Re: Tricky translations

 Try translating "Mr" into Basque. ;) The closest you can get is "jaun"
which means literally "lord" (also can mean "god")... which is
ridiculous if used for "mr" in the same way calling Mr Smith "Lord
Smith" is ridiculous unless Mr Smith has been knighted. Strangely
enough, I believe the term andre "Lady" is acceptable to use with
women's names.
 *hums* I was once told that saying you can do something as we do in
English is quite difficult in some amerindian languages.... I don't know
if it's true or not but I was told that generally you end up talking
about the experience you have to express your ability, like saying "I
have gone swimming many times" to mean "I can swim".
 Those are a few bad examples that popped into my head of things that
are difficult to translate from English. Going the other way... Well, I
often find it difficult to translate from Basque simply because Basque
requires some things which English doesn't, but equally allows you to
skip a lot that English doesn't. A good example is adverbials taking
full NP marking. For example:

harenarekikoa
har-en-a-reki-ko-a
his-gen-def-com-rel-def
The [one] with [that one/thing] of his/hers

Now, saying "the with his/hers" doesn't make much sense at all in
English, so you have to insert quite a few extra words to get a
meaningful English translation.

>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)?
>
>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.
>
>Suggestions? Tricky things you've come across through experience (or
>through muttering in hindsight at your old translations)?
>
> - Sai
>
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