The small guys... - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Birdland · 03-03-2002, 04:15 PM

That's what I kinda figured. Which makes the translation all the more confusing. If you told a Swede a hobbit was a little smaller than a dwarf, he should be able to get a pretty good mental picture of a halfling's height.

Hey, I knew what it meant, and my knowledge of Norse methology was limited to what little they taught in school, plus reading the Marvel comic books about "The Mighty Thor".

If they translated the Swedish text into American English, it would read something like "Hobbits were smaller than dwarves, but bigger than a bread box." (Don't ask me why Americans compare small things to bread boxes. It's just one of those old sayings. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] )

Oh well, maybe that translator was getting paid by the word.

03-03-2002, 04:15 PM	#11
Birdland Ghastly Neekerbreeker Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: the banks of the mighty Scioto Posts: 1,751	That's what I kinda figured. Which makes the translation all the more confusing. If you told a Swede a hobbit was a little smaller than a dwarf, he should be able to get a pretty good mental picture of a halfling's height. Hey, I knew what it meant, and my knowledge of Norse methology was limited to what little they taught in school, plus reading the Marvel comic books about "The Mighty Thor". If they translated the Swedish text into American English, it would read something like "Hobbits were smaller than dwarves, but bigger than a bread box." (Don't ask me why Americans compare small things to bread boxes. It's just one of those old sayings. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] ) Oh well, maybe that translator was getting paid by the word.