40. kafli
Chapter 40

Nú koma tíðindin til þings og lét Njáll segja sér þrem sinnum og mælti
síðan: "Fleiri gerast nú vígamenn en eg ætlaði."
Now came those tidings to Thing, and Njal had it repeated to him three times and spoke aferwards "More (people) are becoming killers than I expected"

Skarphéðinn mælti: "Sjá maður hefir þó helst hraðfeigur verið er látist
hefir fyrir fóstra vorum
Skarpheðin spoke "The man has to be doomed to certain death (Z) to have been killed by our foster-father
 
er aldrei hefir séð mannsblóð og mundu það margir
ætla að vér bræður mundum þetta fyrri gert hafa að því skaplyndi sem vér
höfum."
who had never seen mans-blood. Most would expect  us brothers to be first to have done it  from our spirit/temperament

"Skammt munt þú til þess eiga," segir Njáll, "að þig mun slíkt henda og mun
þig þó nauður til reka."
"soon may you have this " (you'll get your chance) says Njall "that then you will be driven by need

Þeir gengu þá til móts við Gunnar og sögðu honum vígið.
They (all) went to see Gunnar and they told him of the killing

Gunnar sagði að það var lítill mannskaði "en þó var hann frjáls maður."
Gunnar said it was but little manslaughter (not a great loss !!) "but just the same he was a free-man

Njáll bauð honum þegar sættina.
Njall offered settlement at once
 
Gunnar játti því og skyldi hann sjálfur
dæma. Hann dæmdi þegar og gerði hundrað silfurs. Njáll galt þegar féið og
sættust að því.
Gunnar accepted  and judged for himself - judged it as 100 of silver - Njal paid up at once and it was the settlement  (100 quid and we're squared)

41. kafli

Sigmundur hét maður. Hann var Lambason Sighvatssonar hins rauða.
A man was called Sigmund. He was the son of Lambi (who was) son of Sighvat the red
 
 Hann var
farmaður mikill, kurteis maður og vænn, mikill og sterkur.
He was a great traveller handsome and well mannered/well-bred - tall and strong
(well-bred - of good family but that does not mean that much)
 
 Hann var
metnaðarmaður mikill og skáld gott og að flestum íþróttum vel búinn,
hávaðamaður mikill, spottsamur og ódæll.
He was an ambitious man (Z) and a good poet, and was good at most sports, but (he was) boastful (Z) noisy and overbearing(Z) or is it sarcastic
 
Hann kom út austur í Hornafirði.
He came to Iceland to Hornafjorð
Skjöldur hét félagi hans. Hann var sænskur maður og illur viðureignar.
Skjold was the name of his companion. He was Swedish and - ill tempered (or ill spoken) - (don't like the Swedes do they Ljot was Swedish  as in Egil's Saga)
 
Þeir
fengu sér hesta og riðu austan úr Hornafirði og luku eigi ferð sinni fyrr en
þeir komu í Fljótshlíð til Hlíðarenda.
They got horses and rode east out of Hornafjorð and made no stop  until they came to Hliðarend in Flotshlið
 
 
Gunnar tók við þeim vel. Var þar
frændsemi mikil með þeim Sigmundi.
Gunnar greeted them well/warmly. There was a close kinship with the Sidmunds (there seems to be - plural - those Sigmunds - does this mean the two families are close-knit)
 
Gunnar bauð Sigmundi að vera þar um
veturinn. Sigmundur kvaðst það þiggja mundu ef Skjöldur væri þar, félagi
hans.
Gunnar invited Sigmund to stay for the winter, Sigmund declared that he would accept if Skjold was there - his friend

"Svo er mér frá honum sagt," sagði Gunnar, "að hann sé þér engi skapbætir en
þú þarft hins heldur að bætt sé um með þér.
"According to what has been said to me" said Gunnar "he does nothing to help/improve your temper, and it is what is needed in you"
 
Er hér og vönd vistin.
This is a difficult house (MM&HP)  (moderate - is he not?)
 
 Vildi eg
ráða yður ráð frændum mínum að þér hlypuð eigi upp við frameggjan Hallgerðar
konu minnar því að hún tekur það margt upp er fjarri er mínum vilja."
I would advise you as (I advise) all my kinsmen that you take not up the egging on (Z) of Hallgerð my wife for she takes onto much (many things) that are against my wishes (against my will)
 
I hope I am not wrong - to feel better pleased with this bit that with previous efforts and would be glad for any comments on it
Kveðja
Patricia