From @uga.cc.uga.edu:LOJBAN@CUVMB.BITNET Tue Dec 15 15:51:33 1992 Received: from uga.cc.uga.edu by MINERVA.CIS.YALE.EDU via SMTP; Tue, 15 Dec 1992 04:56:31 -0500 Received: from UGA.CC.UGA.EDU by uga.cc.uga.edu (IBM VM SMTP V2R2) with BSMTP id 3763; Tue, 15 Dec 92 04:54:41 EST Received: from UGA.BITNET by UGA.CC.UGA.EDU (Mailer R2.08 PTF008) with BSMTP id 4786; Tue, 15 Dec 92 04:54:41 EST Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 20:51:33 EST Reply-To: Nick Nicholas Sender: Lojban list From: Nick Nicholas Subject: Re: CAFE.INT: su'u xekri To: C.J.Fine@bradford.ac.uk Cc: Lojban Mailing List In-Reply-To: ; from "CJ FINE" at Dec 14, 92 5:10 pm Status: O X-Status: Message-ID: >The next instalment of my translation from Nick's 'black' piece Mmm. I'm in for it again, I see... my obscurantism backfires yet again. >A couple of waiters were slowly making their erratic way towards the >drinkers. Paul was talking about being the active partner in sex, >his face serious. The loud joke had caused that. (note 1) Actually, it would have made sense had I said {le laurxajmi goi la paul.}, or {le laurxajmypre}: ("This loud joker has shown strength...") >"I've too let the other person control", ruefully. "But last night >I dominated Liz." (note 2) >"Was that planned?" >"Not quite sure - I think it was accidental." "I *always* get topped! Heh, but I topped *Liz* last night!" "On purpose?" "Nah, must have been an accident." >"Yes, a real pain. Look, stop being so nasty." She said, looking at him adoringly... >"Go on then, make me!" (something had been enough to make the quiet >detailed (?) friendly and loving relationship which does not normally show >this behaviour (note 3)) Oh! Er, you'll kick me for this: it's a continuation of the previous parenthetical clause. The repetition of {vlipa} clearly isn't enough to bind the two parentheticals together, and I'll revise it into an explicit bind. ("He has shown strength in close friendship/love, which isn't exemplified by this kind of behaviour! :) ") The {tcila} is obviously weak. Why do I structure this whole narrative on such a rabbit-warren of parenthetical comments? I don't know, the self-commenting, double-narrative perplexity, made *formally* possible by Lojban's unambiguous punctuation, intrigued me; I don't think it was wise to do it so cavalierly though (I'll still do it, because there's a point to it, but I'll build in more safety valves.) >I understand the words, and >think I have understood the sense, but for the life of me I can't work out >what you were trying to achieve by that "co". Literally, afterthough tanru modification. Like postposed adjectives in free order languages. My lack of self-defence competence characterised me, but is an afterthough to my turning. (And a self-mocking aside, that shouldn't be foregrounded.) > ko gleki selzdi le salci go'ira'o ******************************************************************************* A freshman once observed to me: Nick Nicholas am I, of Melbourne, Oz. On the edge of the Rubicon, nsn@munagin.ee.mu.oz.au (IRC: nicxjo) men don't go fishing. Account expires end of February 1993. - Alice Goodman, _Nixon In China_ Mail me! Mail me! Mail me! Or don't!!