LL-L "Translation" 2003.10.29 (08) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 29.OCT.2003 (08) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West)Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
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From: R. F. Hahn <lowlands-l at lowlands-l.net>
Subject: Translation

Folks,

Before I keep going on about our translation efforts, I'd like to raise the
issue of translating literature in "exotic" languages into
minority/minoritized languages.  I cannot speak for Scots, Zeelandic, etc.,
and I would not be too surprised if Westerlauwer Frisian was emancipated
enough to be immune, but I can say a couple of things about Lowlands Saxon
(Low German) in Germany, and this probably holds true for the language in
the Netherlands as well.  Remember that the language reentered the world
arena only recently, that in its homeland it is still largely associated
with rural environments and working class, and that as such it used to be
and to a large extent still is relegated to the parochial, comedial and
sentimental domains.  When people started translating into LS what in
Germany is considered _Weltliteratur_ ("world literature") and
_anspruchsvoll_ ("highbrow"), they caused quite a few eyebrows to be raised,
and not in a good sense.  Obviously, many still feel that it is
inappropriate or simply funny, like mixing two worlds, aristocrats with
peasants.  While there seems to be growing acceptance now, exemplified by
the recent publication of a translation of Shakepeare's sonnets, there is
still mostly scepticism and reluctance, certainly on the part of many
publishers, undoubtedly mostly for economic reasons.  This seems to be the
main reason why some translations are self-published, such as a recent
translation of the Finnish national epos _Kalevala_ (a situation that in a
couple of well-meaning reviews was characterized as understandable on
account of excessive exoticism).  Is the situation similar in other Lowlands
languages, and does any of you have any suggestions as to how to solve this?
Have you gauged the possibilities with regard to your translations from
Chinese into Scots, Brian?  This in an interesting question to me, since on
top of "highbrow" you get the element of "exotic" here.  East Asian
philosophies and literature have been experiencing a bit of a boom in the
West lately, so one would suppose there is something of an overlap of
interest.  The world is shrinking, barriers are crumbling, access to
information is increasing at an incredible rate.  How can "minor" languages
be made to profit from this development?

Back to our effort.  Based on some private input from an especially kind
List subscriber I've slightly amended the Dutch version of the Samhain poem:

   Ik heb nieuws voor jullie:
   de hertvechter brult,
   de winter stroomt neer,
   de zomer is voorbij,

   koud de luide wind,
   lager de zon,
   korter zijn pad,
   onstuimig de zee;

   de varen, gebloosd,
   heeft zijn vorm verborgen,
   heeft als gewoonlijk
   de ganzeroep genomen.

   heeft het kou genomen,
   de vogelvleugels,
   de ijzige tijd ...
   dat is mijn nieuws.


In accordance, I have amended the Afrikaans version:


   Ek het nuus vir julle:
   die hertvegter brul,
   die winter stroom neer,
   die somer is verby,

   koud die luide wind,
   lager die son,
   korter sy pad,
   onsteumig die see;

   die varing, gebloos,
   het sy vorm verberg,
   het soos gewoonlik
   die gansroep geneem,

   het die kou geneem,
   die voëlvleuels,
   die ysige tyd ...
   dit is my nuus.



Sandy, I still have a feeling that it is the bracken* that seizes winter and
all its symbols, apparently including the wings (of seabirds on a stormy
shore?).


***
* "Bracken (fern)" or "brake," in the translations generalized, is a
"cosmopolitan," tall type of fern, _Pteridium aquilinum_, Afrikaans
_adelaarsvaring_, Dutch _adelaarsvaren_, Lowlands Saxon
*_Aadlerfa(a)rn_?, German _Adler(saum)farn_, _(großer) Waldfarn_,
_Johanniswurz_, _Jesus-Christwurz_, Danish _ørnebregne_, Norwegian
_einstape_, Swedish _(slok)örnbräken_, Icelandic _burkni_, Manx _renniagh
vooar_, Gaelic _roineach_, Welsh _rhedyn ungoes_, Cornish _grüglon_, French
_fougère aigle_, Italian _felce aquilina_, Catalan _falguera_, Castilian
_helecho común_, Galician _fento común_, Portuguese _samambaia(-do-campo)_,
Finnish _sananjalka_, Estonian _kilpjalg_, Hungarian _saspáfrány_, Polish
_orlica pospolita_, Czech _orličník obyčajný_, Russian _орляк обыкновенный_,
Bulgarian _орлова папрат_, Latvian _ērgļpaparde_, Greek _επικοινωνία φτέρη_,
Basque _iratze arrunta_, Georgian _გვიმრა_, Farsi سرخس, Arabic سرخس, Hebrew
××‘×¨× ×™×ª ×”× ×©×¨, Indonesian _tanaman pakis_,Vietnamese _danh từ_,Chinese 巒大蕨,
蕨貓草, 山鳳尾, Japanese ワラビ, Korean ê³ ì‚¬ë¦¬.

***



In my translations from Chinese (posted today), I have changed the
following:

> Up keen Unstarvlichenlist  ndst jüm ähr Naams.

Up keen Unstarvlichenlist  findst jüm ähr Naams.



> Up keyn unstarvlichenlistv ndst jüm eer naams.

Up keyn unstarvlichenlist vindst jüm eer naams.

>  Kummer in 't vroensgemaak
Kummer in 't vrouensgemaak


Best wishes,
Reinhard/Ron

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