1. Translations
  2. Norwegian to English
  3. Fergestedet – Kapitel IX av Sven Elvestad
  4. Unit 103
  5. Next Unit
  6. Previous Unit
no-en
Når jeg nå ser på dette lille samfunn her, som besværes så voldsomt av belastningen fra fortiden, kan jeg uten videre overføre tilstanden på andre og større samfunn.
1
When I now look at this little community here, which is so harshly burdened by the weight of the past, I can without hesitation transfer that condition to other and larger communities.
Translated by markvanroode 520 1 week ago
0
When I now look at this little community here, which is so greatly weighed down by the burden of the past, I can without hesitation transfer that condition to other and larger communities.
Translated by markvanroode 520 2 weeks, 6 days ago

Discussion

Ok. Thanks, David.

 by markvanroode 1 week ago

I supposed "heavily burdened" would be okay. "So heavily burdened by the weight of its past" does reflect "...das durch die Belastung der Vergangenheit so schwer bedrückt ist..." and I get that but it doesn't convince me. The word "voldsomt" is my choking point:-) "Voldsom" seems to be all over the Norwegian bible referring to violence. Why would the author select that word if he only wanted to convey the idea of "heavily burdened"? I think he would have gone with "harshly troubled" in English if he were fluent in it. How about a compromise with "harshly burdened by the weight of the past"?

 by DavidKenstad 1 week, 1 day ago

ChatGPT AI: 'besværes så voldsomt av belastningen fra fortiden' — literally, "is so greatly troubled by the burden from the past." "So heavily burdened by the weight of its past" is both faithful and idiomatic.
The German translation on Translatihan: ...das durch die Belastung der Vergangenheit so schwer bedrückt ist...
Translation of Norwegian to German by ChatGPT: ...die so schwer unter der Last ihrer Vergangenheit leidet...
Translation of Norwegian to Dutch by Chat GPT: ...zo zwaar gebukt gaat onder de last van haar verleden... I'd say 'voldsomt' is most closely translated by 'heavily', so 'heavily weighed down', 'heavily burdened'. What do you think?

 by markvanroode 1 week, 2 days ago

I'm looking primarily at "voldsomt" and would favor a stronger adverb such as "harshly" or "severely" or "powerfully" or "fiercely" or even "violently". Are you finding a similarity with the German "schwer" in "besværes", perhaps also something similar in Dutch? I don't know. I only understood "troubled". "belastningen fra fortiden" is certainly "the burden of the past" though. I still prefer "...which is so severely troubled by the burden of the past".

 by DavidKenstad 1 week, 2 days ago

How about: ...so heavily burdened by the weight of its past, ....?

 by markvanroode 1 week, 4 days ago

I find multiple instances of "besværes" used as a reflexive or passive verb, to trouble or to be troubled. "The word, 'voldsomt' seems to me to demand a stronger adverb than "greatly". It translates directly to "violently" but that might be too much here. So could we say perhaps "...which is so severely troubled by the burden of the past"?

 by DavidKenstad 1 week, 5 days ago