Re: Translation Project for Everyone.

[Padraic Brown <agricola@WAM.UMD.EDU>]

On Mon, 2 Feb 1998, Padraic Brown wrote:

> Man 1. Pardon me, sir.  Do you have change for a two-bob-bit?, for I wish
> to purchase a train ticket.
> Man 2. Why, yes, my good man.  Here you go.  I say, you're not from around
> here, are you?
> Man 1. Why no, sir.  I am from [insert your country here].
> Man 2. Well, sir, you speak top notch [insert your Conlang here].
> Man 1. Why thank you, sir. ...

In Brithenig:

1.  ffageth a pardonarmi, faistr.  ten  ty  weg    per yn gwleschin?,
    make    to excuse me, mister.  have you change for a  little crown?
    perch   eo wol comprar yn billet di lla ferrowi.
    because I want to buy  a  ticket of the train.

2.  a,   si,  fon  faistr.  alla-es.  es  ty  rhen di   ci,   si?
    why, yes, good sir.     there.    are you not  from here, yes?

1.  no, faistr.  eo su d'   Almein.
    no, mister.  I  am from Germany.

2.  a,  si.   ty  barol bon  Brithenig.
    ah, yes.  you speak good Brithenig.

3.  greid, faistr.
    thanks, mister.

All right, I chickened out.  I didn't even try to translate "top-notch"!
I'm pleased with "gwleschin" anyway as an idiom for a half crown.  Now
that I look at it closer, the Cambrian economy must have been quite good
when this was written -- for when was the last time you could buy a train
ticket for _less_ than 2/6?

There are probably sixty-seven different places where I either have the
wrong mutation or an incorrect mutation, so there will likely be a
correction of this in future.

And in Kernu dialect:

1. pardoni-mi, mhaystoer.  tens ty  cambia per yn kyeggoer?
   excuse  me, mister.     have you change for a  half-crown?

   per-ke  yo le  ncomprar dyn  billets del    neyseornomearch teneg.
   because I  the buying   of a ticket  of the iron     horse  have.

2. ai, si, mo bhon mhaistoer. atsa   la.    n'  asty    rhen di   ci, no?
   ah, yes, my good sir.      is-she there. not are-you not  from here, no?

1. no, mhaystoer.  amme yo del  nAlman.
   no, sir.        am-I I  from Germany.

2. llarow!  mays, dos-   ay       il  cant        Kernu  maboun!
   indeed!  but,  to you there is the speech (of) Kernow very good!

1. ai, ti     gracia, mhaystoer.
   ah, to you thanks, mister.

Padraic.