Reading the spanish! It sucks less!
Jul. 7th, 2023 07:09 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
which_chickApparently ignoring the hell out of Spanish after I ragequit Duolingo like a year ago over, uhm, I think preterite imperfect tense... didn't do any bad things for my vocabulary or reading comprehension.
I do not know how this worked but I'm gonna score it a win and move on.
Like, this is bizarre. I can... kinda read this shit.
Comenzó la competición de lanzamiento de hacha. Era una modalidad que a Lasgol siempre le había fascinado. No entendía cómo eran capaces de lanzar un hacha haciéndola girar por el aire y conseguían clavarla con fuerza en una diana. Él lo había intentado por su cuenta en muchas ocasiones y, en la mayoría, no conseguía que el filo golpeara primero.
The axe-throwing competition started. It was a... skill? (cognate is modality) that had always fascinated Lasgol. He didn't understand how it was possible to throw an axe end over end in the air and then strike with force into a target. He had tried(??) it himself it on many occasions and, for the most part, couldn't make it so that the edge (of the axe) struck (the target) first?
Los competidores eran hombres curtidos en su mayoría pero aquel año se les habían unido un par de jóvenes. Se situaron a diez pasos de una diana colocad en un árbol y realizaron cinco lanamientos cada uno con hacha corta. Lasgol se maravillaba de la pericia que demostraban. Nadie falló un solo lanzamiento. Contuaron realizando lanzamientos eliminatorios. Lasgol disfrutó del espectáculo al igual que la centena de espectadores que animaban sin cesar a sus favoitos mientras consumían grandes cantidades de cervesa.
The competitors were ??(curtidos? it's an adjective) adult men, this year joined by a pair of youths. They were set up twelve paces away from a target up against a tree and got five tries, each with a short axe. Lasgol marveled at the skill they demonstrated. Nobody failed (originally I had "whiffed") a single throw. The contest continued, eliminating competitors.(?? this is a bit shaky) Lasgol enjoyed the spectacle the same as the hundreds of spectators that cheered continuously for their favorites while drinking large amounts of beer.
La final fue entre el veterano Usalf y la sorpresa del año, Mistran, uno de los jóvenes. La final se decidió en el último lanzamiento. Usalf lanzó el hacha con un potente latigazo de su brazo derecho y la clavó en el centro de la diana. Los espectadores rompieron en aplausos y vítores. Luego se hizo el silencio y Mistran, al que Lasgol conocía, pues era solo un año mayor que él, lanzó con precisióna pero no con la suficient fuerza y el hacha se clavó tres dedos por debacho de la de Usalf.
The final was between the veteran Usalf and the surprise of the year, Mistran, one of the youths. The final was decided on the last throw. Usalf threw the ax with a powerful swing of his right arm and ?? (struck?) the center of the target. The spectators broke out in applause and ?cheers. After it quieted down, Mistran, whom Lasgol knew because he was only a year older than him, threw with precision but not with enough force. His ax struck the target three fingers under the one Usalf threw.
I mean, okay, it's not literature over here, but definitely I can kinda follow the story. The most interesting thing about my not-quite-reading is the amount of YAY going on. Like, I have the built-in dictionary (also in Spanish) and sometimes I can ... read that in a helpful way. That's a YAY moment. But also sometimes I just get things. And each time I "just get" things it's a YAY moment as well. There is a considerable dopamine element to this sort of reading.
Los primeros combates fueron similares a los de hacho y escudo, pues nadie dominaba el arte de la espada, pero, cuando Nistrom comenzó a participar, todo cambió. Axel Nistrom era un mercenario que se habia retirado a las montañas hacía un par de años. Nadie sabía mucho de él, era muy reservado. Vivía en una cabaña apartada en los bosques de este a las afueras de la aldea.
The first combatants were similar to those of the axe-n-shield battles, nobody really dominated the art of thespear sword, but, when Nistrom started to participate, everything changed. Axle Nistrom was a mercenary who had retired to the mountains a pair of years ago. Nobody knew much about him, he was very reserved. He lived in a secluded cabin in the forests east of... of... the outsides of the town? (YAY! They mean "outskirts".) Small victories, here.
Sometimes there is searching for meaning.
Un estraño saliendo de las sombras, envuelto en una capa con capucha.
Now I do know how stories work and if the book is secondarily titled "The Path/Way of the Ranger" there are gonna be rangers in the book. Likely, if the book starts with a Youth, that Youth is going to become or join or train up to be a Ranger in a coming-of-age sort of way. Does what it says on the tin, style of thing.
Rangers are going to feature heavily in the book, is where I am going, and thus far the only Ranger we have (knowingly) had is the hero Lasgol's dead dad who was a treasonous-ish Ranger who died before the book started. There need to be more of them because we're at the end of chapter 3 and you can't hang an entire book on one dead Ranger.
So, if there's a stranger emerging from where he'd been hiding in the shadows (de las sombras), that dude is the ranger. I mean, I've fucking seen the hobbit movies. Rangers wear dark green cloaks with hoods and they lurk in the shadows on the rare occasions when they're not In The Woods. I do know this.
"envuelto en una capa con capucha". Covered in a cape (he is a Ranger, I bet) with... capucha. Hood? Let's see what the dictionary says.
Pieza de una prenda de vestir (piece of clothing) que sirve para cubrir la cabeza (that serves to cover the head) y se puede echar a la espalda (and it can be... ??? to the back). This is a hood.
and of course Ulf, who is also in the room, helps us out in case we lack narrative awareness.
Es un maldito Guardabosques! ladró Ulf. Eso es lo que es!
(I can do upside down question marks but have not yet found the exclamation point inverter on my keyboard. It's a process.)
It's a damn Ranger yelled* Ulf. That's what he is.
*might not be yelled. Totally could be some other word that means yelled or shouted in a big angry voice. Ulf does not like the Rangers and he is somewhat shocked/scared/angered that there's one lurking in the dark corner of the non-sleeping room in his house/hut. If it's not "yelled", it's another word along those lines.
Dictionary says "Dicho de un perro" That'd be "What a dog says" or "Utterance of a dog" or similar. They mean "Barked" in the story 'cause it's past tense. Going for the figurative language, I guess.
Well, anyway, it is a damn Ranger. 'Bout time. I bet he has an offer of employment for our Youth, Lasgol.
I do not know how this worked but I'm gonna score it a win and move on.
Like, this is bizarre. I can... kinda read this shit.
Comenzó la competición de lanzamiento de hacha. Era una modalidad que a Lasgol siempre le había fascinado. No entendía cómo eran capaces de lanzar un hacha haciéndola girar por el aire y conseguían clavarla con fuerza en una diana. Él lo había intentado por su cuenta en muchas ocasiones y, en la mayoría, no conseguía que el filo golpeara primero.
The axe-throwing competition started. It was a... skill? (cognate is modality) that had always fascinated Lasgol. He didn't understand how it was possible to throw an axe end over end in the air and then strike with force into a target. He had tried(??) it himself it on many occasions and, for the most part, couldn't make it so that the edge (of the axe) struck (the target) first?
Los competidores eran hombres curtidos en su mayoría pero aquel año se les habían unido un par de jóvenes. Se situaron a diez pasos de una diana colocad en un árbol y realizaron cinco lanamientos cada uno con hacha corta. Lasgol se maravillaba de la pericia que demostraban. Nadie falló un solo lanzamiento. Contuaron realizando lanzamientos eliminatorios. Lasgol disfrutó del espectáculo al igual que la centena de espectadores que animaban sin cesar a sus favoitos mientras consumían grandes cantidades de cervesa.
The competitors were ??(curtidos? it's an adjective) adult men, this year joined by a pair of youths. They were set up twelve paces away from a target up against a tree and got five tries, each with a short axe. Lasgol marveled at the skill they demonstrated. Nobody failed (originally I had "whiffed") a single throw. The contest continued, eliminating competitors.(?? this is a bit shaky) Lasgol enjoyed the spectacle the same as the hundreds of spectators that cheered continuously for their favorites while drinking large amounts of beer.
La final fue entre el veterano Usalf y la sorpresa del año, Mistran, uno de los jóvenes. La final se decidió en el último lanzamiento. Usalf lanzó el hacha con un potente latigazo de su brazo derecho y la clavó en el centro de la diana. Los espectadores rompieron en aplausos y vítores. Luego se hizo el silencio y Mistran, al que Lasgol conocía, pues era solo un año mayor que él, lanzó con precisióna pero no con la suficient fuerza y el hacha se clavó tres dedos por debacho de la de Usalf.
The final was between the veteran Usalf and the surprise of the year, Mistran, one of the youths. The final was decided on the last throw. Usalf threw the ax with a powerful swing of his right arm and ?? (struck?) the center of the target. The spectators broke out in applause and ?cheers. After it quieted down, Mistran, whom Lasgol knew because he was only a year older than him, threw with precision but not with enough force. His ax struck the target three fingers under the one Usalf threw.
I mean, okay, it's not literature over here, but definitely I can kinda follow the story. The most interesting thing about my not-quite-reading is the amount of YAY going on. Like, I have the built-in dictionary (also in Spanish) and sometimes I can ... read that in a helpful way. That's a YAY moment. But also sometimes I just get things. And each time I "just get" things it's a YAY moment as well. There is a considerable dopamine element to this sort of reading.
Los primeros combates fueron similares a los de hacho y escudo, pues nadie dominaba el arte de la espada, pero, cuando Nistrom comenzó a participar, todo cambió. Axel Nistrom era un mercenario que se habia retirado a las montañas hacía un par de años. Nadie sabía mucho de él, era muy reservado. Vivía en una cabaña apartada en los bosques de este a las afueras de la aldea.
The first combatants were similar to those of the axe-n-shield battles, nobody really dominated the art of the
Sometimes there is searching for meaning.
Un estraño saliendo de las sombras, envuelto en una capa con capucha.
Now I do know how stories work and if the book is secondarily titled "The Path/Way of the Ranger" there are gonna be rangers in the book. Likely, if the book starts with a Youth, that Youth is going to become or join or train up to be a Ranger in a coming-of-age sort of way. Does what it says on the tin, style of thing.
Rangers are going to feature heavily in the book, is where I am going, and thus far the only Ranger we have (knowingly) had is the hero Lasgol's dead dad who was a treasonous-ish Ranger who died before the book started. There need to be more of them because we're at the end of chapter 3 and you can't hang an entire book on one dead Ranger.
So, if there's a stranger emerging from where he'd been hiding in the shadows (de las sombras), that dude is the ranger. I mean, I've fucking seen the hobbit movies. Rangers wear dark green cloaks with hoods and they lurk in the shadows on the rare occasions when they're not In The Woods. I do know this.
"envuelto en una capa con capucha". Covered in a cape (he is a Ranger, I bet) with... capucha. Hood? Let's see what the dictionary says.
Pieza de una prenda de vestir (piece of clothing) que sirve para cubrir la cabeza (that serves to cover the head) y se puede echar a la espalda (and it can be... ??? to the back). This is a hood.
and of course Ulf, who is also in the room, helps us out in case we lack narrative awareness.
Es un maldito Guardabosques! ladró Ulf. Eso es lo que es!
(I can do upside down question marks but have not yet found the exclamation point inverter on my keyboard. It's a process.)
It's a damn Ranger yelled* Ulf. That's what he is.
*might not be yelled. Totally could be some other word that means yelled or shouted in a big angry voice. Ulf does not like the Rangers and he is somewhat shocked/scared/angered that there's one lurking in the dark corner of the non-sleeping room in his house/hut. If it's not "yelled", it's another word along those lines.
Dictionary says "Dicho de un perro" That'd be "What a dog says" or "Utterance of a dog" or similar. They mean "Barked" in the story 'cause it's past tense. Going for the figurative language, I guess.
Well, anyway, it is a damn Ranger. 'Bout time. I bet he has an offer of employment for our Youth, Lasgol.
