Date: Mon, 14 Jun 93 01:55:26 EDT From: lojbab@grebyn.com (Logical Language Group) Message-Id: <9306140555.AA05320@grebyn.com> To: 91909372@bradford.ac.uk, cowan@snark.thyrsus.com, nsn@mullian.ee.mu.oz.au X-Mozilla-Status: 0001 Nick's Second Coffeehouse Text I have to admit that Nick Nicholas's proposals to use bracketting to make it easier for a reader to figure out a complex text structure might be useful, or even necessary, for Nick's writings. The following is Nick's submission for the ckafybarja project, an elaborate and stylistically complex character study. I said that I would print all ckafybarja submissions so they can be evaluated by the community, but this one came close to making me break that pledge. I have to admit that I could not read the Lojban, even with the bracketting that Nick inserted 'to make it easier'. Indeed, the things he marked woth brackets were among the easier structures to understand, even when his brackets were misleading as to the structure. I'm printing Nick's piece, but no Lojbanist should feel ashamed if they cannot follow it. Unfortunately for Nick, I agree with Nora that Lojban's audiovisual isomorphism requires that the grammar be understandable based on what is supplied in the words themselves. Lojban's design presumes that all 'punctuation' is spoken. As such, any punctuation that is inserted to make a text easier to read must be algorithmically derivable from the text structure itself. The bracketting that Nick included in the following text had no obvious explanation that could allow me to predict when he felt it to be useful, and when he felt it unimportant to include. Furthermore, Nick has the tendency to write many cmavo as compounds when there is neither a grammatical link between the words, nor a common English word as translation. In some cases, adding bracketting to indicate complex phrase structure in accordance with the Lojban grammar would have meant adding brackets in the middle of Nick's compounds. Thus, my efforts to format Nick's text, constrained by my insistance on limiting marks to those allowed by audiovisual isomorphism, may not have helped much. I removed all of Nick's markings, prior to inserting my own efforts to structure the text. I then inserted those markers that I could come up with simple algorithmic rules for (I did this manually, so there may be some inconsistencies). New sentences are marked with an equals sign (=), per Nick's suggestion, and I also left 3 spaces before the mark. I added quotation marks, parentheses (and brackets for parentheses marked as editorial), and question marks for question words and exclamation points for attitudinals. I figured any more marks would make the text simply too punctuated, and indeed in places it seems to have exceeded reason already. Nick's text unfortunately gave few clues for paragraphing. Nick used "ni'o" only at the beginning of each section, and the result was a block of Lojban that was extremely hard to read, even with the forest of punctuation marks. Nick's use of quotation made it impossible to try to follow English-like practices of starting new quotations in a new paragraph. He has quotations in the beginning of sentences, in the middle of sentences, at the end of sentences, and in some places he has a series of alternating quotes and names in a single sentence that a Lojban reader must take only as a random series of sumti, since no grammar suggests the relation between names and quotations. (Nick is working on a Prolog Lojban interpreter, described elsewhere in this issue; I really wish that he would think about how his sylistic experiments would be understood by such an interpreter. .oiro'e). Nick's parentheses also are structurally confusing - a parenthetical note attaches as a free modifier to the previous word, and I thus often had no idea why he put his parentheticals where he did, even after looking at the English. I finally decided to double indent paragraphs, and single indent new sentences that were immediately followed by a start of quotation mark or which immediately followed after a quotation ended. This seems something an automatic algorithm can do, and it helped a little in making the text easier on the eyes, if not on the brain. I also expanded Nick's compounds unless they are compounds that would be joined by the lexer component of the Lojban parser and sometimes I expand those, since lexer compounds can be arbitrarily long), or unless they are of patterns that have traditionally been written as compounds in Loglan/Lojban writings like "lenu" and "lemi", and "leca" (which usually means that they have a simple English word or phrase in translation that makes it easy to think of the compound as a unit). I also generally separated indicators from the words they follow, whereas Nick generally writes them as compounds. I did all these changes because, if a Lojban dictionary is going to be useful, we are going to have to make it easy to decide what is a 'word' to be looked up in the dictionary. If a compound word appears in text, it needs to be a dictionary entry, because writing several cmavo as a single word suggests that the compound somehow forms a gestalt that cannot be obviously determined from examining the components. (Sometimes Nick's compounds actually grossly misrepresented the underlying grammar, at least one of the compounds he wrote, "na'igo'i", consisted of an attitudinal followed by a selbri. Attitudinals always modify leftwards, instead of rightwards, so I had to spend some time trying to figure out if this was a mismade lujvo.) Making these changes wasn't easy, but was quite necessary. All efforts to process text automatically run afoul of these compounds, and I personally found some of them hard to distinguish from lujvo (which I had to check individually for updating to the new rafsi). Until someone convinces me differently, I am going to take a hard-nosed attitude towards text structure. Keep your style simple enough that the rules of the language convey what they are supposed to. I hope Nick and everyone else forgives what I did to his text, but if nothing else, we may be able to reach some agreements for the future on standards for text submission and for editing. Nick's character sketches are certainly interesting, even if you need to read the English text. Good luck to those who try the Lojban! All footnotes are by Lojbab, except where marked otherwise. kafybarja #2 pamo'o lu go'e =.ibaboke'u ko'u bacru lu ko seljde loi mabru li'u li'u =.i lei puze'a tirna cu milxe ke se cfipu cmila =.i la paul. bacru lu mabru tcini .!u'iru'e li'u gi'e cevni melbi co dasni lo xekri birtu'ucau .!i'ero'u nercreka =.i ge lerci tcika vi le barja gi carmi melbi co xekri fa le tsani za'a loi selca'o nenri prenu =.i so'o ve barja mo'u cliva =.i la lizbet. na'e go'i cadykei be le xekri tedykre1 be la paul. kalsa be'o se mlifanza cisma no'e zanru le xajmi =.ivu.!u'esaibo ti'e xekri kalsa tu'a loi juntytri .!ii poi vlipa joi vlile joi ke daspo joi finti vau .!u'e =.i ki vive'i kamjikca simsa go'i .!i'unai no'i la liz. dasni lo grusi notcreka (to le no'a cu se kanla loi danmo blanu za'a toi) be lu lenu prami cu ca'e nu nelci carmi se trina lo prenu ju nakni ju fetsi vau !pa'ero'a li'u ne loi lerfu co xekri =.i mi (to lego'i cu se kerfa loi na'e kalsa za'a toi) cairmau me leli'i grusi =.i grusi fa lemi plokarlycreka .e le palku .e le kosycreka noi jgena se dasni ru'u le xadmidju =.i su'o prenu cu ba'anaika'uta'o sanga bacru lu =.i RUSpre ce RUSta'u ce rusxirXEMkla li'u =.i na'i go'i sa'e =.i {lu'e ry. ce'o .ubu ce'o sy.}2 cu ka'u drani se basti {lu'e xy. ce'o. ebu ce'o ky. ce'o ry. ce'o .ybu} =.ita'ocu'i su'u xekri kei vi le kafybarja ni'oremo'o su'o bevri cu .!a'acu'i masno kasydzu zo'i loi ve barja =.i la paul. cu tavla (to le no'a mebri cu jurja'o =.i le laurxampre pu'i vlipa .!i'e.i'onai cei bu'a3 toi) fi leli'i gletro =.i lu =.i mi du'eroi .!u'anaizo'o se gletro =.i mi purlamcte4 seku'i go'i la liz. .!oinai .!u'i li'u lu =.i ?xu purpla5 go'i zo'o li'u lu =.ipe'i .!ianai snuti li'u lu =.i la paul. jikfazgau ?.iepei doi liz. .!u'iru'e li'u lu =.i carmi jikfazgau ju'o .!iu =.i ko co'u xlapre .!u'i li'u lu =.izo'o tu'a ko bapli .!e'inai li'u (to bu'a .!o'e fi leka smaji ke lamji prami joi pendo noi su'anai se mupli na'ebo lecaca'a seltra .!i'o toi) lu =.i mi le'o go'i li'u =.i la paul. ce la liz. co'a cisma simtipyda'a ni'a le jubme =.i la liz. (to gasta bo demxa'e ce margu bo jamfu ce xamsi bo kanla vau .!io toi) certu lezu'o ca'arcau damba =.i mi se mliburna ctacarna co na'eke ca'arcau damba certu gi'e zgana le barja ni'o le paltylu'i6 ku jo'u le jukpa puza cliva =.ija'ebo le barja cu tatpi smaji =.iji'a le trixe be le barja be'o noi di'i krasi leka to'e cando gi'e kurfa kei ki'u lepu'u re ru vi ri zdidabysnu (to lu =.i do te sluji le birka lo mleca be la'e mi .!o'a li'u lu =.i .!e'u mi'o cipra .!a'e birvrajvi =.i .!ai le pritu =.i do djuno .!o'ocu'i ledu'u le zunle pe mi tsame'a le pritu birka doi paul. li'u lu =.i ?xu purpla go'i zo'o li'u toi) tigni fi loi ve barja cu ca malmliselgu'i ke dukri'a kunti =.i la paul. jinga fi la liz. fe lenu birvrajvi =.i la liz. go'i fi mi fu'i (to ba'e dukri'a kunti toi) =.i lerci tcika vi le barja =.i mi'a pu'o jbuboikei ni'ocimo'o le jatna lu =.i .!a'o do joi le pendo be do cu xaufri ca leca vanci li'u mi lu =.i go'i .!io =.i ca pamoi zu'o mi vitke le barja ca lo relmoicte7 =.iza'a .!u'eru'e lei ve barja cu clira cliva ca le cabdei li'u =.i le re jibni be mi depcni catlu le jatna =.i le jatna lu =.i go'i ki'u leka lei cibdei na'o cabdei lenu mutce gunka kei vi levi tcadu =.ita'o do noi ta'e klama le barja ca lei xavycte cu punai pe'i penmi la xiron. noi vi sidju li'u =.i la paul. ce la liz. smaji casnu lenu ri jo'u ra ba litru la'e le merko =.i le jatna cu degji jarco le clani ke blabi creka xadyti'e be le cnino be mi gi'e cisma bacru lu =.i .!ai mi bazi benji ri do ge'e li'u gi'e cliva =.i la liz. bacru lu =.i do li'a selxagmau8 mi'a tu'a le bangu .!o'o li'u =.i le re se cimei na lojbo =.i mi lu =.i nu vlipa jivna zo'o =.i mi jitro joi seltro li'u la paul. lu =.i ca ro nu za'u prenu cu simfra cu nu vlipa jivna ru'a =.i go'i cu'u la djen. vecu'u le samsnuci'e =.iseni'ibozo'o. .!iecu'i go'eje'u li'u mi lu =.i ?xu purpla go'i zo'o li'u la paul. lu le xaupre za'ota'e bacru lu ?xu purpla li'u li'u mi lu =.i ?xu purpla go'i zo'o li'u la liz. lu =.i co'a lerci =.i doi paul. do pu nupre lenu mi'o clira sipna =.i mi cu'urzu'e co bavlamdei li'u la paul. lu =.i .!u'i ?xu purpla go'i li'u mi lu =.i .!ua mi se sitna li'u [tosa'a lemu'e sitna na dunli lemu'e xusra =.i la paul. cu nalri'i bacru do'i9 pe zo simfra gi'u xusra =.i loi cmavo be zo zo'o na'o banzu lenu lo te sitna lo se xusra cu frica =.i lemu'e mi se sitna cu te ciste lo pemci joi kelci jenai xusra plitadji be la paul. bei le bangu bei lenu jikca pluja =.i na nibli fa le nunsitna lenu morna sinma =.i na nibli na'ebo le sego'i .!u'i =.i mi mutce mezoto tavla =.i ?xu !se'izo'o purpla go'i toi] la liz. lu malxlu zo'o li'u =.i lerci tcika vi le barja =.i mi'a puba'o jbuboikei =.i lei bevri cu .!a'acu'i masno bo kalsydzu fa'u sutra bo kalsydzu fa'u cando =.i casnu loi sancrfrikative .e loi relcinpampre girvlici'e .e loi nalzva pendo ca'o le nicte noi sruri be lo ba'a vu trene co pelxu gusni nenri pamei ke sirji darno xemkla zmitra ke snura grusi nalkalsa kunti be'o .!uo xekri Translation of Nick's Coffeehouse Text . "That's right. And then he says, 'Beware of the mammals.'" Those who have been listening smile with mild confusion. Paul says "So, it's a mammal kind of situation!", and is godlike-beautiful in his black tank-top (mmm...). It's late in the cafe, and the night is pitch-beautiful dark to those inside, on the other side of the window. A few cafe patrons have already left. Lizbet, who hasn't, toys with the chaos of Paul's hair, smiling slightly annoyed in disapproval of the joke. Far, far away, I hear, there are black chaoses of gravity, that strongly and violently both destroy and create! Right here and now, social-wise, something similar is happening... Now, Liz is wearing a grey T-shirt (her eyes are smoky blue, I see), saying "Love is an intense fondness and attraction to a person whether male or female!" in black letters. I (her hair is not a chaos) am more into greyness. Grey are my shirt and my pants and my sweater tied around my waist. It has been sung, I recall, in my culture: "For grey he was, and grey he wore, and grey too was his steed." Actually, not precisely so. The string "G.R.E.Y." should be replaced with the string "B.L.A.C.K.". To sum up (or to expand!), there's a blackness going on in the cafe. II Waiters, I suppose, are ambling slowly past the patrons. Paul is talking (his brow looks serious. The loud joker has been known to show strength - how I envy!) on topping. "I get topped too often, I'm afraid. But I did top Liz last night! Hehehe!" "On purpose? :) " "Oh, I think it was an accident!" "Paul is being a pest, don't you think so, Liz?" "Quite a pest! Stop being a bastard, love!" "Oh yeah? Make me!" (... he has been known to show strength in a quiet, close love/friendship - which is not exemplified by this behavior in particular!) "I will!" Paul and Liz start smilingly kicking each other under the table. Liz (fists of steel, legs of mercury, eyes of the sea...) is an expert in self-defence. I, not being an expert in self-defence, turn around in slight embarrassment and observe the cafe. The dish-washer and the cook have left. As a result the cafe is tired-quiet. Also, the back of the cafe, normally the source of bustling and comfort because of the two of them debated there for our - ("Your biceps are smaller than mine! Ha!" "Yeah? Let's test them! Arm-wrestle. The right! You know my left is weaker than my right, Paul!" "On purpose? :) " ) - amusement, is now ill-lit, and anguishingly empty. Paul beats Liz at arm-wrestling. Liz beats me, surprise surprise. (Anguishingly empty.) It's late at the cafe. We're about to play pool. III The Manager: "I hope you and your friends are enjoying the evening?" Me: "Indeed, sir. This is the first time I've been at the cafe on a Tuesday. I see the patrons are leaving early today!" My two neighbors patiently look at the manager. The Manager: "That's because Wednesdays get quite busy in this town. By the way, since you usually come into the bar on Saturday nights, you will not have met Xiron10, who has been helping out here." Paul and Liz are quietly talking about their trip to the States. The Manager points out to me the long, white-shirted back of someone new to me and smiling says: "I'll (hm...) send him to you later", and leaves. Liz says "You... clearly have the advantage of language over us." Two of the threesome do not speak Lojban. Me: "It's power conflict! I top and am topped." Paul: "At any time more than one persons interact, there is a power conflict. Jen says so on the electronic news, so it must be true!" Me: "On purpose?" Paul: "Our good man here has been saying 'On purpose' a bit too long." Me: "... On purpose?" Liz: "It's getting late. Paul, you promised we'd get to bed early. I'm busy tomorrow." Paul: "On purpose?" Me: "Aha! I've been quoted!" (Editorial digression. Quotation is not equivalent to assertion. Paul informally utters the "Interacts" sentence, independent of whether or not he is asserting it. My being quoted is part of the poetic, or playful, rather than assertional usage of language by Paul to make his social interactions complex. The quotation does not imply emulation. Nor does it imply non-emulation! I use parentheses a lot. On purpose? :) ) Liz: "You're a bad influence. smile" It's late at the cafe. We have been playing pool. The waiters, I suppose, are ambling slow and ambling fast and idling. We're talking fricatives and bisexual politics and absent friends during a night that, surrounding a distant putative train, lonesome yellow lit interior / direct distant vehicle automaton / secure grey unchaos empty, is (THE END) black. I (Lojbab) don't have many complaints about Nick's work in the following two stories. They were not passed by an independent editor, but Nick indicated that they had been reviewed on the computer nets a couple of times, and that he had made changes appropriately. Alas, he had not checked the text with a parser (only some minor errors), and he had two non-existent gismu in the second tale, one of which rquired guesswork to figure his intent since it was not a simple typo. But the texts are readable, and my formatting rules that failed to handle Nick's coffeehouse text are probably satisfactory for this text. All comments are from me. Two Greek Folk Tales translated by Nick Nicholas I. melu la xrist. na.enai la pacrux. seljdadji da li'u =.ika'u la pacrux. klama la xrist. gi'e bacru lu ?pe'ipei ?xu do jinvi ledu'u leti cange bakplixa goi ko'a xriso li'u =.i lu !pe'i go'i li'u selba'u la xrist. =.i lu do srera (to'i la pacrux. spuda toi) =.i le kakpa cu me !cai !ba'e mi !sa'e =.i mi'o fau lenu do na krici lenu go'i cu .!e'u klama ca le cermurse leko'a cange poi ko'a tsise'a11 =.i do vi le cange cu !ba'a zgana lenu ko'a me mi li'u ni'o ca le bavlamdei ke clira clira la xrist. joi la pacrux. klama le cange po ko'a gi'e se mipstu loi stani =.i le kakpa cu !ba'e sutra klama gi'enai kruce jdaxanmu'u gi'e lasna le bakni le te plixa gi'e co'a renro lei tsiju =.i lu .!e'o ko zgana .!u'a (to'i la pacrux. bacru toi) =.i ko'a cu !sai me mi =.i ko'a ni'i le !da'i nu ko'a me do cu jdaxanmu'u pu lenu co'a gunka li'u lu le kakpa cu !ja'o to'e depcni fi lemu'e mulgau lenu tsise'a =.i ko denpa lemu'e midydo'i =.i ca ri ko'a co'a citka =.i do ca zgana lenu ko'a jdaxanmu'u li'u =.i midydo'i =.i ko'a co'a citka gi'enai jdaxanmu'u =.i lu .!e'o ko zgana .!u'a (to'i la pacrux. bacru toi) =.i ko'a ni'i le !da'i nu ko'a me do cu jdaxanmu'u pu lenu citka =.i do caki na ji'u darlu =.i ko'a me !cai mi li'u lu .!e'o ko denpa =.i go ko'a mo'u citka gi'enaicabo jdaxanmu'u gi ko'a me do .!e'a li'u =.i ko'a mutce citka gi'e mutce pinxe gi'enaiba'obo jdaxanmu'u gi'eji'a .!uero'a cladu gaxykafke =.i la xrist. bacru lu ko'a .!ainai ca .!e'a me do li'u =.i la pacrux. cu bacru lu .!ienai na go'i =.i ko'a .!ainaicai me ko li'u Neither Christ nor the Devil wants him. Once the Devil went to Christ and said "Pray tell, do you think that plougher is a Christian?" "I do." "You're wrong", the Devil answered, "the plougher is all mine. If you don't believe me, let's go to his farm next dawn when he's ploughing. There you'll see he's mine." Very early the next day, Christ and the Devil went to the plougher's farm and hid in some branches. The plougher hastened to the farm, didn't make the sign of the cross, attached the bulls to the plough and started sowing. "See?" said the Devil. "He's mine. If he was yours, he'd make the sign of the cross before working." "The plougher is impatient to finish sowing. Wait for midday. Then he'll eat. You'll see him making the sign of the cross then." It became midday. The plougher started eating and didn't make the sign of the cross. "See?" said the Devil. "If he was yours, he'd make the sign of the cross before eating. You can't argue anymore. He's all mine." "Wait. If he finishes eating and doesn't make the sign of the cross, he's yours." The plougher ate a lot, drank a lot, didn't make the sign of the cross, and to top it all off, let off a huge fart! Christ said "Now, you can have him." The Devil said "No, you have him!" II. (untitled) =.ika'u pukiku le prenu goi ko'a cu mutce nelci lenu kelci loi kelkarda =.i ko'a ze'i cusku fi leko'a speni fe lu .!e'u vi'ecpe la xrist. mu'i lenu friti lo midydo'i sanmi ra li'u =.i la xrist. cu te cusku le sego'i gi'e frasku lu mi .!ai klama li'u =.ike'unai ca le midydo'i la xrist. noi se kansa ro leri tadni cu klama =.i leko'a speni bazi lenu viska ri joi ra cusku lu le nanba na banzu .!u'u .!oiro'a li'u =.i la xrist. cusku lu .!i'a ja'a go'i =.i ti cavi nanba =.iseni'ibo ti .!o'o bazivi se citka mi'o li'u =.i nicygai le jubme =.i zutse mu'i lenu citka =.i la xrist. cestoldapma le nanba =.i ri banzu tu'a lei citka gi'e .!u'a dukse Once there was a man who loved playing cards. One day, he said to his wife, "Invite Christ here so we can offer him lunch." Christ was told this and responded "I'll go." So, at noon Christ, accompanied by all his student, came there. The man's wife, upon seeing them, said: "Oh, there won't be enough bread!" Christ said: "I think there will. This is the bread we've got, so this is what we'll eat." The table was spread, and they sat to eat. Christ blessed the bread. It was enough - more than enough for those present! no'i la xrist. ba cpacu loi vanju mu'i lenu pinxe kei gi'e te preti fo ko'a fe lenu ko'a djica lenu la xrist. dunda dakau ko'a =.i lei tadni cu cusku lu dunda tu'a .!e'usai le cevzda li'u =.i ku'i ko'a cusku fi la xrist. fe lu mi ponse lo plisytricu noi se klama zo'e ja'e lenu citka lei plise =.iseki'ubo mi djica lenu ro klama .!i'anai be le tricu cu se lasna fi ri li'u =.i la xrist. cusku lu ledo seldji ca'a !do'a mansa li'u =.i la xrist. ba cpacu le remoi kabri =.i cusku lu do djica lenu mi dunda ?ma do li'u =.i lei tadni cu cusku fi ko'a fe lu ko bacru .!e'ucai lu dunda tu'a le cevzda li'u li'u =.i ko'a cusku lu .!ai na'e go'i =.i mi djica lenu mi jinga fo ro nu mi'a kelci loi kelkarda li'u =.i la xrist. cusku lu ledo seldji ca'a !do'a mansa li'u =.i la xrist. ba cpacu le cimoi kabri =.i lu do djica lenu mi dunda ?ma do li'u =.i ko'a bazi cusku lu tu'a le cevzda li'u =.i la xrist. cusku lu ledo seldji ca'a !do'a mansa li'u =.i la xrist. baza cliva =.i ko'a co'a kelkarda kelci =.i ko'a jinga fi ro kelkansa =.i la xrist. kucyga'a se sfacatra =.ipujecajebabo ko'a kelci .!ue.i'enairu'e Christ then took wine to drink, and asked the man what he wanted Christ to give him. The students said "Ask for the kingdom of heaven!" But he said to Christ: "I have an apple tree, which people always come and eat apples from. So I want anyone who goes to the tree to get stuck onto it." Christ said "As you wish, so it will be done." Christ took a second cup, and said "What do you want me to give you?" The students told him "Say 'Give me the kingdom of heaven!'" He said "No; I want to win every time I play cards." Christ said "As you wish, so it will be done." Christ took a third cup. "What do you want me to give you?" He then said "The kingdom of heaven." Christ said "As you wish, so it will be done." Christ left, later on, and the man started playing cards. He won over everyone he played with. Christ was crucified, and the man kept on playing! ni'o la xrist. klagau lo notcrida noi cusku fi ko'a fe lu la xrist. klagau mi ti mu'i lenu mi lebna do =.i lenu do kelci cu banzu .!u'i =.i lenu do jmive cu sisti .!uo li'u =.i ko'a cusku lu .!i'a go'i =.i !.!e'odo'a ko citka su'o plise =.ibabo mi klama li'u =.i le notcrida cu klama mu'i lenu citka kei gi'e se lasna =.i lego'i cu cpesku lu ko .!e'ocai klama ja'e lenu to'e lasna mi li'u =.i ko'a cusku lu mi klama do punaijeca .!ai.u'i .!ionairu'e lenu mi !ga'i djica li'u gi'e di'i kelci =.i ko'a ca lenu mo'u se cinri lenu kelci cu klama le notcrida gi'e cusku lu mi ca to'e lasna do gi'e .!i'a klakansa do li'u =.i ko'a joi le notcrida cu klama fo le daptutra gi'e viska la xades. noi se kansa pare se jdadapma =.i ko'a cusku lu .!e'u mi'o velji'a kelci =.i .!e'u ge mi te jinga gi'o roroi vi stali gi mi jinga gi'o cpacu leti se jdadapma li'u =.i la xades. zanru =.i ri joi ko'a co'a kelci =.i ko'a ba cusku lu li ci pi'i mu du li pamu =.i li pamu su'i pa du li paxa .!u'a =.iseni'ibo .!e'o ko dunda le se jdadapma mi li'u =.i ko'a lebna le se jdadapma gi'e klama le cevzda Christ sent an angel, who told him "Christ sent me to take you away. You've played enough! Your life is over." He said "Fine. Do go and have some apples. Then I'll come with you." The angel went to eat, and got stuck. He begged the man: "Please come and get me off here!" He said "I'll come to you, but not before I feel like it!", and kept on playing. When he got bored of playing, he came to the angel and said, "I'll get you off the tree, and will come along with you now." They went past Hell, and saw Hades with twelve damned people. He said "I'll gamble with you! If you win, I stay here forever; if I win, I get these damned people." Hades approved, and they started playing. He then said "Three by five makes fifteen, plus one makes sixteen! So give me those damned." He took the damned and went to heaven. no'i la xrist. ca lenu ko'a joi le drata cu klama ra cu cusku lu mi cpedu lenu do noi pamei cu klama mi =.i do mo'ifa'avi klagau .!ue lo du'emei li'u =.i ko'a cusku lu mi !si'a ca lenu mi do vi'ecpe mu'i lenu mi friti le midydo'i sanmi do cu cpedu lenu do noi pamei cu klama mi =.i do klagau ku'i lo pacimei .!oiro'a =.i mi ne pa'a ca .!o'inai klagau lo pacimei li'u =.iseni'ibo!zo'o la xrist. zanru tu'a ropaci klama When the man and the others came, Christ said "I asked you, one person, to come to me. You've brought too many people here!" He said "And when I invited you to offer you lunch, I asked you, one person, to come to me. But you brought thirteen! So I'm bringing you thirteen too." ERGO, Christ let all thirteen in. 1Nick translates this as "chaos", for which he used the gismu "kalsa" elsewhere in the piece; I get nothing from the metaphor "earth-hair". 2These strings could have been done more clearly using the Mex grammar, which allows you to talk about strings of letters and numbers as strings. "me'o ry.ubusy." and "me'o xy.ebukyry.ybu" would be the ____________________________________________________________ corresponding string expressions. Since lerfu used as sumti (as is the case in this text) are presumed to be anaphoric abbreviations, rather than literal text, this version really isn't correct, though it can be figured out. 3This usage is wrong. "bu'a" is one of the existential predicate variables, equivalent to "da" for sumti. Acting like "goi" does for sumti, "cei" is the selbri assignment marker used to assign values to the unbound selbri variables of the brodV-series. The latter series corresponds to "ko'a" series for sumti, and not for "da" series, and is clearly what Nick intends in this usage, since he anaphorically repeats the bridi of this sentence in the next parenthesis by back reference to "*bu'a". On the other hand, the mechanisms available for defining or restricting bu'a series variables are relatively undefined. 4The lujvo-scoring algorithm given with the rafsi lists this issue would give a slight preference to "prulamcte" over "purlamcte". 5The lujvo-scoring algorithm given with the rafsi lists this issue would give a slight preference to "prupla" over "purpla". 6I would have used the more general "ctitcilu'i" for "dish-washer". 7This one lost me for a little bit, since the names of the days of the week do not include the rafsi for "moi", and Nick did not use "moi" elsewhere in the story for "Saturday night". (Actually, the English translation doesn't mention it being night, but the previous sentence mentions evening. Since we worked hard to give Lojban culturally neutral definitions for the parts of the day, word choice here could be significant to some.) 8The lujvo-scoring algorithm given with the rafsi lists this issue would give a slight preference to "selxaumau" over "selxagmau". 9This is "dai" on older cmavo lists; see "dai" in the list of new members of UI elsewhere in this issue. 10The Lojban is obviously a reference to the character proposed by Veijo, and described in JL17. Apparently Nick votes in favor of Xiron (though he inexplicably spelled it 'Chiron' in his version of this English translation). Nick appears to add the stipulation that Saturday is Xiron's regular day off. 11I would probably use "tsipe'a" (seed-spread) or "tsifai" (seed- distribute) rather than "seed-insert", though my knowledge of farming is not particularly noteworthy.