# For Esperanto speakers: translation question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 2, 2016, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-esperanto-speakers-translation-question/773608 "2016-12-02T06:52:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-esperanto-speakers-translation-question/773608/1 "2016-12-02T06:52:19Z")
I have been working on a translation of the United States Constitution into Esperanto (I could not find one on the Internet). I had found translations in French, Spanish, German, and even Russian. I have a fairly comprehensive English-Esperanto dictionary, but there are some terms in the Constitution that seem to defy proper translation: _adjourn_ (as a house of Congress ending its session). _shall/shall not_ (in passages in which a person or agency of government, for example, is directed by the Constitution to do something, or is prohibited from doing something). _term_ (such as the President’s four-year term, or the time Congress is in session). _posterity_ (as in the Preamble; the word is actually absent from my dictionary). _impeach_ (rendered as _formala akuzo,_ “formal accusation/indictment” in the dictionary). There are others, I suppose, but I don’t remember them offhand. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-esperanto-speakers-translation-question/773608/2 "2016-12-02T07:15:57Z")
Google Translate includes Esperanto as one of its languages. > **[Google Translate](https://translate.google.com/)** > > Google's service, offered free of charge, instantly translates words, phrases, and web pages between English and over 100 other languages. You might look at synonyms of words of interest and see if there are Esperanto equivalents. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-esperanto-speakers-translation-question/773608/3 "2016-12-02T07:43:38Z")
With Google translate, always try stuff one at a time and as a sentence, and then look up the words. You can get pretty good with that. Then have a really good Esperanto speaker look at it and suggests fixes. And, yes, look up synonyms. Also maybe try other common phrases that use those words. For the “shall” stuff, maybe try looking up the Ten Commandments in Esperanto, for example. It may just be as simple as stating it in the future tense, with the fact that it is a directive implied. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-esperanto-speakers-translation-question/773608/4 "2016-12-02T08:20:11Z")
“Shall/shall not” is a peculiarity of English, using the same auxiliary verb to indicate (a) a future event, and (b) an immediate obligation. Esperanto has to have a word or idiom with the same sense in English as “must”, and that’s what you’re looking for. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-esperanto-speakers-translation-question/773608/5 "2016-12-02T14:02:53Z")
This sounds great, but I’d start with something shorter: the Declaration of Independance? I just tried translating something into The Fershner Secret Language and it was so time-consuming that I gave up and switched to just translating a Psalm first. And I think I’m going to stop there. So I’m dying to know, why are you doing this? Anyone ask you to, or is there someone who’ll read it when you’re done? Mine’ll end up written in calligraphy onto nice paper as a Christmas present. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-esperanto-speakers-translation-question/773608/6 "2016-12-02T14:42:08Z")
Start here: [Wikipedia Page on US Constitution; Esperanto selected as the language](https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usona_Konstitucio) ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-esperanto-speakers-translation-question/773608/7 "2016-12-02T18:03:46Z")
> [@digs](#): > > This sounds great, but I’d start with something shorter: the Declaration of Independance? > > I just tried translating something into The Fershner Secret Language and it was so time-consuming that I gave up and switched to just translating a Psalm first. And I think I’m going to stop there. > > So I’m dying to know, why are you doing this? Anyone ask you to, or is there someone who’ll read it when you’re done? Mine’ll end up written in calligraphy onto nice paper as a Christmas present. I just wanted to have it for myself; a labor of love, perhaps. I have had an interest in languages for years. I was disappointed to find no Esperanto version of the U. S. Constitution online, so I decided to prepare my own. I had done it once before, many years ago, but that copy has long since been discarded. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-esperanto-speakers-translation-question/773608/8 "2016-12-02T18:05:50Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > With Google translate, always try stuff one at a time and as a sentence, and then look up the words. You can get pretty good with that. Then have a really good Esperanto speaker look at it and suggests fixes. > […] I had supposed there might be a “really good Esperanto speaker” among the Teeming Millions. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-esperanto-speakers-translation-question/773608/9 "2016-12-02T18:59:13Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > I had supposed there might be a “really good Esperanto speaker” among the Teeming Millions. 🙂 Paging **Sunspace**! He’s quite good with Esperanto–if he doesn’t show up here, **Dougie** , you may want to drop him a PM. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-esperanto-speakers-translation-question/773608/10 "2016-12-02T19:27:58Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > I had supposed there might be a “really good Esperanto speaker” among the Teeming Millions. 🙂 We used to have **matt\_mcl** , but it looks like he hasn’t signed on in months. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-esperanto-speakers-translation-question/773608/11 "2016-12-02T19:32:12Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > Paging **Sunspace**! > > He’s quite good with Esperanto–if he doesn’t show up here, **Dougie** , you may want to drop him a PM. Thanks…that’s fine…I’m in no hurry. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-esperanto-speakers-translation-question/773608/12 "2016-12-02T20:15:46Z")
Dougie: complete your translation as best you can. Then post it at a website and link to here and an Esperanto forum and ask for comments. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-esperanto-speakers-translation-question/773608/13 "2016-12-02T22:07:17Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > Dougie: complete your translation as best you can. Then post it at a website and link to here and an Esperanto forum and ask for comments. What website should I use? ---
**Author:** ![Disheavel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@Disheavel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disheavel)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-esperanto-speakers-translation-question/773608/14 "2016-12-02T23:59:05Z")
I used to be a terrible Esperanto speaker a couple of decades back. I’m chiming in here not to help but to give a shout out to the book, [“Off to Be the Wizard”](https://www.amazon.com/Off-Be-Wizard-Magic-2-0/dp/1612184715) which has several thoughts about Esperanto scattered throughout. And I don’t think it is too much of a spoiler, but Esperanto is the language of magic in the book which had me in hysterics repeatedly. A fun afternoon read for people wanting to translate Esperanto in their spare time! ---
**Author:** ![WoefulMinion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b19c9b/32.png) [@WoefulMinion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WoefulMinion)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-esperanto-speakers-translation-question/773608/15 "2017-04-12T18:25:20Z")
Interesting exercise. May I suggest the following? \*\*adjourn: \*\*fermi \*\*shall/shall not: \*\*devas ne \*\*term: \*\*daŭro (or servdaŭro to be more specific) \*\*posterity: \*\*posteuloj, posteularo \*\*impeach: \*\*akuzi You might be interested in Humphrey Tonkin’s translation of the Declaration of Independence (“A Declaration for All” available from [Esperanto-USA.org](http://Esperanto-USA.org)) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which has an Esperanto translation available on the [ohchr.org](http://ohchr.org) website for examples of similar legal documents. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-esperanto-speakers-translation-question/773608/16 "2017-04-13T16:06:18Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > Thanks…that’s fine…I’m in no hurry. Good. I was afraid you were saying Esperanto pronto. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Hector\_St\_Clare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5ac83/32.png) [@Hector\_St\_Clare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hector_St_Clare)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-esperanto-speakers-translation-question/773608/17 "2017-04-13T16:29:12Z")
> [@UDS](#): > > “Shall/shall not” is a peculiarity of English, using the same auxiliary verb to indicate (a) a future event, and (b) an immediate obligation. Esperanto has to have a word or idiom with the same sense in English as “must”, and that’s what you’re looking for. There is a fine distinction in English between “shall” and “will”, but I can never remember what it is. I just know they’re supposed to mean slightly different things. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-esperanto-speakers-translation-question/773608/18 "2017-04-13T17:26:40Z")
It’s even more confusing in that the convention reverses for the first person and for other persons, at least according to the old pedants. The normal form is “I shall” and “you/he/she/it will”, but the emphatic form is “I will” and “you/he/she/it shall”. I think that in some contexts, there might also be the implication that “will” implies merely an intention, but “shall” implies an obligation. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-esperanto-speakers-translation-question/773608/19 "2017-04-13T19:30:40Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > It’s even more confusing in that the convention reverses for the first person and for other persons, at least according to the old pedants. The normal form is “I shall” and “you/he/she/it will”, but the emphatic form is “I will” and “you/he/she/it shall”. > > I think that in some contexts, there might also be the implication that “will” implies merely an intention, but “shall” implies an obligation. The classic Victorian example was to consider the difference between “I shall drown, and no-one will save me” and “I will drown, and no-one shall save me”. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-esperanto-speakers-translation-question/773608/20 "2017-04-13T19:42:07Z")
“Shall” is borderline archaic in American English. It’s not used much in everyday speech. Using it often evokes an air of stuffy formality: _Whatever shall we do?_ I’d expect to hear it more commonly used in England, and I wonder if it was more common in 18th Century America, too. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-esperanto-speakers-translation-question/773608.md?page=2)