This does appear to be working now - and
on the other hand I am not best pleased - having your PC crash can never be
compared to having a child in hospital as has been suggested - but it is damned
upsetting "Troll take the virus"
Gunnar sagði það maklegt vera. Gunnar greiddi af hendi féið vel og reið
heim
síðan.
Gunnar said that to be fitting/suitable.
Gunnar paid out of hand promptly and well
(didn't argue) and rode home after
Njáll
kom heim af þingi og synir hans.
Njal came home from Thing and his sons (with
him)
Bergþóra sá féið og mælti: "Vel er þessu í hóf stillt en
jafnmikið fé skal
koma fyrir Kol er stundir líða."
Bergthora saw the money and spoke " that was settled
moderately, but the same shall come for Kol when the (his) time
comes"
Gunnar kom heim af þingi og taldi á Hallgerði. Hún
kallaði betri menn óbætta
liggja margstaðar.
Gunnar came home from Thing and reproached Harllgerð.
(waste of time) She answered that better men lie had been killed
withoutcompensation (markstaðr?)
Gunnar kvað hana ráða mundu tiltekjum sínum "en eg skal
ráða hversu
málin lúkast."
Gunnar declared she could do as she liked "but I shall
decide how to settle" (the charge)
Hallgerður hældist jafnan um víg Svarts en Bergþóru líkaði það
illa.
Hallgerð boasted of Svart's death and Bergthora but
that suited Bergthora badly
Njáll fór upp í Þórólfsfell og synir
hans að skipa þar til bús.
Njall went up to Thorolfsfell and his sons to tend the
farm there
En þann sama
dag varð sá atburður er Bergþóra var úti að hún sér mann
ríða að garði
svörtum hesti.
On that same day, as it happened, Bergthora was outside
and saw a man riding by the yard on a black horse
Hún nam staðar og gekk eigi inn. Hún kenndi eigi manninn. Sjá
maður
hafði spjót í hendi og gyrður saxi. Hún spurði þenna mann að nafni.
She kept her place (remained where she was) and did not
go inside
She knew not the Man.
She saw he had a spear in his hand and a sword in his
belt (Z -1)
She then asked the man his name
"Atli
heiti eg," sagði hann.
"Atli I am named" said he
Hún spurði
hvaðan hann væri.
She asked where he came from
"Eg er
austfirskur maður," segir hann.
"I am an East Fjords man" says he
"Hvert
skalt þú fara?" segir hún.
"Where are you going?" says she
"Eg
er maður vistlaus," segir hann, "og ætlaði eg að finna Njál og
Skarphéðinn og
vita ef þeir vildu taka við mér."
"I am a man without a place! says he "and "and I
intended to see Njal and Skarphedin and know if they would take me (employ
me)
"Hvað er þér hentast að vinna?" segir hún.
"What is your best work?" says she (what do you do
best)
"Eg er akurgerðarmaður og margt er mér vel hent að gera,"
segir hann, "en
eigi vil eg því leyna að eg er maður skapharður og hefir
jafnan hlotið um
sárt að binda fyrir mér."
"I am a reaper (Z) /field worker and I am good at many
other things" says he "and I do not keep it from you I am a man of hard
temper and often it is that wounds are bound on my
account"
"Ekki gef eg þér það að sök," segir hún, "þótt þú
sért engi bleyðimaður."
"I have nothing against you in that (no blame) says she
"that you are no coward.
just her type they
Atli mælti: "Ert þú
nokkurs ráðandi hér?"
Atli spoke "Are you (of) some authority
here?"
"Eg er kona Njáls," segir hún, "og ræð eg ekki síður hjón
en hann."
"I am Njal's wife" says she "and decide the hiring no
less than he"
"Vilt þú taka við mér?" segir hann.
"Will you take me on?" says he
"Gera mun
eg kost á því," segir hún, "ef þú vilt vinna allt það er eg legg
fyrir þig og
svo þó að eg vilji senda þig til mannráða."
"I will give you a chance/trial if you want to do all
that I shall ask even though I send you to kill a man"
"Átt þú svo
til varið um menn," segir hann, "að þú munt ekki mín þurfa að
því að
kosta."
"You already (even so) have many men for that -
you do not need to hire me"
"Það skil eg er eg vil," segir
hún.
" I am making the decisions" says she - (she is calling
the shots)
"Kaupa munum við að þessu," sagði hann.
"Let us agree on this" said he
Þá tók hún
við honum
So she took him on
I was wondering why they thought it necessary to
mention Bergthora remained where she was - when Atli rode into the yard - it
seems to be a device of the writer to establish that Bergthora was a confident
and self-possessed woman - unless it was thought then that women did not engage
strangers in conversation - just a thought
Kveðja
Patricia