the project
This is a little project to translate the proposed Yucca Mountain warning sign into as many conlangs as possible, and then to compile the result into one sign.
Apparently, the Yucca Mountain is a repository for nuclear waste, and the US government has been brainstorming of ways to make a sign that will warn humans millennia from ever going near the place due to the harmful radiation. More information can be found in this article.
the text
English
This text is chosen because it contains very few notions specific to one species or culture (e.g. names, body parts, dates, observances, terrain features, etc.) so it can be easily translated into our different conlangs, suiting our conworlds and concultures. It is also of a decent length, and finally it is the type of message that would be translated into as many languages as possible.This place is a message… and part of a system of messages… pay attention to it!
Sending this message was important to us. We considered ourselves to be a powerful culture.
This place is not a place of honor…no highly esteemed deed is commemorated here… nothing valued is here.
What is here is dangerous and repulsive to us. This message is a warning about danger.
The danger is in a particular location… it increases toward a center… the center of danger is here… of a particular size and shape, and below us.
The danger is still present, in your time, as it was in ours.
The danger is to the body, and it can kill.
The form of the danger is an emanation of energy.
The danger is unleashed only if you substantially disturb this place physically. This place is best shunned and left uninhabited.
to clarify
- Translate the above text into your conlang(s). Natlangs are great too!
- You may write in a Latin script, but the use of conscripts and the like are encouraged.
- If using a conscript, please inform us of the direction of writing so that left-right sentences will all be in one section, followed by right-left, up-down, etc.
- If you are having trouble exactly translating the text, feel free to tweak the wording in some places. Understandably, the phrase "emanation of energy" may be hard for some langs; just write whatever will make your conpeople stay far away from the place. (For example, I am using "evil spirits" instead.)
- Watch this space for anything else I may add.
Aentoui (Featural Script)