:roc:
但美國沒有大貓咪 dàn měiguó méiyǒu dà māomī
路上都鋪著qi4si3 (I've never heard anything other than transliteration of English "cheese", but I have no idea how to write it...) lùshàng dōu pū zhe qìsǐ
哦美國沒有大貓咪 ò měiguó méiyǒu dà māomī
所以腦袋可放心 suǒyǐ nǎodài kě fàngxīn
xinda wrote::roc:
但美國沒有大貓咪 dàn měiguó méiyǒu dà māomī
路上都鋪著qi4si3 (I've never heard anything other than transliteration of English "cheese", but I have no idea how to write it...) lùshàng dōu pū zhe qìsǐ
哦美國沒有大貓咪 ò měiguó méiyǒu dà māomī
所以腦袋可放心 suǒyǐ nǎodài kě fàngxīn
Word Reference has 起司, as well as another transliteration and a couple semantic glosses, though I see nothing with precisely the same tones.
Also, 猫咪? Better for poetry I guess, but I've never heard the word, and my dictionary translates it as "kitty", making me think it may be too endearing for the way the mice view cats in those movies.
En América* no hay gatos
Y las calles se enlosan con queso.
En América no hay gatos
Entonces tu puedes estar tranquilo.
* I'll assume these are Spanish mice who would call it that, since "Estados Unidos" would screw the meter even more than I already have (not to mentioned ruined the rhyme.
xinda wrote::roc:
但美國沒有大貓咪 dàn měiguó méiyǒu dà māomī
路上都鋪著qi4si3 (I've never heard anything other than transliteration of English "cheese", but I have no idea how to write it...) lùshàng dōu pū zhe qìsǐ
哦美國沒有大貓咪 ò měiguó méiyǒu dà māomī
所以腦袋可放心 suǒyǐ nǎodài kě fàngxīn
Word Reference has 起司, as well as another transliteration and a couple semantic glosses, though I see nothing with precisely the same tones.
Also, 猫咪? Better for poetry I guess, but I've never heard the word, and my dictionary translates it as "kitty", making me think it may be too endearing for the way the mice view cats in those movies.
I think 起司 looks fine. It's a transliteration, and it doesn't need to be 100% accurate especially in regards to dialectal tonal differences.
You're right, 猫咪 was mostly there for the rhythm and rhyme, and I hardly ever hear it spoken. It can mean "kitty", but it can also be used as a diminutive of "cat" since 貓子 doesn't exist. It's usually used in "cute" speech, such as between little kids, mothers to babies, teenage girls...maybe, so I guess it would be appropriate given the context of it being a Disney movie, the speakers being very small with squeaky voices, and their disdain for cats.
xinda wrote::roc:
但美國沒有大貓咪 dàn měiguó méiyǒu dà māomī
路上都鋪著qi4si3 (I've never heard anything other than transliteration of English "cheese", but I have no idea how to write it...) lùshàng dōu pū zhe qìsǐ
哦美國沒有大貓咪 ò měiguó méiyǒu dà māomī
所以腦袋可放心 suǒyǐ nǎodài kě fàngxīn
Googlefish sez 奶酪 (nǎilào), 干酪 (gānlào), or 乳酪 (rǔlào) for cheese.
Vut ciet aváran væn América
[vʉt‿ˈɪet ɐˈʋaːɾɐn ˌpʉn ɐˈmeːɾɨˌkɐ] 3SG.INDEF not_exist-3SG cat-PL in America There are no cats in America
Èpa aceran escebul sokól
[ˈɛpɐ ˈaːkəˌɾɐn ˈɛskəˌbʉl sɔ̈ˈkoːl] and street-PL full-COP.3PL nut-PL And the streets are full of nuts
En, vut ciet aváran væn América
[ən, vʉt‿ˈɪet ɐˈʋaːɾɐn ˌpʉn ɐˈmeːɾɨˌkɐ] oh, 3SG.INDEF not_exist-3SG cat-PL in America Oh, there are no cats in America
Sao pumán adéscàlibit asól!
[saʊ̯ pʉˈmaːn ɐˌdɛsˈkɐlɨˌbɨt ɐˈsoːl] 2SG.POSS heart already-sweet-COP.3SG.ANIM sugar Your heart is already as sweet as sugar!
I took some creative freedom translating this text, but I was able to create a consistent meter (anapaest, in this case) that even rhymes.
Wipe the glass. This is the usual way to start, even in the days, day and night, only a happy one.
Nuy’ál chinaines Amerikais,
Is y’al nyakis nyillames, i!
E, nuy’ál chinaines Amerikais,
Sa’maré ralyesi!
Nuy’ál chinaines Amerikais,
[nu.'jal 'tʃi.naj.nes 'a.me.ri.kajs] NEG-there.is fearsome.animal-PL.LOC America-LOC
"There are no fearsome animals in America,"
Is y’al nyakis nyillames, i!
[is jal 'ɲa.kis 'ɲil.la.mes] and there.is cheese-LOC road-PL.LOC / yay
"And there is cheese on the streets!"
E, nuy’ál chinaines Amerikais,
[e nu.'jal 'tʃi.naj.nes 'a.me.ri.kajs] well / NEG-there.is fearsome.animal-PL.LOC America-LOC
"Oh, there are no fearsome animals in America,"
I used china "fearsome animal" for "cat," since it does refer to the big cats of the south in-world, and the word for "cat" (chepar) is probably (read: definitely) derived from "cute" (yefar), so it doesn't work well here. But if you think chepar works better, the plural locative (used here) is cheparos.
I had to invent a whole new interjection to get it to rhyme...
With this post, I am 4% done with my translation challenge.
Always define your phonotactics, lest ye fall victim to the mythical beast they call the Xwkwhrungw! my conlangs
Ei ole kissaa Amerikassa
Agyonnar:
(video)
Hoennese Realm
