translation exercise (Jack Vance's text)

Fabian <rhialto@...> wrote:
> "Where are all the wonderful new art forms? So far I have heard mainly =
of
> cockroaches and signatures."
>=20
> "Just so. It was early realised that every possible permutation of pigm=
ent,
> light, texture, form, sound and whatever is left had been achieved, and=
 that
> to strain for novelty was wasted effort. The single ever-fresh ever-ren=
ewing
> resource was human thought itself, and the gorgeous patterns of its
> interplay between or among individuals."
>=20
> Wayness frowned in puzzlement. "Are you referring to 'talk'?"
>=20
> "I suppose that 'talk' is an appropriate word."
>=20
> "At least it is inexpensive."
>=20
> "Exactly -- which makes it the most egalitarian of all creative
> disciplines!"
>=20
> "I am happy that you explained this to me," said Wayness. "We are on ou=
r way
> to Lena's Bistro, then?"
>=20
Very interesting passage.

In Drasel=E9q (see abbrevs below):



 "Qaik  arek  donth i us=EDrr=FCktel nampal finmadh?
  where be.3p those * marvelous  new    arts.GRP

_arek_ "they are/stay" (_arsen_ "to be [in a place]")
_finam, finmath, finmadh_ "art, arts, [the] arts"


 =C4t    fan    famp en    gaqurth    mi
 until before now  about signatures and

 kuor=FCtth suenlil sit=F3lnalotsat."
 dirtbugs mainly  PRF.hear.MV.1sPRS

_=E4t fan famp_ "until before now" + actual present tense =3D "so far"
_kuor_ "dirt, filth, garbage"
_kuor.=FCth_ "dirt.bug" =3D "cockroach"
_suenlil_ < _su=E9gnailil_ "over-seeing-ly" =3D *"outstandingly"


 "G=E8n    gim.     Balu  tenti=E1rim=FCaq      onthn,=20
  indeed true.3s  early realised.PV.3sPST that.ACC,

 vastas, h=E0p,  kual,   gadhu, pam,  mur=E2n     qest=E8n omb=FC'd,
 paint   light texture shape  sound otherwise being  all.3s.REL

 fpaind=FCenq       anthes   on  i minkanth;  taus onth,
 achieve.3pAntPST this.GEN all * unions.ACC also that,

_minkar_ "(re)union", "gathering" =3D "combination"


 q=FCaq     namg=FCftien   qg=E1farsen i g=E9ntsentan bloqur.
 be.3sPST innovate.OBJ toil.INF  * gone       impulse

=3D "to toil in order to innovate was force let to go away"


 Eldimel    elqualnampal p=E0m,
 PERP.green PERP.REP.new resource

 dr=FCmb=FCntel q=FCaq     renes   kalas   b=FCrr,
 unique     be.3sPST man.GEN thought it

 rin  vel   tenm=FCnth    anth-sku-ontthes qat=E0qgastel   mer=E9kth."
 with among individuals this-for-thats   SUP.beautiful structures

_anth-sku-onth_ "this-for-that" =3D "interchange, interplay"


 Rin  pektur   i fasn=FCr       tresteth g=FCf=FCaq     Veinas.
 with surprise * forehead.LOC paths    make.3sPST Wayness

_fasn=FCr tresteth g=FCften_ "to make (on the) forehead paths"
=3D "to frown", "to cause wrinkles to appear on one's forehead"
(inspired by English "make tracks"!)
Wayness could have been _U/Veines_, but -es is GEN marker
so I chose to render /@/ =3D /a/.


 "Keburadher         i 'snit'?"
  QRY.mean-to-say.2s *  talk


 "Tup    'snit' i b=F9r, sikent."
  fit.3s  talk  * word suppose.1s

=3D "'Talk', as a word, fits" (_tup_ "it fits, it can be
placed inside the available room"; cf. Spanish "cabe decir"
=3D "it's appropriate and possible to say").


 "Mur=E2n     tadh    sunan=FC'th."
  otherwise however DIM.cost.3s


 "G=E8n    ta -- th=E4n thanain th=FCastel    finmes=20
  indeed yes   with justice there-being art.GEN

_thanain_ =3D both "justice" and "equilibrium"


 rriesteth qat=E0th=FCastel    b=FCrr, enq=E9s          anth b=FCrrn!"
 works     SUP.there-being it    cause-to-be.3s this it.ACC


 "Rin  thanen ars     g      i anth gendiv=FCer      sarn", b=FCk  Veinas.
  with joy    stay.1s due-to * this describe.2sPST me.ACC said Wayness

 "Na Lenes  Bistro doik  trestaut,   ke  famp?"
  to Lena's Bistro there walk.1p+PRS QRY now



Verbs are in habitual present tense unless otherwise stated.
 PRS =3D actual present
 PST =3D past
 GRP =3D group plural
 PRF =3D perfective aspect
 MV  =3D middle voice
 PV  =3D passive voice
PERP =3D perpetuative aspect ("ever-")
 REP =3D repetitive aspect ("re-")
 GEN =3D genitive case
 ACC =3D accusative/dative case
 INF =3D infinitive ("to")
 OBJ =3D objective infinitive ("in order to")
 REL =3D relative pronoun
 DIM =3D diminutive
 SUP =3D super-augmentative ("most", not "the most")
 LOC =3D locative case
 QRY =3D query particle (yes-no questions)
   * =3D genitive/dative/partitive particle _i_


--Pablo Flores

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 The Universe is not user friendly.
                                     Kelvin Throop