I don't know why this thread has gone quiet. If it is my selection of passages, then please note that anybody is welcome to post a passage for translation. Just don't make it overly long.

sudanglo:I don't know why this thread has gone quiet. If it is my selection of passages, then please note that anybody is welcome to post a passage for translation. Just don't make it overly long.

This and a couple of comments in another thread inspired me to post this passage here, from Chaucer's The Pardoner's Tale. This is cut from the guternberg.org version. The three words with asterisks, below, have a translation of that word at the end of the line:

In Flanders whilom was a company
Of younge folkes, that haunted folly,
As riot, hazard, stewes,* and taverns; *brothels
Where as with lutes, harpes, and giterns,* *guitars
They dance and play at dice both day and night,
And eat also, and drink over their might;
Through which they do the devil sacrifice
Within the devil's temple, in cursed wise,
By superfluity abominable.
Their oathes be so great and so damnable,
That it is grisly* for to hear them swear. *dreadful

Yes Marc, if you posted the Chaucer extract as a passage to be translated rather than as an explanation of why the thread has gone quiet, then please note the (hardly necessary to be stated) rule that any proposed passage be in English (20th or 21st century).

Forigite

sudanglo:Yes Marc, if you posted the Chaucer extract as a passage to be translated rather than as an explanation of why the thread has gone quiet, then please note the (hardly necessary to be stated) rule that any proposed passage be in English (20th or 21st century).

My apologies about that, but I did post this because I spotted a couple of messages in the Chaucer thread saying something like "I could never do that" or words to that effect. I thought, "yes you could." Try! The aim in this thread is to study and improve our Esperanto by translating, not to submit perfect translations to a publisher. We had to read this stuff when we were teenagers. As a teacher myself, if I caught some student saying it was too hard in my classroom I'd reproach their negativity. It's not that long, and a native English speaker should be able to understand it and thus attempt to translate it. I'll submit my own translation and encourage others to do so, but then fair enough, let the next one be a modern text as per the OP's request. Noting the author's change in tense on line 5 of the original:

En Flanders estis junularo, kiu partoprenis malsaĝon, tumulton, danĝeron, ĉiesulinejon kaj trinkejon. Ili aŭskultas la musikon de liuton, harpon kaj gitaron ĉiunokte-ĉiutage, dancis kaj ĵetkubis. Ili ankaŭ manĝas kaj drinkas tro multe; tiel ili honoras la diablon en ties 'malsanktejo', per tia abomena tromulto. Iliaj blasfemoj estas do egaj kaj damnindaj ke oni teruriĝas kiam ili sakras.

Forigite

a native English speaker should be able to understand it

Well I can't, Marc. It isn't in English, or rather it's English, but not as we know it Jim. The purpose of the thread is to present a challenge in translation into Esperanto, not a challenge in translating into English.

sudanglo:

a native English speaker should be able to understand it

Well I can't, Marc. It isn't in English, or rather it's English, but not as we know it Jim. The purpose of the thread is to present a challenge in translation into Esperanto, not a challenge in translating into English.

Fair enough, post an excerpt from something modern, this is the last you'll hear from me about it. I don't believe you can't understand the small excerpt I posted, though, I do believe you don't want to try. Surely for example 'they dance and play at dice both day and night' is not incomprehensible.

Hyperboreus:

J_Marc:In Flanders whilom was a company
Of younge folkes, that haunted folly,
As riot, hazard, stewes,* and taverns; *brothels
Where as with lutes, harpes, and giterns,* *guitars
They dance and play at dice both day and night,
And eat also, and drink over their might;
Through which they do the devil sacrifice
Within the devil's temple, in cursed wise,
By superfluity abominable.
Their oathes be so great and so damnable,
That it is grisly* for to hear them swear. *dreadful

I think what Chaucer was trying to say is "En Flanders oni trovis punkan diskotekon . . . "

In Phlandriom heyahem estiit arom
yunays uleys cuyoy cutimiit phrenezajon,
cuyel tumulton, monludon, bordeloyn ed tawernoyn,
cuyœ cun harpoy, liutoy ed gitaroy
dantzadiit, ludadiit jetcuboyn, ambez tagon ed nocton,
ed manghadiit anquez ed drincadiit trans ilùian potentzon,
tra cuyom pharadiit diables opheron,
internœ diables temples ye blasphemam manierom,
per abomenam troom.
Estiit ityel granday ed damninday ilùiay juroy,
que estat terurœ aùdir ilùin blasphemir.

Ĝis nun mi neniam vidis tian Esperanton . . . What is that?

that is arcaicam esperantom (google/wikipedia for more information)