tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1483877654474162845.post4584385174503325907..comments2023-07-10T01:17:13.383+10:00Comments on Brona's Books: #LesMisReadalong Week 2 - TranslationsBronahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11110584237325026052noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1483877654474162845.post-62245522996793850022018-01-17T10:10:23.835+11:002018-01-17T10:10:23.835+11:00I think the English translation needs to use the w...I think the English translation needs to use the word 'highness' to capture the little play on words that is meant to be enjoyed in this passage. A direct translation of grandeur takes away the humour that I think is intended by Hugo.Bronahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11110584237325026052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1483877654474162845.post-18787705562685009052018-01-17T07:57:34.415+11:002018-01-17T07:57:34.415+11:00And I totally agree with your choice of paragraph ...And I totally agree with your choice of paragraph for comparison. Louisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13187730620736345378noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1483877654474162845.post-40361597992180544112018-01-17T07:56:36.124+11:002018-01-17T07:56:36.124+11:00I'm reading the Donougher translation and find...I'm reading the Donougher translation and finding it fabulous. I dabbled with the Denny but found it more stilted and formal. It's fascinating that there wasn't a translation for nearly 100 years, and then I think the success of the musical has spawned the modern interest and a barrage of translations. Louisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13187730620736345378noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1483877654474162845.post-73520819999298923562018-01-15T07:59:02.734+11:002018-01-15T07:59:02.734+11:00Thanks Nick - my translation comparison is now com...Thanks Nick - my translation comparison is now complete :-)<br /><br />I'm finding a similar response when I dip into the Rose translation. I like Denny's more formal language; it makes the book feel more like a classic read. Rose's language is more playful and robust, but the odd word or phrase jars or confounds i.e. 'mystical claptrap' (instead of 'apotheosis') in V1 B1 Ch 14 which creates a completely different impression and meaning in that passage....Bronahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11110584237325026052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1483877654474162845.post-72582087689244008042018-01-15T06:08:49.938+11:002018-01-15T06:08:49.938+11:00Very interesting post, Brona. I am reading the Nor...Very interesting post, Brona. I am reading the Norman Denny translation. I started out with an e-book version, but also bought a trade paperback Penguin edition (also Norman Denny) that had large enough print to be comfortable. However, I probably will continue on the Kindle although this is the first book that I have read in the e-book format in a couple of years. I am enjoying what I have read so far... 14 chapters. So I think the Denny translation works for me. TracyKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1483877654474162845.post-56827599323812820532018-01-15T01:12:54.741+11:002018-01-15T01:12:54.741+11:00Great post, Brona. I'm enjoying the Donougher ...Great post, Brona. I'm enjoying the Donougher translation, but I've read the Wilbour translation so often with my students that it is jarring to hear my favorite passages in different words.<br /><br />Here is the passage you quote above in the Donougher translation: <br /><br />His conversation was affable and cheerful. He was sociable with the two old women who spent their lives with him. When he laughed it was the laugh of a schoolboy.<br /><br />Madam Magloire liked to call him 'Your Highness'. One day he rose from his armchair and went to his bookcase to fetch a book. As the bishop was rather small in stature he could not reach it. 'Madam Magloire,' he said, 'bring me a chair. My Highness falls short of that shelf.'Nick Sengerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14747898603816382426noreply@blogger.com