Xigung
Thanks for your comments. As I'm working my way
through Gordon's Old Norse texts for the second time - and I really am
labouring over them! -you'll forgive me for not discussing all
your comments and suggestions. However, regarding your first comment, that
I translated 'kømr' as 'came' and not 'come'; this is deliberate. The events
related to the king are in the past, but the writer, wishing to give an air of
urgency or excitement about what has just happened uses the 'historic
present'. It's a literary device used in English and Latin and classical
Greek. Your second point that I have not translated 'sé' as a subjunctive is
valid. But I don't understand why the the subjunctive, which deals with possible
or conditional events, is used here. It is a fact that
Boðvar entered the hall; it is not a possibility that may happen, and
so I translated it in the indicative and not the subjunctive mood. In fact, I
think there is a nuance or subtlety here which is beyond my perception, and if
you or someone else can show me where I'm going
off track, I'll be grateful.
Good luck and keep chiselling away at the
translations!
Cheers,
Jed