#donougher translation

[hyphen-8-it]

Cosette is better than me because if my weirdo recluse father suddenly showed up with a massive, festering burn scar acting completely unconcerned and telling me to call a vet for him instead of a human doctor, I would have simply started killing.

[incidentalblr]

rereading some of the javert passages in the brick and my donougher translates the “his convict” bit as “his hardened offender” THAT IS WORSEEEEE

[fructidors]

we’re so fucking back

[granhairdo]

im getting into brick collecting anyone got any editons i Must Have™

[lapis42]

Sorry, I got distracted and read Les Misérables(for the second time)

[bossuet-lesgle]

Hold, Monsieur the director of the hospital, I will tell you something

So I thought the phrasing of this was SO weird so I checked some of my other translations. FMA shortens it to "Monsieur Director", Wraxall omits it entirely, and Donougher just goes all out with "I tell you what, monsieur le directeur de l'hopital" which flows even worse imo

Anyway all this to say instead of asking the man's name, Myriel fully just went "Listen, Mr. Hospital Director" and that might have been a normal way to address people in 1800s France but I cannot imagine saying that to someone's face today in full seriousness

[leosmiserables]

different translations of how grantaire looks at enjolras before he says ”let me sleep here”:

”tendres et troubles” (original french)

”indescribable gentleness” (hapgood)

”tender, troubled eyes” (fahnestock and macafee)

”fond and blurry” (donougher)

”ömma och töckniga (tender and cloudy)” (rohman)

”loving, troubled eyes” (rose)

[lmchaptertitlebracket]

I.ii.10 L'homme Réveillé

The Man Awakes: Wilbour

The Man Awake: Wraxall, Walton

The Man Aroused: Hapgood

The Man Wakes Up: Denny, FMA, Rose

The Man Awakened: Donougher

[most-unhinged-les-mis-moment]

Round One: A1: Poll Four

Wacky Coffin Heist can be found in the Brick, at: Several chapters of 2.8 (Starts at 2.8.4)

Myriel getting his position by saying something smart to Napoleon can be found in the brick, at: 1.1.1

PROPAGANDA:

Wacky Coffin Heist: (Fun fact! This was BY FAR the most submitted moment!! :D)

Not only does Jean Valjean pull this wacky coffin heist escape, he’s EXCITED to do it. Like his buddy Fauchelevent keeps going “I don’t know sounds dangerous” while Jean Valjean keeps smiling and going “it will be fine! :D it will be wonderful! :D”. It’s one of the few times in the book we see the unbearably sad beast get genuinely happy about something that isn’t Cosette . It’s an unhinged heist but even more unhinged because it brings him this unexpected joy

He comes up with the plan himself, then almost dies because of it. King shit.

( @pontmercysamis (no propoganda, just wanted to be credited for being one of the people who submitted this one :) )

(Submitted by @blatherby ) Most relevant quotes, IMO 2.8.4: You can pick whichever translation you like best for the quotes. Here’s my favorite specific line: Jean Valjean eut un de ces rares sourires qui lui venaient comme une lueur dans un ciel d’hiver. (Hugo) Jean Valjean gave way to one of those rare smiles which lighted up his face like a flash from heaven in the winter. (Hapgood) This Unbearably Sad Beast who basically never smiles (especially not without it being described a sad smile) is now having his smile compared to: - the aurora in a winter sky (Wilbour) - a sunbeam in a wintry sky (Wraxall) - a flash from heaven in the winter (Hapgood) - sunshine breaking through a winter’s sky (Denny) - a sunrise in winter (FMA) - a ray of sunshine in a winter sky (Rose) - a gleam of sunlight in a winter sky (Donougher) … because he’s so ecstatic *over getting buried alive!* Something is Wrong with him (affectionate). Okay, to be fair, he doesn’t *actually* want to be buried alive (… at this point in the book), based on his reaction to the plan going awry later. But he’s having a blast with every aspect of this except for the actual suffocating to death part. His joy over this is so unhinged that—well, here’s Fauchelevent at the end of that chapter: “Agreed, father Fauchelevent. It will all be all right.” “Provided nothing goes wrong,” thought Fauchelevent. “What if it all goes horribly wrong?!” (Rose translation) And here’s Fauchelevent the next day, in the next chapter: Fauchelevent limped along behind the hearse, happy as can be. His two mysteries, his two twin plots, one in league with the nuns, the other with Monsieur Madeleine, one for the convent, the other against, had succeeded together, one after the other. Jean Valjean’s calmness was one of those powerful tranquilizers that are contagious. Fauchelevent was no longer worried about whether they would bring it off. […] Fauchelevent felt completely secure. As the convoy entered the avenue leading to the cemetery, Fauchelevent looked at the hearse, happy, and rubbed his big hands together, muttering to himself: “Not a bad joke!” (Rose) JVJ is so happy and calm over pretending to be dead that he’s literally acting as an anxiety medication. (I propose that we send JVJ on coffin heists and bottle his powerful calmness. Everyone wins!)

the entire coffin heist is so wacky but that bit specifically made me cackle. I dunno I like the juxtaposition

Myriel getting his position by saying something smart to Napoleon:

I don't remember which translation it was that had him say something like "You sir, are looking at a good man, but I am looking at a great man", but Myriel is such a fun character, I love him

[rubberbutton]

So quick question for anyone who sees this.

Is Javert good at his job? And does Hugo want us to think that he is? His failure to bring in a geriatric bread thief aside, I mean.

I was thinking about this after the Patron-Minette incident: Claquesous escapes police custody (not directly under Javert’s control, but still!), Valjean escapes, and Marius disappears after. Javert forgets Marius’s name (!) and doesn’t bother to look for him (!!)  — he just sorts of shrugs and hopes he turns up. Marius is the star witness, the Patron-Minette gang is a good collar! You’d think Javert would be more motivated, especially as he does seem ambitious. 

Sure it’s hilarious that Javert thinks so little of Marius (Javert’s open contempt for Marius bring joy to my heart) but then handing him a couple of guns and hoping for the best seems stupid — and indeed, Marius fucks it up, as is his wont.

Then there are other incidents, like taking his police ID with him undercover or the many times fails to recognize Valjean or apprehend him when he does. 

In the sewer meeting, when Javert recognizes the incapacitated Marius, Hugo assures us that Javert is good at his job. “A first-class spy who, when he thought he was to die, had observed everything, listened to everything and taken everything in; who spied at the very last, resting his elbows on the first step of the sepulcher, had taken notes.” (Donougher translation).

But Javert has already had a direct interaction with Marius, he should be able to recognize him! And a sentence later, he checks for signs of life and concludes Marius is dead. Sherlock, he ain't.

Is Hugo making some kind of scathing comment about Paris’s finest? Is he trying to thread the needle between “the cops suck and are incompetent” and “the cops present a real threat to Valjean and readers should be concerned”?

Haaaaaaalp.

[fremedon]

In that case I'd definitely recommend Donougher. Her notes are considerably more thorough than Rose, and while her prose tops out at Fine--she's not the stylist that Wilbour or, unfortunately, Denny is--it's much more timeless, while Rose is very specifically British and contemporary in that way that already feels outdated.

Donougher is also willing to footnote some untranslatable aspects of the text--puns, and also shifts between tu and vous, which are super important.

I’m gonna get my dad to read Les Mis, but I don’t know which translation to give him. Wilbour and Hapgood are already off the table. Do y’all have any recommendations?

[fructidors]

now i'm genuinely considering reading a chapter of les mis a day in 2023 MY BRAIN DOES NOT WANT THIS BUT MY HEART NEEDS IT

[cliozaur]

The one, in which Javert is roaring, and translators grapple with capturing the intensity. Hapgood proposes: “Bequiabouit” (not too roary). FMA opts for: “Hur-up!” (a bit better). Donougher produces a monstrosity: “Lessghehmwuhahn!”(supposed to be “Let’s get a move on”). In original, it’s simply “Allonouaite!” (Allons vite!) It seems brevity is the key.

Javert deviates from his usual orderly behaviour, disregarding protocols and legalities. This deviation highlights the extraordinary nature of this case for him.

Valjean, trying to bribe Javert (“I will pay whatever is necessary”), likely exacerbates the situation.

The thundering Javert, without any authoritative figure present, and driven by his animal instinct, presents a peculiar sight—roaring, shouting, acting violently, and stamping his foot. This spectacle, coupled with the distressing news that Cosette is nowhere near, delivers a fatal blow to Fantine. In her last moments, she is likened to a drowning person (another heartbreaking reference to drowning).