RAB case is broken - all Aurors please read!

[Renee]

No: HPFGUIDX 153268

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Tonks" <tonks_op at ...> wrote:
>
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "leslie41" <leslie41@> 
> wrote:
> 
> > But how can your theory explain away the fact that in all the non-
> > English translations, the "B" morphs into the first letter of that 
> > language's word for "black"?
> > 
> > From the wikipedia entry on "Regulus Black:
> > 
> > "Support for the theory that Regulus Black is R.A.B. has been 
> > gathered from the translation of Half-Blood Prince to other 
> > languages. In the Dutch translation of the novel, Regulus Black is 
> > called Regulus Zwarts and the initials in the locket are R.A.Z. In 
> > the Norwegian edition, Regulus Black is called Regulus Svaart, and 
> > the initials R.A.S. are in the locket, while in the Finnish 
> > translation, Regulus Black is called Regulus Musta, and the 
> initials are R.A.M. These make the theory that R.A.B. is Sirius's 
> brother quite plausible."
> > 
> > I like your theory a lot, but I don't know if I can reconcile it 
> > with the translation evidence.
> >
> 
> Tonks:
> I can not find an online translator that translates into those 
> languages. Does anyone on this list know what it says in the German, 
> Spanish, or French editions?  I am not so sure that I trust 
> everything that we read at Wikipedia.  I would like to see 
> confirmation from people on this list.  And if it is confirmed then 
> we have to consider the possibility that Regulus was alive on the 
> night of DD's death. 

Renee:
The evidence Leslie brings up has been mentioned before on this list
on quite a few occasions, and not based on Wikipedia, but on the
actual translations. I can vouch for the Dutch version. 

Also "Remember Albus' Brother" would become GAB, HJAB or HUAB in the
Dutch translation, depending on how you translate "remember". But the
actual text has RAZ. Also, there would have been no reason whatsoever
for the Dutch translator to change the B into a Z unless he *knew*
who/what it referred to. If he had no inkling, it would have been far
better to leave it alone and adapt the text in the seventh book. I'ts
what I would have done, after more than 30 years of experience as a
translator. 

Also, the Finnish translator has stated that he (she?) has consulted
JKR concerning the rendering of RAB. Therefore, RAM is bound to be
more than just a wild guess - and it's reasonable to assume other
translators have also contacted JKR.  

So I'm afraid your theory doesn't work. But I *am* curious to know why
you believe Regulus Black may have been alive on the night of DD's death.

Renee