old english humor
so, i'm translating my little bit [and it was a pain in the ass, let me tell you], and my mind drifts to something that happened in class last time around.
the backstory we're working with [on this old english soap opera] is that this dude, A, was shipwrecked and ended up in this king's turf. they meet up [details are not given in the plot summary] in a bath, and A impresses the king [again, no details]. the king is so impressed, that he invites shipwrecked dude to a feast [literally translated "beer party"]. it is here that our translations begin.
we've gotten through the beer party, and here comes king's daughter. she smooches her daddy, and then goes around and kisses all the men at the table. apparently, this is a custom considered perfectly normal. then she sees shipwrecked dude, and we get to translate the king's rendition of their meeting in the bath.
here's what a student came up with at first:
i met A in the baths, and invited him to my beer party because "he pleased me the best of all my men."
um. in the baths? really? how ... greek. your men are taking turns pleasing you in the baths, and this stranger comes up and does a better job... there was much raising of eyebrows in the class. so the student tried again:
i met A in the baths, and invited him to my beer party because "he pleased all my men the best."
well isn't this worse? now poor shipwrecked dude is a man-whore. the king owes him a beer party at the very least for all his trouble in the baths.
a few sentences later, we find out that there was jousting at the baths, and that shipwrecked dude beat up the king's best man. this is pleasing to the king for some reason, and innuendo asides, the invite is issued for physical prowess in armed combat.
no matter how we translated it, it sounded like thinly veiled old english porn. and we, a class filled with responsible, mature graduate students, were reduced to red-faced, giggling seventh graders by the passage.
i only bring this up because i just managed to complete a translation that had about five extra words in it i couldn't find a place for, and after a few hours tinkering with it, i'm still not sure it's right. the king's father has granted his daughter something, and shipwrecked dude should no longer be sad. there's mention of money, but not marriage. given the little strumpet's actions at the beginning of the beer party...
oh well. i finished with it an hour earlier than usual, though this is because i skipped my nap this evening. sigh.
and i think i lost my memo pad. it had a nice pen in the spiral, and this saddens me. i hope i find it, and that i didn't leave in in 306. i'll check in the morning.
for now, i'm thinking it might be in my best interests to go to bed. even though it's only ten. i've been inordinately tired these last few days, on top of the cramps from hell and the backache of doom.
instead, i'll end up spending time with the cats.
love and peace.
the backstory we're working with [on this old english soap opera] is that this dude, A, was shipwrecked and ended up in this king's turf. they meet up [details are not given in the plot summary] in a bath, and A impresses the king [again, no details]. the king is so impressed, that he invites shipwrecked dude to a feast [literally translated "beer party"]. it is here that our translations begin.
we've gotten through the beer party, and here comes king's daughter. she smooches her daddy, and then goes around and kisses all the men at the table. apparently, this is a custom considered perfectly normal. then she sees shipwrecked dude, and we get to translate the king's rendition of their meeting in the bath.
here's what a student came up with at first:
i met A in the baths, and invited him to my beer party because "he pleased me the best of all my men."
um. in the baths? really? how ... greek. your men are taking turns pleasing you in the baths, and this stranger comes up and does a better job... there was much raising of eyebrows in the class. so the student tried again:
i met A in the baths, and invited him to my beer party because "he pleased all my men the best."
well isn't this worse? now poor shipwrecked dude is a man-whore. the king owes him a beer party at the very least for all his trouble in the baths.
a few sentences later, we find out that there was jousting at the baths, and that shipwrecked dude beat up the king's best man. this is pleasing to the king for some reason, and innuendo asides, the invite is issued for physical prowess in armed combat.
no matter how we translated it, it sounded like thinly veiled old english porn. and we, a class filled with responsible, mature graduate students, were reduced to red-faced, giggling seventh graders by the passage.
i only bring this up because i just managed to complete a translation that had about five extra words in it i couldn't find a place for, and after a few hours tinkering with it, i'm still not sure it's right. the king's father has granted his daughter something, and shipwrecked dude should no longer be sad. there's mention of money, but not marriage. given the little strumpet's actions at the beginning of the beer party...
oh well. i finished with it an hour earlier than usual, though this is because i skipped my nap this evening. sigh.
and i think i lost my memo pad. it had a nice pen in the spiral, and this saddens me. i hope i find it, and that i didn't leave in in 306. i'll check in the morning.
for now, i'm thinking it might be in my best interests to go to bed. even though it's only ten. i've been inordinately tired these last few days, on top of the cramps from hell and the backache of doom.
instead, i'll end up spending time with the cats.
love and peace.
posted by Rehkmira @ 21:46
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