Lost in Translation
24 May 2019Today’s prompt: “You are lost in a foreign country. You can’t find anyone who speaks English. How do you react, and how do you find your way?”
“Uh, que camino es la estación de tren?” you try, tapping letters into Google Translate and hoping for the best.
“Ahf’ ymg’ tharanak geb?”1 the man responds, looking at you warily.
You try again. “Où est la gare?”
“N’ghftog Chtenff ah nafl gotha ooboshu’drnn ph’nglui R’lyeh,”2 he says.
None of what he says sound like any language you’ve ever heard, but you soldier on. “Welcher Weg ist der Bahnhof?”
“Y’ epbug ai hafh’drn ot n’ghft yog ymg’,”3 he determines, and walks away.
“Hey, wait!” you say, striding after him.
“Llll ah’azanafl h’,”4 he calls out to others in the square. You find yourself surrounded by men and women who had heretofore been minding their marketplace stalls or tending their drab little gardens. You try to follow the man you were talking to, but find your way barred by hoes and rakes.
You attempt to explain that you were just trying to find your way to the train station and try to exchange pleasantries in English, Portuguese and Mandarin, to no avail. Eventually, the man returns with a black-robed woman, and the crowd parts.
The woman places her hand on the man’s shoulder. “Vulgtmnah vulgtmor,” she says. “Throdog Cthulhu h’ ahmggoka.”5
1What brings you here?
2The Black Brotherhood does not want visitors in R’lyeh.
3I will go tell the priest of darkness about you.
4Gather around [him or her].
5A good sacrifice. Great Cthulhu accepts it.