SITUATION: Chris, a Western living and working in West Africa, asks a farmer about his work.
Transcript
CHRIS: N kɔrɔ, e bɛ mun baara kɛ?
CIKƐLA: Ne ye cikɛla ye.
JOE: Sɛnɛ ka di i ye wa?
CIKƐLA: Ɔwɔ, sɛnɛ ka di n ye kosɛbɛ.
JOE: Mun na?
CIKƐLA: N bɛ sɛnɛ kɛ ka n ka denbaya balo. N b'à tɔ feere. O tɔ bɛ kɛ mɔgɔ wɛrɛw balo ye. U b'à fɔ ko an bɛ kɔɔri min sɛnɛ ko o bɛ kɛ bagi ye. O fana kosɔn, n bɛ sɛnɛ kɛ.
JOE: I ye sɔrɔ kɛ ɲinan kosɛbɛ wa?
CIKƐLA: Ayi. N ka sɔrɔ binna dɔɔnin ɲinan.
JOE: Mun y'i ka sɔrɔ bin?
CIKƐLA: Ja de kɛra à sababu ye.
JOE: Dɔnnikɛlaw ko ko ja bɛna san wɔɔrɔ kɛ.
CIKƐLA: N'o ye tiɲɛ ye, mɔgɔ ka kan ka fɛɛrɛ ɲini sɔrɔko la.
JOE: E hakili bɛ fɛɛrɛ jumɛn na?
CIKƐLA: Ne hakili la, an ka kan ka dɔ fara an ka ɲɔforo ni maloforo kan, ani an ka kɔɔriforo. N hakili bɛ fana ka fɛn wɛrɛw sɛnɛ.
JOE: O ye hakili ɲuman ye. I jija i k'o kɛ.
CIKƐLA: I'm a farmer [Lit. "field-laborer"].
JOE: Farming is pleasing to you?
CIKƐLA: Yes, farming is very pleasing to me.
JOE: Why? [Lit. "What on?"]
CIKƐLA: I farm and nourish my family. I still the rest of it. The rest of it turns into the nourishment of other people. They say that the cotton we farm becomes cotton cloth. For that reason as well, I farm.
JOE: Did you have a good yield this year?
CIKƐLA: No. My yield fell a bit this year.
JOE: What made your yield fall?
CIKƐLA: Drought was the cause.
JOE: People of knowledge say that the drought will "do" [as in, "last"] six years.
CIKƐLA: If that's true, people need to find a solution for the yield issue.
JOE: What solution do you have in mind?
CIKƐLA: In my mind, we need to add some to our millet and rice fields, and our cotton fields. I've also got a mind to farm other things.
JOE: That's a good thought. Strive to do that.