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Proverb translation

貼文者: richardhall, 2008年2月12日

訊息: 16

語言: English

richardhall (顯示個人資料) 2008年2月12日下午3:48:16

I'm trying to translate a Ukrainian proverb for my E-o blog, but it is more difficult than I thought:

"When the banner is unfurled, all reason is in the trumpet"

I'd be grateful for any thoughts...

mnlg (顯示個人資料) 2008年2月12日下午6:05:52

Here's my attempt. Perhaps too literal, but you might use it as a start:

Kiam flago etendiĝ[ad]as, trumpeto tenas racion.

A nice proverb, by the way. I like flags a lot, but I dislike their overuse.

richardhall (顯示個人資料) 2008年2月12日下午11:38:05

Thanks for that. I like the way you've approached it.

If I pressed you, would you choose etendigxas or etendigxadas? And why, of course!

mnlg:Here's my attempt. Perhaps too literal, but you might use it as a start:

Kiam flago etendiĝ[ad]as, trumpeto tenas racion.

A nice proverb, by the way. I like flags a lot, but I dislike their overuse.

mnlg (顯示個人資料) 2008年2月13日上午12:23:49

richardhall:Thanks for that. I like the way you've approached it.
Thank you!
If I pressed you, would you choose etendigxas or etendigxadas?
Either.
And why, of course!
Why not?

rido.gif

I would perhaps use the form in -adas. In its English version, the proverb is phrased in the passive ("is unfurled") but it strikes me as very active. It is not about the occasional flag flying by itself, but the conscious action of unfurling, i.e., the ubiquitous or frequent recourse to flags, that is seen as a potential source of concern. I still think there might very well be better ways to express that in Esperanto, but if I really had to keep to my first attempt, that's what I would do.

richardhall (顯示個人資料) 2008年2月13日下午12:05:56

mnlg:I would perhaps use the form in -adas. In its English version, the proverb is phrased in the passive ("is unfurled") but it strikes me as very active. It is not about the occasional flag flying by itself, but the conscious action of unfurling, i.e., the ubiquitous or frequent recourse to flags, that is seen as a potential source of concern. I still think there might very well be better ways to express that in Esperanto, but if I really had to keep to my first attempt, that's what I would do.
I suppose it must be possible to use 'unfurl' in the active voice in English, I don't think I've ever heard it used that way. (And I've never come across the verb "to furl" either, possibly because I move in the wrong circles rideto.gif ) Anyway, your reasoning for choosing the -ad- form was very clear and helpful. Thanks again.

erinja (顯示個人資料) 2008年2月13日下午2:40:28

I do see unfurl in active voice ("They unfurled the flag"; "We will see what unfurls"). "Furl" is used but not common; I have only seen "furl" in the context of sailing, where people still talk about furling sails.

richardhall (顯示個人資料) 2008年2月13日下午3:57:25

That's what I meant about moving in the wong circles!

erinja:I have only seen "furl" in the context of sailing, where people still talk about furling sails.

leonarde (顯示個人資料) 2008年2月13日下午9:34:03

mnlg:
Kiam flago etendiĝ[ad]as, trumpeto tenas racion.
The use of entendiĝi in this translation would seem reasonable based on its building blocks, but, put together, they apparently add up to something else. Based on the lernu.net dictionary, etendiĝi means "to run" or "to span," not "to become extended" or "to become stretched out" as we would expect it to. My question is, what does it mean to "run" or "span" in the context of this word, and what is the real way to say "unfurl"?

mnlg (顯示個人資料) 2008年2月13日下午9:42:53

I don't know about the dictionary on this site (I never really use it). My it-eo dictionary however suggests this use,

La maro etendiĝas ĝis la horizonto.

and I think it might reply to your question.

leonarde (顯示個人資料) 2008年2月13日下午10:21:35

mnlg:

La maro etendiĝas ĝis la horizonto.
This use seems to be more in line with "span" than "unfurl."

How does "malpakiĝi" (to become unpacked) work? Or maybe "malenpakiĝi" (to become unwrapped/unravelled/unpacked)? Do these suggested terms seem more or less accurage than "entendiĝi"?

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