GB Shaw: Major Barbara

[James Logan]

Hi there,

Could you help me? I can't rewrite some sentences from Cockney into Standard British English.

'How that I should be found worthy to be spit upon for the gospel's sake!' He says; and Mog says 'Glory Hallelujah!'; and then he called me brother, and dawned (downed) me as if I was a kid and he was my mother washing me a Saturday night. I hadn’t just no show with him at all. After the street prayed and the father after (other half) laughed fit to split themselves. (To Barbara) There! Are you satisfied now?
BARBARA (her eyes dancing) Wish I'd been there, Bill.
BILL. Yes: you would a got in an extra bit of talk on me, wouldn't you?

[kev67]

Tricky, I don't understand it myself.

I think the man got Bill in some sort of headlock and was pretending to scrub his face as if he were a child. Bill was helpless to stop him. I am not sure what he means by 'prayed' . Perhaps it means the onlookers were doubled up with laughter.

[mona amon]

You've already rewritten most of it. Here's the original -

BILL [doggedly] I did wot I said I'd do. I spit in is eye. E looks up at the sky and sez, "O that I should be fahnd worthy to be spit upon for the gospel's sake!" e sez; an Mog sez "Glory Allelloolier!"; an then e called me Brother, an dahned me as if I was a kid and e was me mother washin me a Setterda nawt. I adn't just no show wiv im at all. Arf the street prayed; an the tother arf larfed fit to split theirselves. [To Barbara] There! are you settisfawd nah?

BARBARA [her eyes dancing] Wish I'd been there, Bill.

BILL. Yes: you'd a got in a hextra bit o talk on me, wouldn't you?

My translation-

BILL [doggedly] I did what I said I'd do. I spat in his eye. He looks up at the sky and says, "O that I should be found worthy to be spit upon for the gospel's sake!" he says; an Mog says "Glory Alleluia!"; and then he called me Brother, an downed me as if I was a kid and he was my mother washing me on a Saturday night. I just had no show with him at all. Half the street prayed; and the other half laughed fit to split themselves. [To Barbara] There! are you satisfied now?

BARBARA [her eyes dancing] Wish I'd been there, Bill.

BILL. Yes: you'd have got in an extra bit of talk on me, wouldn't you?

[kev67]

You've already rewritten most of it. Here's the original -

BILL [doggedly] I did wot I said I'd do. I spit in is eye. E looks up at the sky and sez, "O that I should be fahnd worthy to be spit upon for the gospel's sake!" e sez; an Mog sez "Glory Allelloolier!"; an then e called me Brother, an dahned me as if I was a kid and e was me mother washin me a Setterda nawt. I adn't just no show wiv im at all. Arf the street prayed; an the tother arf larfed fit to split theirselves. [To Barbara] There! are you settisfawd nah?

BARBARA [her eyes dancing] Wish I'd been there, Bill.

BILL. Yes: you'd a got in a hextra bit o talk on me, wouldn't you?

My translation-

BILL [doggedly] I did what I said I'd do. I spat in his eye. He looks up at the sky and says, "O that I should be found worthy to be spit upon for the gospel's sake!" he says; an Mog says "Glory Alleluia!"; and then he called me Brother, an downed me as if I was a kid and he was my mother washing me on a Saturday night. I just had no show with him at all. Half the street prayed; and the other half laughed fit to split themselves. [To Barbara] There! are you satisfied now?

BARBARA [her eyes dancing] Wish I'd been there, Bill.

BILL. Yes: you'd have got in an extra bit of talk on me, wouldn't you?

That makes more sense. That semi-colon after prayed makes a lot of difference.

[mona amon]

The crucial importance of punctuation. :)

[James Logan]

Thank you so much!

[James Logan]

One more question: could you analize the following sentences by phonology-morphology-syntax?
BILL [taunting] Wot prawce Selvytion nah?
SHIRLEY. Don't you hit her when she's down.
BILL. She it me wen aw wiz dahn. Waw shouldn't I git a bit o me own back?
BARBARA [raising her head] I didn't take your money, Bill. [She crosses the yard to the gate and turns her back on the two men to hide her face from them].
BILL [sneering after her] Naow, it warn't enough for you. [Turning to the drum, he misses the money]. Ellow! If you ain't took it summun else az. Were's it gorn? Blame me if Jenny Ill didn't tike it arter all!
RUMMY [screaming at him from the loft] You lie, you dirty blackguard! Snobby Price pinched it off the drum wen e took ap iz cap. I was ap ere all the time an see im do it.
BILL. Wot! Stowl maw money! Waw didn't you call thief on him, you silly old mucker you?
RUMMY. To serve you aht for ittin me acrost the face. It's cost y'pahnd, that az. [Raising a paean of squalid triumph] I done you. I'm even with you. I've ad it aht o y—.[Bill snatches up Shirley's mug and hurls it at her. She slams the loft door and vanishes. The mug smashes against the door and falls in fragments.]
I don't understand for example, why my teacher said that: "There is no /g/ pronounced here!" in my sentence:- g-dropping at the end of the words e.g. ittin instead of hitting.

[kev67]

I can make out most of it. Sounds a bit like Bill came from Birmingham though. I don't think Cockneys say "prawce". "Selvytion" looks odd. I don't think "blackguard" is actually pronounced "blackguard" by anyone. It was pronounced more like "blaggard". I expect it is "Blimey" rather than "Blame me". What is "y'pahnd", a pound? I think I'd go for "Ello" rather than "Ellow" and "Stole" rather than "Stowl" I might put "old mucker ya" instead of "old mucker you". I might go for "Nah" instead of "Naow".

No, Cockneys tended not to say the final 'g' in words ending "ing".