Broken Translation Game 2017

[voron]

your only option for the next three days would be to attempt to translate an entire text on your phone

In fact I had started it -- my translation is from a language I know well into my native language, so I don't have to look anything up -- but then I gave up when I encountered a word I forgot in Belarusian. Yeah it's not truely my native language. Last time I actually spoke it with someone was probably a year ago.

[Luís]

I'll make you guys wait until Monday, sorry. I am at a hotel in Istanbul and it's not very comfortable to do translation on a mobile phone.

According to the rules you have 5 days, so don't worry too much

In fact I had started it -- my translation is from a language I know well into my native language, so I don't have to look anything up -- but then I gave up when I encountered a word I forgot in Belarusian. Yeah it's not truely my native language. Last time I actually spoke it with someone was probably a year ago.

I was looking at the Wikipedia article on Belarusian and they say that although 85% of Belarusians consider it their native language, only 11% speak it as their main language at home. How does this work exactly? Is it an urban vs rural kind of thing or are there specific regions of the country where the language is more widespread?

[vijayjohn]

It's not uncommon for people to consider a language their native language even if they don't speak a word of it. I myself used to consider Malayalam my native language and have always been somewhat uneasy about saying English really occupies that position instead. Sure, it's the language I'm actually most fluent in, but it's not the one I identify with the most by any means; if anything, it's the one I used to want to distance myself from as much as possible. Three generations before me, no one in my family spoke it. It's not even the first language I spoke as a child.

My understanding is that in both Belarus and Ireland, the motivation for claiming Belarusian/Irish as your "native language" has more to do with things like culture and national pride and less to do with what languages you really speak and how well you speak them. There's a thread where we talked about this a bit, but I can't seem to find it right now.

[dEhiN]

Also those stats - 85% of Belarusians consider it their native language but only 11% speak it as their main language at home - say nothing about whether those 85% know Belarusian or not. Speaking a main language at home isn't the same as not knowing a language or not being able to speak a language.

[vijayjohn]

Speaking a main language at home isn't the same as not knowing a language or not being able to speak a language.

I'm confused by this sentence. If you speak a language at home, then surely you must know it and be able to speak it.

[Luís]

Speaking a main language at home isn't the same as not knowing a language or not being able to speak a language.

I'm confused by this sentence. If you speak a language at home, then surely you must know it and be able to speak it.

I think he meant that even if all those people speak another language at home (in this case Russian) it doesn't mean they can't speak Belarusian as well.

Anyway, I don't think my question implied any of those things, though. I was just curious to know if Belarusian was more widely used as a main language in certain regions of the country or by certain social classes, in certain social contexts etc.

About the game: Irusia has already received the text

[voron]

My understanding is that in both Belarus and Ireland, the motivation for claiming Belarusian/Irish as your "native language" has more to do with things like culture and national pride and less to do with what languages you really speak and how well you speak them.

Exactly this. I was going to make this comparison with Irish myself, before I read Vijay's reply.

I was just curious to know if Belarusian was more widely used as a main language in certain regions of the country or by certain social classes, in certain social contexts etc.

Older people and people from the countryside are more likely to speak Belarusian (a dialect, not the standard). As for the standard, people who work in education and culture tend to speak it more. Nothing unexpected.

[aaakknu]

I will send my translation today in the evening or tomorrow.

[vijayjohn]

Any news on this game?

[aaakknu]

Any news on this game?

I've just sent my translation.

[vijayjohn]

Any news on this game?

I've just sent my translation.

Perfect! Thank you!

[dEhiN]

Hey all, so I apologize but the game is going to be a bit delayed because of me. I was supposed to send my translation to Aurinĭa on Sunday. But I forgot that Aurinĭa is her UL nick and searched for a recipient based on her real name. It turned out there's a user whose UL nick is her real name! (I also sent a copy of my PM to Luís, but both he and I didn't notice the error, despite the fact that this other user is a regular user!) I'm sorry guys. Anyway, I sent my translation to Aurinĭa today, so we're back on track.

[vijayjohn]

Oh noes we're all gonna [daˈjiːːːː]! Bad dEhiN! Bad!

[dEhiN]

Oh noes we're all gonna [daˈjiːːːː]! Bad dEhiN! Bad!

What type of idiolect is this that uses noes and [daˈjiːːːː] but we're??!!

[vijayjohn]

Oh noes we're all gonna [daˈjiːːːː]! Bad dEhiN! Bad!

What type of idiolect is this that uses noes and [daˈjiːːːː] but we're??!!

Vijayan.

[dEhiN]

Oh noes we're all gonna [daˈjiːːːː]! Bad dEhiN! Bad!

What type of idiolect is this that uses noes and [daˈjiːːːː] but we're??!!

Vijayan.

Well, if you can tell me that Vijayan includes a melange of Malayalam, Mexicano, and various other languages, it might become my next language I start learning.

[księżycowy]

Start some lessons.

[vijayjohn]

But...but I'm not even clear on how exactly it's different from your own varieties of English yet!

[księżycowy]

So? I'm not paying you to waffle. I'm paying you to teach!

[dEhiN]

So? I'm not paying you to waffle. I'm paying you to teach!

What currency are you using exactly? So far, all I've seen on here are demands from you on Vijay-bhai, with no evidence of payment or compensation, monetary or otherwise, for all his efforts! Vijay-bhai, my suggestion is that you stop doing business with this księżycowy guy. I, on the other hand, would gladly do a skills exchange: you teach me Vijayan, and I can teach you how to sleep 15 hours a day....or...if you want something useful, then I guess I could teach you guitar or music theory.