A chairde,

We've been discussing the issue of translating postings. Here's a typical scenario: A thread starts, either in Irish or English and sooner or later, one of the forum members will make a posting in Irish. For some of us learners, the posting may not be completely understandable, so there are those of us who would like a translation of the posting.

Rather than burden the original Irish-language poster in going to the trouble of posting in both Irish and English, some of us have been thinking about the learners attempting to translate the posting when requested. That is, one of us learners who is so inclined can have a try at translating. This approach has two major benefits. First, it avoids burdening the original Irish-language poster from having to post in English, and secondly, it give us learners an opportunity to improve our Irish language skills. To eliminate the risk and of mistranslation, and any uneasiness that the volunteer translator may have, the original Irish-language poster, or for that matter, anyone else so inclined could jump in and provide corrections when needed.

The above remarks are just an ice breaker; they're just ideas to get the ball moving. So I would like to ask the following:

1. Who amongst us learners, and fluent speakers alike, would be interested in taking turns at translating?

2. Who amongst the fluent speakers would be for this idea? I don't want to presume that a fluent speaker wouldn't mind their postings being translated. But if I can make a sales pitch, we already have Dennis agus Aonghus for the idea - need I say more?

Other ideas and points are encouraged. Please feel free to comment on what I've written above, especially if you have some destructive constructive criticism.

A Mhic_Léinn, a chara.

Nó trí fhocail eile, lig do rudaí mar abhíonn siad. Má dhéantear aistriúchán mí-cheart air rud ráite, éiríonn sé go maith faoi dheiradh.

A Mhic Leinn Smaoineamh Nua

I think it's a good idea. I'd be willing to have a go from time even though my Gaeilge is very rusty

A Shuaimhneas, Smaoineamh Nua? Leasainm eile - tá sé sin togha agus tá tú ro-dhea-chroíoch!

Perhaps you could start by translating Maidhc's statement above. The best I can do is:

Or in other words, let things (abhíonn?). If one does a translation incorrectly considering, it will arise well about (dheiradh?)

Or in other words, leave things as they are. If one gives an incorrect translation to a thing said, it works out eventually.

(P.S.) Níl mo chuid Ghaeilge chomh iontach léi atheastaíonn sí uaim freisin. Bíonn fáilte agus buíochas le cheartúchán ar bith i gconaí.

(Message edited by Maidhc_Ó_G. on January 31, 2007)

Maidhc's PS above

My Irish is also not as good as I would like it to be. Any correction is always welcome and (received) with gratitude

Scríobh Maidhc: Or in other words, leave things as they are.

A Mhaidhc, go raibh céad fáilte romhat as an aistriúchán. If I you understand correctly, you're not interested in translating nor having your postings translated. That's fine, but we're moving forward with the idea, so I suppose we're looking to know who is interested in translating and/or having their postings translated when the need arises.

I realize that this effort doesn't suit everyone's fancy. Again that's fine, but by the same token, there has already been interest in the idea expressed by some of our leading contributors and we have an ever-growing cadre of translators, so I think it's fair to say that those of us who want to participate can and will do so.

Conas deirtear "To each his own" as Gaeilge?

Maith thú a Shuimhneas! Is an chéad aistritheoir thú.

Totally wrong! What I meant was that if someone translates, I usually leave it alone, at least for some time, so that beginners can make an attempt at doing it for themselves first.

I've also began leaving them because my studies have gone off for a while do to major distractions with home and family - causing many of my attempts at translation to be simply dreadful. ;-((

However, things have been improving and I'm sure to be paticipating much more.

So, I guess my original point was that I've that this is how it's been for - well, really - as long as I can remember. If someone puts something down as Gaeilge, it is left for a bit so that those who do understand can enjoy reading it as Gaeilge, and those who don't have time to try to figure it out for themselves. If someone gets lost, by all means, what is simply needed is to ask for a translation and I'm sure the poster would oblige.

And if someone should know of a better way of tranlating it, to give a more idiomatic blas, they may offer suggestions. Éiríonn aon rud ar bith go maith faoi dheiradh agus bíonn gach duine uile buaiteoir.

Maith an fear, a Shuimhneais. Not only for the tranlation of my PS, but also helping with my point.

Lig chugainn a choinneáil suas.

Scríobh Maidhc: If someone gets lost, by all means, what is simply needed is to ask for a translation and I'm sure the poster would oblige.

A Mhaidhc, we were moving along with the idea that we beginners/learners would help out with translations and it seemed like the idea meet with some positive reception. But your remark captioned above clearly indicates an opposite approach. That is, you feel that when a translation is asked for, the [original] poster would oblige.

When I came up with this idea, I didn't know if it were good or bad. Now it looks like we have a mixed bag of positions, and it's not my place to play referee. I just thought that for those fluent posters, we beginners/learners could improve our Irish while at the same time removing the burden from the fluent posters to post in both Irish and English.

Again, I don't like playing referee or umpire or judge at all. So, I think I'll just drop the idea for now, and keep busy with all the other positive things with this website.

A chairde,

Although this is a bit removed from the initial purpose of this thread, I found the following Wikipedia link interesting, especially in light of their need for translators.

http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Translation_of_the_week

Go raibh céad maith agat a Dennis.

A Mhac Léinn na Murúcha!

I will continue to post in the language in which the thoughts occur to me.

I am a software engineer, and therefore an adherent of
Laziness Impatience and Hubris

I hereby under my signet grant to you, and anyone else who cares to, the non exclusive right to post a translation of anything I post, provided four and twenty hours have passed since I so posted.

Is mise, Aonghus, de ghrásta Dé nach Rí ná Impire é!

A Mhac a chara,

It sounds like Aonghus and Dennis are just fine with you or anyone attempting translations of their posts. Just because other learners havn't explicitly volunteered to do so doesn't mean that you can't if you so desire. Just do what you like, it seems as though most are just fine with it.

Beir bua agus beannacht

Tá go maith. Now, about that scéilín which is ag fanacht leat in the thread Fontenoy... Tá sé ag fanacht fós... ag fanacht le haistriúchán! Enough of this leiciméireacht!

Rachaidh mé ansin díreach!

".....when a translation is asked for the {original} poster would oblige."

If the original poster were specifically asked, yes. But the discussion is fully open to all. Like sitting around a table in a pub - we just happen to have an enormous table in this particular pub. Anyone who wishes to speak should.

Deir ríomhchláraitheoirí go bhfuil 10 saghas duine ar an domhan: daoine a thuigeann cód dénártha, agus daoine nach dtuigeann.

Aistrigh é seo má thuigeann tú é.

Computer programmers say there are 10 kinds of people in the world, those who understand binary code and those who don't

Maith thú, Lucy. An dtuigeann chuile dhuine é seo?

01101000011000010110100001100001011010000110000100101100
00100000011101000111010101101001011001110110100101101101


Binary to text translator:

http://www.roubaixinteractive.com/PlayGround/Binary_Conversion/Binary_To_Text.as p

On the same theme, cuir Gaeilge ar seo

4 out of every 3 people don't understand fractions

Computer programmers say there are 10 (two) kinds of people in the world, those who understand binary code and those who don't

01₂ = 1₁₀
10₂ = 2₁₀
11₂ = 3₁₀

Hey Aaron, is that one's complement or two's complement binary? ;-) Sorry, that's bad computer science humor for the non-initiated.

(Message edited by Searlas on February 02, 2007)

Níos measa fós.

Cód Caighdeánach Meiriceánach um Idirmhalartú Faisnéise atá ann.

Ní thagann uimhreacha diúltacha isteach sa cheist, mar sin níl gá le comhlánú le haonta ná le dónna.

(Is maith ann focal!
http://www.focal.ie/Search.aspx?term=comhlánú%20le%20dónna&lang=2

etc).

Grma, a Aonghuis.

Beidh an chuimhneamh é sin orm nuair athéim go abhaile inniú.

Beidh an chuimhneamh é sin orm mé ag smaoineamh faoi seo nuair a théim go abhaile inniu

(I think that's what you meant!
I'll be thinking about this when I go home today)

Scriobh Aonghus:

quote:

I hereby under my signet grant to you, and anyone else who cares to, the non exclusive right to post a translation of anything I post, provided four and twenty hours have passed since I so posted.

A signet - is that a baby swan? Well, whatever it is, it sure sounds impressive. I also think that waiting for 1100₂ hours is a good idea, and may possibly address Maidhc's point about letting the posting sit for a bit.

A Riona, thanks for your words of encouragement. Can we count you in the translator's club?

Scriobh Dennis: Enough of this leiciméireacht!

Yessir! My latest excuse for not translating said posting is that I've been out of action for the last few days. I shall translate it tomorrow, unless I can come up with another excuse. clipart{wink}

quote:

Like sitting around a table in a pub - we just happen to have an enormous table in this particular pub.

Wow, am I glad it's not my turn to by drinks!

Look's like Suaimhneas already translated Dennis' posting about Fontenoy - maith thú a Shuaimhneas. You've saved me from coming up with another excuse!

(Message edited by mac_léinn on February 02, 2007)

Is fearr Gaeilge briste na Bearla a chluisteail.
Conas a chuireann sibh fada ar na gutai??? An feidir libh cabhru lom?

Bhí mo shúile dúnta agam... Tá sé agam anois!

A Shíle,

You can also try this software that Abigail recommended on a different thread. I downloaded and it works great - saves me time by not having to press the ALT key + code or dragging the letters from the bottom of this screen.

Here's the link to the software:

http://mearchlar.tripod.com/

In case you weren't aware the ALT key + code info can be found in the Help! section here at: http://www.daltai.com/cgi-sys/cgiwrap/daltai/discus/discus.pl?pg=formatting

Go raibh míle maith agat a Mhac_Léinn.. tá sé sin a bhfad níos fearr..

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/signet

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cygnet

Pesky english homophones!

Go raibh céad maith agat a Aonghuis as an eolas. Ba féidir liomsa fein na focail a fheiceáil (I wanted to write "I should have looked up the word myself, but don't know the construction for "I should have."

D'fhag mé mo foclóiri mora ag m'áit oibre, mar sin, tá ach Foclóir Póca agam anois. Ni fheicim signet sa foclóir ach feicim gur é fáinne séala signet ring. Mar sin (so?) does that mean that "séala" is signet as Gaeilge? Feicim gur éan eala cygnet. So no pesky homophones there!

Is é cygnet mo fo-focail (trivia word?) is fearr liom. I once was told that somewhere back in the 1940's or 50's, there was a trivia show (I think it was called the 64,000 Dollar Question) where one of the contestants almost got to the top but got stopped by the question "What do you call a baby swan." So, ever since hearing that, it's always been my favorite comeback to anyone who asks me a trivia question. I haven't found anyone yet who gets the right answer - cygnet.

Go raibh milliún maith agat as do shéala.

Mac Léinn Éan Eala agus Séalaí
(That's my first double-word pseudonym! I wonder if it counts as two)

And what are the cygnet's parents called? More trivia, a mhac. Couldn't find the Irish for these terms.

Scríobh Lucy: And what are the cygnet's parents called?

Mamaí agus Daidí.

Close - cob (male) and pen (female). Now you have a trivial family

Scríobh Lucy: Close - cob (male) and pen (female).

Uh-oh, more pesky English homophones (cob and pen). I think I'm becoming homophonophobic!

D'fhaigh mé sa Foclóir Póca gurb é gearrchapall nó é gandal eala "cob" agus gurb í cró nó í gabhann "pen."

Gearrchapall sounds like a funny word for a male, parent swan. To me it looks like gearr (short) + capall (horse) = shorthorse. And gandal eala looks redundant since gandal means goose and eala means swan so gandal eala looks like goose-swan

is saghas capaill é cob chomh maith!

gandal is a gander, i.a male.

cráin eala atá ag de bhaldraithe ar "pen"

cráin is also a sow (female pig)

scríobh suaimhneas, i bhfad ó shin

quote:

On the same theme, cuir Gaeilge ar seo

4 out of every 3 people don't understand fractions

ní thuigeann ceathrar as gach triúr codáin

Go raibh maith agat a Aonghuis. Tuigim anois. I see in the dictionary that "goose" is "gé" and not "gandal" as I thought it was. Those pesky Irish synonyms.

A Mhac,

An do "ghandal" cócaráilte? :) Refer to my posting "Cá raibh mé" for thoughts on translations here on these discussion boards.

I just checked the help and saw how to do these emoticons here. Should I heed my own advice: just because one can does not mean one should? Oh, what the hey, here they all are at once. Maith go leor!

Attention Topic-Control Officer: I know that this thread is drifting off-topic, and I also understand that it's ok as long as one writes as Gaeilge, which I have partially done below. I don't know if this is a violation of the topic-control laws: Please advise.

Scríobh Maidhc: An do "ghandal" cócaráilte? Silím go ndearfa An bhfuil do "ghandal" cócaráilte nach ea? Ar aon chaoi, tá tú an ghreannmhar (funny).

Ná tosaigh mé (don't get me started) ar gandal cócaráilte. Tá míle agus míle acu sa bpaic agus an cupla bliain ó shin, d'ionsaigh ceann acu fum (one of them attacked me) nuair a raibh mé a rith sa bpairc. Evidently, I walked too close to a goose guarding it's youngin', which I didn't realize at the time, and it gaggled at me, so I decided to "cuss" back at it in goose language - BIG MISTAKE!!! It was only about 50 yards from me - it got up, took to flight directly towards me - I put up my arms in defense - but with its long neck it was able to reach down, while flying at about the speed of sound, and pounce at me in the neck. I thought it slit my throat. Since that day, I've learned never cuss back at a goose, especially in its own language! Rith mé timpeall na géanna fos gan tribloid ach tá ro-lan(too many) acu.

An bhfuil aon oideas (recipe) ar gé cócaráilte agat? I know, I know, they're a protected species, and they'll just keep multiplying ad infinitum, or until the laws are changed to stop them from monopolizing every square inch of free space, both land and water, in the USA.

Mac Léinn Oideas

A Aonghuis,

Sílim go raibh mé ag smaoinamh air cúpla lá ó shin, "Beidh orm ag cuimhneamh air sin nuair a théim abhhaile inniu."

I'll have to remember that when I go home today.

Beidh orm ag cuimhneamh air sin nuair a théim abhhaile inniu.

Ó, Grma a Dhuine uasail.

A Mhac,

The joke I was going for was "is your goose cooked?" I think "an bhfuil" might mean "are you" a cooked goose which is not what I had in mind, but then I will have to look up the use of an and bhfuil again. Tá tú ghreannmhar freisin. Tá mé ag gáire go hard. I thought it was funny the way you directed that you yourself would go off topic. We will have to start a new thread for funny animal stories since I too have a gander of a one concerning geese on our campus. Tá scéal grinn agam. Maith thú, a Mhac. Beidh tú líofa i nGaeilge roimh beidh mé.

Scríobh Maidhc: The joke I was going for was "is your goose cooked?"

A Mhaidhc, the point I was making is that since you're saying the goose is cooked, you wouldn't use the copula an, but instead would use the question form of tá, which is an bhfuil. But there are ways of forming you're question is your goose cooked by using the copula. It's just in the form that you had used, I think that a form of bí is used instead of a form of the copula.

Yeah, let's start a thread on funny animal stories, and I think as long as we're keep part of the discussion in Irish, we won't violate the Topic-Control laws. My remarks about topic control are tongue-in-cheek, since I appreciate the efforts of our more learned members to keep us on track.