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A challenge
In page 72 of David Brin's new science fiction novel, "Infinity's
Shore", Alvin, who is not human, says:
One of Huck's eyestalks swerved on me.
"We're-glad-to-see-you're-all-right-but-now-shut-up-and-get-over-here"
Few other citizens of the Slope could squeeze all that into a single
GalThree word-blat. Not that skill excused her rudeness.
The challenge: translate this into Lojban.
Interestingly, the Lojban will be closer to the putative original than
the English in which the author actually wrote!
Should the `word-blat' be translated using mostly attitudinals, or
using predicates?
(It reminds me of the Nootka `single word' that Lojbab discussed back
in 1991. Nootka is a Pacific Northwest language.)
I think that the utterance is best expressed using event contours --
the `word-blat' is in `the aftermath' {ba'o} of Huck's turning her
eystalks. Alvin might also use a spatial tense to indicate that Huck
is in front (with some effort, on account of being injured, Alvin has
just hobbled into the room).
Please add comments to your translation -- why you chose one form
rather than another. If your translation, or several, look
interesting, I will post them to the Brin list and we will see what
the author and others think. Even though these people are not
Lojbanists, they are interested in languages... and we have quite a
language.... :)
--
Robert J. Chassell bob@gnu.ai.mit.edu
25 Rattlesnake Mountain Road bob@rattlesnake.com
Stockbridge, MA 01262-0693 USA (413) 298-4725
For those of you who are as yet as unfamiliar with the vocabulary as
I, here are some Lojban words and their English meanings.
* eye
x1 is a/the eye [body-part] of x2; [metaphor: sensory apparatus];
(adjective:) x1 is ocular
/:/ [x1 is optic]
/=/ kanla (kal)
* main support (metaphorical),
x1 is a/the stalk/stem/trunk [body-part] of plant/species x2; [metaphor:
main support]
/:/
/=/ stani
po'e GOI which belongs to
restrictive relative phrase marker: which belongs to
... ; inalienable possession
pa PA1 1
digit/number: 1 (digit)
swerve
to move or deviate from a straight line or course; to deflect;
to turn aside
* turn,
x1 is a curve/turn/bend in x2, at locus x3, and defined by set of
points/properties x4
/:/ [(adjective:) x1 is curved; (x4 as a set of points is sufficiently
specified to identify the relevant properties of the bend)]
/=/ kruvi (ruv kru)
* turn,
x1 turn-s/rotates/revolves around axis x2 in direction x3
/:/ [also revolve (= jincarna)]
/=/ carna (car)
te SE 3rd conversion
3rd conversion; switch 1st/3rd places
fe FA 2nd sumti place
sumti place tag: tag 2nd sumti place
fi FA 3rd sumti place
sumti place tag: tag 3rd sumti place
* abrupt,
x1 (event/state) is abrupt/sudden/sharply changes at stage/point x2 in
process/property/function x3
/:/ [also discontinuous]
/=/ suksa (suk)
Event Contours:
pu'o ZAhO inchoative
ca'o ZAhO continuitive
ba'o ZAhO perfective
co'a ZAhO initiative
co'u ZAhO cessitive
mo'u ZAhO completitive
za'o ZAhO superfective
co'i ZAhO achievative
de'a ZAhO pausative
di'a ZAhO resumptive
A few attitudinals:
.ui happiness
.ue surprise
dai empathy
.oi complaint/pain doing OK pleasure
.o'o patience mere tolerance anger
.o'e closeness distance
.i'u familiarity mystery
.ai intent indecision refusal
.a'a attentive inattentive avoiding
.a'e alertness exhaustion
.a'i effort no real effort repose
.a'u interest no interest repulsion
.ei obligation freedom
.e'o request negative request
.e'u suggestion no suggestion warning
se'i self-orientation other-orientation [sevzi]
se'a self-sufficiency dependency [sevzi]
* happy
x1 is happy/gay/merry/glad/gleeful about x2 (event/state)
/:/ [adversity (= kamnalgei)]
/=/ gleki (gek gei)
* makes out (perceives/senses),
x1 [observer] senses/detects/notices stimulus property x2 (ka) by means
x3 under conditions x4
/:/ [x1 is sensitive to x2; also feels, spots, perceives, makes out
out, discerns/recognizes (but only implying reaction without
necessarily any significant mental processing); note that the emphasis
is on a property which stimulates x1 and is detected (sanji is passive
about the sensing, and is not limited to sensory input, as well as
presuming some kind of discernment/recognition, while not being
concerned with the means of detection); x3 sense/sensory channel]
/=/ ganse (gas ga'e)
* fit,
x1 is healthy/fit/well/in good health by standard x2
/:/
/=/ kanro (ka'o)
* see (visually perceive),
x1 sees/perceives visually x2 under conditions x3
/:/ [also (adjective:) x1 is visual; x3 can include ambient lighting,
background, etc. which may affect what is perceived; note that English
"see" often means "look" or a more generic "observe", or even
"understand, know"]
/=/ viska (vis vi'a)
* behold,
x1 observes/[notices]/watches/behold-s x2 using senses/means x3 under
conditions x4
/:/ [behold/watch/gaze (= vi'azga); guard/watchman/sentinel (=
zgaku'i, jdeku'i)]
/=/ zgana (zga)
* quiet,
x1 (source) is quiet/silent/[still] at observation point x2 by standard
x3
/:/
/=/ smaji (sma)
* traveller (of one who comes/goes),
x1 comes/goes to destination x2 from origin x3 via route x4 using
means/vehicle x5
/:/ [also travels, journeys, moves, leaves to ... from ...; x1 is a
traveller; (x4 as a set includes points at least sufficient to
constrain the route relevantly)]
/=/ klama (kla)
* self propelled,
x1 (object) moves to destination/receiver x2 [away] from origin x3 over
path/route x4
/:/ [also mobile (= co'ermu'u, for the non-specific opposite of
immobile); after a muvdu, object is alienated from/no longer at origin
(unless physically returned there, per litru or slilu); agentive move
(= muvgau, muvzu'e), non-agentive transitive move (= muvri'a), self
propelled (= sezmuvgau), motion of a part of the object (= pagmu'u),
having a moving part (= muvypau, muvyselpau); apparent motion (=
mlumu'u)]
/=/ muvdu (muv mu'u)
* self,
x1 is a self/ego/id/identity-image of x2
/:/
/=/ sevzi (sez se'i)
* home (habitat),
x1 dwells/lives/resides/abides at/inhabits/is a resident of
location/habitat/nest/home/abode x2
/:/
/=/ xabju (xa'u)
* home (nest/house),
x1 is a nest/house/lair/den/[home] of/for x2
/:/ [home (= tercnizda), house (constructed building) (= zdadi'u)]
/=/ zdani (zda)
* inclined,
x1 is sloped/inclined/slanted/aslant with angle x2 to horizon/frame x3
/:/ [also steep (= tcesa'o); normally implies non-rectilinear]
/=/ salpo (sa'o)
* highlands,
x1 is a mountain/hill/mound/[rise]/[peak]/[summit]/[highlands]
projecting from land/mass x2
/:/
/=/ cmana (ma'a)
* condensate,
x1 condenses/liquefies on/into x2 at temperature x3, pressure x4; x1 is
dew/condensate on x2
/:/
/=/ lunsa (lus)
* short (young: relatively short in duration),
x1 is young/youthful [relatively short in elapsed duration] by standard
x2
/:/ [also age (= nilnalci'o); (adjective:) x1 is junior]
/=/ citno (cit ci'o)
* short (short in dimension),
x1 is short in dimension/direction x2 (default longest dimension) by
measurement standard x3
/:/
/=/ tordu (tor to'u)
* short (short in smallest direction: thin),
x1 is thin in direction/dimension x2 by standard x3; [relatively short
in smallest dimension]
/:/
/=/ cinla
* applies (applies force),
x1 (force) puts pressure on/presses/applies force to x2
/:/ [agentive press/depress (= da'ergau, da'erzu'e)]
/=/ danre (da'e)
* utter,
x1 utter-s verbally/says/phonates/speaks [vocally makes sound] x2
/:/ [also voices; does not necessarily imply communication or
audience; ('says' is usually cusku)]
/=/ bacru (ba'u)
* burps,
x1 coughs/farts/burps up/out x2 [predominantly gaseous] from orifice x3
/:/
/=/ kafke
* application (art, creative application),
x1 (process) is an art [creative application] of craft/skill x2
(idea/activity)
/:/ [(adjective:) x1 is artistic]
/=/ larcu (lar)
* aptitude,
x1 has a talent/aptitude/innate skill for doing/being x2
/:/
/=/ stati
* competent,
x1 is an expert/pro/has prowess in/is skilled at x2 (event/activity) by
standard x3
/:/ [also competent, skilled]
/=/ certu (cre)
* moral (virtuous),
x1 is virtuous/saintly/[fine/moral/nice/holy/morally good] by standard
x2
/:/ [holy/saintly (= cesyvu'e)]
/=/ vrude (vud vu'e)
* civil (polite),
x1 is polite/courteous/civil in matter x2 according to standard/custom
x3
/:/ [also formal, ritual]
/=/ clite (lit)
* forgive,
x1 forgive-s x2 for event/state/activity x3
/:/
/=/ fraxu (fax)