Re: Tricky translations

On Sat, Jan 15, 2005 at 02:21:03AM -0800, Sai Emrys wrote:
[...]
> So, some brainstorming please: what would be good example sets of
> words and concepts like this - ones that would force you to pick apart
> the assumptions of your native language(s)?
The Ebisédi live in the Ferochromon. The Ferochromon is a radically
different universe from ours---different rules of physics, completely
different structure, and completely different phenomena. The only
familiar thing is that the Ebisédi themselves are (more or less) human
manifestations in the Ferochromon, and that, at least where the
Ebisédi live, there is a superficial resemblance to Earth. (But it is
only superficial.)

And the consequence of this? *Nothing* may be assumed about the
Ferochromon without knowing it yourself. One of the most famous
features of the Ferochromon is that there are no such things as stars.
The closest phenomenon is the _Ka'l3ri_, which is more like a
starburst or supernova than a star. However, the same phenomenon on a
smaller scale also manifests itself as fountains or volcanoes. How
_Ka'l3ri_ ought to be translated depends on the context.

Another feature of the Ferochromon is that there is no such thing as
water. There are liquids, for sure, but no equivalent of clear,
translucent water. (Watch this one screw up a relay, it has a lot of
potential. :-P) Also, there is no unique "Earth" on which the Ebisédi
dwell. Instead, there is a plethora of "landmasses", floating
continents of diverse shapes and sizes that fill the three realms (a
"realm" in this context is 3D inhabitable space).

Also, the concept of "food" is radically different from the Terran
understanding... all matter can be eaten, provided it is in the right
form and in the right energy level. The fiery hot matter ejected from
a _Ka'l3ri_, once cooled down, can be enjoyed as a delicious meal. But
you would not want to stand in the plasma rain with your mouth open as
it descends upon the landmass, since you'd burn yourself VERY badly.
It must be cooled down sufficiently to safe energy levels, and then
collected and processed into forms suitable for consumption. However,
it must not be left too long, as otherwise it degrades to energy
levels too low to be of any use, and also crystallizes into rocky,
indigestible forms.

Oh, and there is no such thing as "air" in Ferochromon. Space *is*
air... you breathe space in Ferochromon just as you breath air on
Earth. Not many people will die of suffocation unless they drown in
liquid (space occupied by matter is unbreathable) or get buried alive.
However, there *are* equivalents of winds: transmittent fields of
force which propel anything within range, thereby causing the
equivalent of winds.

Need I go on? Just about *anything* in language that describes the
physical world cannot be assumed to have an equivalent in Ebisédian,
because the universe it is spoken in is so different that almost none
of these assumptions would hold.

(And mind you, what I've described so far only covers the 3D
inhabitable section of the Ferochromon... there are other sections
where things behave in yet other radically different ways.)


> I'd like to make this a homework assignment - "translate these words
> and justify the translations". Something along the lines of the "How
> to create good glosses" paper - intentionally creating a new framework
> (as in CogSci "frames") for your language.
[...]

Just try creating a conlang in a universe like the Ferochromon. You
won't even need CogSci "frames" (whatever that may be); the very
nature of the con-world itself would be a very sufficient new
framework that will leave its lasting mark on the resulting language.

:-)

Now, Tatari Faran is actually situated on Earth (whew!), yet it
already has such fascinating (and AFAIK unprecedented) features as the
"complements" of which I spoke in my other message. AFAIK, no natlang
has an equivalent of TF's complements. Yet they are very
"naturalistic" once you get into the "feel" of Tatari Faran. From the
view of a san faran, how else do you terminate the sentence except by
the emphatic downslide of pitch on the terminal complement?

huu sa  tapa buara   na  bata.
1sp CVY walk volcano RCP COMPL
["hu: sa . tapa "bwa4a na bata]
"I walked to the volcano; I did!" (as per Arthaey's suggestion on how
to transliterate the complement).

Is that not a lot more forceful, a lot more convincing, with more
impact, that a wimpy _huu sa tapa buara na_ with no resounding
conclusion?

tara' sei jui'in    kakat.
3sp   CVY beautiful COMPL
["ta4a? sej . dzuj"?in kakat]
"She is beautiful; stunningly so!"

Does that not convey the beauty of that person in its stunning glory
much better than an unsure utterance left hanging without an end:
_tara' sei jui'in_ ?

kiran     tara' sa  kiapat koko.
young_man that  CVY crazy  COMPL
["ki4an ta4a? sa . kja"pat kOkO]
"That young man is crazy; senselessly so!"

Is the sad mental state of the young man not better expressed by this
graphic, almost onomapoeic statement, rather than the dull _kiran
tara' sa kiapat_ ?

huu sa  bata' ai.
1sp CVY chief COMPL
["hu: sa ba"ta? ?aj]
"I am the chief; yes indeed!" (_ai_ on its own means "yes")

Surely the reaffirmation granted by the _ai_ confirms my confident
claim to be the chief, rather than the wavering, unsure _huu sa
bata'_ ?

Therefore, the complement is as natural to the san faran as the
definite article is to the English speaker. There is no way to capture
the true import of the complement in English, just as Tatari Faran
lacks a way to adequately capture the small yet strong and definite
"the" in English.

IMNSHO, it should not only be at the word level where such unique
features may be introduced. Indeed, one ought to get a "feel" for the
conlang as a whole, and have a "gut feeling" for the "sway" of the
conlang, not just some randomly chosen words that are different just
for the sake of having *something* that differs from natlangs. As one
grammar puts it, hopefully the reader (conlanger in this case) would
grasp the "genius" of the language and so think "in" it, swaying along
with all of its idiosyncrasies, idioms, and way of expressing things.


T

--
Music critic: "That's an imitation fugue!"

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