| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Alisttair |
Posted - 07 May 2010 : 13:16:43
I was going through some of my old stuff boxed up the other day and noticed I have the novel Crown of Fire in french. I never actually took the time to read it, but it got me thinking. Has anyone here read any FR novels translated in another language? If so, how was it? Better yet, has anyone read any of the novels in the translated format as well as the original english version? How does it compare (do you get the same feel for the realms in both)?? |
| 30 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Jorkens |
Posted - 04 Jun 2010 : 10:06:55
quote:
Originally posted by Alisttair
quote:
Originally posted by Jorkens
Strangely enough I never cared for Lockwood. Then again, I am probably the only person on this planet who prefers (and likes) the old covers of the series.
Yuck!!
(j/k, we all have our own tastes)
If I collected all my Realms opinions in one post I would probably be chased out of here with torches and pitchforks.
Oh, and unless I forget; 1ed. art is fantastic compared with 3ed. |
| Alisttair |
Posted - 01 Jun 2010 : 16:58:30
quote:
Originally posted by Jorkens
Strangely enough I never cared for Lockwood. Then again, I am probably the only person on this planet who prefers (and likes) the old covers of the series.
Yuck!!
(j/k, we all have our own tastes) |
| Jorkens |
Posted - 29 May 2010 : 09:34:55
Strangely enough I never cared for Lockwood. Then again, I am probably the only person on this planet who prefers (and likes) the old covers of the series. |
| Kajehase |
Posted - 28 May 2010 : 15:56:10
quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham
Just so there's no misunderstanding, Todd Lockwood is NOT the guy I met at the convention who didn't want his Vision sullied by knowledge of the book. To the contrary. Mr. Lockwood is a wonderful visual storyteller who goes to considerable effort to portray a sense of the tale and the characters. One of my favorites among his illustrations is a story by Tanith Lee about a gladiator who became obsessed with the belief that the veiled women sitting in the stands was Persephone, goddess of the underworld, and that if she pulled aside her veil and revealed her face, he would die. The central image is a veiled woman, a pomegranate resting on one outstretched palm and her other hand reaching for the veil over her face. Behind her is a stone frieze with three levels. On the top is a chariot race with the stands shown behind. In the second, there's a chariot accident in progress and the audience is reacting with shock and concern. In the third, the race resumes, but the horses and audience are skeletal. The "carving" is on stone so the images are fairly subdued and subtle, so it doesn't leap out at you like a huge visual spoiler, but I've seldom seen art that not only illustrated the story, but illuminated it.
The covers for Starlight and Shadows show a similar level of attention to detail and creativity with symbolism. There are carvings behind Liriel on each cover that incorporate people, images, and symbols from the story. The background changes from the stone of the Underdark to the weathered wood of a ship, to the walled cities of Rashemen. Each of the characters depicted with Liriel is cast in shadows. Lloth's influence is seem in the unusal spider imagery, but more subtly and creatively done that usual. For example, in the first cover, Liriel's hairstyle is an elaborate net of braids, an homage to Lloth's web. In the second cover, that web has started to unravel, though a few strands are left. By the third book, the web is gone. This same progresion can be seen in the pendants she wears. In the first book, she wears the spider-in-amber that Fyodor gave her; in book two she adds a crescent moon pendant (a reference to Eilistraee); by book three the spider-in-amber is gone and she only wears the moon pendant. The spider imagery goes from front and center to something that haunts the corners, depicting Liriel's character arc from a devoted, even affectionate child of Lloth to someone who has experiences the best and worst Lloth has to offer, and is strong enough to turn away. The amount of information and insight offered by these covers still astonishes me. Todd Lockwood is, imo, simply the best illustrator working in fantasy today.
This is one of the reasons I love the Liriel covers (I've been known to pull out the books from their shelf just to look at them), it's like watching a baroque-era portrait and trying to figure out what the various props around the person in the picture is meant to symbolise. |
| Alisttair |
Posted - 28 May 2010 : 13:52:47
quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham
Todd Lockwood is, imo, simply the best illustrator working in fantasy today.
I agree with this. The artwork on the Legend of Drizzt reprints in hardcover is one of the factors for me buying them (since I had the originals in paperback already). |
| ElaineCunningham |
Posted - 28 May 2010 : 12:45:05
Just so there's no misunderstanding, Todd Lockwood is NOT the guy I met at the convention who didn't want his Vision sullied by knowledge of the book. To the contrary. Mr. Lockwood is a wonderful visual storyteller who goes to considerable effort to portray a sense of the tale and the characters. One of my favorites among his illustrations is a story by Tanith Lee about a gladiator who became obsessed with the belief that the veiled women sitting in the stands was Persephone, goddess of the underworld, and that if she pulled aside her veil and revealed her face, he would die. The central image is a veiled woman, a pomegranate resting on one outstretched palm and her other hand reaching for the veil over her face. Behind her is a stone frieze with three levels. On the top is a chariot race with the stands shown behind. In the second, there's a chariot accident in progress and the audience is reacting with shock and concern. In the third, the race resumes, but the horses and audience are skeletal. The "carving" is on stone so the images are fairly subdued and subtle, so it doesn't leap out at you like a huge visual spoiler, but I've seldom seen art that not only illustrated the story, but illuminated it.
The covers for Starlight and Shadows show a similar level of attention to detail and creativity with symbolism. There are carvings behind Liriel on each cover that incorporate people, images, and symbols from the story. The background changes from the stone of the Underdark to the weathered wood of a ship, to the walled cities of Rashemen. Each of the characters depicted with Liriel is cast in shadows. Lloth's influence is seem in the usual spider imagery, but this imagery is more subtle and creative than one typically sees. For example, in the first cover, Liriel's hairstyle is an elaborate net of braids, an homage to Lloth's web. In the second cover, that web has started to unravel, though a few strands are left. By the third book, the web is gone. This same progresion can be seen in the pendants she wears. In the first book, she wears the spider-in-amber that Fyodor gave her; in book two she adds a crescent moon pendant (a reference to Eilistraee); by book three the spider-in-amber is gone and she only wears the moon pendant. The actual spider on the cover is small, and it goes from front and center to something that haunts the corners, depicting Liriel's character arc from a devoted, even affectionate child of Lloth to someone who has experienced the best and worst Lloth has to offer and is strong enough to turn away. The amount of information and insight offered by these covers still astonishes me. Todd Lockwood is, imo, simply the best illustrator working in fantasy today.
|
| Zireael |
Posted - 28 May 2010 : 09:05:38
quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham
<snip>
It's not just translators who work at a remove from the authors. Cover art is seldom a collaborative process. In my experience, the editor requests "art notes" with character descriptions and a few scene suggestions. The editor and marketing people decide what look they want the book to have and pass along a version of the art suggestions to the artist. Todd Lockwood is the only artist who has ever contacted me directly, but he is, in many ways, exceptional. On the other end of the spectrum from Todd is an artist I met at a convention. He'd illustrated one of my books, and I commented that because I saw his art before the final revision deadline, I was able to tweak the character descriptions a bit to get a better fit. He gave me an odd look and coldly observed that he never reads the manuscript when illustrating a book, because he doesn't want the author's descriptions to interfer with his Vision. I got the impression that he was a little annoyed to learn that the book and the cover lined up, lest someone assume he had done that on purpose. 
The covers of Liriel's trilogy... are just wow! Exactly like Liriel is described in the books. And newer Drizzt books have excellent art too. I wish the earlier ones in Polish had his art too, instead of the old ones...
EDIT: Sorry for the misunderstanding. Still, that kind of behaviour from an artist surprised me. A lot. |
| Sill Alias |
Posted - 28 May 2010 : 04:33:04
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham
On the other end of the spectrum from Todd is an artist I met at a convention. He'd illustrated one of my books, and I commented that because I saw his art before the final revision deadline, I was able to tweak the character descriptions a bit to get a better fit. He gave me an odd look and coldly observed that he never reads the manuscript when illustrating a book, because he doesn't want the author's descriptions to interfer with his Vision. I got the impression that he was a little annoyed to learn that the book and the cover lined up, lest someone assume he had done that on purpose.
I've gotten the impression that more than a few of the artists WotC has employed have been of that mindset -- or at the least, they couldn't be bothered to read the manuscript. My thinking is that WotC shouldn't be paying for art that doesn't match the description, but there's been a lot artwork that proves my opinion is not universal.
I wondered about Lockwood all this time. Now I understand. Do they seem to have kind of artistic pride? |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 28 May 2010 : 00:27:47
quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham
On the other end of the spectrum from Todd is an artist I met at a convention. He'd illustrated one of my books, and I commented that because I saw his art before the final revision deadline, I was able to tweak the character descriptions a bit to get a better fit. He gave me an odd look and coldly observed that he never reads the manuscript when illustrating a book, because he doesn't want the author's descriptions to interfer with his Vision. I got the impression that he was a little annoyed to learn that the book and the cover lined up, lest someone assume he had done that on purpose.
I've gotten the impression that more than a few of the artists WotC has employed have been of that mindset -- or at the least, they couldn't be bothered to read the manuscript. My thinking is that WotC shouldn't be paying for art that doesn't match the description, but there's been a lot artwork that proves my opinion is not universal. |
| Alisttair |
Posted - 27 May 2010 : 16:55:46
As far as stuff being in the food everywhere, here in Canada, SODIUM is the biggy that I hate. |
| ElaineCunningham |
Posted - 27 May 2010 : 14:05:42
quote:
Originally posted by Sill Alias
Have someone from Russia asked for recommendation about translation? I have suspicions that most of translators there translate without any conscience for distorting the facts and names.
Hi, Sill. You're most welcome, and thanks for the kind word.
No, I haven't heard from Russian translators, but this is not at all unusual. My FR books have been translated into over a dozen languages, but only the Polish translator contacted me during the process. It's not a lack of interest or conscience, I suspect, but rather a sense of How Things Are Done. A translator is hired by a publisher, who leased the translation rights from WotC, who hired a freelance writer to write the book in the original English. There are a few degrees of separation.
It's not just translators who work at a remove from the authors. Cover art is seldom a collaborative process. In my experience, the editor requests "art notes" with character descriptions and a few scene suggestions. The editor and marketing people decide what look they want the book to have and pass along a version of the art suggestions to the artist. Todd Lockwood is the only artist who has ever contacted me directly, but he is, in many ways, exceptional. On the other end of the spectrum from Todd is an artist I met at a convention. He'd illustrated one of my books, and I commented that because I saw his art before the final revision deadline, I was able to tweak the character descriptions a bit to get a better fit. He gave me an odd look and coldly observed that he never reads the manuscript when illustrating a book, because he doesn't want the author's descriptions to interfer with his Vision. I got the impression that he was a little annoyed to learn that the book and the cover lined up, lest someone assume he had done that on purpose.
|
| Sill Alias |
Posted - 27 May 2010 : 04:20:31
Dear Elaine Cunningham.
I thank you for creating Starlight and Shadow. I favor the drow who accepted the culture of society, but still went to the good or neutral side, understanding the vanity of it. Pretty different from rebellious type. And thank you for the novels about Harpers. My favorite organization, even though the corrupted guys in Baldur's Gate 2 disappointed me completely.
Have someone from Russia asked for recommendation about translation? I have suspicions that most of translators there translate without any conscience for distorting the facts and names. |
| ElaineCunningham |
Posted - 26 May 2010 : 15:26:36
quote:
Originally posted by Ashe Ravenheart
I've been watching/noticing the ingredients list of what I eat because of the corn ingredients (and not just the syrup). It stems from watching Food, Inc. and the realization that it's in everything (like with maltodextrin). I don't know if I was the only one that put together from the movie that they switched animal feed from grass to corn because it's cheaper and 'bulks' the animals up quicker and the fact that Americans have an obesity problem and most of our diet consists of items with corn as a main ingredient.
Food, Inc. is an important film, well worth watching. One thing in particular that struck me is the projection that 1 in 5 children will develop type 2 diabetes if the American diet continues on this path. The costs, personally and to society, of this preventable epidemic would be staggering.
Thread drift, anyone? 
|
| Ashe Ravenheart |
Posted - 26 May 2010 : 14:06:46
quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham
<snip> and the fact that there's high fructose corn syrup in FREAKING EVERYTHING.
I've been watching/noticing the ingredients list of what I eat because of the corn ingredients (and not just the syrup). It stems from watching Food, Inc. and the realization that it's in everything (like with maltodextrin). I don't know if I was the only one that put together from the movie that they switched animal feed from grass to corn because it's cheaper and 'bulks' the animals up quicker and the fact that Americans have an obesity problem and most of our diet consists of items with corn as a main ingredient.
Anyway, since then, I've been buying a lot more organic. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 26 May 2010 : 12:53:22
quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham
There's a Facebook group entitled "I'm an AMERICAN and shouldn't have to dial 1 for English." Apparently there are people who are so offended by the existance of other languages in this country that they feel compelled to gather in virtual groups for support. I had to restrain myself from saying, "Uh, kids, you DO know that the Spanish were here first? If anything, you should be dialing 2 for English. Or for that matter, 3 or 4."
This attitude is sadly familiar to me. My father was an immigrant but he was a firm believer in English Only. We weren't raised speaking Polish, or German, or Russian, or any of the other languages he grew up with or learned along the way. I regret that.
I'm happy to be an American, but there are some aspects of this culture that make me crazy. The attitude toward language, the tendency to view rain as a personal affront, and the fact that there's high fructose corn syrup in FREAKING EVERYTHING.
My dad is one of those that's offended by other languages. I've seen him yell into the phone at some company because they dared send him something in Spanish -- he went so far as to threaten to have his service shut down if they did it again. 
I've got issues with my fellow Americans, too, though on different topics. |
| ElaineCunningham |
Posted - 26 May 2010 : 12:47:59
There's a Facebook group entitled "I'm an AMERICAN and shouldn't have to dial 1 for English." Apparently there are people who are so offended by the existance of other languages in this country that they feel compelled to gather in virtual groups for support. I had to restrain myself from saying, "Uh, kids, you DO know that the Spanish were here first? If anything, you should be dialing 2 for English. Or for that matter, 3 or 4."
This attitude is sadly familiar to me. My father was an immigrant but he was a firm believer in English Only. We weren't raised speaking Polish, or German, or Russian, or any of the other languages he grew up with or learned along the way. I regret that.
I'm happy to be an American, but there are some aspects of this culture that make me crazy. The attitude toward language, the tendency to view rain as a personal affront, and the fact that there's high fructose corn syrup in FREAKING EVERYTHING. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 26 May 2010 : 11:40:44
quote:
Originally posted by Quale
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Those names don't stand out as much to an American reader, though -- at least not to one who hasn't paid much attention to his/her ancestry. I'd seen the name Bronwyn before, but I had no idea Tzigone or Fyodor were names in other languages. It's a sad fact that most Americans don't have the familiarity with foreign languages that people in some other countries have.
Never heard of Fyodors Dostoevsky or Emilianenko  ?
The latter person, no. The first one, I just know the last name. |
| Quale |
Posted - 26 May 2010 : 07:52:45
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Those names don't stand out as much to an American reader, though -- at least not to one who hasn't paid much attention to his/her ancestry. I'd seen the name Bronwyn before, but I had no idea Tzigone or Fyodor were names in other languages. It's a sad fact that most Americans don't have the familiarity with foreign languages that people in some other countries have.
Never heard of Fyodors Dostoevsky or Emilianenko ? |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 26 May 2010 : 00:31:23
quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham
quote:
Originally posted by Kajehase
Not to mention two of my uncles make an appearance in Windwalker
Heh. Well, not too surprising, seeing that Windwalker used a bunch of real-world names, and borrowed quite heavily from Nordic and Slavic lore. For a few years, I leaned toward real-world names: Bronwyn, Tzigone, Fyodor. I don't regret doing so, exactly, but going forward I will be using newly invented names that are consistent with the nomenclature Ed Greenwood established for the Realms.
Those names don't stand out as much to an American reader, though -- at least not to one who hasn't paid much attention to his/her ancestry. I'd seen the name Bronwyn before, but I had no idea Tzigone or Fyodor were names in other languages. It's a sad fact that most Americans don't have the familiarity with foreign languages that people in some other countries have. |
| ElaineCunningham |
Posted - 25 May 2010 : 20:43:19
quote:
Originally posted by Kajehase
Not to mention two of my uncles make an appearance in Windwalker
Heh. Well, not too surprising, seeing that Windwalker used a bunch of real-world names, and borrowed quite heavily from Nordic and Slavic lore. For a few years, I leaned toward real-world names: Bronwyn, Tzigone, Fyodor. I don't regret doing so, exactly, but going forward I will be using newly invented names that are consistent with the nomenclature Ed Greenwood established for the Realms. |
| Zireael |
Posted - 25 May 2010 : 19:50:55
quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham
::nods:: Conversely, fantasy frequently employs words from other languages, with results that are amusing or disconcerting to those who speak those languages. A recent example from the Pathfinder world is the use of "the Jadwiga" as a name for the descendants of Baba Yaga who rule the land of Irrisen. To someone who speaks Polish (or reads history), that's like calling a group of nobly-born witches "the Elizabeths."
<snip>
There's also the chance that a newly invented fantasy name is going to have unfortunate connotations. A prime example of this is the new name for the SciFi channel: SyFy. I was familiar with that word thanks to one of my favorite books: Polish Obscenities. (Very colorful. The language has a marvelous flare for euphemisms.) So, a scince fiction channel named SyFY made me twitch a bit.
<snip>
Nice to see you're keeping up with your Polish ancestry, Elaine. These two had me rolling on the floor. Well, whoever named that channel might reconsider it, knowing it means 'poops'. Plural.
Mod edit: Watch the language, please.
EDIT: Sorry, I was aiming for as correct a translation as possible ;) |
| Kajehase |
Posted - 25 May 2010 : 18:54:24
Not to mention two of my uncles make an appearance in Windwalker |
| ElaineCunningham |
Posted - 25 May 2010 : 13:55:33
quote:
Originally posted by Jorkens
quote:
Originally posted by Tyranthraxus
I also own the 2e FRCS box in german. They changed some of the names, but it doesn't bother me that much. It sometimes makes it easier for to translate these names in dutch.
I can think of a couple of Realms names that definitely have to be would have to be changed in a Norwegian translation too. That's the problem with names, there is always the chance that they become completely ridiculous in other languages.
::nods:: Conversely, fantasy frequently employs words from other languages, with results that are amusing or disconcerting to those who speak those languages. A recent example from the Pathfinder world is the use of "the Jadwiga" as a name for the descendants of Baba Yaga who rule the land of Irrisen. To someone who speaks Polish (or reads history), that's like calling a group of nobly-born witches "the Elizabeths."
But hey--we've all done it. I love Tintagel--the sound of the word, the history and myth associated with it, the place itself. So I used Tintagel as an elf name in an early FR book. It had lots of magical resonance for me, but to someone who lives in Cornwall, that might seem a lot like naming an elf "Middletown." What sounds exotic to one person is right around the corner from another.
There's also the chance that a newly invented fantasy name is going to have unfortunate connotations. A prime example of this is the new name for the SciFi channel: SyFy. I was familiar with that word thanks to one of my favorite books: Polish Obscenities. (Very colorful. The language has a marvelous flare for euphemisms.) So, a scince fiction channel named SyFY made me twitch a bit.
It's a very good idea to search a name on Google and also the Urban Dictionary before using it in a novel or game product to check for unfortunate associations. In particular, pharmeceutical names and fantasy names share a disturbingly similar syntax. Chances are, your character's nifty new name might already be taken by a drug for erectile disfunction.
|
| Jorkens |
Posted - 25 May 2010 : 11:25:14
quote:
Originally posted by Tyranthraxus
I also own the 2e FRCS box in german. They changed some of the names, but it doesn't bother me that much. It sometimes makes it easier for to translate these names in dutch.
I can think of a couple of Realms names that definitely have to be would have to be changed in a Norwegian translation too. That's the problem with names, there is always the chance that they become completely ridiculous in other languages. |
| Tyranthraxus |
Posted - 24 May 2010 : 13:28:23
I don't have any FR novels in other languages but I do have a couple of german DL novels. I haven't read them yet so I can't say anything about them.
I also own the 2e FRCS box in german. They changed some of the names, but it doesn't bother me that much. It sometimes makes it easier for to translate these names in dutch. |
| Kajehase |
Posted - 21 May 2010 : 15:42:02
quote:
Originally posted by Kilvan
quote:
Originally posted by Kajehase
I'd agree with Strahd_zaf on the translation of words that have meaning (although Waterdeep is a bit of a problem for me - translating to Swedish I can either go with Vattendjup, which really is more like Water Depth; or Djupvatten, which while good sounds like a flyspeck village in the deepest forests in northern Sweden rather than one of five largest cities in Faerûn) - if I know what a (not real-world) place-name in a different language means, and that word is used in a Swedish sentence it just sticks out like a sore thumb.
I agree, and I could have given many more examples: Silverhand became Maindargent, Bonaduce became Bonadieu, Many-Arrows became Maintes-Flêches (this last one is ok, since that would be an earned name, or a nickname, and not a family name per se).
I do approve of any other translations, like the organizations (Night's Masks = Masques de la nuit, Harpers = Ménestrels, Red Wizards = Magiciens rouges etc..). I don't know, I just think that city names and people names should not be translated, just like elvish names should not be translated to english (for those who do have an english equivalent).
I don't think we should do it in the real world either. I mean, why is Deutschland translated into Germany in english and Allemagne in french?? If your name is Peter, its gonna stay Peter in all language, you don't want it translated. Just my two cents, back to topic
You misunderstand me - I'm saying that all place names in "Common" (English) should be translated to the language you're translating into. As for the real world, there are several places that have more than one official name because they are in a bilingual country or were founded by people of different nationalities than the one currently in residence - Helsingfors/Helsinki, Göteborg/Gothenburg*, Luxemburg/Luxembourg to name a few.
*While it has always been a Swedish city, many of the founding citizens were Dutch and Scottish, which can be seen in the city's many canals and/or buildings with names like Chalmers (a college/high school), and Dicksonska Palatset (a manor-building). |
| Alisttair |
Posted - 20 May 2010 : 20:46:31
quote:
Originally posted by Kilvan
What I don't like about french FR products is that they translate everything they can, even the stuff the shouldn't, like city names. Waterdeep became Eauprofonde (water = eau, deep = profonde) or Battlehammer became Marteaudeguerre (which would mean warhammer), and I think its awful. Other stuff they changed simply to match how the word sounds, like Bane became Baine and Faerun became Féérune. Like with movies, I prefer to stick to the original version to avoid losing stuff in the translation.
Ouch! This reminds me actually about Spider-Man. I've seen his name translated both as "L'araignée" (which translated back in english would be "The Spider", and i've seen it translated simply written the same but spoken in french (making it sound like "Speedar Man). Anyways....  |
| Kilvan |
Posted - 20 May 2010 : 18:50:52
quote:
Originally posted by Kajehase
I'd agree with Strahd_zaf on the translation of words that have meaning (although Waterdeep is a bit of a problem for me - translating to Swedish I can either go with Vattendjup, which really is more like Water Depth; or Djupvatten, which while good sounds like a flyspeck village in the deepest forests in northern Sweden rather than one of five largest cities in Faerûn) - if I know what a (not real-world) place-name in a different language means, and that word is used in a Swedish sentence it just sticks out like a sore thumb.
I agree, and I could have given many more examples: Silverhand became Maindargent, Bonaduce became Bonadieu, Many-Arrows became Maintes-Flêches (this last one is ok, since that would be an earned name, or a nickname, and not a family name per se).
I do approve of any other translations, like the organizations (Night's Masks = Masques de la nuit, Harpers = Ménestrels, Red Wizards = Magiciens rouges etc..). I don't know, I just think that city names and people names should not be translated, just like elvish names should not be translated to english (for those who do have an english equivalent).
I don't think we should do it in the real world either. I mean, why is Deutschland translated into Germany in english and Allemagne in french?? If your name is Peter, its gonna stay Peter in all language, you don't want it translated. Just my two cents, back to topic |
| Kajehase |
Posted - 20 May 2010 : 18:07:59
I'd agree with Strahd_zaf on the translation of words that have meaning (although Waterdeep is a bit of a problem for me - translating to Swedish I can either go with Vattendjup, which really is more like Water Depth; or Djupvatten, which while good sounds like a flyspeck village in the deepest forests in northern Sweden rather than one of five largest cities in Faerûn) - if I know what a (not real-world) place-name in a different language means, and that word is used in a Swedish sentence it just sticks out like a sore thumb. |
| strahd_zaf |
Posted - 20 May 2010 : 11:06:44
In Hebrew, there is a mess regarding the places names. For example, Waterdeep, was translated in some novels simply as "Waterdeep", which has no meaning whatsoever in Hebrew. The name was translated by me and other translators as "Mei Metzulot", which means "Deep waters". IMHO, names that have meaning need to get the meaning, or at least the spirit of the name.
About the bawdy songs of Danilo "singing" sword, I hope I've managed to get the meaning, with the rhythm, the double meaning, and it should also rhyme. No simple deed indeed.
Elaine, if you would like, I could arrange that a copy will be sent to you of the Hebrew translations of your books. I don't know if you could understand it (after all, we write from right to left among other stuff), but it is a nice novelty. |
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