Pavel Blann Mar 1, 2007:

Not at all. Again, if these songs' explanations are just for your own use I see no problem in using this forum according to its rules once in a while. Yet Lucia Filova is also right that this is mainly a tool for translators helping each other.

AbraCol (asker) Feb 28, 2007:

Good point, Pavel. Thanks. Sorry I had to close out the dialogue without awarding any points because it truly clarified. I thought it was too good to be true though. I understand their points though as I'm often criticizing people who undercut me and play music at no charge in town as it takes away the bargaining chip for the rest of us. But that's the music and art "business", not so for translators. But maybe we should ALL take up Chinese to make due if this foreshadows our sole focal point in the future?

Pavel Blann Feb 28, 2007:

Well, some of my colleagues see business behind everything. I (and some other translators as well) don't see an issue in explaining the song's meaning while it is split in pieces. I trust if you were to use a translation of lyrics commercially you would hire a translator and pay him/her as with any other copyrighted work.

AbraCol (asker) Feb 28, 2007:

Apologies. Okay, I stand corrected, so I need to speak the language to be online. I only speak English, obviously and thought I made that clear. I won't bother anyone again with these lyrics. (I'm a musician who's gotten a grant to perform Czech classical violin compositions as well as Slovakian folk music at a series of concerts. I had hoped to get these lyrics interpreted and, from everything I read, it seemed free from what I read about the site, up to a certain amount of questions per week. Oh well, you can close this as the question is a mute point. Thanks to everyone who helped thus far with these lyrics and I wasn't intending to take advantage of anyone. I really didn't know. I thought the incentive was in the points somehow. Goodbye.

Lucia [Lulu] Lay Feb 28, 2007:

Actually, I don't think anyone on here is offended, but you obviously misunderstand the rules, as this is not exactly a free service, it is a tool mainly for translators. And splitting an entire longer text into several "nine-word questions" doesn't really justify your action. Czechtrans wasn't rude to you at all, only told you things you didn't want to hear.

Pavel Blann Feb 28, 2007:

Well, I don't consider this a proper translation of lyrics but merely an explanation of the song's meaning.

AbraCol (asker) Feb 28, 2007:

Thanks, but before we go on... Some other translator seemed offended that I wasn't posting the entire song and offering to pay someone to translate it. I hope I'm not misunderstanding the rules that it can be a free service as long as I don't ask more than five questions in a week and as long as the translators earn points and seem to be interested in this. Or am I wrong? Please tell me what you think.