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Another translation problem

by jchthys, February 26, 2009

Messages: 9

Language: English

jchthys (User's profile) February 26, 2009, 4:47:09 PM

Can anyone think of a good way to translate this sentence?
I have seen Esperanto as being described as being like Frankenstein's monster.
(Just a random sentence; I don't have a use for it.)

My suggestion is:
Mi antaŭe vidis, ke oni priskribis Esperanton, kvazaŭ ĝi estas simila al la monstro de Frankenstajno.

I think that's a bit periphrastic, however. Any other suggestions?

Matthieu (User's profile) February 26, 2009, 4:59:48 PM

Maybe Mi vidis Esperanton priskribita kiel la monstro de Frankenstein.

tommjames (User's profile) February 26, 2009, 5:02:32 PM

My attempt:

I have seen Esperanto as being described as being like Frankenstein's monster.

Mi vidis Esperanton priskribita kiel la monstro de Frankenstein.

jchthys (User's profile) February 26, 2009, 5:21:05 PM

Mutusen:Maybe Mi vidis Esperanton priskribita kiel la monstro de Frankenstein.
That occurred to me, but then I thought that it is not Esperanto that is literally being seen. However, if such usage does occur in normal speech, there is nothing really wrong with it.

I would like to know how other languages would say this.

Miland (User's profile) February 26, 2009, 7:04:38 PM

Following Novico Dektri's sensible suggestion:

Iuj priskribas Esperanton kiel Frankensteinan monstron.

The adjective here means 'of the Frankenstein type' or the sort he wouid make.

SuperMarc92 (User's profile) February 26, 2009, 8:07:28 PM

In French :

J'ai vu l'espéranto étant décrit comme étant ressemblant au monstre de Frankenstein.

Or something like that lango.gif There's a lot of ways to make this sentence.

darkweasel (User's profile) February 27, 2009, 2:11:56 PM

In German:

Ich habe gesehen, dass Esperanto als ähnlich wie Frankensteins Monster beschrieben wird.
(pronounce like: Iĥ habe gesén, das Esperanto als enliĥ vi Fránkenŝtajns Monster beŝriben wird)

(though this sounds a bit strange - German doesn't have a real "seen xx as yy" construction, so literally the above sentence is "I have seen, that Esperanto as similar to Frankenstein's monster described is")

russ (User's profile) February 27, 2009, 9:16:59 PM

jchthys:Can anyone think of a good way to translate this sentence?
I have seen Esperanto as being described as being like Frankenstein's monster.
(Just a random sentence; I don't have a use for it.)

My suggestion is:
Mi antaŭe vidis, ke oni priskribis Esperanto, kvazaŭ ĝi estas simila al la monstro de Frankenstajno.
Note there's a missing accusative - oni priskribis Esperanton.

A quite literal translation could be:
Mi vidis Esperanton priskribita kiel simila al la monstro de Frankenstein. (Whether and how to Esperantize "Frankenstein" is a separate issue...)

More ideas:
Mi vidis priskribojn de Esperanto kiel de la monstro de Frankenstein.

Mi vidis priskribojn de Esperanto similajn al priskriboj de la monstro de Frankenstein.

Mi rimarkis, ke iuj priskribas Esperanton same kiel la monstron de Frankenstein.

etc.

jchthys (User's profile) February 28, 2009, 4:18:02 AM

Something that should be kept in mind is that I only saw this once—a plural or durative form should not be used.
I think that perhaps the best is:
Mi foje vidis, ke iu priskribis Esperanton, kiel simila al la monstro de Frankenstajno.

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