SOME FUNNY TRANSLATIONS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2050, 30 January 1889, Page 3

SOME FUNNY TRANSLATIONS

* One account of the late German Em peror's funeral, writes David Kec it "Harper's Weekly," stated that tbe ser mon was preaobed on a text taken from "the Book of Jacob4'—a hitherto unknown portion of Holy Writ—the rea words being the 'Epistle of James (Jaoob). An English translation of a German novel rendered ' loh haba einec Gust bekommen' (I have got a guest) by (I have become a ghost,' Another transformed ' food for reptiles' Into ' the Diet of Worms.' In a Frenoh version of ' Gay Msnaerlng' the phrase '» sticker minister' (unsuccessful preacher) figured as 'un miDistre aeaaisine ' Nor are the titles of books a lesa fruitful field of mistranslation than their contents. A Vienna translation of George Billot's 'Felix Holt, the Radio»l,' was entitled 'F-Hx; Hold the Kasoal!' The play of Lire's List Silft wai reproduced In Paris as La Derulere Chemise de l'Amooi. Rob Roy still figur*!* In RoiiU as Bod the King, * R >y' daring beS2 confuied with »Rol,' A similar miooncepti m tari"d ' Memolres de Roy d f Argons' Into 'Memou? 0* »S* *or King'—an exploit almost rivalling that J. a farmer who named a pet rooster 1 Robinson ' because he'crew so.' Bnt the palm of mistranslation Is certainly due to an Englishman who rome years ago oame to a foreign teaoher to be 'finished' In German, and was asked to write a sentence m colloquial English, and to translate it. He wrote : 'Be h«a bolted, and has not settled his bill,' translating it by 'Er hat verrtegelt, und hat nloh einsledek aeineoHohnabcl.' • Verrlegeln' meaning 'to bolt a door,' 'einsiedeln* to • settle as a colonist,' and 'Bchn*bel' ' the bill of a bird,' this extraordinary sentenoe really signified, (He has driven In a bolt, and has not colonised his beak.'