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Re: I'm in the midst of re-reading The Tower of the Swallow Ellestra Send a noteboard - 29/11/2010 04:39:02 PM
What's amusing about it is that the split took place just after the Spanish translation of Narrenturm appeared; that one was kept intact at just over 500 pages. Might review that one next month. As for learning Polish, maybe after there's an orthographic reform. I know English (and French) spelling conventions are odd, but all those extra letters for single phonemes? :O


But, but they always mean that one phoneme. I think that English where one letter can has several different pronunciations is much harder. Polish spelling convention just makes it harder to write, it's true, but reading is easy. You just need to remember all the 42 signs (single and double letter) and that's it. Not like memorizing whole words in English where it seems pronunciation often doesn't have much to do with spelling :P

I'll be waiting for your review of Narrenturm. I always though this is a book/series you'd really like :|

I've read the final few pages. Interesting is too mild of a word, but I'll leave at that until I read the 200 pages or so before it in the next few days ;)


I think the story in Geralt books with all the political references and human nature insights is good but it's the ending that makes it absolutly great to me. I just wonder, when (if) it's finally published as whole in English, how many people will scream deus ex machina on the whole Nilfgaard thing. And that is something I love the most. However, I, once again, am getting ahead. I'll wait till you read it.

He certainly doesn't "sparkle" here, but is very cool despite (or because of that lack?) that :P


He takes horseshoes from the fire with his bare hands and wears black. How can he not be cool? :P

I need to go and read English version some day. Just for curiosity's sake.

It's a rather drab affair, as there isn't any of the wordplay associated with the archaic forms that I presume is in the original, since I know it's present in the Spanish translation.


Language is a large part why the books are so much fun to read in Polish. However this comes in a large part from cultural context as the language used it based on the language used in Henryk Sienkiwicz's Trilogy. Sienkiewicz mostly invented that version of Polish but still when anyone in Poland thinks about how Polish sounded like in old times (late medieval/ renaissance period especially) this is what we think.

As almost everyone in Poland was exposed to Trilogy one way or the other Sapkowski didn't have to explain that all this happened in a past setting. We would know, just from dialogue, even if there was no other clues like swords, horses etc. It also makes the setting much more familiar and ordinary then fantasy (especially foreign) usually seems.

I don't think any of this can be translated but I think that the translations that can, at least partially, render the fun of the original are more successful. Having a great translator is largely responsible for Pratchett's popularity in Poland.

BTW I know you've read Sienkiewicz, are his books stylized in English?
Evolution, just like gravity, works even if you don't believe in it.

Stupidity doesn't hurt but it kills.
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Andrzej Sapkowski, Times of Disdain/Tiempo del odio Larry - 27/11/2010 03:24:22 AM 1476 Views
Bizarre that you would go to a Spanish translation (A translation note) Tom - 27/11/2010 04:05:28 PM 876 Views
Not really, when that's the only complete translation available in a language I read Larry - 27/11/2010 06:54:18 PM 930 Views
It's an interesting discussion about that title... "disdain" is indeed somewhat weak. Legolas - 27/11/2010 06:35:14 PM 939 Views
When I have time later tonight, I'll translate the relevant passage near the end of the book Larry - 27/11/2010 06:57:23 PM 956 Views
Re: Andrzej Sapkowski, Times of Disdain/Tiempo del odio wahooka - 27/11/2010 09:37:07 PM 1017 Views
The main reason why I lean toward "hatred" is later on Larry - 27/11/2010 09:43:43 PM 976 Views
Yeah, there may be a slight difference between Czech and English meaning of the word wahooka - 28/11/2010 10:49:23 AM 947 Views
Makes sense to me Larry - 28/11/2010 07:13:08 PM 1038 Views
Now for that passage near the end of the book I said I'd post Larry - 28/11/2010 02:35:38 AM 935 Views
Hm. I'd actually say it makes me more inclined to think "contempt" is right after all. Legolas - 28/11/2010 10:50:09 AM 1011 Views
I didn't quote what happened immediately afterward, as that is a major spoiler Larry - 28/11/2010 07:16:39 PM 905 Views
Fair points. *NM* Legolas - 29/11/2010 12:26:28 AM 473 Views
Re: Now for that passage near the end of the book I said I'd post wahooka - 28/11/2010 11:03:18 AM 943 Views
Re: Now for that passage near the end of the book I said I'd post Ellestra - 29/11/2010 01:12:58 AM 794 Views
Larry - 29/11/2010 04:53:12 AM 941 Views
I find it funny that all the discussion in the thread is about the best translation of the title. Stephen - 28/11/2010 10:17:44 PM 878 Views
Actually, it also plays a key role in the action of this book Larry - 29/11/2010 12:47:19 AM 1041 Views
Oh, I'm just surprised one word can be that important Stephen - 29/11/2010 01:03:48 PM 827 Views
Time of Contempt is closest to original meaning Ellestra - 28/11/2010 11:42:56 PM 997 Views
Perhaps, but there's been a weakening of "contempt" in English over the past few generations Larry - 28/11/2010 11:55:16 PM 1014 Views
Re: Perhaps, but there's been a weakening of "contempt" in English over the past few generations Ellestra - 29/11/2010 12:47:12 AM 1007 Views
True, to a large extent at least Larry - 29/11/2010 04:57:00 AM 1264 Views
You made me want to go and reread this again Ellestra - 29/11/2010 12:07:46 AM 1012 Views
I'm in the midst of re-reading The Tower of the Swallow Larry - 29/11/2010 12:32:23 AM 1083 Views
Re: I'm in the midst of re-reading The Tower of the Swallow Ellestra - 29/11/2010 01:05:30 AM 1028 Views
Re: I'm in the midst of re-reading The Tower of the Swallow Larry - 29/11/2010 05:02:48 AM 1009 Views
Re: I'm in the midst of re-reading The Tower of the Swallow Ellestra - 29/11/2010 04:39:02 PM 1034 Views
Still, seeing as many as six consonants together can be intimidating for some of us Larry - 29/11/2010 11:37:22 PM 1047 Views
Re: Still, seeing as many as six consonants together can be intimidating for some of us Ellestra - 30/11/2010 02:27:03 AM 1019 Views
I refuse to give the Germans credit when it comes to language and grammar issues! Larry - 30/11/2010 03:04:30 AM 1192 Views
I don't see why; except maybe page long nouns Ellestra - 30/11/2010 04:22:37 PM 1219 Views
I dunno, some people dig saying "Machtübernahme" and "Größerdeutschland" Larry - 30/11/2010 05:53:43 PM 1044 Views
Hey those are short Ellestra - 01/12/2010 03:44:42 AM 1137 Views
I REALLY can't wait for this to come out in English dacole - 30/11/2010 04:50:56 AM 994 Views
Re: I REALLY can't wait for this to come out in English Ellestra - 30/11/2010 03:45:33 PM 1009 Views
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