Landon
07-06-2009, 10:11 PM
Greetings everyone.
So I'm reading Les Mis this summer, but have found myself confronted every chapter or so with a very annoying question. Frequently, in the name of a place (usually, conveniently, of one central to the plot), there remains simply the first letter and then a dash. Hence, what should be "bishop of Digne" (I checked the French) becomes "bishop of D--". The version I have (Wordworth Classics) does this, as do some other translations I have come across, but I also notice that in some editions these names are fully printed, as they are in the original text. Obviously, the solution is to switch versions, and I will do so if and when the annoyance of having to look up the names in French reaches a breaking point, but until then, I will satisfy myself with figuring out (and I have had no success so far) exactly why this irregular and seemingly pointless convention is adopted in some English versions of this and some other texts.
My second question has to do with the multitudinous translations available of Les Mis. I understand that despite the many variations in translation, most today are based on the original English version published just months after the release of the French edition. However, I have heard a great number of opinions on what variant is "best". Granted, this is to some degree subjective, yet I would appreciate input, particularly if anyone happens to know exactly what translation is used in the Wordworth Classics publication (probably one out of copyright, but of those there are multiple) and how it compares to other translations. I hear the mass-market paperback is the best modern translation, so I am considering picking up that, but I'm somewhat reticent to spend an extra seven bucks on an new edition of a book of which I already own a copy, unless someone can speak to a large and appreciable difference in that translation, or in another translation.
Thank you all for your time and attention in advance.
-Landon
So I'm reading Les Mis this summer, but have found myself confronted every chapter or so with a very annoying question. Frequently, in the name of a place (usually, conveniently, of one central to the plot), there remains simply the first letter and then a dash. Hence, what should be "bishop of Digne" (I checked the French) becomes "bishop of D--". The version I have (Wordworth Classics) does this, as do some other translations I have come across, but I also notice that in some editions these names are fully printed, as they are in the original text. Obviously, the solution is to switch versions, and I will do so if and when the annoyance of having to look up the names in French reaches a breaking point, but until then, I will satisfy myself with figuring out (and I have had no success so far) exactly why this irregular and seemingly pointless convention is adopted in some English versions of this and some other texts.
My second question has to do with the multitudinous translations available of Les Mis. I understand that despite the many variations in translation, most today are based on the original English version published just months after the release of the French edition. However, I have heard a great number of opinions on what variant is "best". Granted, this is to some degree subjective, yet I would appreciate input, particularly if anyone happens to know exactly what translation is used in the Wordworth Classics publication (probably one out of copyright, but of those there are multiple) and how it compares to other translations. I hear the mass-market paperback is the best modern translation, so I am considering picking up that, but I'm somewhat reticent to spend an extra seven bucks on an new edition of a book of which I already own a copy, unless someone can speak to a large and appreciable difference in that translation, or in another translation.
Thank you all for your time and attention in advance.
-Landon