Hungarian translation project - Dirty Fred

[gsandi]

A promise is a promise. chris-gr is back, we can continue of our project of teaching-learning Hungarian. Everyone is welcome to contribute, but your Hungarian has to be at a certain level already (chris's certainly is), otherwise you will be quickly disheartened.

The novel I propose to continue with is "Piszkos Fred, a kapitány" (Dirty Fred, the captain), written by the Hungarian popular writer Jenõ Rejtõ (1905-1943), about whom you can read up on in the Wikipedia, in Hungarian (http://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rejt%C5%91_Jen%C5%91) or in German (http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jen%C5%91_Rejt%C5%91). [Now that I see that there is no English version, I think I should do it myself].

This novel is one of the best by Rejtõ. It is an intricately plotted adventure story that takes place in the world of tramp steamers, low-life seamen and the islands of the South Pacific. There is absolutely nothing "Hungarian" about it, not a single Hungarian character or historical/geographical reference. The humour and the worldview, of course, are pure Budapest café-house style, most Hungarians recognize themselves in it.

I chose this novel rather than the other of Rejtõ's classics ("The 14-carat roadster") because it has no English-language translation (to the best of my knowledge). There is one of the Roadster book, it can easily be located on the Internet (http://mek1.mek.ro/porta/szint/human/sz ... /index.htm)

So, let's dive in. Observant readers will notice that Part 1 of Chapter One is one long dialogue between two people.

I will add some pointers in italics, where I think it's advisable (namely, it's harder than normal Hungarian )

If this is too long, I can make the next portion shorter.

-------------------------------------------------

Rejtő Jenő

Piszkos Fred, a kapitány

ELSŐ FEJEZET

1

- Uram! A késemért jöttem!

- Hol hagyta?

- Valami matrózban.

- Milyen kés volt?

- Acél. Keskeny penge, kissé hajlott. Nem látta?

- Várjunk... Csak lassan, kérem... Milyen volt a nyele?

- Kagyló.

- Hány részből?

- Egy darabból készült.

- Akkor nincs baj. Megvan a kés! (megvan is the perfective of van '(there/it) is - I'd say this is colloquial usage, and it simply means 'I've got it')

- Hol?

- A hátamban.

- Köszönöm...

- Kérem... A csapos mesélte, hogy milyen szép kés van bennem. Egy darab húszcentis kagyló ritkaság.

- Forduljon meg, kérem, hogy kivegyem...

- Kitartás! A kocsmáros azt mondta, hogy amíg nem hoz orvost, hagyjam bent a kést, mert különben elvérzek. A kocsmáros ért ehhez, mert itt már öltek orvost is. Régi étterem. (öltek - 3rd person plural present indefinite of ölni 'to kill'. It is the standard way to express an impersonal subject: one has killed a doctor, or, better: a doctor has been killed)

- De én sietek, kérem! És mit tudja az ember, hogy mikor jön az orvos? Kés nélkül mégsem mehetek éjjel haza. (mégsem = not possibly)

- Az orvos itt lakik a közelben, és a kocsmáros triciklin ment érte. Ha szurkált uram, hát viselje a következményeket. (tricikli = tricycle; szurkált = frequentative of szúrt 'he (or polite you) stabbed'; viselni a következményeket = suffer the consequences)

- Hohó! Azért, mert magába szúrnak egy kést, még nincs joga hozzá, hogy megtartsa. Ez önbíráskodás! Hála Istennek, van még jog a világon. (önbíráskodás = self-administered justice)

- Nem is jogra hivatkoztam, hanem orvostudományra. A kocsmáros szerint az a recept, hogy bent maradjon a kés. Orvosi rendelet! (recept = recipe, in this case 'ordonnance', probably somewhat illiterate usage, what can you expect from a low-life sailor?)

- Az orvos rendelkezzék a saját holmijával, a kés az én műszerem!

- Hm... nehéz ügy...

- Tudja mit? Nekem is van szívem, segítek a bajon. Kiveszem magából a késemet, és beteszek helyette egy másikat. Az is megteszi, amíg a mentő jön. (mentő = ambulance)

- Jól van. Csak ne legyen kisebb a kés, hogy jól elzárja a sebet, mert az egészség mindennél fontosabb, és recept az recept, hiába...

- Nyugodt lehet. Egy nagy konyhakést nyomok be helyette.

- Akkor rendben van.

- Forduljon... meg... hopp!... Így...

- Most nyomja bele a másikat!... Gyorsan!

- Ez itt a polcon épp jó lesz, habár csak fanyelű.

- Benne van?

- Fenét!... Hiszen alig vérzik a sebe. Itt, a csont mellett állt meg a penge, a porcok között... A mindenségit, kicsorbult a hegye! (porc = cartilege, gristle; A mindenségit = mild swearword, the Almighty!; kicsorbulni = get nicked (said of a knife); hegy = not mountain, just the tip of a knife)

- Nyomta volna a húsba, maga kezdő!

- Várjon! Ráteszek egy vizes kendőt... A szvetter egész jól leszorítja...

- Higgye el végre, hogy kés kell bele! A vendéglős tudja. Itt naponta ölnek. Tegye be a kést. Mi az magának?

- Nem értek hozzá. Bicskázásért vállalom a felelősséget, de műtétért nem! Kérje meg erre a szívességre valamelyik matrózt. Majd csak magukhoz térnek.

- Jó, hogy említi! Uram! Maga leütötte tizenkét hajósomat.

- Az egyikre ráesett a likőrösállvány, arról nem tehetek. (likőrösállvány = liquor cabinet)

- Az volt az első fűtő!

- Mit tudja ezt egy likőrösállvány?

- És ott fekszik a hajópincér. Hol lehet most pincért találni? A Honolulu-Star reggel indul, és se fűtő, se pincér, mert maga leütötte őket!

- Abban igazam volt. Hozzám vágtak egy korsót, és az ilyen magatartás sért.

- Egyik sem vágta magához a korsót. Ezek ártatlanok.

- Hát ki tette?

- Én.

- Szerencséje, hogy haláltusáját vívja, különben most fejbe ütném... Jó napot. (haláltusát vívni = to have one's death struggle)

- Várjon!

- Nincs időm. Sietek!

- Nézze meg, hogy nem kell-e kés a sebbe. Az ilyen szúrást nem szabad elhanyagolni. Lehet, hogy befelé vérzik.

- Onnan nem szúrhatták meg. Csak várjon az orvosra, az majd segít magán, ha lehet. Ha nem, akkor nyugodjék békével. (nyugodjék békével = requiescat in pace)

- Ajánlom magamat... (somehat lower-class way of saying goodbye, lit. I recommend myself to you)

- Sajnálom, hogy ilyen gyenge legénységet toborzott...

- Halló! Fiatalember! Elkísérem. Volna egy ötletem, amivel pénzt kereshet.

- Rendben van.

- Várjon! Hej, csapos! Ha jön a kocsmáros, mondd, hogy elmentem járni egyet ide a közelbe. Ne féljen semmit, ha baj van, kést teszek a sebbe! Vigyázok... No, jöjjön!

[chris-gr]

I'm so happy, I think I'm gonna cry! LOL

[Attila Isten ostora]

Check out the following topic from ebookz.eu :

An interesting hungarian author: Rejtő Jenő
There you can read an introduction on him and find some free books from the Hungarian Electronic Library.

[chris-gr]

Well, 20 days later (shame on me ), here are just a few words I can't understand, although I've already looked them up:

csapos=?
kocsmáros = the owner of a kocsma? And what is he doing on a ship?
kivegyem ( < kivesz 'take out' ?)
leszorítya <...?
And finally, vágtak comes from vág 'cut/slaughter/strike'? I'm a bit lost there!

Thank you in advance

[gsandi]

Well, 20 days later (shame on me ), here are just a few words I can't understand, although I've already looked them up:

My answers are in bold:

csapos = barman (from csap 'tap')

kocsmáros = the owner of a kocsma? And what is he doing on a ship? Yes indeed, the bar owner (or keeper), the publican I think they call him in England. Who said they are on a ship?

kivegyem ( < kivesz 'take out' ?) = Yes, 1st person sing. imperative/subjunctive ("shall I take it out?")
leszorítya <...? Not "Leszorítja"? 3rd person sing. imperative/subjunctive of leszorítani (to tighten it down, as, e.g. with a tourniquet over a bleeding wound)

And finally, vágtak comes from vág 'cut/slaughter/strike'? I'm a bit lost there! Yes, 3rd person plural past indefinitite of vágni, to cut, strike.

Remember, 3rd person plural can be the impersonal.

[chris-gr]

This is my attempt. At some points I had to give up, at some other points I wish I was doing this translation in Greek --it would have been better. Anyway, here it is:

Jenő Rejtő
Dirty Fred, the Captain

Chapter 1
1
-Sir! I came for my knife!
-Where did you leave it?
-In a sailor.
-What kind of a knife was it?
-Made of steel. Straight blade, a bit bent. Have you seen it?
-Let’s wait… More slowly, please… What was the handle made of?
-Shell.
-How many pieces?
-It was made of one piece.
-Don’t worry then. I’ve got it!
-Where?
-In my back.
-Thank you…
-Welcome… The barman said what a nice knife I had in me. A 20 cent piece of shell is a rare thing.
-Well, turn around, please, so that I can take it out…
-Hold on! The pub owner said that until the doctor came, I should leave the knife inside me, otherwise I’d bleed. The pub owner is an expert on these things, because a doctor has also been killed here. It’s an old restaurant.
-But I’m in a hurry! And when is that doctor coming? I can’t possibly go home in the night without a knife.
-The doctor lives around here and the pub-owner went for him on a tricycle. If you’ve stabbed someone, you should suffer the consequences.
-So, just because someone stabbed you with a knife, there’s no law for them, [?]. This is self-administered justice! Thank God, there’s still Law in this world.
-I wasn’t referring to law, but to the medical science. According to the pub-owner it’s an ordonnance that the knife stays inside. What the doctor ordered!
-The doctor should possess his own things, the knife is my tool!
-Hm… Tough issue…
-You know what? I too have a heart, I’ll help you in your trouble. I’ll pull out from you my knife, and put inside another instead of it. That’ll do it, until the ambulance comes.
-OK. Just don’t let the knife be shorter to shut the wound nicely, because health is the most important thing, and an ordonnance is an ordonnance, in vain…
-Stay calm. I’ll push inside you a big kitchen-knife in its place.
-OK then.
-Turn around… more…That’s it!
-And now press inside the other one! Fast!
-This one here on the shelf will be OK, although its handle is made of wood.
-Is it in?
-Dammit! The wound is hardly bleeding. Here, the blade stopped next to a bone, between the cartilages… For the love of—the tip got nicked!
-You’d have hit the flesh, you amateur!
-Wait! I’ll put a wet scarf on. The sweater should tighten it down nicely.
-Believe me, at last, that the knife has to stay in! The restaurant owner knows that. Everyday people get killed here. Put the knife in. What is it to you?
- I’m not an expert on those things. I take the responsibility for carrying a pocket-knife, but not for the surgery! Ask another sailor for this favor. When they regain consciousness.
-Now that you mentioned it! Sir! You took down 12 of my sailors.
-The liquor cabinet fell on one of them, from there he couldn’t do anything (?)
-That was the head stoker!
-Do you know what a liquor cabinet is?
-And the ship waiter lies over there. Where can I find a waiter now? The Honolulu-Star is sailing in the morning without a stoker, without a waiter, because you, Sir, stroke them down!
-I was right about that. They stroke a jug to me, and such an attitude hurts.
-No one stroke the jug to you. They are innocent.
-Well, who did it?
-I did.
-Fortunately for you, you have your own death struggle, otherwise I’d hit you on the head now… Have a nice day.
-Wait!
- I have no time. I’m in a hurry!
-Look that the knife is needed in the wound. Such a stabbing shouldn’t be neglected. (?) It’s bleeding inside.
-From that place it’s not possible to be stabbed. Just wait for the doctor, he will help you –if he can. If not, may he rest in peace
-Goodbye…
-I’m sorry that you recruited such a weak crew…
-Hey, young man! (I’ll walk with you?) I had an idea, which can get you money.
-OK.
-Wait! Hey, barman! If the pub-owner comes, tell him that I went here in the neighborhood. Don’t be afraid of anything, if there’s trouble, I’ll put the knife in the wound. I’ll take care of that… Well, let’s go!


Gsandi's corrections are -as usual- the most important part of this exercise.

[gsandi]

This is a superb job, Chris, you obviously understood the whole introductory scene of the novel.

I went through it carefully, and corrected every passage where you may not have understood the grammar 100% or you are not aware of some idiom. I hope you don't mind, but I wish someone would do this for my Japanese - it's very frustrating to guess at a language without a good teacher.

(As a side comment, neither of us seems to believe in the mantra of modern educationalists, who think that a student's self-esteem is on line if he is corrected on every single point of importance. How else can one learn anything properly? Grrrr... )

My corrections and comments are in bold:

Chapter 1
1
-Sir! I came for my knife!
-Where did you leave it?
-In a sailor.
-What kind of a knife was it?
-Made of steel. Straight blade, a bit bent. Have you seen it?

“Keskeny” = narrow, not straight.

-Let’s wait… More slowly, please… What was the handle made of?
-Shell.
-How many pieces?
-It was made of one piece.
-Don’t worry then. I’ve got it!
-Where?
-In my back.
-Thank you…
-Welcome… The barman said what a nice knife I had in me. A 20 cent piece of shell is a rare thing.

húszcentis = 20 cm (colloquial, formal version: húszcentiméteres), not 20 cents

-Well, turn around, please, so that I can take it out…
-Hold on! The pub owner said that until the doctor came, I should leave the knife inside me, otherwise I’d bleed.

elvérzek = bleed to death (lit. bleed away)

The pub owner is an expert on these things, because a doctor has also been killed here.

Close, but a bit better: “because even doctors have been killed here”. In fact, the use of the 3rd person plural for the impersonal in Hungarian + the accusative without an article leaves some doubt as to how many doctors have been killed here, but if it was truly just one, I would expect *mert itt már megöltek egy orvost is.

It’s an old restaurant.
-But I’m in a hurry! And when is that doctor coming?

Good, but the sentence includes: És mit tudja az ember? This is an example of another way to be impersonal – the subject is “Az ember” (= The man, the person), I am pretty sure this is a loan-translation of Mann in German. So, strictly speaking, one should translate the sentence as: “And how can one (I?) know when the doctor is coming?”.

I can’t possibly go home in the night without a knife.
-The doctor lives around here and the pub-owner went for him on a tricycle. If you’ve stabbed someone, you should suffer the consequences.
-So, just because someone stabbed you with a knife, there’s no law for them, [?].

... nincs joga, hogy megtartsa = ... you don’t have the right to keep it (3rd person polite usage, corresponding to the use of “uram” (probably best translated in this case, in North America at least, as Mister).

This is self-administered justice! Thank God, there’s still Law in this world.
-I wasn’t referring to law, but to the medical science. According to the pub-owner it’s an ordonnance that the knife stays inside. What the doctor ordered!
-The doctor should possess his own things, the knife is my tool!

... rendelkezzék = optative/imperative of “rendelkezni” (take care of). So: The doctor should take care of his own things...

-Hm… Tough issue…
-You know what? I too have a heart, I’ll help you in your trouble. I’ll pull out from you my knife, and put inside another instead of it. That’ll do it, until the ambulance comes.
-OK. Just don’t let the knife be shorter to shut the wound nicely, because health is the most important thing, and an ordonnance is an ordonnance, in vain…

“in vain” is a nice touch! But in this case, the right translation is: “what can you do?”

-Stay calm.

Literally this is right. But “Nyugodt lehet” (or simply. “Nyugodjon meg”) is just everyday language for “Don’t worry”.

I’ll push inside you a big kitchen-knife in its place.
-OK then.
-Turn around… more…That’s it!
-And now press inside the other one! Fast!
-This one here on the shelf will be OK, although its handle is made of wood.
-Is it in?
-Dammit! The wound is hardly bleeding. Here, the blade stopped next to a bone, between the cartilages… For the love of—the tip got nicked!
-You’d have hit the flesh, you amateur!
-Wait! I’ll put a wet scarf on. The sweater should tighten it down nicely.
-Believe me, at last, that the knife has to stay in!

kés kell bele! = you have to have a knife in there (not necessarily “the” knife”)

The restaurant owner knows that. Everyday people get killed here. Put the knife in. What is it to you?
- I’m not an expert on those things. I take the responsibility for carrying a pocket-knife,

I should have warned you! “Bicskázás” is indeed from bicska = pocket (or at least hand) knife, but “bicskázás” = stabbing someone with a knife (In North America I didn’t frequent the street gang crowd, otherwise I would know how to say this properly). SO: I take responsibility for knifing, but not for surgery.

but not for the surgery! Ask another sailor for this favor. When they regain consciousness.
-Now that you mentioned it! Sir! You took down 12 of my sailors.
-The liquor cabinet fell on one of them, from there he couldn’t do anything (?)

Arról nem tehetek = that wasn't my fault

-That was the head stoker!
-Do you know what a liquor cabinet is?

This is one of the funnier sentences, and a Rejtõ hallmark. “How can a liquor cabinet (or better: liquor stand) know that?”

-And the ship waiter lies over there. Where can I find a waiter now? The Honolulu-Star is sailing in the morning without a stoker, without a waiter, because you, Sir, stroke them down!

leütötte = knocked them out

-I was right about that.

Abban igazam volt = I had every right to do that.

They stroke a jug to me, and such an attitude hurts.

Hozzám vágtak egy korsót, és az ilyen magatartás sért = They threw a jug at me, and this kind of behaviour (French comportement) is an insult (sérteni = to insult someone)

-No one stroke the jug to you. They are innocent.
-Well, who did it?
-I did.
-Fortunately for you, you have your own death struggle, otherwise I’d hit you on the head now… Have a nice day.
-Wait!
- I have no time. I’m in a hurry!
-Look that the knife is needed in the wound. Such a stabbing shouldn’t be neglected. (?) It’s bleeding inside.

Lehet, hogy befelé vérzik = It’s possible that it’s bleeding inwards.

-From that place it’s not possible to be stabbed. Just wait for the doctor, he will help you –if he can. If not, may he rest in peace.

May YOU rest in peace. The well-known problem of using the 3rd person singular for polite address (if polite is the word for two people who have just tried to kill ach other ) – but in this case the context makes it clear that it’s the first mate (or whoever he is) who is meant and not the doctor.

-Goodbye…
-I’m sorry that you recruited such a weak crew…
-Hey, young man! (I’ll walk with you?) I had an idea, which can get you money.
-OK.
-Wait! Hey, barman! If the pub-owner comes, tell him that I went here in the neighborhood. Don’t be afraid of anything, if there’s trouble, I’ll put the knife in the wound. I’ll take care of that… Well, let’s go!

Ne féljen semmit = Don’t worry.

----------------------------------------------------

Shall I post the next portion?

[sasasha]

Shall I post the next portion?

Yes, if purely because I want to see what happens next! I went to Hungary two weeks ago touring with a choir, and the only thing I can do in Hungarian is order vegetarian food; but it's very interesting and I really wanted to read some Hungarian literature, the sense of humour around the place just tickled me. This is great! Perhaps I'll do a bit of learning, too...

[gsandi]

Shall I post the next portion?

Yes, if purely because I want to see what happens next! I went to Hungary two weeks ago touring with a choir, and the only thing I can do in Hungarian is order vegetarian food; but it's very interesting and I really wanted to read some Hungarian literature, the sense of humour around the place just tickled me. This is great! Perhaps I'll do a bit of learning, too...

Vegetarian food in Hungary? You must be kidding!

As my western-born wife loves to point out, even salads in Hungary have bacon bits.

But if you got any, congratulations - you have shown determination and you deserve credit. Offhand, I'd ask for "Gyümölcsleves" (fruit soup), but that is mostly a summer specialty. Túróscsusza? (a kind of dessert, with milk curds), but that depends on whether you can eat dairy products.

Oh, I know: diós palacsinta, walnut-filled pancakes, this way you get your protein, too. But isn't palacsinta made with some fat-based products? I guess, I've never had to look into it, I am a hyper-carnivore.

[Gremlins]

As my western-born wife loves to point out, even salads in Hungary have bacon bits.

Sounds like my kinda country!

[sasasha]

Shall I post the next portion?

Yes, if purely because I want to see what happens next! I went to Hungary two weeks ago touring with a choir, and the only thing I can do in Hungarian is order vegetarian food; but it's very interesting and I really wanted to read some Hungarian literature, the sense of humour around the place just tickled me. This is great! Perhaps I'll do a bit of learning, too...

Vegetarian food in Hungary? You must be kidding!

As my western-born wife loves to point out, even salads in Hungary have bacon bits.

But if you got any, congratulations - you have shown determination and you deserve credit. Offhand, I'd ask for "Gyümölcsleves" (fruit soup), but that is mostly a summer specialty. Túróscsusza? (a kind of dessert, with milk curds), but that depends on whether you can eat dairy products.

Oh, I know: diós palacsinta, walnut-filled pancakes, this way you get your protein, too. But isn't palacsinta made with some fat-based products? I guess, I've never had to look into it, I am a hyper-carnivore.

Yes, well, it was deep-fried bread-crumbed cheese with rice, chips and a salad made of cabbage and salad cream for every meal, I kid you not. Actually, one day there was a really nice asparagus soup, and the main course was a deep-fried bread-crumbed pancake filled with red cabbage, which made a (minimal) change, lol. But we were eating set meals every night, so I'm sure if I'd wanted to try and find anything different on the menu I might have been able to... hmm.

One day we went to Lájosmisze (I think that's right) to see a horse show; vegetarian food was I think out of the question there, and they had little things that I thought were scones, and when I bit into them realised they were sort of monster-drippings. But it was an interesting experience. Anyway, I digress. Don't want to hijack the post!

[hwhatting]

Shall I post the next portion?

Yes, if purely because I want to see what happens next! I went to Hungary two weeks ago touring with a choir, and the only thing I can do in Hungarian is order vegetarian food; but it's very interesting and I really wanted to read some Hungarian literature, the sense of humour around the place just tickled me. This is great! Perhaps I'll do a bit of learning, too...

Vegetarian food in Hungary? You must be kidding!

As my western-born wife loves to point out, even salads in Hungary have bacon bits.

But if you got any, congratulations - you have shown determination and you deserve credit. Offhand, I'd ask for "Gyümölcsleves" (fruit soup), but that is mostly a summer specialty. Túróscsusza? (a kind of dessert, with milk curds), but that depends on whether you can eat dairy products.

Oh, I know: diós palacsinta, walnut-filled pancakes, this way you get your protein, too. But isn't palacsinta made with some fat-based products? I guess, I've never had to look into it, I am a hyper-carnivore.

---Thread hijack---

That reminds me how we once had a vegetarian visitor while I was working in Uzbekistan. It was horrible for him - until we found a nice trick; in most restaurants there, you can order extra helpings of potatoes and vegetables to the (always meat-heavy) main dishes. So we ordered just these extra helpings for him instead of the main dishes.

---End of Thread hijack---

[gsandi]

Yes, well, it was deep-fried bread-crumbed cheese with rice, chips and a salad made of cabbage and salad cream for every meal, I kid you not. Actually, one day there was a really nice asparagus soup, and the main course was a deep-fried bread-crumbed pancake filled with red cabbage, which made a (minimal) change, lol. But we were eating set meals every night, so I'm sure if I'd wanted to try and find anything different on the menu I might have been able to... hmm.

One day we went to Lájosmisze (I think that's right) to see a horse show; vegetarian food was I think out of the question there, and they had little things that I thought were scones, and when I bit into them realised they were sort of monster-drippings. But it was an interesting experience. Anyway, I digress. Don't want to hijack the post!

Talking about food on a thread related to Hungary in any way will never hijack it!

Food is the national passion, rich, spicy, tasty, (for you unfortunately) meat-rich, food. The reason the Kádár régime survived relatively well for so long was that people could, on the whole, eat well under it.

My father had a nice story - his institute had visitors from our fraternal German Democratic Republic. They were shown around the sights of Budapest, including its foodshops, and - being from where they were from - they started getting into "bei uns" mode. Bei uns, it seems, food was cheaper, including bacon and sausages. Oh yes, asked the Hungarians, and can you actually find them in the shops? Oh no, of course not!

[chris-gr]

Gábor: I'm looking forward the next installment! And thank you for your corrections and comments

[Attila Isten ostora]

Try to translate this epitaph:


Sír (a) felirat

Ki itt nyugtalankodik csendesen,
Író volt és elköltözött az élôk sorába.
Halt harminchat évig, élt néhány napot,
S ha gondolkozott, csak álmodott
Néhány lapot. S mikor kinevették:
Azt hitte, hogy kacagtatott.
Most itt fekszik e nehéz
Temetôi hant alatt,
Zöld koponyáján kiüt a csira
És azt álmodja, hogy él.
Szegény. Béke hangjaira!
Ámen.

(Rejtô Jenô)

[1905. március 29. - 1943. január 1.]

[gsandi]

Try to translate this epitaph:


Sír (a) felirat

Ki itt nyugtalankodik csendesen,
Író volt és elköltözött az élôk sorába.
Halt harminchat évig, élt néhány napot,
S ha gondolkozott, csak álmodott
Néhány lapot. S mikor kinevették:
Azt hitte, hogy kacagtatott.
Most itt fekszik e nehéz
Temetôi hant alatt,
Zöld koponyáján kiüt a csira
És azt álmodja, hogy él.
Szegény. Béke hangjaira!
Ámen.

(Rejtô Jenô)

[1905. március 29. - 1943. január 1.]

This would be a good exercise for chris-gr! (While he is waiting for my posting of the next instalment of Dirty Fred).

I haven't realized that Rejtõ was such a good poet, by the way.

Shouldn't csira be csíra? (Sometimes even I get confused about long and short vowels, especially among the high ones).

[Attila Isten ostora]

Indeed csíra is the correct form. The epitaph can be found at:
http://mek.oszk.hu/01000/01045/01045.htm#16

[Khvaragh]

Hungarian is...such a scary yet amazingly cool language. I don't think I'd ever have the nerve to try and learn it.

[Attila Isten ostora]

For off record I have to other interesting poems.

Code: Select all

Arany János
AZ ORTHOLÓGUSOKRA
                      
De mivel verba valent usu
Halad a nyelv, akárhogy nyúzzu(k)         

 Kisütik, hogy a magyar nyelv
 Nincs, nem is lesz, nem is volt;
 Ami új van benne, mind rossz,
 Ami régi, az meg tót.

 Motto:
 Üsd, nem anyád!
 Közmondás.

 Boncold csak nyelvész! Hát baj, hogy az  áldozat elvész?
 Tartozik ez tereád?...Egy bizonyos: nem anyád!                                            


 Ady Endre
TUDÓSOK HETE

    
 Urak és hölgyek, tudják-é mi a΄,
 Ha ünnepel az Akadémia?...
 Nincs akkor ankett, nincs akkor bankett,
 E szerény intézmény részvényese bank lett,
 Magállapítják, hogy áll a mérleg,
 Szépen kiosztják a nyereséget.
 Részvény szerint jut minden tag úrra,
 Több, mint angol jut egy árva búrra...


  Ekkor megnézik, hogyan áll a lista,
  Bejön egypár új akadémista.
  E díszes tisztet olyanoknak osztják,
  Akik tudják, hogy: hogy él az osztyák,
  És a cseremisz mit szokott enni...
  De túl okosnak nem szabad lenni!...
  Urak és hölgyek, tudják-é, mi a΄:
  Így ünnepel az Akadémia…

[chris-gr]

Am I going to translate this poem or not? (Not that I'm not intrigued )
And what happened to 'Dirty Fred'-2? I wanna know what happened next!

[gsandi]

Am I going to translate this poem or not? (Not that I'm not intrigued )

Well, are you? It shouldn't be harder than "Kokoro", which I am translating, one sentence at a time, with obscure kanji readings that even Nelson's doesn't list...

OK, I just looked at the Rejtõ poem again - maybe it is harder.

Some hints:

elköltözött az élôk sorába - this is a twist on the phrase in obituaries: "elköltözött a holtak sorába" = "he moved to the zone [lit. the line-up] of the dead"

kacagtatott = 3rd person sing. past indefinite of the causative of kacagni = to laugh, cackle (louder, maybe happier, than "nevetni")

kinevették = 3rd person plural (in the sense of the impersonal) past definite of kinevetni = to laugh at somebody, to mock someone

hant = grave, or rather the earth on top of it (is there a word for that in English?)

csíra = fresh sprout

béke hangjaira = word play on the expression "béke hamvaira" = "peace on his ashes" (i.e. requiescat in pace, if I can quote Latin at a Greek [I've read that it's not always appreciated ]

And what happened to 'Dirty Fred'-2? I wanna know what happened next!

I'll post it, don't worry. I still have Internet problems at home (France really is a 3rd-world country at times, unless you live in a large city, I suppose), and I do not always find the time at work to prepare the posting. Sorry!

[gsandi]

Here is the next instalment of Piszkos Fred, for chris's Hungarian exercise (with some helping comments in bold). The style of just having a dialogue continues - have heart, eventually there will be some narrative!


2.

- Sebesülésem miatt óvatosnak kell lennem . Merre akar menni?

- Nem tudom. Se pénzem, se dolgom.

- Maradjunk a közelben, az orvos miatt. Ejnye, nem kérdeztem a vendéglőst, hogy pipázhatok-e ilyen súlyos állapotban. Megkockáztassam? [Can I risk it?]

- Nyugodtan. Mi lehet belőle?

- Semmi?

- A világon semmi. Legfeljebb [at most] meghal. Az meg úgyis előfordulhat.

- Teljesen igaz. Hát ide hallgasson. Én vagyok a Honolulu-Star szállásmestere [responsible for crew quarter arrangements on a boat]. Hogy hívják magát?

- Fülig [up to his ears] Jimmy...

- Miért van ilyen hülye neve?

- Mert szeretek nevetni, és valaki rám fogta, hogy olyankor fülig húzom a számat.

- Csakugyan tejfölösképű [still drinking mother's milk?] alak. Jókora [person of large build], csontos emberben ritkaság. Hány éves?

- Huszonnégy...

- Vakarcs [just a teenager, or not even].

- A családja [Your family. Ta mère, they say in French].

- Ért a hajóhoz?

- Hülyéket kérdez... Byrd kapitánnyal kétszer voltam expedíción, suhanc [another word for youngster] koromban.

- Milyen írása van?!

- Folyó [flowing handwriting]. Csak a nagybetűt [capital letters] nem mindet ismerem. Egy szállásmestertől tanultam írni!

- Hülye!

- Az igaz! De a szállásmesterben ritka az okos.

- Miféle okmányai vannak?!

- Ezt kikérem magamnak !

- Szóval semmilyen írása sincs?

- Rendőrségtől van!

- Az jó!

- Nahát akkor nincs semmi baj! Valparaisóban kaptam egy írást a kapitánytól, hogy mindennap jelentkezni kell a felügyelő [inspector] úrnál, és két óra után nem mehetek az utcára.

- Az nem jó!

- Nekem mondja? Azért jöttem el Valparaisóból.

- Benne van a hajóskönyvben [in the sailors' register]?

- Ezt visszautasítom [I don't accept it].

- Törölték?

- És ha igen! Mi közöm hozzájuk [What's that to me?]?

- Ismer engem könyv nélkül minden hajósa a világnak!

- Én is attól félek. Akar dolgozni?

- Nem.

- Miért?

- Elvesztettem a meggyőződésemet [my convictions [acc.]].

- És ez mitől jön?

- Tavaly Nápolyban loptam egy kockás felöltőt [checkered suit], és azóta úgy érzem, hogy úrnak születtem. Elhatároztam, hogy többé nem dolgozom.

- Azelőtt dolgozott?

- Nem. De hiányzott az elhatározás.

- Nézze... nekem hajópincér [ship's waiter] és fűtő kell, különben kirúgnak [they'll kick me out, i.e. I'll be fired], és nincs munkám.

- Nem baj. Azt együtt csinálhatjuk! Én értek hozzá.

- Fogja be a száját... Itt Port Szuezben sem fűtőt, sem pincért nem találok hajnalig. Akkor indul a Honolulu-Star tovább. Az idényben [in season]vagyunk. Hát ide hallgasson: itt van nálam a fűtő és a pincér papírja. Álljon be helyettük [in their place]. Maga ellátná kettőnek a munkáját. Ritkán láttam ilyen erős bivalyt.

- Hízelgéssel nem megy semmire!

- De talán mással. Két ember fizetése innen Tahitiig valóságos kis vagyon. Maga megkeresheti az egészet egyedül... Fél napot fűtene, felet kiszolgálna. Senki sem tudná, hogy a fűtő és a pincér egy személy.

- És mikor aludnék?

- Hát, amikor megérkeztünk Tahitibe. Ha sokat mondok, öt hét az egész. Odáig két ember fizetését kapná. Na jön?... Nézze, már készülődnek.

- Rendben van! Elfogadom!

- Éjjel Wilson Hutchins amerikai fűtő, nappal José Pombio spanyol pincér! Ezt jegyezze meg! Tud spanyolul?

- Néhány előétel [hors d'oeuvre] nevét, de azzal úgy-ahogy [somehow] megértetem magamat.

- Hol tanult meg előételnyelven [hors d'oeuvre language] beszélni?

- Barcelonában működtem egy étterem kirakatában mint transzparens, hosszú ideig.

- Az micsoda?

- A kirakatban ültem, hurkák [sausages] és lepények [cake - my French dictionary says: galette, torte] között, időnként bólogattam, a hasamra mutattam, és végül következett egy vigyor [a wide smile] , amitől kigyulladt [lit up] néhány villanykörte a gyomromon.

- Jó állás.

- Csak ész kell hozzá, és úri megjelenés [gentlemanly appearance]. Mosolyogni meg remekül tudok! Attól van a nevem: Fülig Jimmy!

- Tehát?

- Beállunk mind a hárman. José Pombio, Wilson Hutchins és Fülig Jimmy!

És máris követte a társát, aki egy haldoklótól igazán meglepő fürgeséggel sietett a dokkok felé.

[chris-gr]

I'll give a shot to both texts (I'm a dare-devil aren't I? ), although Dirty Fred seems so promising Thanks, Gsandi

[chris-gr]

Now, this is what I could do with the epitaph --in unnatural English, as always!

Ki itt nyugtalankodik csendesen,
Író volt és elköltözött az élôk sorába.

He who is silently restless here,
Used to be a writer and moved to the zone of the living.

Halt harminchat évig, élt néhány napot,
S ha gondolkozott, csak álmodott
Néhány lapot. S mikor kinevették:
Azt hitte, hogy kacagtatott.

Died at the age of 36, lived for some days,
And when he thought, he only dreamed
Several pages. And when people laughed at him,
He thought that he made them laugh.

Most itt fekszik e nehéz
Temetôi hant alatt,

Now he is lying here, under
This heavy cemetery grave,

Zöld koponyáján kiüt a csira
És azt álmodja, hogy él.
Szegény. Béke hangjaira!
Ámen.

On his green skull the sprout breaks out
And would dream that he lives.
The poor man. May his voice rest in peace!
Amen.

[gsandi]

Your translation is superb, congratulations. Poetry must be the hardest genre to translate.

One tiny thing:

Halt harminchat évig, élt néhány napot,
S ha gondolkozott, csak álmodott
Néhány lapot. S mikor kinevették:
Azt hitte, hogy kacagtatott.

Died at the age of 36, lived for some days,
And when he thought, he only dreamed
Several pages. And when people laughed at him,
He thought that he made them laugh.

What it actually says is: "he died (or was dying) for 36 years".

If the poet wanted to say he died at the age of 36, he would have said (although probably the ryhme and rhythm wouldn't match):

Harminchat éves volt mikor meghalt

or

Meghalt harminchat éves korában.

In fact, this is a good example of the use of the imperfective with some verbs in Hungarian: you would never use the imperfective "halt" to say "he died". It would always have a sense of uncertainty or indefinite duration: otherwise you'd say "meghalt" (he died), "kihalt" (died out, became extinct), "belehalt" (he died as a result of something, usually a disease, but it could be [let's be melodramatic] because of a deep sorrow).