end of weekend
Jun. 27th, 2004 10:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rivendellroseWell, the tea at the governor's place was successful; we got to visit with the lady who invited us and her mom, a totally adorable 94 year-old lady with all the attitude that makes me go "damn... I wanna be THAT kind of little old lady someday!" and I didn't hugely embarass myself with some horrid faux pas or anything.
The mansion is beautiful - a very 18th century style to most of the rooms, and a tendency toward pretty pale green for the walls, and slightly more yellow-green for draperies, couches, etc. I ogled lots of pretty paintings and furniture and things, and took quiet note of the look of the ball room, the dining room, and what I can only call a parlour. I will say, though, that if I saw one more thing with the state seal emblazoned on it, I was going to burst out laughing. It was always tasteful and subtle... but decidedly present.
After that, we trooped off to Powells and, after some minor navigational disasters, managed to find the place. For those who don't know, this is a bookstore the full size of a city block, and three stories high. It's a religious experience for the bibliophile, believe me. I got out only buying two things - Harry Potter et le Prisonnier d'Azkaban and Le Seigneur des Anneaux; Les Deux Tours. I am now a (semi)bilingual fangirl. Go me.
The best part so far? The names. Why? Because in the course of translation, a lot of things had to be changed... to things that, to the English ear (particularly one so used to the original words) are hilarious. A few examples:
The Hogwarts (or Poudlard) houses: Gryffondor (not worth comment), Serdaigle (Ravenclaw), Serpentard (Slytherin), and Poufsouffle (Hufflepuff). No, I am not making this up.
Nor am I making up the fact that somehow Severus Snape had to become Severus Rogue. Most of the others, I assume, are fairly direct translations, like the house names seem to be - Pattenrond for Crookshanks, Croutard for Scabbers - or transliterations when the sounds don't quiet work, like poor Drago Malefoy.
I also regard it as somewhat cruel, after my Honors seminar on the American author of the same name, to refer to Wood as Dubois. After the moment of shock, though, I settled into happily (and somewhat rummily, as we'd been driving for a VERY long time that day) repeating "Olivier Dubois!" over and over again, laughing in between repetitions. That was an hour or so before the giggling fits at some poor truck-stop restaurant. It was a long, but very fun, day.
The mansion is beautiful - a very 18th century style to most of the rooms, and a tendency toward pretty pale green for the walls, and slightly more yellow-green for draperies, couches, etc. I ogled lots of pretty paintings and furniture and things, and took quiet note of the look of the ball room, the dining room, and what I can only call a parlour. I will say, though, that if I saw one more thing with the state seal emblazoned on it, I was going to burst out laughing. It was always tasteful and subtle... but decidedly present.
After that, we trooped off to Powells and, after some minor navigational disasters, managed to find the place. For those who don't know, this is a bookstore the full size of a city block, and three stories high. It's a religious experience for the bibliophile, believe me. I got out only buying two things - Harry Potter et le Prisonnier d'Azkaban and Le Seigneur des Anneaux; Les Deux Tours. I am now a (semi)bilingual fangirl. Go me.
The best part so far? The names. Why? Because in the course of translation, a lot of things had to be changed... to things that, to the English ear (particularly one so used to the original words) are hilarious. A few examples:
The Hogwarts (or Poudlard) houses: Gryffondor (not worth comment), Serdaigle (Ravenclaw), Serpentard (Slytherin), and Poufsouffle (Hufflepuff). No, I am not making this up.
Nor am I making up the fact that somehow Severus Snape had to become Severus Rogue. Most of the others, I assume, are fairly direct translations, like the house names seem to be - Pattenrond for Crookshanks, Croutard for Scabbers - or transliterations when the sounds don't quiet work, like poor Drago Malefoy.
I also regard it as somewhat cruel, after my Honors seminar on the American author of the same name, to refer to Wood as Dubois. After the moment of shock, though, I settled into happily (and somewhat rummily, as we'd been driving for a VERY long time that day) repeating "Olivier Dubois!" over and over again, laughing in between repetitions. That was an hour or so before the giggling fits at some poor truck-stop restaurant. It was a long, but very fun, day.
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no subject
Date: 2004-06-27 11:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-06-27 11:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-06-27 11:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-06-27 11:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-06-28 10:06 am (UTC)now THAT is funny. :)
no subject
Date: 2004-06-28 12:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-06-28 10:45 am (UTC)Poufsouffle is definitely my favourite. It's like 'pouf' and 'soufflée' ... ^_~
no subject
Date: 2004-06-28 12:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-06-28 02:51 pm (UTC)*dies* Best. Name. Ever. I was going to ask what the second book was, but I just realized it was LOTR:TTT. *shakes head* Italian lessons really have driven the French out of my head.
Now you're really making me want the Italian version of Harry Potter!
Poufsouffle. *hee!*
no subject
Date: 2004-06-28 11:56 pm (UTC)Oh god, I'm sorry - I meant to translate it and totally forgot! I'm glad you muddled through despite my moment of stupidity.
*Tempts* It's so fun to be able to read something familiar in another language - it makes it a bit easier to puzzle things out through context, but still keeps all the fun of the language.