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Translation with a Word Order and Case Question


posts: 12
 
Jason110
  Oct 6, 07, 11:22  #1

Hey all,

My question is this:

How do I say:

(1) "He spends many sleepless nights trying to compose a symphony that may fully describe the scene at the beach"

and

(2) "He spends many nights sleepless trying to compose a symphony that may fully describe the scene at the beach."

In example (1), 'sleepless' refers to the nights; while in example (2) 'sleepless' refers more to the subject ['he']. How does the word order and cases in Polish change between the two?

Thanks,

Jason

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Eurola
  Oct 6, 07, 11:47  #2

1. On spędza wiele bezsennych nocy prubując skomponować symfonię, która w pelni opisze scenę na plaży.

2. On spędza wiele nocy bezsennie prubując...

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Michal
Edited by: Michal  Oct 6, 07, 14:07  #3

Quoting: Eurola
. On spędza wiele nocy bezsennie prubując...

This is not correct as I am not even sure that grammatically we say 'he spends many nights sleepless' in English and also, as far as I know, there is no such word in Polish as 'prubuje' but there is a word 'probka' and a verb probowac which comes from this noun.

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Eurola
  Oct 6, 07, 14:26  #4

Quoting: Michal
'prubuje'

shame on me: it s/b próbuje from próbować (try, attempt) ...well,well M., your polish is still good, practicing it everyday does wonders, I guess... :)

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Michal
  Oct 6, 07, 15:01  #5

Just like my meet and meat earlier on, I suppose?

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Krzysztof
  Oct 7, 07, 13:38  #6

(2) "He spends many nights sleepless trying to compose a symphony that may fully describe the scene at the beach."

I'd simply say: Często nie śpi [w nocy] próbując ....

(which literally means: He's often not sleeping at night trying ...)

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Michal
  Oct 7, 07, 18:24  #7

Quoting: Krzysztof
(2) "He spends many nights sleepless trying to compose a symphony that may fully describe the scene at the beach."

I have already explained to you that it should read 'he spends many sleepless nights'-there is no alternative here in English grammar.

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Eurola
Edited by: Eurola  Oct 7, 07, 23:38  #8

Well, Michaś...I can spend many sleepless nights thinking what kind of lemon you are or I can spend many nights, sleepless, thinking: "I don't really give a darn" :)

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Michal
  Oct 8, 07, 03:08  #9

Quoting: Eurola
"I don't really give a darn" :)

Do you mean by that 'wszysko mi jedno' in Polish?

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Michal
  Oct 8, 07, 04:20  #10

Quoting: Eurola
nd many sleepless nights thinking what kind of lemon you are or I can

That is a shame, I always thought that you thought about me 'innaczej'.

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Antos
  Oct 8, 07, 05:49  #11

Quoting: Michal
Do you mean by that 'wszysko mi jedno' in Polish?

Don't you mean 'jest mi wszystko jedno'.
I'm not sure but what you wrote doesn't sound right to me.

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Krzysztof
  Oct 8, 07, 10:24  #12

Quoting: Antos
Don't you mean 'jest mi wszystko jedno'.

both are OK, Michal's version is shorter (without the verb, but it has the same meaning, it's just a little more colloquial)

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