064

We old people we look at the way of life before coming through to today.

064-001 Komam nen kin upi tiawi ulek nam̃olien pei mai paakor nam̃olien ni mees .

Life today is different. It isn't like life in those days.

§ 064-002 Me nam̃olien ni mees imsal top . Itap taos nam̃olien ni malpei mau .

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Today, children are clever, they go to school, but they don't respect the old people.

§ 064-003 Nam̃olien ni mees teesa rumetmatu wi , § 064-004 ruskul wi me rukano paketan ki tiawi .

They can't hear the language.

§ 064-005 Rukano nrog nafsan .

Because they think they know more than the old people.

§ 064-006 Nlaken rumro na gar rumetmatu tol tiawi .

But what the old people know is small.

§ 064-007 Me tenen tiawi rutae ipi tesees .

The old people don't know more.

§ 064-008 Tiawi rutap metmatu wi mau .

But they remember the wisdom of our old people, those who were our fathers and mothers.

§ 064-009 Me rumroperkat , runrog perkat nale tiawi nigmam tenen rupi tem mom go rait mom .

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We can't criticise them, we listen to them, they tell us things, we do as they tell us.

§ 064-010 Komam ukano pregsa kir , § 064-011 unrog naler , rutil tenamrun , komam upregi taosi kin gar rutli .

But the life of today, this is what I always say.

§ 064-012 Me mees , nam̃olien ni mees kineu kafo to pes .

Say some things are good, some things are right, but they don't listen.

§ 064-013 Til tenen iwi , tenen ileg , me gar rukano rukano nrogo .

Because they think their wisdom is better than that of our old people.

§ 064-014 Nlaken rumrokin na gar rumetmatu tol nametmatuan nigmam tiawi .

But we can't criticise them because its the way that the old people teach young people.

§ 064-015 Me komam ukano pregsa kir nlaken ipi nafsan iskei nen kin tiawi kefo tafnau teesa .

Children follow their own strong, crooked way, but their mothers and old people can't be strong with them.

§ 064-016 Teesa ipreg tenamrun nen ikerkerai itakel me tenen kin ipi rait ko tiawi ukano preg kerkerai kir .

We can't talk badly to them because they are developing their future.

§ 064-017 Go ukano pes sa kir nlaken gar rukfo develop ki mal wi nen kefo mai .

I will tell the story of when we were on the small island of Erakor.

§ 064-018 Kafo traus tete natrauswen taos na naur malnen uto naur sees Erakor .

We didn't work with cars.

§ 064-019 Komam uta weswes skot loto mau .

We didn't work with engines.

§ 064-020 Komam utap weswes skot enjin mau .

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We worked with our hands, with knives, with axes, and we carried things on our heads.

§ 064-021 Uweswes ki naarmom uweswes ki masmes p̃ur , uweswes ki kram , § 064-022 go uslasol ki np̃au mom .

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We carried things on our backs, we carried them on our shoulders.

§ 064-023 Uslasol ki ntak mom , § 064-024 uslasol ki mpam mom .

We were a long way away, we carried things down to the sea. No cars.

§ 064-025 Uto em̃ae uslasol mai pak elau . Loto itik .

We worked with our hands, we moved our bodies, for hard work.

§ 064-026 Komam uweswes ki naar mam , ufarfar ki nam̃ol mam , raki nawesien p̃afp̃of laap .

The old people cut canoes, they worked with only an axe, they didn't work with engines.

§ 064-027 Tiawi rukfo tai raru , ruweswes ki kram m̃as , rutap wesweski enjin mau .

Today, life today, I'll do work, I'll carry food and put it on the road.

§ 064-028 Mees , nam̃olien ni mees , kafo preg nawesien kafo sat nafnag ipatu napu .

Then I get the truck to carry the things. But not in those days.

§ 064-029 Me kafo preg loto kefan msagi mai . Me malpei itik .

Life today is not like it was before.

§ 064-030 Nam̃olien nen kin tupato mees ne itik malpei .

We worked and we got tired, if we want to stay well, we would first have to get tired.

§ 064-031 Komam uweswes umaos umurin na koto wi , kofo pei maos .

Our clothes were ripped, we got too many hardships.

§ 064-032 Nkal ni mam rumap̃rap̃or , uslat nanrogtesan itop .

We would then feel good. We worked copra, a long way.

§ 064-033 Me kofo pei inrok to wi . Kofo sur kopra em̃ae , em̃ae .

But we carried it here, no car.

§ 064-034 Me kofo slati mai loto itik .

We would go and make it, get firewood and smoke it.

§ 064-035 Kofo mai kofo pregi na , komer ler nkap , komai suekro .

Until it was dry, then we pounded it.

§ 064-036 Pan kin gar , komer laosoki .

When they finished pounding it, they sewed up the bag. The man would take it.

§ 064-037 Me malnen rukoipe laosok silua rutur pek . Natam̃ol kin kefo slati .

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Put it in the canoe on the beach, take it to Vila, people got tired in those days, because life then was hard, as regards the work.

§ 064-038 Pan psi raru elau , kefo msagi pak sto , § 064-039 natam̃ol imaos top malpei , nlaken kin nam̃olien ni malpei ikerkerai , toklos teni nawesien .

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But as for remembering, we can't ignore our old people's talk, the old people might tell us to go to the garden and we have to go.

§ 064-040 Me raki nanrogperkatwen komam ukano tao nafsan ni tiawi , tarp̃ek , § 064-041 tiawi rupreg nafsan go rufla tili na kofan gar preg talm̃at , kofo pa .

We cannot ignore the words of our ancestors.

§ 064-042 Ukano sertep̃al nafsan ni tiawi .

That was the way of life before. Like today that I am talking about it.

§ 064-043 Na teni sup̃ ni nam̃olien ni malpei . Go mees kin ato trausi .

Of long ago.

§ 064-044 Ni malpei .

Life before.

§ 064-045 Nam̃olien tuei .

Come to today.

§ 064-046 Paakor mees ne .

The other life today is too hard.

§ 064-047 Nam̃olien kaaru ni mees ikerkerai top .

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Like before when we would sell copra, before we used Australian money.

§ 064-048 Go itaos malpei wel kin ufla salem ki kopra , § 064-049 upiatlak taos malpei uius ki na Australia , mane ni Australia .

One pound, ten shillings, like that.

§ 064-050 Wan paon , ten slen , tefla .

But it was big money, big money.

§ 064-051 Me ipi mane p̃ur , mane p̃ur .

We would take it to town, we would take ten shillings.

§ 064-052 Kofo slati pak sto , ufla sat ten slen pak sto .

We would buy what we wanted, but we would have change to take back. Because the price was very low.

§ 064-053 Kofo paakot tete namuurien nigmam kenom me kotfak mane kofo sati ler mai . Nlaken prais isees m̃as .

And if we took a pound to town, it was big money, big money.

§ 064-054 Ko ufla sat wan paon pak sto , mane p̃ur , mane p̃ur .

I would take a lot, but I would spend a little.

§ 064-055 Kofo sat tep̃ur ler , me kofo paakot ki tesees .

But today everything is high, high, high.

§ 064-056 Me malfanen sernale ipak elag , pak elag , pak elag .

And as for us old people we can't have much money because life today is too hard.

§ 064-057 Go taos nanre nigmam tiawi ukano piatlak mane nlaken nam̃olien ni mees ikerkerai .

We need to work hard and we can get money.

§ 064-058 Komam kofo kerkerai preg nawesien sees go kofo tae pam̃or mane .

But if we don't work hard we can't get any money.

§ 064-059 Me if wel kin uta kerkerai weswes mau ukano pam̃or mane .

Before, we used to help the old people.

§ 064-060 Go malpei komam kofo tae welu tiawi .

The old people would cut copra, and we strong ones would go and get it for them.

§ 064-061 Tiawi ifla pan sur kopra ipatu komam natam̃ol kerkerai kofo tae pan gar slati mai .

But not today.

§ 064-062 Me mees itik .

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If I tell some kids to work in the garden for me, I have to cook for them, and sometimes I send someone else.

§ 064-063 Iwel kafla tp̃eki tete teesa kefa neu preg talm̃at , § 064-064 me kafo mas- kafo gar kuk , ko tete nrak atp̃olu tete natam̃ol p̃tae .

I have to pay them if I have money I have to pay them.

§ 064-065 Kafo paktofir iwel kafitlak mane kafo paktofir .

But if I have no money, I will go to the garden and get food for them.

§ 064-066 Me wel atik ki mane kafo pan leel nafnag talm̃aat kafo gar preg .

Life today is like that.

§ 064-067 Nam̃olien ni mees itefla .