#the gutenberg version has this great note at the end of the merde chapter: | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

coquelicoq · 2 years ago

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victor hugo ended one chapter on the word "merde!" and then wrote a three-page follow-up chapter to justify including such a bad word in his book. and the best part is that i just looked up a contemporary translation and discovered that the translator (isabel f. hapgood) replaced the "merde" with "-----". so she ended a chapter on a bleep and then went ahead and translated the next chapter about why she shouldn't bleep out that word. incredible.

#like reading the translation you would read AN ENTIRE CHAPTER about the necessity of including that word and you wouldn't even #know what the word is!!!!!#literally the translation goes: ''an English general [...] shouted to them‚ 'Surrender‚ brave Frenchmen!' Cambronne replied‚ '-----!'''#END OF CHAPTER #next chapter begins: ''If any French reader object to having his susceptibilities offended‚ one would have to refrain #from repeating in his presence what is perhaps the finest reply that a Frenchman ever made.'' BUT U DIDN'T REPEAT IT THO?????#U BLEEPED IT OUT?????#the gutenberg version has this great note at the end of the merde chapter:#{EDITOR’S COMMENTARY: Another edition of this book has the word “Merde!” in lieu of the —— above.}#yeah someone figured out that didn't make any sense‚ did they? lol #les mis #swears #translation #my posts #f

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