Posted by Ed Kiser on December 02, 2006 at 16:51:13 from 152.163.101.7 user Kisered.
In Reply to: Obeah Woman posted by Jenny Berki on November 29, 2006 at 12:47:41:
If anyone has a problem with the concept of the political correctness of writing the words of the Obeah woman in dialect, perhaps one might have a problem with the PC attributes of this, from PM CH8:
In a story black was black
and white was white and blacks
and whites stuck to their own
colours. In real life things
were much more muddled.
I have wondered how a translator from the English of Ransome into Chinese would handle his writings of the dialects as spoken by the
Chinese characters in Missee Lee. This same question applies to the Japanese translation as well.
Somehow, "shiver my timbers" is really going to suffer regardless as to how the translator manages it, into whatever languuage is the target.
One interesting aspect of listening to the audio tapes of Woolf is how he manages the various dialects, such as Cook, Mr. Dixon, and Constable Tedder for example.
And he does a rather nice job of putting the words of the various songs quoted into music, the tunes being quite often heard for the very first time (for me, anyway) as he sings them. It is quite a new experience.
Wish there was a way of contacting Mr. Woolf by Email if for nothing more than to just say "jolly good show" on his presentation of the Ransome books. He did do rather well.
Ed Kiser, Kentucky