Re: Gold Sword and Red Crystal the Text for translators

In a message dated 8/1/00 21:22:47 PM Central Daylight Time, romilly@EGL.NET
writes:

> Jeff Sheets wrote:
>    Roger, I was wondering if pack
>  >animals are unheard of in Kash?  If they are present, the horse Red-Moon
>  >could be included in that way.
>
>  Believe me, I thought about this.  There are small-elephant size, slow and
>  very dumb beasts that were tried in ancient times.  You needed several
>  herders/drovers to keep just one headed in the right direction, and if they
>  spotted a pool or mudhole, that was the end of that. In the deep country,
if
>  you can't afford a tractor, by default they're still used for plowing.
>  There are several quite large lizard species that on occasion have been
used
>  to pull wagons, but they too are undependable and very nasty-tempered.  An
>  army might have used a herd of the various food animals, who might carry
>  packs (unwillingly), but as they got eaten, someone would have to carry the
>  packs.....  HOWEVER, on due consideration,  a mythical Hero like Gold-Sword
>  might well have a companion _cousin_ (pratisha, the leopard-like wild
>  relatives of the Kash with whom they can communicate telepathically), but
he
>  would be just that, a companion.  He might provide defense, and could
rustle
>  up game for dinner; but you wouldn't expect him to carry a load. As a
matter
>  of fact, at the end of my version, Gold Sword goes to both the local
>  shepherd and cousins, who agree to provide food for the Dragon.
>  On balance, I feel an ancient  Kash warrior would have prided himself on
>  being alone and self-sufficient.
I'd hate to try to herd anything so obstinate as the first animal.  Red-Moon
would definitely represent a trustworthy and dependable companion, but would
not have assisted in anything but carrying a small amount of equipment, and
assisting in speed of travel, so the _cousin_ would not quite be appropriate.
 I will keep your translation as is.  Also, please send me the interlinear, I
am always interested in how other conlangs are formed.

Jeff Sheets

"On two occasions I have been asked by members of Parliament, `Pray, Mr.
Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers
come out?'  I am not able rightly to apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas
that could provoke such a question." -- Charles Babbage