Breakdown of Pankartlar şöyle dursun, sandalyeleri bile getirmediler.
sandalye
chair
getirmek
to bring
bile
even
şöyle dursun
let alone / never mind (much less)
Questions & Answers about Pankartlar şöyle dursun, sandalyeleri bile getirmediler.
How does şöyle dursun work here, and can I use bir yana instead?
The phrase şöyle dursun directly follows a noun or an infinitive verb to mean "let alone" or "never mind." Here it follows the plural noun pankartlar. Yes, you can easily swap it with bir yana (making it Pankartlar bir yana...) with absolutely no change in meaning. Both dismiss the first idea to highlight how extreme the second point is.
What is the literal translation of şöyle dursun?
Literally, it means "let it stand like that" (şöyle = like that/thus, dursun = third-person imperative of durmak, to stand or stop). It creates a great mental image of putting the first topic on hold or leaving it in the corner while you focus on the more surprising second point.
Why is pankartlar in the bare case, while sandalyeleri gets the accusative marker -i? Both are things that weren't brought.
The structure [Noun] şöyle dursun requires its noun to be in the nominative (bare) case. Even though logically the banners are also objects of the verb "to bring," grammatically they are attached to the şöyle dursun phrase. Meanwhile, sandalyeleri is the direct object of the main verb getirmediler in the second clause, so it must take the specific accusative case.
Why is bile placed after sandalyeleri? In English, "even" usually comes before the word.