# Persian:  I could have ploughed and planted, I could work



## Sheila.S.A

Hi
I'm translating a text for a translation criticism session and I really don't know how I should translate the verbs in this part of the text according to the tenses?

Look at me! Look at my arm! I could have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain't I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man- when I could get it- and bear the lash as well! And ain't I a woman?

Ain't I a Woman?
Sojourner Truth


which one do you prefer for these verbs?

*به من نگاه کنید! به بازوانم نگاه کنید! میتوانم به اندازه ی یک مرد شخم زده باشم، محصول کاشته و در انبارها جمع آوری کرده باشم و هیچ مردی نمیتوانسته در این کار از من پیشی بگیرد. مگر من یک زن نیستم؟ می توانستم به همان میزان که یک مرد کار می کند کار کنم و اگر چیزی برای خوردن گیرم بیاید به اندازه ی یک مرد غذا بخورم وبه همان اندازه ضربه های شلاق را طاقت بیاورم. مگر من یک زن نیستم؟ *​

Or


*به من نگاه کنید! به بازوانم نگاه کنید! به اندازه ی یک مرد شخم میزنم، محصول میکارم و در انبارها جمع آوری می کنم و هیچ مردی نمی تواند در این کار از من پیشی بگیرد. مگر من یک زن نیستم؟ به همان میزان که یک مرد کار می کند کار می کنم و اگر چیزی برای خوردن گیرم بیاید به اندازه ی یک مرد غذا میخورم وبه همان اندازه ضربه های شلاق را طاقت میاورم. مگر من یک زن نیستم؟
*
​Thank you so much


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## colognial

Hello, Sheila.S.A. You do not provide enough context. Whom is the woman talking to? Why is she having to prove herself? I don't know, So I can only guess that in the first part, where the perfect form of the verbs is used, the reason is because we or someone is actually looking at the lady's arm. She is asking that 'someone' to look at the signs of hard work in her arm. She begins by speaking for the person who is looking. That person is the one who would make the conjecture, thinking they don't know that she has done any hard work, but she might as well have done so, looking at that arm!" 

For this first part, my translation - allowing for the fact that I'm not too sure about my choice of agricultural terms - would be:
منو ببین! این بازو رو نیگا کن! این بازو چیکار نکرده؟ شخم نزده که زده، نشا نکرده، که کرده، خرمن گرد نیاورده، که آورده​or,
منو ببین! این بازو رو نیگا کن! این بازو می گی شخم نمی تونه بزنه؟ می تونه و زده. نشا نکرده؟ کرده، خرمن گرد نیاورده، آورده​
Then, all of a sudden, she, the speaker, takes over: "and no man could head me! And ain't I a woman!":
زن هستم، آره، اما دست هر مردی رو از پشت می بندم​The last part seems to be her saying she would be as hard-working and as 'manly' as men, except that she is perhaps deprived of the opportunity to do so. This may be rendered best in Persian if one uses the present tense:
زن هستم، آره، اما می تونم کار یه مرد رو بکنم و قد یه مرد ــ اگه گیرم بیاد  ــ بخورم، جون شلاق خوردن هم دارم​


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## PersoLatin

Formal:
*به من و بازوهایم نگاه کن! (اگر پیش آمده بود) می‌توانستم از هر مرد بهتر شخم بزنم، بکارم، درو و انبار کنم،‏ مگر من زن نیستم؟
من می‌توانم به اندازه ی یک مرد کار بکنم و غذا بخورم، زمانیکه باشد ... و شلاق خوردن را هم تحمل کنم،‏ مگر من زن نیستم؟*

Informal/colloquial:
* من و بازوام نگاه کن! (اگه پیش اومده بود) می‌تونستم از هر مردی بهتر شخم بزنم، بکارم، درو و انبار کنم، مگه من زن نیستم؟
 من می‌تونم به اندازه ی یه مرد کار کنم و غذا بخورم، وقتی باشه ... و شلاق خوردن هم تحمل کنم، مگه من زن نیستم؟*


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## colognial

PersoLatin, I'm not sure why you say (in brackets) "if I had had the chance" (اگر پیش آمده بود). The woman must have had the chance, surely, because isn't this why she attracts attention to the appearance of her arm, a well-built arm? She has worked as hard as a man and has her arm to prove it. But she needs to instill this reasoning into the mind of her interlocutor, so she tries to get into their mind as it were, talking a bit like them. This, I think, is the reason why she uses the 'could have done so' type of conditional. Of course, there is not enough background here for me to be certain about my argument, so that I'm guessing a bit here, but even if I'm wrong, do you not think the 'if' clause in brackets is in any case unnecessary?


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## hamid5085

Definition which persolatin mentioned 
Exactly is alright 
But there is one point knowing that can be useful
The text starting by , I could have ploughed ,
Is an unreal message 
And women is cannoting if I were in that situation I had ploughed and ....
But it's apparent that she was not settled in that situation
I hope it's been clarified


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## colognial

Thanks, hamid5085. What is an "unreal message"?


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## hamid5085

Unreal clauses 
Connotes to a situation which if it's positive 
The clause appears as negative 
It means if clause it's superficial is positive
The meaning is negative vice Versa 
If clause it's superficial is negative 
The meaning is positive 
The best example for unreal clauses is
 Wish clauses
For instance 
Look at the situation
I know the truth
Look at the clause 
I wish I didn't know the truth
The clause is negative 
But the meaning is positive


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## hamid5085

Please kindly pay deep attention to the following sentences hope would be clarified


You could have completed it sooner
but you couldn't do it sooner 
You could have blown your chance
but you couldn't blow it
You could have done better on your exam
also you couldn't
You could have given me more time to get ready
likewise you couldn't
I wish you all the best


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## PersoLatin

Hi colognial, to me, 'I could have done....' always, has an explicit, but very often an implicit 'if I had the chance', in it. So she 'could have' but 'didn't', despite her ability, because the chance didn't present itself, then. To prove her ability & willingness, she then says 'I could work...when I could get it...' which suggests that, this time, the opportunity to 'work' (& prove herself) is there.

One thing that is intriguing, is "Look at me! Look at my arm!", I could interpret this as: "Look at me! I am obviously a woman, Look at my arm (i.e. a normal woman's arm not muscly) yet I could be as good as a man, doing those jobs", the context can make this clearer.

Thank you Hamid.


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## hamid5085

Thank you dear persolatin
Now that Persian dudes are gathered together
Let me roll on the subject further 
As a matter of fact for more clarification
About the first part where 
The lady is grumbling about her appearance
I feel compelled to say the starting part is two- edged 
And it's not apparent whether  she is 
connoting to her normal or shred muscles 

ميتونه دو حالت داشته باشه 
به عضلاتم نگاه کن ببین منم دست کمی از یه مرد ندارم با همون عضلات 
و همچنین ميتونه بیان گر این باشه 
به من نگاه کن با اين که یک زن هستم ولی همه اون کارهارو میتوتسنم انجام بدم 
ولی اون چیزی که مسلم هست علارغم تواناییش اون کارها رو انجام نداده
God be holder at you


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## colognial

Thank you, both. Perhaps we should wait for some light to come from the asker of the question.


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## Sheila.S.A

Thank you so much for your consideration. All the answers are helpful and the discussion was really interesting and inspiring.
The complete text is provided below:

*

Ain't I a Woman?*

*Sojourner Truth*

May 28-29, 1851


"Ain't  I  a  Woman?"  is  the  name  given  to  a  speech,  delivered extemporaneously,  by Sojourner  Truth,  (1797–1883).

"Well, children, where there is so much racket there must be something out of kilter. I think that 'twixtthe negroes of the South and the women of the North, all talking about rights, the white men will be in afix pretty soon. But what's all this here talking about?  That man over there says that women need to behelped into carriages and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helpsme into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place! And ain't I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm! I could have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain't I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man- when I could get it- and bear thelash as well! And ain't I a woman? I have borne thirteen children, and seen them most all sold off toslavery, and when I cried out with my mother's grief, none but Jesus heard me! And ain't I a woman?


Then they talk about this thing in the head; what's this they call it? [Intellect, somebody whispers] That'sit, honey. What's that got to do with women's rights or negro's rights?  If my cup won't hold but a pint, and yours holds a quart, wouldn't you be mean not to let me have my little half measure-full?


Then that little man in black there, he says women can't have as much rights as men, 'cause Christ wasn'ta woman! Where did your Christ come from? Where did your Christ come from? From God and a woman! Man had nothing to do with Him.


If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, thesewomen together ought to be able to turn it back, and get it right side up again! And now they is asking todo it, the men better let them.


Obliged to you for hearing me, and now old Sojourner ain't got nothing more to say."




and my translation is:

. مگه من زن نیستم؟ به من نیگا کنین! بازوهامو ببینین میتونستم باهاشون شخم بزنم، محصول عمل بیارم و انبار کنم و هیچ مردی به گرد پامم نرسه. مگه من زن نیستم؟ می تونستم اندازه ی یه مرد کار کنم و اگه چیزی گیرم بیاد قد یه مرد غذا بخورم و شلاق خوردن رو هم تاب بیارم.​

Thank you


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## PersoLatin

Hi Sheila,

This is very much in keeping with the English version.

But please change the second ميتونستم to ميتونم as she says 'I could work....', and 'could' here is the conditional of 'can' & not its past tense.


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## hamid5085

Tnx both 
Shila and persolatin
Please peruse the my following script 
So that it would be clarified

As I wrote it through my telegram channel 
So that I would forward here 
I say in abrief 


All these mentioned words 
Are named 
As 
Lost opportunity
And 
About 

Could 
Would 
Should 
Still you hope you do that 
But 
About 
Would have 
Should have 
Could have 
There are no hopes for doing 

So 
Look at the first part definition

Could verb  ----possibility 
امکان اینکه کاری رو انجام بدی هست 
Would verb ---- imaginary 
بزار فکر کنم که انجام بدم یا نه 
Should verb 
  What is the best thing to do 

So 
 I could help you tomorrow if ...
میتونم کمکت کنم اگه .....احتمالش هست 
I would help you tomorrow 
کمکت میکنم اما بذار یکم فکر کنم 
I should help you 
 کمکت میکنم ولی باید ببینم کدوم کار بهتره 
یا تو فارسی باید کمکت کنم ولی  ....
Now take a look at 
Would have 
Should have   pp
Could have 
همیشه یادتون باشه درمورد زمانها 
وقتی have استفاده شد یعنی پلی به گذشته 
و اما در مورد عبارات بالا 
باید عرض کنم 
هر سه معانی could would should رو دارن 
با این تفاوت که دیگه امیدی به انجام امکان و تبدیل آن به واقعیت نیست 
 So 
Difference between 
I could do 
I could have done 
اولی میتونم انجام بدم  امکانش هست 
دومی 
میتونستم انجام بدم ولی امکانش نیست 

Would do 
انجام میدم بزار فکر کنم روش  احتمالش هست 
I would have done 
انجام میدادم ولی انجام ندادم و  امکانش هم  نیست الان که انجام بدم


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## hamid5085

I hope that I could exhaust the article
Somebody gives me five ​


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