.

Met winter wat naderkom, verlaat die troepe die dorp te midde van die mislukking van hul veldtog teen die barbare en die oortuiging dat hulle binnekort die dorp sou binneval.

Die landdros bly en moedig die burgerlikes wat agtergebly het aan om voort te gaan en die barbare keer nie terug nie.

----Formal English----

Waiting for the Barbarians is a novel written by J.M.Coetzee.

The narrative is told from the point of view of a magistrate in a small South African frontier town that sits on the perimeter of "the Empire." The Empire declares a state of emergency and deploys a special forces group called the Third Bureau because of rumors that the "barbarians," as the colonists called the indigenous peoples, were planning to assail the town.

The Third Bureau ventures out into the area beyond the town and then captures several of them.

Led by the direful Colonel Joll, the group transports the captives to the town and then scourges them before executing some of them.

Then they return to the capital city to formulate a bigger military operation.

After their departure, the magistrate begins caring for a girl the Third Bureau left incapacitated and partially blind.

Later he treks across the wilderness to return her to her people, and on that perilous trip, their relationship becomes intimate.

He tries to convince her to return to the town with him, but she refuses.

When the magistrate arrives back at his town, the Third Bureau has returned.

They imprison him for leaving his post and fraternizing with the enemy.

He eventually escapes from the jail and flees to the area outside the town where he scavenges for food.

Later the Third Bureau returns with more captives and publicly tortures them.

The magistrate attempts to stop them but is himself captured and publicly tortured as well.

With the approach of winter, the troops leave the town amid the failure of their campaign against the barbarians and the belief that they would invade soon.

The magistrate remains and encourages the civilians who stayed there to continue on, and the [...]