The Project Gutenberg EBook of Lost in Translation, by Larry M. Harris

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Title: Lost in Translation

Author: Larry M. Harris

Illustrator: Schoenherr

Release Date: September 19, 2009 [EBook #30029]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LOST IN TRANSLATION ***

Produced by Sankar Viswanathan, Greg Weeks, and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

Transcriber's Note:

This etext was produced from Analog Science Fact & Fiction August
1961. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the
U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.

LOST

IN

TRANSLATION

[Illustration]

By

LARRY M.

HARRIS

_In language translation, you may get a literally accurate
word-for-word translation ... but miss the meaning entirely.
And in space-type translation ... the effect may be the
same!_

Illustrated by Schoenherr

* * * * *

The cell had been put together more efficiently than any Korvin had
ever been in. But that was only natural, he told himself sadly; the
Tr'en were an efficient people. All the preliminary reports had agreed
on that; their efficiency, as a matter of fact, was what had made
Korvin's arrival a necessity. They were well into the atomic era, and
were on the verge of developing space travel. Before long they'd be
settling the other planets of their system, and then the nearer stars.
Faster-than-light travel couldn't be far away, for the magnificently
efficient physical scientists of the Tr'en--and that would mean, in
the ordinary course of events, an invitation to join the Comity of
Planets.

An invitation, the Comity was sure, which the Tr'en would not accept.

Korvin stretched out on the cell's single bunk, a rigid affair which
was hardly meant for comfort, and sighed. He'd had three days of
i