Re: Multilingual translation exercise, part 1

On Thu, 13 Jun 2002 09:06:27 -0400, John Cowan <jcowan@...>
wrote:

>Here is the first text.  The French, English, and German versions are
>(as they say in treaties) equally authentic.
>
>Trois cardinaux, un rabbin, un amiral franc-maçon, un trio d'insignifiants
>politicards soumis au bon plaisir d'un trust anglo-saxon, ont fait savoir
>à la population par radio, puis par placards, qu'on risquait la mort par
>inanition.  On crut d'abord à un faux bruit.  Il s'agissait, disait-on,
>d'intoxication.  Mais l'opinion suivit.  Chacun s'arma d'un fort gourdin.
>« Nous voulons du pain », criait la population, conspuant patrons, nantis,
>pouvoirs publics.  Ça complotait, ça conspirait partout.  Un flic n'osait
>plus sortir la nuit.  A Mâcon, on attaqua un local administratif.
>A Rocamadour, on pilla un stock : on y trouva du thon, du lait, du chocolat
>par kilos, du maïs par quintaux, mais tout avait l'air pourri.  A Nancy,
>on guillotina sur un rond-point vingt-six magistrats d'un coup, puis on
>brûla un journal du soir qu'on accusait d'avoir pris parti pour
>l'administration.  Partout on prit d'assaut docks, hangars, ou magasins.
This is turning out to be a difficult translation, which requires quite a
bit of new vocabulary and idioms, but I managed to work out a Tirelat
version of the first sentence. Amazingly, although I had to borrow a
handful of words, I haven't yet needed to create any new Tirelat roots.

The translation is mainly derived from the French version, as interpreted
by Babelfish, with some help from a French dictionary, and frequent
reference to the English version.

Sa kima birluuhizharh, sa toraluuhizharh, sy dainanuk kaa zjaru kamadirda,
su kimnga a juzha vidlhizharh nii Inggla-Kanada hyzagiriijapa vrindzuzamin,
vjaki nimi vbatziminilin ma najaat, kuutzini vjaki milakpalu, pa jgavilhan
su buduat y kazimiv ry kadzasjamiat.

[sa "cima "birlu:Ci%z`ar_0  sa tO4a"lu:Ciz`ar_0  s1 "da:jnanuk ka: "zja4u
%kama"dirda  su "cimNa a "juz`a "v\idK\i%z`ar_0 ni: "iNgla "kanaDa
%x1zaJ\i"4i:japa v\@"4ind_zuza%min  v\jaci "nimi v\@"bat_s\imini%lin ma
na"ja:t  ku:t_s\ini v\jaci mi"lakpalu  pa j@"gav\iKan su "buDuat 1
"kazimiv\ r1 "kad_za%sjamiat]

sa  kim-a bir-luuhi-zharh, sa  tora -luuhi-zharh, sy  dai  -nanuk
NOM three red-holy -person NOM Torah-holy -person NOM fleet-leader
birluuhizharh = new compound, "cardinal"
tora = new borrowing, "Torah"
toraluuhizharh = new compound, "rabbi"
dainanuk = new compound, "admiral"
-dai as a suffix = "flock, group", thus "iidlhadai" = "fleet".
dai- in "dainanuk" stands for "iidlhadai".

kaa zjaru kama -dirda, su  kim  -nga  a   juzha       vidlhi  -zharh
of  free  stone-shaper NOM three-some OBL unimportant politics-person
kaa = "associated with"
zjaru kamadirda = new compound, "freemason" (literally "free stone-shaper")

nii  Inggla -Kanada   hyza-girii  -japa        v -rindzu   -zami-n,
that English-Canadian bank-company-association 3p-attention-buy -PF
Inggla = new borrowing, "England, English" (Ingglalhat = English language)
Kanada = new borrowing, "Canada, Canadian"
rindzuzami = new compound "to buy someone's attention (e.g. a politician)"

vjaki nimi  v -batzi      -mini    -li-n  ma  najaat,  kuutzi-ni vjaki
via   radio 3p-information-transmit-HP-PF ACC everyone next  -ly via
batzimini = new compound, "to inform" (object-incorporation is getting to
   be quite a productive source of new words!)
HP: hearsay, past.
kuutzini = "next, subsequently"

milak-palu, pa   j -gavi -lha-n  su  buduat y   kazi-miv ry
wall -sign  that 1s-exist-IN -PF NOM danger OBL life-end from
milakpalu = new compound, "billboard" (inspired by the French "placard",
   one meaning of which is "wall cupboard")
IN: inferential, nonpast
kazimiv = existing compound, "death"

kadza-sjami       -at
eat  -insufficient-ness
kadzasjamiat = new compound "starvation"

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