Erich

As requested comments.

Re: ok segir því síðr dáð í honum sem meira lægi við

and (conj) - says (3 sg pres ind) - in that (sg dat) - less (adv compar)
- courage (nom sg) - in (prep) - him (3 sg dat) - as (conj) - more (adv
compar) - depends on (3 sg subj phrasal verb).

"and says in that matter there was less courage in him (Bjarni) as more
depended on it."

Re: Var þar til dura gengit

I take 'var gengit' as the passive construction, meaning 'was come' with
'gengit' being past participle neuter, thus agreeing with an implied
neuter subject 'something'. Finally 'dura' (pl dat). Thus: 'There was
something come to doors' which I can only assume is an idiomatic way of
saying the door was answered.

Re: 'Er þetta mál þann veg, þótt mér sé nánastr maðrinn...

I take 'þann veg' here as being used as an (idiomatic) phrase meaning
'thus, so, in that way' (see Gordon Glossary). Note also 'nánastr' is
superlative meaning 'nearest' ie 'most closely related'

My translation is:

Is (3 sg pres ind) - this case (nom sg) - that way (acc sg) - even if
(conj) - to me (1 sg dat) - be (3 sg pres subj) - nearest (adj superl) -
man the (nom sg) - that (conj) - still (adv) - is (3 sg pres ind) - from
you (2 sg dat) - not (adv) - further (adj compar) - struck (past part).

'This case is thus: even if the man (Einar) be most closely related to
me that still (the blow) is not struck further from you.'

Final comment: the literal line of your translations, give many verbs in
the past tense when the original is actually in the present tense. Were
you conscious of this?

Alysseann

-----Original Message-----
From: Erich Rickheit KSC [mailto:rickheit-ynd@...]
Sent: Friday, 2 April 2004 1:17 PM
To: norse_course@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [norse_course] Hrafnkell 225-249

Well, it's been about two weeks; here's mine & Jamie's translations.
Comments, please.

We had a couple of problem spots:

ok segir því síðr dáð í honum sem meira lægi við.
and said that-dat less courage in him as more lowers against

This is an idiom, yes? meaning, I guess 'he has less courage in him the
harder things get'

Var þar til dura gengit.
was there to door gone

I make this literally, "There was going to the door"; except 'gengit' is
passive, yes? Is the subject of this Þorbjörn, or (as I guessed, an
unnamed
someone?)

Is this sort of passive construct supposed to be conveying something? In
English, a sentence like 'there was an arrival at the door', would
convey a
sort of tension - something was happening, we don't know who or what.
But
that doesn't seem to fit with the story so far.


'Er þetta mál þann veg, þótt mér sé nánastr maðrinn,
is this suit that way though me-dat were related the man

at þó er yðr eigi fjarri höggvit.'
to yet is you not far from struck

This one boggled us most. Why is 'þann veg' in the accusative? Isn't it
(eventually) the subject of 'struck'? Basically, we only got this far by
cheating and looking at a published translation; if someone could help
us
through this is smaller steps, we'd appreciate it.

Erich


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.650 / Virus Database: 416 - Release Date: 4/04/2004