Petrushka
2004-06-21 00:40:13 UTC
I've been thinking about many children's books that have been translated
into Latin - I sometimes find them a good resource to spring on Latin
students, just as an occasional wake-up call if you will.
Earlier this year I picked up a copy of "Harrius Potter et philosophi
lapis" - which (surprisingly?) hasn't been mentioned in this group for
several months - and was rather disappointed at the prose style. Did
anyone else find this?
Just as a sample, here's the first page:
<quote>
CAPUT PRIMUM
Puer Qui Vixit
Dominus et Domina Dursley, qui vivebant in aedibus Gestationis
Ligustrorum numero quattuor signatis, non sine superbia
dicebant se ratione ordinaria vivendi uti neque se paenitere
illius rationis. in toto orbe terrarum vix credas quemquam esse
minus deditum rebus nouis et arcanis, quod ineptias tales
omnino spernebant.
Dominus Dursley praeerat societati nomine Grunnings, quae
terebras fecit. vir erat amplus et corpulentus nullo fere collo,
maximo tamen mystace. Domina Dursley erat macra et flava et
prope alterum tantum colli habebat quam alii homines, quod
magno ei usui fuit quod tantum tempus consumebat in collo
super saepes hortorum porrigendo, finitimos inspiciens. Durslei
filium parvum nomine Dudley habebant nec usquam, eorum sententia,
erat puer splendidior.
Durslei omnia habebant quae volebant, sed rem quandam occultam
tenebant, et maxime timebant ne quis hoc secretum cognosceret,
putabant enim id fore intolerabile si quis de Potteris certior
fieret. Domina Potter erat soror Dominae Dursley, sed aliquot
iam annos altera cum altera non convenerant; re vera Domina
Dursley simulabat se non habere sororem, quod soror et coniunx
eius, vir nefarius, erant omnibus modis dissimiles Dursleis.
Durslei horrescebant rati quid dicturi essent finitimi si in
viam suam advenirent Potteri. Durslei sciebant Potteros quoque
filium parvum habere, sed eum ne viderant quidem. hic puer erat
alia causa cur Potteros arcerent; nolebant enim filium suum
Dudleum puero tali familiarem esse.
</quote>
I find this quite mediocre. It's competent Latin, to be sure, but the
style is still pure English - it doesn't *feel* like Latin to me. You
could argue that that's an artefact of how literal the translation is -
J.K. Rowling doesn't use Latinate rhetorical devices, so there's no
reason to expect it in the Latin translation - but I'm still discontent.
Unjust, perhaps, but there it is.
Anyway, that brings me to my question for the group - which Latin
translations of children's books do you find the *best*? Have any
actually been improved by being Latinised?
My personal favourite is "Cattus Petasatus", which is translated into
rhyming couplets of a stress-based trochaic meter (same as the "Dies
irae" and "Stabat mater"):
Imber totum diem fluit
Urceatim semper pluit.
Taedet intus nos manere:
Numquam potest sol splendere.
Desidesque sic sedemus,
Nec ridemus, nec gaudemus.
Fore finem quiescendi
Mihi spes est et sedendi.
Frigus vetat foras ire,
Caelum vetat lascivire.
Domi sumus quiescentes,
Nil omnino facientes.
[...]
At tunc quies est erepta!
Tota domus est correpta
Tum tumulto, tum fragore!
Tremebundi nos pavore,
Conspicamur nunc intrantem
Limen nostrum nunc calcantem
Cattum quendam Petasatum
Numquam nobis exspectatum!
etc.
As well as the pretty good job that's been done with the meter and
rhyming, I particularly appreciated the stylistic devices that are pure
Latin: "nec ridemus, nec gaudemus", "frigus vetat foras ire" - I forget
how the English goes but I'm pretty sure Dr Seuss didn't write "the cold
prevented us". So I guess I like it all the more for *not* being a
literal translation.
Other favourites? Some that I'd like to take a look at one day, but have
never yet seen a copy, are "Max et Moritz" and "Alicia in Terra Mirabili".
Best wishes,
P
into Latin - I sometimes find them a good resource to spring on Latin
students, just as an occasional wake-up call if you will.
Earlier this year I picked up a copy of "Harrius Potter et philosophi
lapis" - which (surprisingly?) hasn't been mentioned in this group for
several months - and was rather disappointed at the prose style. Did
anyone else find this?
Just as a sample, here's the first page:
<quote>
CAPUT PRIMUM
Puer Qui Vixit
Dominus et Domina Dursley, qui vivebant in aedibus Gestationis
Ligustrorum numero quattuor signatis, non sine superbia
dicebant se ratione ordinaria vivendi uti neque se paenitere
illius rationis. in toto orbe terrarum vix credas quemquam esse
minus deditum rebus nouis et arcanis, quod ineptias tales
omnino spernebant.
Dominus Dursley praeerat societati nomine Grunnings, quae
terebras fecit. vir erat amplus et corpulentus nullo fere collo,
maximo tamen mystace. Domina Dursley erat macra et flava et
prope alterum tantum colli habebat quam alii homines, quod
magno ei usui fuit quod tantum tempus consumebat in collo
super saepes hortorum porrigendo, finitimos inspiciens. Durslei
filium parvum nomine Dudley habebant nec usquam, eorum sententia,
erat puer splendidior.
Durslei omnia habebant quae volebant, sed rem quandam occultam
tenebant, et maxime timebant ne quis hoc secretum cognosceret,
putabant enim id fore intolerabile si quis de Potteris certior
fieret. Domina Potter erat soror Dominae Dursley, sed aliquot
iam annos altera cum altera non convenerant; re vera Domina
Dursley simulabat se non habere sororem, quod soror et coniunx
eius, vir nefarius, erant omnibus modis dissimiles Dursleis.
Durslei horrescebant rati quid dicturi essent finitimi si in
viam suam advenirent Potteri. Durslei sciebant Potteros quoque
filium parvum habere, sed eum ne viderant quidem. hic puer erat
alia causa cur Potteros arcerent; nolebant enim filium suum
Dudleum puero tali familiarem esse.
</quote>
I find this quite mediocre. It's competent Latin, to be sure, but the
style is still pure English - it doesn't *feel* like Latin to me. You
could argue that that's an artefact of how literal the translation is -
J.K. Rowling doesn't use Latinate rhetorical devices, so there's no
reason to expect it in the Latin translation - but I'm still discontent.
Unjust, perhaps, but there it is.
Anyway, that brings me to my question for the group - which Latin
translations of children's books do you find the *best*? Have any
actually been improved by being Latinised?
My personal favourite is "Cattus Petasatus", which is translated into
rhyming couplets of a stress-based trochaic meter (same as the "Dies
irae" and "Stabat mater"):
Imber totum diem fluit
Urceatim semper pluit.
Taedet intus nos manere:
Numquam potest sol splendere.
Desidesque sic sedemus,
Nec ridemus, nec gaudemus.
Fore finem quiescendi
Mihi spes est et sedendi.
Frigus vetat foras ire,
Caelum vetat lascivire.
Domi sumus quiescentes,
Nil omnino facientes.
[...]
At tunc quies est erepta!
Tota domus est correpta
Tum tumulto, tum fragore!
Tremebundi nos pavore,
Conspicamur nunc intrantem
Limen nostrum nunc calcantem
Cattum quendam Petasatum
Numquam nobis exspectatum!
etc.
As well as the pretty good job that's been done with the meter and
rhyming, I particularly appreciated the stylistic devices that are pure
Latin: "nec ridemus, nec gaudemus", "frigus vetat foras ire" - I forget
how the English goes but I'm pretty sure Dr Seuss didn't write "the cold
prevented us". So I guess I like it all the more for *not* being a
literal translation.
Other favourites? Some that I'd like to take a look at one day, but have
never yet seen a copy, are "Max et Moritz" and "Alicia in Terra Mirabili".
Best wishes,
P
--
Petrushka | de_meun at yah0o dot com
Petrushka | de_meun at yah0o dot com