Skip to the content

Translation competitions

by sudanglo, January 14, 2011

Messages: 187

Language: English

ceigered (User's profile) January 16, 2011, 8:39:36 AM

LyzTyphone:
ceigered:I didn't get that impression at all, then again I can be a bit literal at times.
I actually like your translation. But let's call the judge.
Ha thanks, all these translations are good I think, yours and everyone elses, but yeah I think a judge would be handy, especially if they know the context better (I barely read much).

Sudanglo, perhaps you should start a translation company with the goal of doing group-translating of texts, since your translation-farming idea seems pretty cool judging by what's happening here! Only problem is that group work *can* slow down the process, but a minor problem I'd assume.

gyrus (User's profile) January 16, 2011, 2:51:11 PM

I don't know if sudanglo wants to judge all of the texts. It seems like I chose quite a hard one! I didn't really think of the potential ambuguities and difficulties in the text when I posted it. I think trojo's translation is very clear, but each of you has found nice ways to translate certain things, much as with what sudanglo said about the previous passage. I especially liked LyzTyphone's noticing of the alliteration.

Miland (User's profile) January 16, 2011, 3:08:10 PM

trojo:I assume "sandcrawlers" and "rockclaws" are not real Earth animals, but denizens of this fantasy world. As such, I translated them more or less literally.
+1
trojo:"Shifted the sack" is tricky. Here it specifically means he moved the sack on his back from a less-comfortable position to a more comfortable one.
I wasn't quite sure myself that he carried the sack on his back, while he was looking for sea creatures to harvest. It might have been a different matter if the collection had been completed - but then would he still be looking into every rock pool? With this doubt in mind, I might have put tha last bit Liaj knabecaj muskoloj amasiĝis sub la malpeza ĉemizo dum li movis la sakon ..

RiotNrrd (User's profile) January 16, 2011, 8:48:46 PM

gyrus:I didn't really think of the potential ambiguities and difficulties in the text when I posted it.
I haven't been taking part, but I think doing translation exercises on difficult passages is the better choice. There's no challenge in doing translations of "See Spot. See Spot run. Run Spot. Run, Spot, run." ridulo.gif

Some of the translations I've seen here strike me as quite elegant work, and there is a kind of joy in seeing such translations.

gyrus (User's profile) January 16, 2011, 8:57:39 PM

RiotNrrd:I haven't been taking part, but I think doing translation exercises on difficult passages is the better choice. There's no challenge in doing translations of "See Spot. See Spot run. Run Spot. Run, Spot, run." ridulo.gif

Some of the translations I've seen here strike me as quite elegant work, and there is a kind of joy in seeing such translations.
Indeed, I just don't want to scare away people with really difficult translations lango.gif

Chainy (User's profile) January 16, 2011, 10:57:10 PM

Nice thread that you've started off here, Sudanglo. It's certainly quite difficult doing these translations!

sudanglo (User's profile) January 17, 2011, 11:15:10 AM

I'm glad you are all enjoying yourselves. I have some general comments I'd like to add later, but for the moment here's a joke for you to have a go at.

A: Are you religious?

B: I believe in the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, and Father Christmas, but you have to draw the line somewhere.

UUano (User's profile) January 17, 2011, 9:16:49 PM

gyrus:Indeed, I just don't want to scare away people with really difficult translations lango.gif
No worries...seeing how you each deal with intricate meaning and nuance is far more enlightening (and entertaining!) with complex passages. I love this idea!

Can't wait to see what comes next...

rido.gif

UUano (User's profile) January 17, 2011, 9:32:29 PM

sudanglo:I'm glad you are all enjoying yourselves. I have some general comments I'd like to add later, but for the moment here's a joke for you to have a go at.

A: Are you religious?

B: I believe in the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, and Father Christmas, but you have to draw the line somewhere.
Even though I'm just a beginner, here's a small effort:

A: Ĉu vi estas religia?

B: Mi kredas je la Dentfeino, la Paskakunikleto, kaj je Patro Kristnasko...sed oni tamen devas (devus?) konservi iaj limoj.

How's that?

Miland (User's profile) January 17, 2011, 9:51:12 PM

UUano:Even though I'm just a beginner, here's a small effort:
A: Ĉu vi estas religia?
B: Mi kredas je la Dentfeino, la Paskakunikleto, kaj je Patro Kristnasko...sed oni tamen devas (devus?) konservi iaj limoj.
How's that?
Any alternatives I could think of would be only that, like halti ie for "draw the line" or Ĉu vi havas religion? for "Are you religious?"

Back to the top