Idiomatic translation request

[Mike Cleven]

Jeffrey Kopp wrote:
>
> From time to time the Web site draws requests for a romantic Jargon
> translation to name a special place or thing.  This one is kind of a
> stumper for me, as my first thought (of a literal translation) was a
> jumble like "water under the road above the water."  Would there be a
> similar Native idiom for events past by or lost to time which we
> could arrange suitably in the Jargon?
>
> (Some ideas I had: Laly kapsualla klatawa--time steals away?
> Chuck klatawa ahnkutte--water gone by?  I don't know if these
> constructions would actually make sense in Jargon.)
>

I think there's always a peril in trying to invent a phrase in English -
especially one that doesn't have a clear meaning to start with - "water
under the bridge" here - meant literally, i.e. water actually _beneath_
a bridge or 'stuff that's happened and gone on by', as in water under
the bridge between two acquaintances and friends; is the context here
meant =literal= or =metaphoric=.  I think this is why Shaw is full of so
many clumsy constructions meant to spell out in the Jargon concepts
otherwise unknown in it (beginning with "absolve" at the very start of
the dictionary).  Otherwise in trying to create a Jargon version -
especially by direct translation - you don't catch the essence of intent
and wind up creating some very cumbersome phraseologies that don't seem
in the spirit of the Jargon's directness.

If here, as it seems to be, it's "water under the bridge" and you still
want to include water in the idiom, I'd venture something like "water
out of the bucket", "thrown water", or simply "chuck klatawa" (water
runs).  Wake konaway mitlite kwanesum, even.  The point in English is
that we have a huge inherited body of metaphors and simile-like
constructions; the Jargon wasn't around long enough to develop many of
these.  If we all like whatever comes out of here for "stuff that's
happened, for better or worse, that flowed under the bridge (between
us)" or whatever, then that becomes part of the _used_ language, rather
than a theoretical construct.  If said enquirant is looking for a phrase
as a logo or slogan, the punchier the better IMHO.....

MC