‘We’re not going to live here any longer.’ Mum fiddles with the ignition. ‘I just need . . .’ The era of the Murderer as a father is almost over – Andrev’s mother has decided they’re moving out. But first they need to leave and the Translator has to deal with that…
You see, the car won’t start. In the exchange that follows, the Murderer uses the Swedish term ‘tjåk’, in turn puzzling the Translator. Turns out it means ‘choke’. Like on a car. An old car.
I’m old enough to have been in The Past, although I don’t really understand what a choke is or what I’d do with it. Fortunately for me, Retired GP (who retired early to study Swedish, naturally) and Retired Architect popped in for a coffee. In return for their caffeine, they told tales of yore, and most crucially what people used to shout when their car wouldn’t start.
Translation problem solved. More or less.
”Okej”, ropar Mördaren. ”Stryp tjåken och trampa plattan i mattan.”
”Stryp dig själv”, väser mamma och ställer sig på gaspedalen.
‘Okay,’ the Murderer calls. ‘Now no choke and put your foot down.’
‘I’ll choke you,’ Mum hisses, putting her foot on the accelerator.
In the original, the Murderer urges Andrev’s mum to ‘stryp’ the choke (strangle, as in cut off) and her muttered retort is that he should strangle himself. We don’t strangle chokes in English (is that a tautology?). And courtesy of Retired GP, I was now more comfortable in what we would say. Happily, the word ‘choke’ lends itself to an alternative solution, as you can see above.