Spend Christmas and New Year in the Bahamas! Can you think of anything better?
Win a 16 day holiday for you and your partner, here!:
http://pinksandsresort.com/index.htm?pmc=002&gclid=CLSKlPvirKQCFYKY2AodcVUraw
What you have to do:
1) Register with Seraphina Translations
2) Open a free blog account here and start blogging!
3) Translate the selected piece (507 words) into any one of the following languages:
Arabic, Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Farsi, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi. Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish
If you translate into English then you compete by writing a 500 word continuation in English of the piece in the style of the original.
4) Answer in English the following questions :
i) “The main problems facing a translator of a magic realist fantasy novel are:,,,,,,” and how you would resolve them?
ii) What are the literary merits of the translated piece?
5) Closing date for the Translation Competition: 21 November 2010
6) Send your completed entry to Seraphina Translations.
7) The winner will be the translator who has rendered the best literary style and who has given the most reasoned answers.
8) Winner will be notified by the Seraphina Translations on 1 December 2010. A notification of who has won will be put on this blog.
9) Prize 16 days holiday 18 December 2009 - 2 January 2010. Prize involves Ocean View cottage with private access to the beach and return air tickets for you and your partner.
Piece to be translated (or continued by a translator into English)
He watched as a swallow flew by and then another. Down they delved into the arboreal realms of Vitnor. Another saw them too and with a hoary step rose. Deep within the vale a trumpet blew. The birds scattered. Long sharp notes. Those who heard it were quickened. Not so the woman. Old she was and old she remains but on the outside, her mood was fierce as she peered into what was hers. Up she she rose to her full resplendent height, giddy with anger, she cast a piercing glance at the demesne. Those were flames that were her hair. Far oft, she espied the legions of Reinart,
“Fools!” she thundered.
Cruel her eye though magnificent but in ruin.
The trumpet sounded once more. Reinart had come again.
With a wave of her hand, she ordered the ambassador to be brought in. Sheepishly entering, awed by her majesty yet terrified of the uncontrolled limits of her power, he stood waiting. Deigning to glance at him, she sneered:
“Know not me?” she cried “Not to know me argues yourself unknown!”.
Flung on the ground, he could barely look up
“Majesty, I crave to speak”,
“Whence and what art thou? execrable minion!”
Not daring to look at her, he replied in a hush
“Majesty, my lord Reinart wishes for nothing more than the return of that which is rightfully his - the Vale of Seicourt!”
Her flames grew brighter, first golden then reddish, a mirror to her anger.
“Know this” she replied “What his father lost, he cannot recover. The Vale of Seicourt is mine by right of conquest. Now be gone!”
Fearful of his life he slunk out, lest the guards apprehend him
The night enveloped him. Running, he stumbled. He could hear the footsteps behind him. Backed into a corner, he turned with fear. No escape. He saw a shadow and like a cat mawing with a mouse, it advanced. He could hear but not see. A cold shiver ran down his back. Desperately, he rummaged through his jacket and drew out a knife. He held it out, waving it frantically in front of the threatening shadow. There was an echo of laughter in the air. The shadows all around him, seemed to lunge. His knife was flicked away and his jacket torn. Fleeing, he ran into a church, frantically looking for something - anything - that he could use,
“I am the Ambassador!”, he screamed.
The shadows darkened. Fear gripped him. He huddled into the smallest corner he could find. Hoping against hope that he had found a hiding place. Outside, lightning flashed, and thunder droned. Suspense filled the air. He held his breath, afraid that even the slightest sound would attract attention. The shadows darkened. He closed her eyes and heard a whisper. Afraid to look, He lay still as light faded and the shadows grew all around him. Another whisper and then it was upon him. Blow upon blow fell upon him but the pain was afar as his thoughts lay upon Vitnor.
10) Good luck!
]]>
. I have set up this thread with photo that I like and which I hope you’ll like too!