[HPforGrownups]- French versions

[Sheryll Townsend]

No: HPFGUIDX 16872


--- Florence <fgcjnk at btinternet.com> wrote:
> Just to note that in the database area of this group
> there's a French 
> translation file which gives the different names for
> various things.  
> I've not checked yet as to how comprehensive it is,
> but when I've 
> finished book 1 I will try and remember to.
> 
> I'd recommend the french versions for anyone wanting
> to brush up on 
> the language - That's exactly why I got my copy last
> week on holiday. 
> The largest deviation I've run into so far is when
> Harry asks Ron what 
> prefects are and gets a short explanation. 
> Otherwise its just a word 
> change here and there.
> 
> One that made me laugh was when Snape (Rogue)
> wonders if they'll be as 
> big a bunch of cornichons (translates as ghekins not
> dunderheads) as 
> usual - it reminded me of all the jars of pickled
> things in his office 
> - Is that how he thinks of them all?
> 
> Florence
> 
I have to disagree that it's mostly just a change of a
word here and there. I have all 4 books in French,
though I can only get my hands on the first one at the
moment (I don't want to wake hubby up rooting around a
dark bedroom in search of the rest!). I was actually
talking about this issue tonight with another list
member (Hi, Jamieson!). To give you an example from
PS: on p. 35 there are 4 paragraphs, starting with "He
looked so dangerous with half his moustache missing
that no one dared argue." and ending with "He was
hungry, he'd missed five television programmes he'd
wanted to see and he'd never gone so long without
blowing up an alien on his computer.". Not only is the
first sentence completely missing, but the French
versions have condensed these 4 paragraphs into only
2. They also completely leave out the bit about Dudley
trying to stuff his television, video and computer
into his sports bag.

There are numerous grammatical errors in the French
versions, as well. A sentence in English, which starts
with the words 'all the same' is translated as 'mais
enfin, quand meme' which is rather redundant, as enfin
and quand meme would each give the same meaning.

In any event, I'm doing a fairly detailed comparison
of the two versions, but it is very slow going. The
results will definitely be available to anyone who's
interested in seeing the end result.

Sheryll

=====
"Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with ketchup."

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