#French translations

[maggiec70]

Via dubious means I’ve gotten my hands on The Emperor’s Friend and I absolutely loved reading it! I have a question - Lannes’ manner of speaking is presented in what I’d describe as a laconic, terse but at times nonchalant characterisation, and I quite liked how it contributed to painting a picture of this man. In particular, other places I’ve seen the grenadier quote as the brasher exclamation “I was a grenadier before I was a marshal, and I'm still one!”, but The Emperor’s Friend presents it as a more matter of fact “I remember what it's like to be a grenadier. Been there, done that, can do it again.”

My question is, is this a deliberate translation choice? I suppose I’m approaching this from a more literary standpoint, but I’m very curious about the thoughts that went into characterising Lannes in this book.

By the time I got around to polishing my translations--among other things--before publication, I already had a decades-long sense of who Lannes really was, and why and how he became the man he was. So the translations of what he said during the various times and circumstances of his life, which for obvious reasons appeared to be centered around his military career, have always reflected my personal view of him. I admit that to me, almost all the translations of what Lannes said--or was alleged to have said--are cringe-worthy. In the first place, they are virtually literal translations, word for word, and therefore are awkward, stilted, and without a single thought for the character and personality of the individual doing the talking. I was absolutely determined NOT to do that. In the second place, the original comments were presented in the general "manner of speaking" of the times when the writers of memoirs presented them. That is, of course, equivalent to quoting Wellington, for example, in the rather formal, stilted English of the time, rather than looking at the quotes in the context of the man himself. Of course, Wellie may have been stiff and formal every time he opened his mouth, even in the midst of battle. So there's that.

So yes indeed, Lannes was often laconic; when Armagnac was involved, he could talk all day and half the night. He was also nonchalant whenever he thought whatever he was talking about didn't qualify as what he would definitely call "a Big Fucking Deal." Most things weren't, in his view. On the other hand, dare to impugn his very touchy sense of honor, or personal bravery--and only a certified fool would do that--he'd be all over you like white on rice verbally and with the point of his sword.

I did look at the original French from a literary angle, but more with the goal of making each translation smooth, clear, and effortlessly reflecting linguistic accuracy as well as the character of the speaker.

I hope all this manages to answer your question. And to be quite honest, I wish everyone could get a copy of my book by dubious means, all of which don't involve paying any money to my publisher.

[polysprachig]

6!

6. What was your favorite book you read in your target language this year?

I really enjoyed reading Peu importe and Mauvaise nouvelle (the French translations of the first two books in Edward St Aubyn's Patrick Melrose series).

Vocabulary-wise there were a lot of details about fashion, textiles and architecture, from upscale villas to crummy hotel rooms. As for the narration itself, it was comfortably challenging; the main character spends much of his time in book 2 hallucinating and speaking to himself in a drug-induced frenzy, so it took an extra amount of focus to follow along in such scenes.

[authormagrant]

Je suis très contente à raconter que LE PRIX DE LA VÉRITÉ (RARE VIGILANCE en anglais) sera sortir le 13 décembre! Éditions Bookmark a été incroyable et j'ai hâte de lire cette édition!

[moonyswarmsweaters]

Regulus: Tout est de ta faute

James, sighning: Yeah, I know

Sirius: Since when do you speak french?

James: I don’t, I just know the phrase "this is all your fault" in every language he speaks

[theywontletmebeprincipal]

* “go-to” doesn’t mean “only”! there’s a bunch of situational signoffs I haven’t put here, this is more about what you use by default

[kk1smet]

Posted a new chapter on my Drarry artwork collection! | View full update here.

Every month (or every other month, really), I draw some drarry microcreations based on discord prompts here. This month's theme is epistolary, where you’ll find some prissy Draco, a three-day stubbled Harry, and an owl named Wuzz.

New drarry fanart/schedule of updates in my archive will vary because yours truly rolls like a tumbleweed

[cathianemelian]

I don't make the rules

[mrghostrat]

Aziraphale paused when his eyes fell on the drink in his hand. He stared at it. The golden blond wine refracted through the glass and cast a halo of yellow light over his table setting. He frowned. “I’m sorry,” he sputtered at Crowley. “Did you just—” [ MON HORRIBLE CHÉRI ]

i may be stuck in housemove limbo but i will drag myself out of the grave for these cartoomens requests

[metamorphesque]

― Françoise Sagan, Bonjour tristesse (translated by Irene Ash)

[solarconstellations]

James and Reggie doing that tiktok trend where two people are walking and the camera pans back and forth between them.

James: "It's a Jegulus fic, of course Regulus is already hopelessly and completely in love with me before it even starts." Regulus: "It's a Jegulus fic, of course James is going to be compared to the sun."

James: "It's a Jegulus fic, of course there's going to be background wolfstar, dorlene, and rosekiller"

Regulus: "It's a Jegulus fic, of course Sirius and I are going to start speaking French and James and Moony are going to get horribly turned on."

James: *points phone down at his feet* "Wait, can you do that right now?" Regulus: *off screen* "No James, we're in the middle of making a video." James: "It's a Jegulus fic, of course Reggie is going to slip up and accidently call me James after calling me "Potter" for the last 40 chapters." Regulus: "It's a Jegulus fic, of course Sirius is going to go crazy as soon as he finds out me and James are together." James: "It's a Jegulus fic, of course Reg can't swim." Regulus: *points the camera down to his feet* "James, what the fuck, that was a low blow." Regulus: *with revenge in his eyes* "It's a Jegulus fic, of course James and my brother have a ridiculously unhealthy obsession and codependency with one another" James: *with love in his eyes* "It's a Jegulus fic, of course I love my star so much that I would live, die, or kill for him" Regulus: *drops the phone, only their feet can be seen as he runs to James* "Tu vas payer pour m'avoir fait rougir, chéri"

[morningsaidthemoon]

Excerpt from The Song of Roland, translated by Norma Lorre Goodrich (Medieval Myths)

[sweetapplecurry]

I’m literally gonna cry if Frenchman-Emmet isn’t real.

Bonus:

[majunju]

dance partner

[wolfram-but-art]

i'm suffering so he suffers with me

[gurinpotte]

“

love me in the snow, love me in the sun, love me, the beige skin among the flowers of red" ∾⋄∾⋄∾⋄∾⋄∾⋄∾⋄∾⋄∾⋄∾⋄∾⋄∾⋄∾⋄∾⋄∾⋄∾⋄∾⋄

Inspired in part by beloved Gravity, by @katnissmellarkkk and by Roi, by Videoclub! The song doesn't have the everlark vibes per se but the lyrics are so cute and very snapshot like. The fic is perfect, very natural paced and full of longing, 100% recommend!!! Please do zoom in for hi-res, gave my life and tears for this one 💖

[mournfulroses]

Charles Baudelaire, from Modern Poets of France: An Anthology; "The Spirit of the Wine,"