Help!!! Translation of a short Jamaican article

[kia027]

Re: Help!!! Translation of a short Jamaican article

the gist of the story.....
The narrator was abroad (away from Jamaica) and saw two men get into a fight. Their fighting skills leave much to be desired as it is just silly slaps. No one stops to watch the fight. The cops come and the cowards run away.

The author contrasts the fight with fights seen in Jamaica years ago. A crowd would gather, watch and critique. The author proceeds to describe a fight between Byron, a customer, and Brown, the barber.

Byron wanted his hair cut like Tony C because he was going to a party and wished to impress a new lady he met at a funeral. Brown was busy chatting, forgot the style Byron wanted and gave him a 'Continental'. Byron was not pleased and a fight began.

Byron and Brown moved out to the Piazza where a crowd gathered to watch the spectacle, made their bets and watched the fight.

Brown thumped Byron down. The crowd slowly disbursed. Byron and Brown worked their differences out and moved on.

A good fight was a spectacle to behold. This was before the days of guns & knives being used as fighting implements. If the men from abroad were fighting each other were fighting in Jamaica, they would not have a chance.

[sims79]

Re: Help!!! Translation of a short Jamaican article

Wow- first of all: thanks to 'evri smadi'!

Yes, the text is from the Gleaner and I found it very hard to translate, since the actual task is to briefly summarize what the text is about. the main focus should be on the analysis of grammatical structures.

Ok, the background: I am a student from Germany, studying English Linguistics and last semester I took a course called "Pidgins And Creoles", and to pass, I have to hand in an assignment about this text. After I've spent two days on repeating and reading my grammar books and trying to figure out and translate, I decided to ask some native speakers for help and ended up in desperately logging in to this forum and posting the entire text over here. So glad I found this forum- internet is the best thing that could happen to mankind !
Thanks for helping me out so quickly! I think I can do the rest now - yesterday I was really about to freak out.

'tank yu an mek wi 'ear fram yuh, nuh'!
(does that make sense? lol)

[RichD]

Re: Help!!! Translation of a short Jamaican article

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Peasie</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

<span style="font-style: italic">My dear, the other day when I was abroad I came upon two of the natives trying to act as though they were fighting. First there was a punch, then two weaker punches were exchanged. The fight ended just as a police car rounded the corner. The two cowards sped off on foot. I then said to myself, &quot;Now, look at this!&quot;</span>


</div></div>



at this traslation

because i know is same so peasie talk in real life

[Peasie]

Re: Help!!! Translation of a short Jamaican article

You are welcome, Sims

Some of us may cringe a little at your spelling, but other than that, you seem to be getting the hang of it

Let us know if you need any more help with your assignment




<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: sims79</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Wow- first of all: thanks to 'evri smadi'!

Yes, the text is from the Gleaner and I found it very hard to translate, since the actual task is to briefly summarize what the text is about. the main focus should be on the analysis of grammatical structures.

Ok, the background: I am a student from Germany, studying English Linguistics and last semester I took a course called &quot;Pidgins And Creoles&quot;, and to pass, I have to hand in an assignment about this text. After I've spent two days on repeating and reading my grammar books and trying to figure out and translate, I decided to ask some native speakers for help and ended up in desperately logging in to this forum and posting the entire text over here. So glad I found this forum- internet is the best thing that could happen to mankind !
Thanks for helping me out so quickly! I think I can do the rest now - yesterday I was really about to freak out.

'tank yu an mek wi 'ear fram yuh, nuh'!
(does that make sense? lol)







</div></div>

[Peasie]

Re: Help!!! Translation of a short Jamaican article

clear awf

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RichD</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

at this traslation

because i know is same so peasie talk in real life </div></div>

[Jazz]

Re: Help!!! Translation of a short Jamaican article

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Kia</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Brown thumped Byron down. </div></div>

I are dedding!!!!!

[sims79]

Re: Help!!! Translation of a short Jamaican article

hahaha thanks

So I'm nearly done with it! I'll keep you updated how it turned out and if it was ok with my prof.

Have to admit that I totally underestimated this course, especially the translating:
for instance, there are so many different meanings for one word (like &quot;a&quot, depending on context and its position in a sentence - so confusing!

But in the end, it was really interesting to get an impression and a deeper understanding about language, history and culture

[Peasie]

Re: Help!!! Translation of a short Jamaican article

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: sims79</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Have to admit that I totally underestimated this course, especially the translating: for instance, there are so many different meanings for one word (like &quot;a&quot, depending on context and its position in a sentence - so confusing! </div></div>
The Use of &quot;A&quot; in Jamaican Patois - now there's a PhD dissertation

Bear in mind that, for the most part, patois is a spoken language. I am no expert in patois but I have heard the use of &quot;a&quot; in the following ways:
<ul style="list-style-type: disc">[*]Mi <span style="font-weight: bold">a</span> goh deh = I <span style="font-weight: bold">am</span> going there[*]Im <span style="font-weight: bold">a</span> chat fawt = He <span style="font-weight: bold">is</span> talking nonsense (fart, literal translation)[*]All <span style="font-weight: bold">a</span> dem<span style="font-weight: bold"> a</span> chat fawt = All <span style="font-weight: bold">of </span>them <span style="font-weight: bold">are</span> talking nonsense.[*]<span style="font-weight: bold">A</span> weh shi deh? = Where<span style="font-weight: bold"> is</span> she?[*]<span style="font-weight: bold">A</span> chree dawg did <span style="font-weight: bold">a </span>run mi dung when<span style="font-weight: bold"> a</span> dis pap ovah one fence = It<span style="font-weight: bold"> was</span> three dogs that <span style="font-weight: bold">were</span> chasing me when<span style="font-weight: bold"> I</span> just jumped over a fence. (Notice here that in English the article is &quot;a&quot; but in patois the article is expressed as &quot;one&quot[/list]
Of course &quot;a&quot; is used as an article, regardless of singular or plural or whether before a vowel or a consonant