# których czepiają się „szkieleciska”



## zzjing

Hi there. Here's another question. The original sentence:

Pomiędzy napiętymi jak błona na grzbiecie potwora ścianami, których czepiają się „szkieleciska”, ciągnie się na przestrzeni kilometrów właściwy „długoń”, twór pozornie samodzielny, niby jakiś kolosalny pyton, który obżarł się całymi górami i trawi je teraz w milczeniu, od czasu do czasu wprawiając swoje ściśnione po rybiemu ciało w powolne, drgające ruchy.​
and the English translation:

Extending for several miles between walls that stretch like membranes over the monster’s back and cling to its huge “skeleton” is the actual extensor, a seemingly independent formation, like a colossal python that has swallowed an entire mountain chain and is now digesting it in silence, from time to time setting its body in slow, shuddering, fishlike contractions.​
What is „szkieleciska”? And what does that part "których czepiają się „szkieleciska”" say exactly?


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## jasio

The translation is quite ok, at least in the first part. Although the syntax is a bit different and there are minor differences, both in Polish and in English you have to stop to actually decipher which word matches which in this sentence. For example, the main line is "Extending for several miles between walls ... is the actual extensor", while everything in the middle is a description of the walls. Ok, you may dispute what is attached to what (in polish the skeletons are attached to the walls, while in English - the other way round), in Polish there are multiple skeletons, while in English there is one, but I do not think these differences really matter. Overall there is an impression of something overwhelmingly enormous, complex, and scary. A sort of a sleeping monster. Emotionwise, you may think about something close to dungeons of the Dracula's castle. ;-)

„Szkieleciska” is plural of „szkielecisko” - a word derived from „szkielet” (skeleton) with a suffix "-isko" which often means something overwhelmingly huge and often glum.


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## jasio

BTW - also "długoń", which was translated as "an extensor", is a neologizm. It's derived from adjective "długi" and adverb "długo" (both meaning 'long' in respective contexts). It brings to mind something long and difficult to name properly. Nothing as simple, as a wall or a beam, probably not even a grate. You can see that it's long and you don't know what it is, nor can describe in detalis how it looks like.


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## zzjing

jasio said:


> Ok, you may dispute what is attached to what (in polish the skeletons are attached to the walls, while in English - the other way round), in Polish there are multiple skeletons, while in English there is one, but I do not think these differences really matter.



It's actually these differences I am looking for, in order to better translate it into Chinese. So thank you for clarifying them for me.



> „Szkieleciska” is plural of „szkielecisko” - a word derived from „szkielet” (skeleton) with a suffix "-isko" which often means something overwhelmingly huge and often glum.



Gotcha. That's really helpful.


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## zzjing

jasio said:


> BTW - also "długoń", which was translated as "an extensor", is a neologizm. It's derived from adjective "długi" and adverb "długo" (both meaning 'long' in respective contexts). It brings to mind something long and difficult to name properly. Nothing as simple, as a wall or a beam, probably not even a grate. You can see that it's long and you don't know what it is, nor can describe in detalis how it looks like.



Yes, I understand. It's a made-up word used to describe an alien formation on the planet Solaris.


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## jasio

zzjing said:


> It's actually these differences I am looking for, in order to better translate it into Chinese. So thank you for clarifying them for me.


I see
In the first part it would be about it. 

In the second part, the Polish word translated as "swallowed" actually suggest an unstoppable, animal - like way of eating, and eating a way to much. You can swallow a pill, but the original suggests that it ate so much that it can now barely move. 

Also, there is a nuance in the last sentence. In Polish the whole body is contracted in a fishy way, and the digestion makes it slowly moving and trembling. 

But, similarly to one of  the previous threads, unless it's a translation for linguists, I'd focus more on the overall impression rather than on every single word. I pointed out several differences between Polish and English versions, but for me they are not disturbing, as the text gives the same overall impression of a napping, mysterious, enormous monster. A mix of depression and a somewhat unclear threat hiding somewhere.


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## zzjing

jasio said:


> But, similarly to one of  the previous threads, unless it's a translation for linguists, I'd focus more on the overall impression rather than on every single word.



I agree, and most of the small differences you mentioned do not really bother me. However, the differences you pointed out in the first part are actually important in order for the picture to make sense and be consistent with the rest of the description in the paragraph. Also, I would argue that as a translator, I should still try to stay faithful to the original text whenever possible, instead of changing it willy-nilly without good reason.


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## jasio

Absolutely.


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## Ben Jamin

In this context I would translate "szkieleciska" as "monstrous skeletons".
The ending -isko can mean something very large, monstrous, despicable or abominable. The meaning is usually fixed to the core noun in an idiomatic way.


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## zzjing

Ben Jamin said:


> In this context I would translate "szkieleciska" as "monstrous skeletons".
> The ending -isko can mean something very large, monstrous, despicable or abominable. The meaning is usually fixed to the core noun in an idiomatic way.



Thanks, Ben. It does make sense in the bigger context. And that's really a very interesting feature of Polish grammar.


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## wolfbm1

"Szkielecisko" is an augmentative form (zgrubienie) of the word "szkielet" (skeleton). The opposite is "szkielecik," which is a diminutive form (zdrobnienie). As explained above "szkielecisko" means a very big skeleton (bigger than a dinosaur's skeleton), a megaskeleton or an ossified megatumor.


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