Fictional vs factual people, translation and cultural issues

[finwitch]

No: HPFGUIDX 34165

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Tabouli" <tabouli at u...> wrote:
> Gwen (on why smart Hermione could easily make bad relationship 
decisions):
> > I have seen intelligent, attractive, powerful women sublimate 
themselves for
> a petty, immature, jealous guy more times than I can count.<
> 
> Absolutely.  I've said it before, but I'll say it again: I've 
*never* understood why some people imagine that academic intelligence 
is insurance against choosing a disastrous romantic partner.  The 
former is of the intellectual, rational domain, and the latter of the 
emotional, irrational domain, and to a large degree these operate 
independently of each other!  It is entirely possible and even 
*common* for an intelligent woman to fall for and cling to someone 
disastrous... (one of the reasons I never have any trouble finding 
Scarlett's behaviour in Gone With The Wind entirely plausible and 
understandable).

Agreed. And, I just loved Gone With The Wind - one of the books that 
make me cry...

> jchutney:
> > This reminds me of Henry James' famous edict about the 
relationship of 
> plot to character (they are the same thing).  Minerva and 
Dumbledore 
> are great but if everyone were like them, we'd have no story! LOL!  
> It seems to me that the "whiter" or "blacker" a character the less 
> interesting.  It's the "grey" like Sirius and Snape that provoke 
> discussion (so, is he good OR bad?) and of course, "greys" keep 
> readers guessing.  We have no idea what Snape will do next.  The 
one 
> time we all went crazy for Dumbledore was in analyzing his "grey" 
> moment (gleam of triumph).  Could Dumbledore actually be NOT all 
> good?  Stop the presses!<
> 
> Hear hear.  This is the main reason why I separate "what I like in 
a character" and "what I like in a person"... I can't *stand* 
terminally nice pure noble upstanding brave flawless Good Guys in 
fiction.  So boring.  So predictable.  So unrealistic.  Give me some 
interesting flaws and weaknesses any day.  (Of course, in real life 
terms, the terminally nice are a rare and cherished breed - and make 
impeccable friends, excellent employees and parents, etc.)  Let 
Dumbledore have his vanity and his quirky sense of humour, I say.  No 
Potterverse Aslan-equivalent for me.  And there's nothing like a good 
villain in fiction (sadly, Voldemort is cutting it less and less for 
me).  Bring on the deliciously scheming nastiness...

Quite. A character simply MUST have faults to be a character instead 
of a stereotype.
To be a living person.

> Alexander:
> > It has occurred to me today, when I finally finished an
> English translation of my favourite Russian sci-fi book,
> just how _different_ translation is from the original.<
> 
> Ahaaaa!  Thanks Alexander, this reminds me of a musing I've long 
intended to raise on this list... those of you who've read HP in 
other languages, what are the translations like?

I find them quite good in Finnish. The translator changed few names. 
Like Quidditch is huispaus - where I associate that huispaus both 
with speed and with broomsticks. And, in this case, a Finnish term 
was necessary because of linguistic structure.

A name Snape turned into Kalkaros (immediate association with rattle 
snake), plus, it half-rhymes with Severus (left as it was...) to 
replace the SS connection. And, Sn - beginning just doesnt fit with 
the language.

McGonagall turned into McGarmiva (Karmiva is finnish word descrabing 
something that's scary, but you can still control that fear...)

Sirius Black is Sirius Musta (Musta means black in Finnish) - and, 
again linguistics needs it.

Diagon Alley - Viistokuja (goes quite with the meaning)
Galleon - Kaljuuna (I imagine it sounds near - Kaljuuna is a big ship)
Sickle - Sirppi (meaning translated)
Knut- Sulmu (To associate Knot-Solmu)

Hogwarts - Tylypahka
Hogsmeade - Tylyaho
Some sort of meaning-translation. Houses also translated:

Gryffindor - Rohkelikko (derivative from 'rohkea' meaning brave) 
Hufflepuff - Puuskupuh (refers to the sound of hard, sweaty worker 
twice, and gets the half-begin-rhyme, too)
Ravenclaw  - Korpinkynsi (literal translation)
Slytherin - Luihuinen (It means kind of sly - a person not to be 
trusted with a diminutive ending, making it sound like a surname)

Broom-names translated like Firebolt: Tulisalama

Some names, like Albus Dumbledore, Rubeus Hagrid and Remus Lupin 
aren't touched. And I love the sound of Dumbledore! It sounds almost 
like Dumle for the first part (a kind of candy and we all know how 
much the old man likes candy - even has them for passwords!)

Also - prefect is valvojaoppilas (would explain it's meaning) - and, 
Percy's sweater had the letter V - not P (and his name was Percy all 
along - none of the Weasley names are translated)...

Some like Weasleyn Welho Witsit I think it's even better than the 
original... Witsit 'jokes', in oldish style V - instead 
of 'Wheezers'... Still keeping WWW (wonder if Rowling thinks internet 
as a big joke?)