tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8950931197043565670.post7080782276269941..comments2024-03-12T17:26:21.322+05:30Comments on Mizo Writings in English: Cross my Heart and Hope to DieZualteii Poontehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03894762926515124116noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8950931197043565670.post-80935242098571238872010-12-06T02:00:17.197+05:302010-12-06T02:00:17.197+05:30bawn ve pangaibawn ve pangaiLalsangpuia Raltehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09760986757406053537noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8950931197043565670.post-38452894224571697302010-12-03T17:32:24.775+05:302010-12-03T17:32:24.775+05:30yayyy!! You finally did some translation. So happy...yayyy!! You finally did some translation. So happy!! haven't read the entire thing yet, but judging from the comments, and knowing you, I know it'll be good! keep 'em coming!DayDreamBelieverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00365073225447718656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8950931197043565670.post-57020166733750982822010-11-28T21:12:49.083+05:302010-11-28T21:12:49.083+05:30David, sorry for the much delayed reply. Thank you...David, sorry for the much delayed reply. Thank you so much for your very warm endorsement. I did translate it keeping in mind a wider reading audience that wasn't Mizo by birth or experience. <br /><br />About keeping up the good work and finding a publisher, I'm somewhat wary of the translator's Catch-22 of taking different writers with individual styles and language (metaphors et al) and end up giving each of them a kind of flat factory product feel by working them all in my own writing style. Also since I'm not doing this translation thing for purely scholarly/literary purposes, I'd rather select projects that are fun and enjoyable to work on, and that could mean my output is few and sporadic.Zualteii Poontehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03894762926515124116noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8950931197043565670.post-78002385402992307432010-10-31T12:02:00.197+05:302010-10-31T12:02:00.197+05:30Another thing. While reading the piece, I was in t...Another thing. While reading the piece, I was in two worlds - the English language world and the Mizo language world. It was a strange feeling because on one hand, the narration of the main character and his friends' antics was like reading a completely unfamiliar situation because it was in English while on the other hand, I could identify myself with the story because it was what I had gone through myself during my boyhood.David M. Thanglianahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00738370247106378882noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8950931197043565670.post-22162396278368580442010-10-31T11:51:56.359+05:302010-10-31T11:51:56.359+05:30Great job. I think this is what I have looking for...Great job. I think this is what I have looking for in the Mizo literary circle. If you can keep up the good work, we can all chip in to look for a publisher. And if you think we (that is those of us Mizos who can write in English) can be of help, we can all work together in the translation through the internet.<br /><br />And I like the "tuibur hmuanda bit". Great innovation, I think!David M. Thanglianahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00738370247106378882noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8950931197043565670.post-7488014883633356672010-05-27T17:59:51.970+05:302010-05-27T17:59:51.970+05:30Thank you, grateful for the commendation.And yep, ...Thank you, grateful for the commendation.And yep, much of this was done in between energy packs :pZualteii Poontehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03894762926515124116noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8950931197043565670.post-68248327213931257532010-05-27T13:13:05.680+05:302010-05-27T13:13:05.680+05:30when do you find the time to translate? in between...when do you find the time to translate? in between waiting for the energy packs? :D. this is great. much admiration for the bravery of this enterprise.___ Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09045782189682751290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8950931197043565670.post-44763967069656902372010-05-27T10:23:44.695+05:302010-05-27T10:23:44.695+05:30Thank you, zonu, appreciate that!Thank you, zonu, appreciate that!Zualteii Poontehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03894762926515124116noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8950931197043565670.post-57816506607273949612010-04-13T16:30:20.488+05:302010-04-13T16:30:20.488+05:30vey,very impressive.vey,very impressive.zonuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13839575376601438180noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8950931197043565670.post-13379160229406742482010-04-07T12:06:22.552+05:302010-04-07T12:06:22.552+05:30I posted a reply here yesterday but it's vanis...I posted a reply here yesterday but it's vanished into thin air. Weird.<br />Thanks much, guys. I truly appreciate the time you've taken to give me some feedback. It's so much more encouraging than being faced with a wall of silence!<br />John, I was starting to wonder if anyone would ever notice the translated title. Yep, Mizo children say, <i>"Dawt ka sawi a tâkah thih sak pawh ka ngam!"</i> while English speaking kids go, <i>"I'm telling you the truth, cross my heart and hope to die (if I'm not)!"</i> - both phrases used by children to show the depth of their truthfulness and sincerity.Zualteii Poontehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03894762926515124116noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8950931197043565670.post-60252183851427810952010-04-06T16:37:18.685+05:302010-04-06T16:37:18.685+05:30Brilliant, Zualteii!Brilliant, Zualteii!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14914208616105408220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8950931197043565670.post-86442385531514113412010-04-05T14:31:47.693+05:302010-04-05T14:31:47.693+05:30Excellent translation. I fully agree with you that...Excellent translation. I fully agree with you that translation (esp. of a piece like this which involves intricacies of language as well as culture) is not an easy thing as it involves interpreting situations which a Mizo would immediately understand and identify with (e.g. kids looking for dung beetles under fresh dung) but an outsider would probably find incomprehensible. <br />Then, of course, there are those phrases like 'tuibur hmuam da awm vel lekah' which you have very nicely translated as 'a tobacco spittle’s loss of flavour distance' (love this one :). A non-Mizo (an Englishman, for instance) might understand the phrase (as translated) but he would not be able to place it in its context (in the sense that many Mizos, esp. our more senior citizens, love their 'tuibur' which is retained in the mouth till it loses its flavour).<br />Your translation of the title of the novel (Thih Sak Pawh Ka Ngam - Cross My Heart And Hope To Die) is very apt with its immediate connotation of children at play.<br />Hope we get to read the full novel soon.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8950931197043565670.post-74809185866337347182010-04-05T04:42:56.741+05:302010-04-05T04:42:56.741+05:30Good job done! Nice and excellent work. On a more ...Good job done! Nice and excellent work. On a more personal note, I think you are pretty good in choosing the lines for your translation. Cheers!Naupang^Felhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01376336507586927950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8950931197043565670.post-11184176160321984762010-04-02T17:48:25.581+05:302010-04-02T17:48:25.581+05:30*rather neat. adding my voice to the "more, p...*rather neat. adding my voice to the "more, please" chorus.feddabonnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08365326300429832990noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8950931197043565670.post-52027228424230247952010-04-02T12:27:58.392+05:302010-04-02T12:27:58.392+05:30Thanks, mesjay and mangbuhril, appreciate your tim...Thanks, mesjay and mangbuhril, appreciate your time and courtesy. The "more" bit will probably depend a great deal on the feedback this one gets.Zualteii Poontehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03894762926515124116noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8950931197043565670.post-40786976499008075512010-04-01T11:14:49.170+05:302010-04-01T11:14:49.170+05:30wow wow, very interesting read indeed, i am flabbe...wow wow, very interesting read indeed, i am flabbergasted ,<b><strong>would love to get my hands on the whole english book after it is published</strong></b>. A great writer who captures the essence of growing up in a typical mizo village/town.mangbuhrilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08689569291982454576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8950931197043565670.post-71752829518512459662010-03-27T19:59:04.553+05:302010-03-27T19:59:04.553+05:30Huck-Finns, eh? Great read. Translating is such to...Huck-Finns, eh? Great read. Translating is such tough work, kudos to you. Hope more coming.Malsawmi Jacobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16398649072289630943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8950931197043565670.post-71899120032004520672010-03-27T10:58:12.458+05:302010-03-27T10:58:12.458+05:30Lol samuapa, samua te unau chhiar ve loh tur awm c...Lol samuapa, samua te unau chhiar ve loh tur awm chi a awm ka ring lem lo.<br /><br />ku2, thank you. I haven't done much translation but sometimes I think there's a lot more interpreting involved. When you're not exactly spot-on familiar with what's being described, you cannot but fall back on to your own interpretation/deduction. And yes, the intricacies of language involved can be quite mind-boggling. Like "a piin Lalzira a um chhuah atanga tuibur hmuam da awm vel lekah..." had me initially stumped. I didn't want to do away with the <i>tuibur</i> bit because I felt it added flavour to the line so "They had hardly gone a tobacco spittle’s loss of flavour distance.." A bit convoluted but hopefully alright.Zualteii Poontehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03894762926515124116noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8950931197043565670.post-18957476366820545152010-03-26T16:20:03.572+05:302010-03-26T16:20:03.572+05:30Zaninah uluk deuhvin ka chhiar ang a. Ka fate chhi...Zaninah uluk deuhvin ka chhiar ang a. Ka fate chhiar atan a him dam em tih chik taka ka enfiah hnuah a lo him hlauh chuan ka chhiartir ve ang.samuelapahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05958753461588214146noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8950931197043565670.post-59310368107587309202010-03-26T13:57:16.449+05:302010-03-26T13:57:16.449+05:30Translation is not an easy process, but you've...Translation is not an easy process, but you've managed to beautifully capture the ethos of village life as portrayed in the novel. I have read the original, and I imagine that it was no mean feat to translate the subtleties of the Mizo language, esp. the humor, into English. Great work :)<br /><br />And I think Chak Nawris could have beaten Bruce Lee :Dku2https://www.blogger.com/profile/16670201021888283331noreply@blogger.com