burak sengir (asker) Oct 10, 2012:

@freekfluweel
yes, it may not be the smartest way to go as you put, but sometimes it does wonders; and no, it's not 'a heavy night of some major boozing' Barend, Lianne and Louis gave the perfect explanation; so i am perfectly content with it.

Barend van Zadelhoff Oct 10, 2012:

Either you're kidding or this is after "a heavy night of some major boozing" :-)

freekfluweel Oct 10, 2012:

the day after a heavy night of some major boozing?

if so, "kegel" could also stand for: "anderhalvemeter veur minne kop". The sand could then be a metaphor for the way ones mouth feels like after consuming lots of alcohol. And the lorry that bumps into the ship could stand for the awful LOUD noises one is thinking to hear when in a state of a major hangover.

I am not justified here to comment on whether the NL-EN-TU is the smartest way to go, but a movie by Sofia Coppola immediately comes to mind. Looking at your qualifications, is this "in between" really necessary?

To translate poetry/prose is a tricky thing to do as it is, however, one can never translate just a section of it without having the entire work at hand. Perhaps a bit more context would do YOU a great favor.

Grayson Morr (X) Oct 10, 2012:

It's important to consider the rhythm and poetry of the phrase you use, which is why I like Louis's proposal best. That said, it appears you're actually translating this into Turkish (based on your profile), so just understanding the phenomenon as Barend described it is what you were after.

burak sengir (asker) Oct 9, 2012:

Indeed, he's full of surprises, what's more I need to translate a bunch of Limburgs Vasteloavesleedjes, well a hard nut to crack really. Any ideas?

Michael Beijer Oct 9, 2012:

@Burak: You always seem to have the most interesting texts. At first I didn't understand the shifting tenses, and then I found this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geNBHUFpVks

burak sengir (asker) Oct 9, 2012:

@ Barend
dank je wel!

Lianne van de Ven Oct 9, 2012:

mounds of sand Eens met Barend.

Barend van Zadelhoff Oct 9, 2012:

@ Burak Het gaat hier om een schip dat zand vervoert.
Het schip is beladen met zand en doet het diep liggen.
Ik weet niet of je wel eens zandschepen hebt gezien, maar het zand kan in die schepen een serie kegels vormen omdat op de positie van de as van de kegels het zand in het schip is gekieperd.
Het is net of je steeds een schep zand op hetzelfde punt gooit, dan krijg je ook een kegelvormige zandberg.

... the sand that in the form of a series of similar cones caused the ship ...

or something