(CZ>EN) Extracts from book review

like i said i wasn't attempting to be critical - and i do apologise if i came across that way

i look at it from the perspective of translating - so i probably get caught up in various synonyms of it and the use of words in english that are more fitting in certain contexts- which doesn't help you any, so i will now proceed to keep quiet as a mouse

 

meluzina: No need to apologize. And please feel free to comment (no need to be quiet as a mouse - is that "tichý/tichá jako myš" in Czech?)

 

We say "tichý jako myška". (myška is a diminutive of myš, myš is too loud )

 

evena little mice are not quiet enough sometimes (definitely not the ones in my attic )

the expression i heard growing up was ""tichá jako pěna"

 

Hello, here is another sentence that I can't translate (from the book review of "České dejiny očima psa").

„Byl tu odjakživa. Doprovázel rytíře i sedláky. Hlídal lidi a jejich majetek. Běhal vedle koně či vozu, spal u pánových nohou a pomrkával věrnýma očima. Říše vznikaly a zanikaly, ze spojenců byli rázem nepřátelé, lidé měnili šaty i názory... ale on tu byl stále. Nenahraditelný, stálý. PES. Procházel dějinami. A co si o nich myslel?"

He was there always. He accompanied knights and farmers. He took care of people and their possessions. He ran next to a horse or a wagon, slept at his master's feet and winked with trusting eyes. Empires rose and fell, from allies __________ enemies, people changed their clothes and their minds (their ideas/opinions)... but he(the dog) was there always. Irreplaceable, steady. DOG. He passed through history. And what did he think about it?

I don't understand ze spojenců byli rázem nepřátelé

 

Allies were suddenly changed (became, turned in) into enemies.

rázem (jedním rázem, jedním vrzem) = by a stroke (by one stroke) = expr. suddenly, at once

sedlák = perhaps peasant, for me farmer/farmář sounds too modern

tu = here (not there)

 

Here is more translation from the book review. I marked the phrases that I don't get

Martina Drijverová začíná dvoudílné lomozné psí putování u praotce Čecha a končí (zatím) vznikem samostatného československého státu. Píše moderní češtinou, která se nebojí výrazů jako paťatá Vlasta, zpitomělý Ctirad či slabihoudek, jímž je míněn kníže Neklan.

Martina D began the 2 part ________ of dog's travel with Praotec Čech and ends (for now) with the rise of the independent state of Czechoslovakia. She writes in modern Czech, (does která refer to moderní čeština?) which is not afraid of expressions like ______ Vlasta, daft Ctirad _____________, ___________ knight Neklan.

 

Martina D begins the 2 part clamorous/clangorous(?) dog's journey from Praotec Čech and ends (for now) with the rise of the independent state of Czechoslovakia. She writes in modern Czech, (does která refer to moderní čeština? yes) which is not afraid of expressions like limping/gimpy Vlasta, daft Ctirad or a weakling/doughface, ... Duke/Prince Neklan.

I cannot translate "nebo slaboch, jímž (instr.) je míněn Neklan"

or a weakling, (by this expression she meant Neklan, by this expression Neklan is meant)

 

bibax: Thanks for the color coded explanation. I really appreciate it! Moc jsem to ocenil

I get it / teď chapu:
"not afraid of expressions like limping Vlasta, daft Ctirad or weakling, refering to Duke/Prince Neklan".

 

The book review is now getting very complicated, so here are a couple more things that I just don't get:

A když už se tu objeví nějaká jiráskovsky vzletná fráze, je okamžitě shozena: „Hle, Lučanů pyšné plémě!“ zvolal spisovně Čestmír. A srozumitelně dodal: „Tak jim nařežeme, ne?“

And when one discovers here some poetic phrase a la Jirasek, it is immediately dropped(?): Behold! ___________________ exclaimed in a literary manner Cestmir. And he added intelligibly: ____________________________.

Jako by se autorka učila u amerického bestsellerového autora Lemonyho Snicketa, nenásilně tu a tam vysvětlí termín či frázi, třeba co je to otka, čemu se říkalo plkno a jak v praxi vypadá, když účel světí prostředky.

As if the author learned with the American bestseller author Lemon Snicket, here and there they explain(what is the subject?) spontaneously ____________________________________________

 

shodit = to throw donw, to fling down, figuratively: to degrade, to discolour, to divalue (= degradovat, znehodnotit, zneuctít)

N.B objevit = to discover, but objevit se = to appear

plémě, plemeno = race, brood, breed

nařezat = to slice, fig. to thrash, to give a good beating to

And when one discovers here some poetic (soaring?) phrase a la Jirasek appears, it is immediately degraded: Behold! The proud race/breed of the Lučans! exclaimed in a literary manner Čestmir. And he added intelligibly: So we'll give a good beating to them, right?

As if the author (authress?) learned with(?) at the American bestseller author Lemon Snicket, here and there she explains spontaneously a term or phrase, for instance what otka means, what thing is called by the word plkno, and how it looks in practice, when purpose sanctifies the means (= the end justifies the means).

BTW, Alois Jirásek, 19th century Czech writer of historical novels, his writing style was sometimes soaring from todays perspective.

 

This article (book review of "České dejiny očima psa") is getting more and more difficult as I continue. I wasn't able to find in slovnik.cz many of the words that I didn't get below.

(Legend: underlined Czech words: words that I don't get.
_________ in the English translation: missing English words).

(Ne)zanedbatelný psí vliv
V psích dějinách musí mít pochopitelně významnou roli Pes. Jeho líčení sice* v mnohém zbavuje legendární postavy a příběhy lesku a důstojnosti, mytické předurčenosti a neměnnosti, na druhou stranu jim sympaticky přidává lidské mýlení se** a chybování, prvky náhody až komična.

The significant influence(?) of the dog
In the dog story, the dog must of course play a prominent part/role. His description for the most part gets rid of legendary characters and stories of brilliancy(?) and grandeur, mythical _________ and stability, on the other hand to them he nicely adds ________________ ____________________________.

* I did not translate sice because this word always gives me trouble
** what is this "se" doing here? It's not in second position. Does it belong to some verb in the sentence?

=============
To(?) Pes přece svým vyčerpaným pohledem přesvědčil na Řípu praotce Čecha, aby se v této krajině konečně usadil. I na tom, že kněžně Libuši přivedl kůň Přemysla Oráče, měl zásluhu. Koně tak dlouho odháněl od lapků, pobudů a podezřelých existencí, až zamířil k evidentně vhodnému objektu Přemyslovi.
After all, Pes the Dog convinced by his exhausted viewpoint Praotec Čech to Říp, in order to settle down in this region. _________, that he horse of Přemysl Oráč brought Princess Libuše, had credit/merit(????). He(dog???) drove away the horse so far from ______, ________ and shady existence, until he pointed to evidently the suitable object (Přemysl).

This is tough! :!:
... many words strung together but it doesn't make sense in English.
Can Czech children really understand this stuff?

 

The underlined parts pay respect strictly to the original Czech word order.

“Sice” is either a conjunction meaning “or else / otherwise”, or an adverbial which weakens the importance or force of your statement. Typically, the adverbial admitts a fact as true, but rejects some conclusion made upon the fact. In English you use words or phrases like: rather, however, admittedly, it is true/fact … but (on the other hand).

It belongs to the noun “mýlení”. That’s a verbal noun based on the verb “mýlit se”.

(z)mýlit někoho = to mislead somebody
mýlit se = to mislead oneself ~ to be wrong/mistaken

mýlení se = the misleading oneself ~ the (states of) being wrong ~ the fallibility

 

Pes musí mít pochopitelně významnou roli v psích dějinách. Jeho líčení sice* v mnohém zbavuje (koho?) legendární postavy a příběhy (čeho?) lesku a důstojnosti, mytické předurčenosti (mythického předurčení) a neměnnosti, na druhou stranu jim sympaticky přidává lidské mýlení se** a chybování, prvky náhody až komična.

The dog must of course play a prominent part/role in the history viewed/described by a dog (here psí is adjective, IMO in this context "psí historie" does not mean "a history of the dog(s)"). His description for the most part deprives/abridges the legendary characters and stories of (= from) splendour/glance/brilliancy and grandeur, mythical predetermination/predestination and stability/permanency, on the other hand it (dog's description!) nicely adds to them human blundering and erring(?), elements of accidentality even comicality.

nezanedbatelný vliv psa (gen.) na dějiny lidstva = the significant influence/impact the dog has on the human history
zanedbatelný = negligible, insignificant
mýlit se = to err
mýlit se je lidské = errare humanum est 8)
mýlení (se) ... verbal noun derived from the verb mýlit se

sice ... :cry:

Wer was quicker as per usual.

 

With Czech word order: That (was) the dog, after all, (who) convinced by his exhausted look Forefather Czech on (the peak of) Říp to settle down in this country.

(The dog) has also the credit for the fact that the horse brought Přemysl, the Ploughman, to the princess Libuše.

He(dog??? Yes) drove away the horse so far from highwaymen, vagabonds and shady existences, until he pointed to evidently the suitable object Přemysl.

Well, I think your primar problem is the lack of knowledge of Czech myths. Have a look at

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premysl,_the_Ploughman
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libuse
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lech,_Czech_and_Rus

One information missing in Wikipedia: Libuše ordered the grandeers to follow a horse to her groom-to-be.

 

And also

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neklan

for one of your previous posts.

 

Her horse obviously knew the way very well. :shock:

 

bibax, wer: Thanks for all the great explanations. I really appreciate your help!

-René

 

I think the book review was not intended for children. But the book itself can be difficult for foreigners as well.

 

Hey, pay some respect to the pythonic abilities of the great Libuše.

(The jokes along your lines are known even from the Middle Ages. It was especially popular among Germans.)