Translation into Irish Gaelic

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Viktor Janis
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Translation into Irish Gaelic

Post by Viktor Janis »

I am a professional translator (I work mainly from English into Czech) and I ran into an intriguing problem lately. While translating Sandman by Neil Gaiman (a graphic novel of some renown), I had to translate a name of a character called "Fiddler's Green". As it turns out at the end of the story, it is just mortal incarnation of a PLACE. The most exhaustive definition of "Fiddler's Green" I have been able to find, is this:

“Old seamen are such notorious yarn spinners that it is difficult to know which of their stories to believe about Fiddler’s Green. Some say that an old salt who is tired of seagoing should walk inland with an oar over his shoulder. When he come to a pretty little village deep in the country, and people ask him what he is carrying, he will know he has found Fiddler’s Green. The people give him a seat in the sun outside the village inn, with a glass of grog that refills itself every time he drains the last drop and a pipe forever smoking with fragrant tobacco. From then onwards he has nothing to do but enjoy his glass and pipe, and watch the maidens dancing to the music of a fiddler on the village green."

Now, whereas in English the name "Green" is quite common, in Czech it is obviously not. In fact, in Czech you immediately recognize, whether you describe a person or a place. To have it translated into Czech would be a dead giveway. The only elegant way out of this not-that-pretty kettle of fish is to translate the name back to IRISH GAELIC (the whole concept has Irish roots anyway). So is there anyone out there who knows the Irish equivalent?
I would be extremely grateful if you could post it here or send it to my e-mail address: janis@mbox.dkm.cz. Thanks in advance!
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frantsuz
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Joined: 10 Dec 2002 01:53
Location: Côte d'Azur

Post by frantsuz »

dobry den,

I don't know anything about irish language, but this website http://www.inac.org/irishlanguage/index.php offers 128 lessons (the best website I found about irish, promoting the irish language). If you go through all of them I'm sure you'll find out :loljump: Seriously, I think that you could ask the people of this website, they will probably know and help you.
:hello:
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Kto ne kurit i ne p'yot, tot zdoroven'kim pomret.
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