Jane H. Buckingham 2014 jhbuckingham@yahoo.ca https://twitter.

com/translator_frog


THE CHALLENGE EVOLUTION OF A TRANSLATION
or

A Ten-Secon !lay
"ompile by

#ane $. %uckingham

Jane H. Buckingham 2014 jhbuckingham@yahoo.ca https://twitter.com/translator_frog

Preface
The characters are real an the e&ent recor e here is factual. The compiler has been gi&en e'plicit consent by each of the participants to epict( using suitable pseu onyms( their creations an their acti&ities. The contents or part or parts of the contents of this ocument may not be copie ( isseminate ( or istribute without ue cre it to the author or authors in&ol&e . #ane $ %uckingham "ompiler )ctober *+,-

Jane H. Buckingham 2014 jhbuckingham@yahoo.ca https://twitter.com/translator_frog

CHARACTERS
A group of mi le-age frien s( former classmates( that inclu es ./)01 2young kibit3ing illiterate4( .( .( ., .( .( .( an ..

Jane H. Buckingham 2014 jhbuckingham@yahoo.ca https://twitter.com/translator_frog

SETTING
The action takes place in ether.

TIME
The present.

SYNOPSIS
A group of former classmates get together iscussing poetry an one of them offers up the classic poem Trees 2,5,64 by #oyce 7ilmer 2,889-,5,84 as inspiration an a challenge to the rest to come up with poems about one of nature:s gift to mankin . )ne classmate imme iately picks up the gauntlet an presents a "hinese translation. The subse;uent burst of fer&ent energy results in a a33ling isplay of creati&e talents an constructi&e criti;ues.

Jane H. Buckingham 2014 jhbuckingham@yahoo.ca https://twitter.com/translator_frog

As the curtain rises, the old friends are hovering together having a discussion. /)01 7nowing how much time you all ha&e to be creati&e an scholarly( < thought the following poem from #oyce 7ilmer woul inspire you all in one way or another. After all( in my humble opinion( what a way to pay tribute to his insightful poem while celebrating our school=s upcoming centennial by coming up with one or more of your poems about one of nature:s remarkable-but-oftentaken-for-grante gifts to mankin . Trees by #oyce 7ilmer I think that I shall never see A poem lovely as a tree. A tree whose hungry mouth is prest Against the earth's sweet flowing breast; A tree that looks at God all day, And lifts her leafy arms to pray; A tree that may in Summer wear A nest of robins in her hair; Upon whose bosom snow has lain; ho intimately lives with rain. !oems are made by fools like me, "ut only God #an make a tree. Trees is a &ery lo&e poem( we learne it as a lo&ely song( < still remember the tune. < woul n=t are to write anything comparable. < coul n=t e&en if < try. %ut( < o want to o a translation. < ha&en=t looke up translate &ersion on the web so as not to be biase . $ere=s my &ersion:
. .

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.

/)01

%ra&o> 0e=&e only just begun...

Jane H. Buckingham 2014 jhbuckingham@yahoo.ca https://twitter.com/translator_frog

re&ision

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.

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.

/)01 ?ow that one of you has finishe the lefto&ers( let=s begin with some bran new thoughts about trees that woul make @r. T an others roll o&er prou .
.

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Jane H. Buckingham 2014 jhbuckingham@yahoo.ca https://twitter.com/translator_frog

/)01

WOW! This is certainly no sham 01!! Bra!o!!! "n# in the rising sun....
.

/owl 2345

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0hich one is betterA At least rea s better with the whole translationA ?ee comments from you B F01 as a eeply religious person an GHI as a fan of poetry 2not necessary a fan of 4.
.

$ %oul# &re'er ExD IJyzKL . When $ try to translate it it comes to CWho can make a tree( $t=s only )o#! Ho% 'oolish $ am to try to %rite &oem!D
.

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.

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L such that d rhymes with U Seems e&eryone gra&itates to ~ E x Dwhich is the start phrase of my secon option to rhyme with ~yK{| IAt-uv~xDE
.

wxys:

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Jane H. Buckingham 2014 jhbuckingham@yahoo.ca https://twitter.com/translator_frog

zqr{G|[}~.z/BK. M/fK!@BK+
.

wxyswx

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.

C-# # T+./ &./ =8e i&i e an con;uer( Kx./ &./R ./%./E especially for < was hung up on the wor foun a term ~ = @ld~ 1ast line < ha thought of 6 E - but coul n=t o it. < ha&e ha major ebate on d F F F an con&ince myself that d is the only right wor here( hence < han cuffe myself. ?ow( ddA {y

!"#
Jane H. Buckingham 2014 jhbuckingham@yahoo.ca https://twitter.com/translator_frog

$%&' ./01 9:;< IJ

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.

( <=m a total illiterate( so take this with a truckloa of salt. < think ~ an d are fine( e'cept that ~ is a rising soun an is a low soun . 0here as as a high soun going with a low soun makes it feel more complete when rea ing. ?ot sure <=m making any sense. #ust rambling.
.

M ./Mv ././.d/ Trees ldQ forest ld B a poem lo&ely as a forestA M8 v~ 6 R.~/K./~+./Q QMf./K./}=f.B/ CD? jEY f./e789'`=6.Bd/R` d

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This is way o&er my hea . ?ot the Cpoem lo&ely as a forestD part( that soun s more like a @AG &ersion. #ust one ;uestion: you ha&e J ././ ( oesn=t that mean you nee the bottom two line instea of xKA

Jane H. Buckingham 2014 jhbuckingham@yahoo.ca https://twitter.com/translator_frog

0ell( that:s e'actly what my limite ink coul n=t /HII myself from the Cnee

o. @y style of writing is to take the self-

the bottom two lines D an

accepte way to o C'Jq!xK.D Sorry this is my way out. < ha&e a re;uest/proposal to all you poets. < think your brilliance shoul be share not just among us but also with the worl . < am won ering if < ha&e your permission to make a loose collection of your creations an uploa it to the web. Jery un erstan able if you want to keep this among oursel&es( but please o consi er my suggestion. Thanks for your proposal( but < respectfully ecline the in&itation. @y poems are really written just for fun an not for sharing with the worl .
. . .

T,,--,-

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.

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?ow it might be 8E M ( but &ery E E M . Anyway( <=m not promising you guys a rose gar en( merely want to show the worl your e'cellence( an <=m being really sincere here. < on=t think the worl has e&er seen such won erful "hinese translations of the famous poem an < truly belie&e that it shoul . Kou ne&er know( they may ser&e as inspiration to some bu ing poet/en&ironmentalist/writer/... Asi e from being such a waste( as the Hussians say( to Cwrite for the esk rawer(D you guys are being selfish not to consi er the Cbig picture.D ?ow there( <=m trying to shame you guys into submission.
.

Jane H. Buckingham 2014 jhbuckingham@yahoo.ca https://twitter.com/translator_frog

/owl, 5 6Q. 78 9 / :@m ;< l=>?@ A GHIBCF01l DE { F+ GHIl JK L M !"#NMab9O 0P QR 9KSTU DVWX l YZ[NMVK. /owl\/ ]5M ^_ ` Ll-BadNbdcde 6fg_h ij kl C x- mn M o_pL=M p # _q r R#Xl s*` QtrQRu?@vwTcK I think that I would like to see A man who grows up like a tree. A tree whose leafy #rown gives shade $o those who seek a resting pla#e. A tree that stret#hes his arms all day And let the #hildren #limb and play. A tree that listens to your prayer hen you feel lonely in despair. And on those of your happy days %e silently listens when you sing. &h God who makes both tree and man, And wishes man #an be like a tree. /)01 %ra&o( this is certainly no pig roppings>
. .

/owl( it shoul be xy
.

< whole-hearte ly share the &iews of an . As for my poems( ~z:

| | Ko A|- |- A
Jane H. Buckingham 2014 jhbuckingham@yahoo.ca https://twitter.com/translator_frog

Ah( come on( people> 0hy the mo esty> 1et me sprea your wor s an let the worl share your happiness> 0e=re all mi le age( {|}( ~( -e 6L lea&e something for the ki s to sa&our.
.

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.

Jane H. Buckingham 2014 jhbuckingham@yahoo.ca https://twitter.com/translator_frog

Such a lot for me to chew an igest. The other ay < listene to the song My Way an it ga&e me some insights. $ere=s a part of it: And now, the end is here And so I fa#e the final #urtain 'y friend, I'll say it #lear I'll state my #ase, of whi#h I'm #ertain I've lived a life that's full I traveled ea#h and ev'ry highway And more, mu#h more than this, I did it my way . /or most of us( the en is an unknown istance from here an sooner or later we ha&e to face the final curtain. #ust as sai ( C0e=re all mi le age( {|} , ~( -e6( lea&e something for the ki s to sa&our.D < o think you ha&e a point there. %ut( < ha&e to stress again that what we write aren=t the like that of . 0e only call them ( meaning that we on=t stick to the format( the . 0e just o it our way. < write just as a pastime an really -( or ,,- or whate&er other combinations of these. <f you think that our socalle poems won=t pollute the web( < am most happy to accept your offer.
.

($urns to.) #ust a re;uest. < know you=&e ecline to ha&e your poetry inclu e ( but if < can come up with a suitable pseu onym( just this once may < inclu e yoursA 0ithout it( there really is a iscontinuity.
.

That is fine. Thanks.

.

,. a /. / !0 k I & Tv{{{y k -! q xr 70

$%&' f0h

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Jane H. Buckingham 2014 jhbuckingham@yahoo.ca https://twitter.com/translator_frog

10

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< am the #ohnny-come-lately( but this is a translation that comes to my min .
.

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.

/)01 /ou all ha!e a0out 1* months to com&lete the challenge.

To be continued

Jane H. Buckingham 2014 jhbuckingham@yahoo.ca https://twitter.com/translator_frog