The Riddle of the Burial Ground
Posted: 19 Jan 2018 09:56
I saw some time ago the documentary Containment, on how we might safely store nuclear waste for thousands of years, given we don't know how to communicate the dangers to people living 10,000 years from now. The film starts with this hypothetical warning, which might accompany physical markers and be translated into multiple languages. Future Earthlings might speak your conlang so you should probably translate the warning, too, just in case.
I had particular trouble with the fourth sentence; Silvish has difficulty unambiguously referring to the sense of touch, to the point where I ended up leaving it out. How does your 'lang handle the senses in this translation?
English
Do not destroy these markers. These standing stones mark an area once used to bury radioactive wastes. These wastes give off invisible energy that can destroy plants, animals and people. The rock and water in this area may not look, feel or smell unusual but may be poisoned. These markers were designed to last 10,000 years. Do not drill here. Do not dig here.
Silvish
Dettruiyet pa ço mmarqueut. Çette pperre drechâ marque en loú qu' en-e quí on se servya par enterrê d' racclo radioattivou. Çett racclo emmé en-' enerjî envizible qui peu dettruire la pplante, lou-z animeut e lou djant. Beu s' qu' la perre e l' ave de çett loú vou ssemble pa bizarre par çou qu' l' en e' dd' l' apparanche e d' l' odeû, eu s' peu qu' elle ssêye empouezon-â. Ço mmarqueut fuoue conçut par duouê 10.000 ant. Perchit pa ichi. Crouzet pa ichi.
This translation also gave me the longest "complex," or string of phonologically linked words, I've yet encountered in Silvish (par çou qu' l' en e' dd' l' apparanche "as it concerns appearance")
I had particular trouble with the fourth sentence; Silvish has difficulty unambiguously referring to the sense of touch, to the point where I ended up leaving it out. How does your 'lang handle the senses in this translation?
English
Do not destroy these markers. These standing stones mark an area once used to bury radioactive wastes. These wastes give off invisible energy that can destroy plants, animals and people. The rock and water in this area may not look, feel or smell unusual but may be poisoned. These markers were designed to last 10,000 years. Do not drill here. Do not dig here.
Silvish
Dettruiyet pa ço mmarqueut. Çette pperre drechâ marque en loú qu' en-e quí on se servya par enterrê d' racclo radioattivou. Çett racclo emmé en-' enerjî envizible qui peu dettruire la pplante, lou-z animeut e lou djant. Beu s' qu' la perre e l' ave de çett loú vou ssemble pa bizarre par çou qu' l' en e' dd' l' apparanche e d' l' odeû, eu s' peu qu' elle ssêye empouezon-â. Ço mmarqueut fuoue conçut par duouê 10.000 ant. Perchit pa ichi. Crouzet pa ichi.
Spoiler: