----- Original Message -----

From: AThompson

To: norse_course@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Saturday, July 29, 2006 8:06 AM

Subject: RE: [norse_course] Njal end chapter 11 and begin 12

Patricia

Comments inserted

Alan

Og er hann kom þar voru allir menn rónir (pp of róa, inflected as 3 person pl to agree with þeir) nema Þorvaldur og
förunautar hans. Hann var að hlaða (vera að + infinitive is the present continuous tense, equivalent to to be doing something, in English, in this case loading) skútuna en þeir báru á út, menn hans. (but they, his men, carried out (the stuff he was to load) to (him))

And when he came there everyone had  rowed away, except Thorvald and his followers. He was loading  the skiff, and they were carrying to him his men

Þjóstólfur kom að í því og hljóp upp á skútuna og hlóð (past of hlaða, loaded, ie as if he was just there to help him, but hlaða does not literally mean help) með honum og mælti:
"Bæði ert þú að þessu lítilvirkur og óhagvirkur."

Thjostolf came to him and then jumped up on the skiff and helped with him and said "You are weak and  useless

(ó + hagr - unskilled) at this work.

"Það eitt munum við að hafast að eg mun betur gera en þú," segir Þjóstólfur,
"og er sú kona illa gift (pp of gipta, given in marriage, not luck) er þú átt og skyldu ykkrar samfarar skammar vera."

"that we can try whatever, I can do better than you" said Thjostolf "and the wife you had was unlucky (illa gift - there's that ill-given again)  and your life with her shall be brief

Þá fóru þeir ofan (down (to the shore)), menn Þorvalds, með byrðarnar (acc pl article)

Thorvalds men were coming over (?) bearing certain large boxes (? use of att. def. art.).

 Þjóstólfur tók til (taka til, chose, adopted) ráða (ráð, gen pl, resolved actions) skjótt (quickly).

Thjostolf took action quickly

 Höggur hann þá tveim höndum borð skútunnar og gekk sundur borðið um
tvö rúm, og hljóp í skip sitt.

He then struck using both hands (and of course his axe) at the side of the skiff and made a rent  as wide as the apace between two rowlocks (or rowers)

En á skútunni féll inn sær kolblár og sökk
hún niður með öllum farminum.

And into the skiff flowed/poured the coal black sea, and sunk her down with all her cargo

(ship's are always Feminine - needing the guidance of a Good Man's hand)

Þar sökk og niður lík Þorvalds og máttu
förunautar hans eigi sjá hversu hann var til ger en hitt vissu þeir að hann
var dauður.

And there sank down the body of Thorvald amd his men could not see how he was/had been killed but they knew he was dead

(it is the way the blood rushes into the sea from a broken skull) and Þjóstólf standing there with his bloody axe!

Hann svaraði engu og reri inn á fjörðinn og þar til er hann kom
heim og brýndi upp skipinu og gekk heim og hafði uppi öxina og var hún (feminine, but I´m not sure if all weapons are feminine, but they do need theguidance of Bad Men!)

blóðug mjög.

He made no answer and rowed on  up the fjord and thence until he came home and beached the boat,

and went  home and took up the axe and it (neut) was very bloody

Thorvalds men must have been upset - how may they now get home - the boss is dead - the ship is sunk with the cargo - seems to me they are up THAT Creek without a paddle

            Nothing to worry about! They just wait for the men who had rowed out fishing to return, and hitch a ride with them.

I did not seem to do too badly last week unless any one knows differently

Kveðja

Patricia

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