Re: Star Wars XIII -beginning - - Grace's translation

No real problems; just a few minor comments.

At 11:25:10 AM on Thursday, September 9, 2010, Fred and
Grace Hatton wrote:

> XIII. Kapítuli: Frá inni stóru hergöngu Anakins
> himingangara

> About the great march of Anakinn skywalker

<Her-> in <hergönga> is from <herr> 'army, host', so
<hergönga> probably has at least slightly stronger martial
connotations than English 'march'. I see that Jackson
translates it 'war-march', which I suspect may err a bit in
the other direction. I wouldn't quarrel with either choice.

> Er hann eigi í skuld við okkr?" segir Paðéma dróttning.
> Is he not in service to us?" says Queen Padme.

<Skuld> is 'a debt'; <í skuld við> is 'in debt to, obligated
to'. <Okkr> is the dual, 'us two, the two of us, both of
us': she's saying that Anakinn has obligations specifically
to the two of them, her and V-Ó., ...

> En Víga-Óbívan segir, "Ek veit eigi, fyrir hví þú segir,
> við 'okkr.'
> But Slayer Obiwan says, "I don't know, why you say 'to
> us."

... who apparently doesn't feel that A. owes him anything.

> En hann hefir trúnaðareiða Falfaðni konungi
> svarna.

> But he has sworn an oath of allegiance to King
> Palpatine.

<Trúnareiða> is an accusative plural: 'oaths of allegiance'.

> "Paðéma dróttning," segir Víga-Óbívan, "Ek heyrða hann
> sverja eiða Falfaðni konungi.

> "Queen Padme," says Slayer Obiwan, "I heard him swear an
> oath to King Palpatine.

Same here: <eiða> is acc. plur., 'oaths'.

> Ifi er mér á, at hann neitaði boðum konungs, jafnvel þó
> hann bæði hann drepa Jeðifjarðamenn."

> I doubt that he would refuse the king's orders, even
> though he would (might) ask him to kill Jedi Firth men."

The sense isn't really 'would' or 'might', but rather 'even
if he were to bid him kill Jedi Firth men'. Here's a place
where the English subjunctive actually would be right,
though very old-fashioned: 'I doubt that he would refuse the
king's orders, even though he bade him kill Jedi Firth men'.

> Hann trúði ykkr drepna af Falfaðni konungi, ok fór þangat
> með her sinn ok vildi hefna ykkar."

> He believed you slain by King Palpatine and went with his
> army and wanted to avenge you."

<Ykkr> is the dual: 'He believed you both slain', referring
to V-Ó. and A.

> Drap ek þann stóra berserk, en hann beitti fjórum sverðum
> samstundis, ok ek fekk eigi hann bitinn með sverði.

> I killed that great berserker, but he cut? with four
> swords at the same time and I was not able to cut him with
> a sword.

<Beitti> is from <beita> in Zoëga's sense (2), 'to handle,
use a weapon': 'he wielded four swords at the same time'.

Brian