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Usenet Posted 20 years ago
Learning
Few vocabulary problems
Hi All,
I'm trying to translate a text
(http://www.sibyllineorder.org/sacred texts/sw innana.htm), and I've got some vocabulary problems. Can you please help?
"Tear at your eyes, at your mouth, at your thighs" - I've browsed several dictionaries, and I haven't found a satisfying translation. Can you please give me a modern English equivalent that would both fit "tear at sb's eyes" and "tear at sb's thighs"?
"Father Enlil would not help"
- The literal meaning, derived from the context, is in fact "Father Enlil did not help". What does make the difference? Can you please describe the "flavour" of it?
"She took the matter into her heart and dwelt on it" - Do you think it is valid to substitute "dwelt on" by "considered" in the context?
"Quiet, Inanna, the ways of the underworld are perfect" - A similar question: may I understand "ways" as "rules"?
"I am troubled, I am grieved"
- The word "grieved" seems to me much more emotional than "troubled". Perhaps I'm wrong with the latter?
"Her hair swirls about her head like leeks"
- Is there any meaning of "leek" other than the onion-like vegetable? Is this a misprint? If both answers are negative, what do you think the author meant? (My wife doesn't know either
"Were like reeds the size of large picket fences"
- Does it mean "Were like reeds of the size of large picket fences"?
Many thanks in advance,
T. D.
PS. I've got a kind request as usual: if you find any mistake, or clumsiness, in what I typed, please let me know.
I'm trying to translate a text
(http://www.sibyllineorder.org/sacred texts/sw innana.htm), and I've got some vocabulary problems. Can you please help?
"Tear at your eyes, at your mouth, at your thighs" - I've browsed several dictionaries, and I haven't found a satisfying translation. Can you please give me a modern English equivalent that would both fit "tear at sb's eyes" and "tear at sb's thighs"?
"Father Enlil would not help"
- The literal meaning, derived from the context, is in fact "Father Enlil did not help". What does make the difference? Can you please describe the "flavour" of it?
"She took the matter into her heart and dwelt on it" - Do you think it is valid to substitute "dwelt on" by "considered" in the context?
"Quiet, Inanna, the ways of the underworld are perfect" - A similar question: may I understand "ways" as "rules"?
"I am troubled, I am grieved"
- The word "grieved" seems to me much more emotional than "troubled". Perhaps I'm wrong with the latter?
"Her hair swirls about her head like leeks"
- Is there any meaning of "leek" other than the onion-like vegetable? Is this a misprint? If both answers are negative, what do you think the author meant? (My wife doesn't know either
"Were like reeds the size of large picket fences"
- Does it mean "Were like reeds of the size of large picket fences"?
Many thanks in advance,
T. D.
PS. I've got a kind request as usual: if you find any mistake, or clumsiness, in what I typed, please let me know.
Top answer
htm), and I've got some vocabulary problems. Can you please ... [/nq] I think it means something like "scratch" in this context [nq:1]"Father Enlil would not help" - The literal meaning, derived from the context, is in fact "Father Enlil did not help".
- htm), and I've got some vocabulary problems.
- Can you please ...
- [/nq] I think it means something like "scratch" in this context [nq:1]"Father Enlil would not help" - The literal meaning, derived from the context, is in fact "Father Enlil did not help".
- What does make the difference?
- [/nq] He wasn't willing to help.
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2 Answers
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Tomasz Dryjanski schrieb:
[nq:1]Hi All, I'm trying to translate a text (http://www.sibyllineorder.org/sacred texts/sw innana.htm), and I've got some vocabulary problems. Can you please ... please give me a modern English equivalent that would both fit "tear at sb's eyes" and "tea
[nq:1]Hi All, I'm trying to translate a text (http://www.sibyllineorder.org/sacred texts/sw innana.htm), and I've got some vocabulary problems. Can you please ... please give me a modern English equivalent that would both fit "tear at sb's eyes" and "tea
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Many thanks for the answers!
Just one more: Ereshkigal moans there "Oh! My inside!" and "Oh! My outside!".
Is "inside" equivalent to "guts"? What about "outside"?
T. D.
Just one more: Ereshkigal moans there "Oh! My inside!" and "Oh! My outside!".
Is "inside" equivalent to "guts"? What about "outside"?
T. D.
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