Jules Verne Forum

<jvf@Gilead.org.il>

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 19961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009

Re: Hector Servadac

From: Ralf Tauchmann <ralf.tauchmann~at~t-online.de>
Date: 05 Sep 2007 10:02 GMT
To: "Jules Verne Forum" <jvf~at~gilead.org.il>

"Norm Wolcott" <nwolcott2ster~at~gmail.com> schrieb:
> The Munro translation about which I shall have more to say later is
> much more of a literal translation giving us the unvarnished Verne...

Dear Norm,

After another brief glance (sorry, I've never read any English
Verne translation), I wonder how English speaking readers would
tend to understand "genius" here:

"It was half-past twelve when the two horsemen passed the Chéliff,
on the bridge which genius had recently constructed."

Original :

"Il était midi et demi lorsque les deux cavaliers passèrent le Chéliff,
sur le pont que le génie avait construit récemment."

I'm asking this by pure curiosity. The question is what "literal
translation" can actually achieve. What do you mean by "unvarnished" ?
Here, "genius" is literal, but isn't it a flaw, a stain, a "dark spot",
a hole, an obscure meaning, rather than absence of "varnish"?

Just by the way... by interest...

Kind regards,

Ralf

--
Ralf Tauchmann
Gerhart-Hauptmann-Str. 23
01445 RADEBEUL
Tel: +49-351-8336141
Fax: +49-351-8336142
Mobil: 0178-4320374
eMail: ralf.tauchmann~at~t-online.de
Internet: http://tauchmann.ratau.de

Received on Wed 05 Sep 2007 - 13:02:47 IDT

JV.Gilead.org.il
Copyright © Zvi Har’El
$Date: 2009/02/01 22:36:11 $$