Parseltongue genes, translated names, Chocolate Frogs

[Amy Z]

No: HPFGUIDX 41001

In addition to Corinthum's quick rundown on sex-linked
genetic characteristics, let's remember that magic
trumps genetic theory.  We know of three Parselmouths
in history, so far, all of whom are male, but one of
whom (Harry) is theorized to have received the talent
through magic, not through his chromosomes.

bboy wrote:

>Regardless of what Dumbldore means, it's
>his name. Names are never translated. Regardless of
what the cultural
>or historical origins are of the word 'Dumbledore';
it's still his
>name. 

Since when are names never translated?

I can't accept that as a hard-and-fast recommendation
to translators.  Translation is a fine art, in which
one must hold in balance many elements of the
original, not all of which can be honored.  It is
desirable to maintain characters' names, and also the
British feel they convey, but with authors who pun a
great deal on names, such as Rowling or Dickens, other
considerations may outweigh these.  To give an example
Grey Wolf gave on OTChatter, translators of poetry,
finding it almost always impossible to keep rhyme and
meter as well as sense, are generally urged to dispose
of rhyme.  I would add that that is generally a wise
rule, but in some cases rhyme is a less dispensible
aspect of the original than in others--imagine a
villanelle without its rhyme scheme.  (For examples of
villanelles, see Roethke's "The Waking"
http://gawow.com/roethke/poems/104.html or Plath's
"Mad Girl's Love Song"
http://gawow.com/roethke/poems/104.html.)  

The fact that "Silencio" is a singularly bad
translation of Dumbledore doesn't mean translation per
se is out of the question.  The French translator has
kept most of the character names and the British
titles (Mr. Weasley, not M. Weasley), but has clearly
decided the question on a case by case basis, deeming
"Hermione Granger" something that should not be
translated but "Prongs" something that should.  I may
quibble with his judgment here or there (I don't think
I would have translated Snape), but I'm glad he has
not tied himself down to a rigid rule such as "never
translate names."  A name is not just a collection of
sounds symbolizing that character; it has other
meanings, and a translator must either change the name
or resign him/herself to losing those meanings.

Bboy, you bend the rule yourself when you say
"Lardbottom" might warrant translation (though our own
Anal P. Lardbottom,
obsessive-compulsive-disorder-sufferer that he is,
would doubtless object [for Mr. Longbottom's most
recent missive, see Message # 26990
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/26990]).
 How about Longbottom?

Brian wrote:

>*If* Flamel has his 
> own wizard card that declares him to be a wizard,
*that* would be 
> confirmation. 

Katze wrote:

>Doesn't Ron collect the wizard card? I think Ron
onlyhas a few left to 
>collect, 
>so I think it's fair to say that he's familiar with
all the cards that 
>exist, 
>yet he doesn't recognize Flamel's name as being on a
wizard. I don't 
>think 
>Flamel is a wizard.

Everyone who's on a Chocolate Frog card is a famous
witch or wizard, but not every famous witch and wizard
is on a Chocolate Frog card.

And speaking of which, Eloise begged US readers:

>Could I suggest you guys get eating (or get your kids
eating) and >share the information with the rest of
us? (Or, for the diet >conscious, there's at least one
website where you can buy the cards >without the
chocolate!)

The hell with that!  The diet conscious can keep the
cards and send the chocolate to me.

I don't know who's buying up all these Chocolate
Frogs.  They cost about $4 each, which makes them
several times the cost of a comparable amount of
chocolate in plain old candy bar form, and umpteen
times the cost of their weight in chocolate chips.

Amy Z
who would buy chocolate by the 5-lb bag, like flour,
if it were available that way

------------------------------------------------
The snake jerked its head toward Uncle Vernon
and Dudley, then raised its eyes to the ceiling.
It gave Harry a look that said quite plainly:
"=I get that all the time.="
              -HP and the Philosopher's Stone
------------------------------------------------

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