How to Use 3-Lined Paper
Try 3-lined paper next time you decide to write out a text for translating, as suggested in my post, How to Attack 17th Century Dutch Texts. I’ve turned the sheet horizontally to make it easier to match up with the length of a handwritten text line by line, and left a little box on the left to number each line. This is the way I generally use the three lines on this sheet:
On the first line, I copy the text word for word in the same format that it is written in the original source, as best I can. Sounds easy, right? It’s okay if you need to leave a couple of blanks for words you can’t decipher. Often, after you begin translating, clues from the context will help narrow down the possibilities. Oddly, sleeping on it seems to help, too.
I use the second line for a rough translation. As in my earlier post, I don’t recommend a word for word translation for 17th century Dutch since, as I have been politely informed, it will sound like you’re talking backwards. You can, though, parse phrases on the first line (yes, with a pencil) and write a loose translation under each phrase.
The third line is where I try to re-order the syntax and write out an English translation. Aim to get the correct meaning. You can fine-tune your word choices later. It’s a worksheet, not a polished-piece sheet.
I hope you find my 3-lined paper to be a helpful tool for structuring and organizing the translation of handwritten Dutch texts. If you find another way to use it, please feel free to share. In the meantime, good luck with your work!