Translation of 'My-Name-Is-Reek' Rhymes

[OnionAhaiReborn]

Nah, that's not an option in most cases, although I used to wish it was sometimes. For instance, the first book I ever translated was set in Australia, and the dialogue featured a lot of Australian slang, e.g. 'mate', 'crook' (sick) and 'Pommy' (Englishman).

Wouldn't it be an option to define those slang words in Dutch and then go on to use them. Sort of like GRRM does with teaching us Valyrian or Dothraki words/phrases like valar morghulis, valonqar, Khal, Khaleesi, arakh and such? Very interesting thread, btw.

[LifeRuiner]

The French shot themselves in the foot with Schlingue as Neriwyn above said, nothing much rhymes with it! Except maybe dingue (crazy).

The Russians have been a bit luckier: Reek is Вонючка (Stinker) and the translator rhymed it with words like Колючка (Thorn) and Канючка (Whiner) which aren't particularly meaningful but the rhymes have a nice ring to them. Their translator didn't even try to mirror the original structure "My name is Reek, it rhymes with..." and simply went with "Reek, Reek, Reek-Whiner".

[Dementia]

And (not to get too off topic!)...that was Poe switching languages, not a translator. I mean, I don't think a translator would change Dothraki or Valaryan into Dutch!

[Bloodhound]

In german it´s also stinker, which is actually the exact same word and nothing rhymes with it except : drinker, "Trinker" - semaphore, "Winker" - the name Katinka.

I haven't checked the Dutch translation, but I strongly suspect it uses 'Stinker', as well. Which comes with the following rhyme words: drinker (drinker), flinker (braver), klinker (vowel), linker (left), verlinker (somebody who betrays another) and verminker (somebody who badly injures or maims another). The latter two might be useful in Theon's context, I think.

[Bloodhound]

Wouldn't it be an option to define those slang words in Dutch and then go on to use them. Sort of like GRRM does with teaching us Valyrian or Dothraki words/phrases like valar morghulis, valonqar, Khal, Khaleesi, arakh and such?

That was my original solution, but the proof-reader strongly objected to having any English words in the translation, except those which are commonly used in Dutch, such as 'in the middle of nowhere' (yes, that's a Dutch phrase). I think I should have stuck to my guns.

The Russians have been a bit luckier: Reek is Вонючка (Stinker) and the translator rhymed it with words like Колючка (Thorn) and Канючка (Whiner) which aren't particularly meaningful but the rhymes have a nice ring to them. Their translator didn't even try to mirror the original structure "My name is Reek, it rhymes with..." and simply went with "Reek, Reek, Reek-Whiner".

I actually like that a lot. I think a similar structure would work in Dutch and German, as well.

And (not to get too off topic!)...that was Poe switching languages, not a translator. I mean, I don't think a translator would change Dothraki or Valaryan into Dutch!

Nope. It is interesting to note, though, that different countries have different rules regarding italicisation of foreign or invented words. For instance, I like that in English books, foreign words are always italicised, every single time they are used. Many Dutch publishers will only italicise a foreign word once, after which it is considered a 'known' word and thus no longer in need of italicisation. I think foreign words without italics look pretty weird, but them's the rules...

[Revan Baratheon]

If there was a hindi translation it would be, Mera naam bass(Reek) hai,yay kamzor(weak) say rhyme kartha hai...or something :D

[LifeRuiner]

Russian:

I actually like that a lot. I think a similar structure would work in Dutch and German, as well.

It really works! It sounds like a nursery rhyme and it's totally organic with the text. I just really prefer the creepiness of the original's 'meek' and 'bleak'.

[Lykos]

I haven´t seen DwD in german yet but the rhymes don´t work as well as in dutch. The words have different meaning even though the languages are close. Flinker ( quicker ), Klinker (clinker brick), Linker ( very unusual usage as somebody who betrays another, many especially young ones, would think so. further to the left. ) verminker we don´t have in german, there is Sinker ( unusual for so. who sinks). Something that could work would be Pinkler (so. who pisses), it´s a close enough rhyme maybe there´s more along this line.

[Maroucia]

I've read the books in english even though I'm french speaking. I was curious to see how the translation was made in my language though, so a day that I had to go to the library, I went through a book of 'Le trone de fer'...

I hated it!

Really badly made! To a point that I'm not sure I would advise anyone to read it... (in fench!)

[Neriwyn]

I've read the books in english even though I'm french speaking. I was curious to see how the translation was made in my language though, so a day that I had to go to the library, I went through a book of 'Le trone de fer'...

I hated it!

Really badly made! To a point that I'm not sure I would advise anyone to read it... (in fench!)

I've read the books in english too and I was very surprise when my brothen (who has read it in french) said that it was very poorly and badly written... It's a shame if it's only because of the translation (I do not exclude the possibility of my brother's very bad 'taste' (?))

[Spearwife of the Wild]

I've read the books in english too and I was very surprise when my brothen (who has read it in french) said that it was very poorly and badly written... It's a shame if it's only because of the translation (I do not exclude the possibility of my brother's very bad 'taste' (?))

Your brother's opinion is spot-on in this case! French translation for ASOIAF really does suck, and I'm sad to say it's really common. I guess it's hard to translate other languages into French.

For example, they translated the Night's Watch into La Garde de Nuit, which sounds more like you're referring to the staff working graveyard shift in a hospital or something. And Schlingue as a last name sounds incredibly stupid, not mentionning that a lot of people from where I live (Québec) wouldn't even know what that means. It's France-specific slang.

[Duir]

I haven't even tried to read the books in my first language..but I am thinking about it. Could be fun. Or just disappointing.

I have seen some names thrown around though and most of them seems okay, but I have already discovered some inconsistency in name calling from one book to another which will be very interesting in the future.

[Arkash]

Schlingue here in French will be quite impossible to take care of... either the name will be changed, either the translator wont make it rhyme...

[Neriwyn]

Your brother's opinion is spot-on in this case! French translation for ASOIAF really does suck, and I'm sad to say it's really common. I guess it's hard to translate other languages into French.

For example, they translated the Night's Watch into La Garde de Nuit, which sounds more like you're referring to the staff working graveyard shift in a hospital or something. And Schlingue as a last name sounds incredibly stupid, not mentionning that a lot of people from where I live (Québec) wouldn't even know what that means. It's France-specific slang.

I explained all the books to a friend (it is very long !) and all the time I did'nt translate the name (places, companies, family, etc...) I think it's a very tough job to make a good translation for something so big, expecially when you don't have all the history. If they knew GRRM will make rhymes with reek, I'm pretty sure the translator would not have use "schlingue" !!

I will not criticize (too much) because I'm not able to do it! ^_^

[Giovanna Neve]

In italian the translator left 'reek' and the english rhymes and added the traslation just after the sentence. For example:

"Im' Reek, it rhymes with sneak" sneak is serpente in italian so is "Sono Reek, fa rima con sneak, serpente".

However our translator often forgetes how (or if) he traslated names from a book to another. For example he has never translated Stonetree until the fourth book (translation : Alberi di Pietra). Sometimes I get lost....

[bgona]

Also I just noticed that the phrase, it rhymes with.., doesn´t sound good in german: "Es reimt sich mit..." , better would be, sounds like...: "klingt wie.." . The little word "mit" really screws up the rhythm.

@bgona

cante hondo - I(male) sing low ?

Sorry I just see it.

Cante hondo is a way of singing from south of Spain. It is as a Flamenco singing.

[reek it rhymes with meek]

Croatian:moje ime je vonj rimuje se s konj (rhymes with horse) and is used for all other versions, podmukli konj slabi konj-freak horse, weak horse :)

[Buckwheat]

reek, what exactly does "vonj" mean in Croatian? "Stink" or just generally "smell"?

Anyway, vonj-konj is a good rhyme.

[Maroucia]

Your brother's opinion is spot-on in this case! French translation for ASOIAF really does suck, and I'm sad to say it's really common. I guess it's hard to translate other languages into French.

For example, they translated the Night's Watch into La Garde de Nuit, which sounds more like you're referring to the staff working graveyard shift in a hospital or something. And Schlingue as a last name sounds incredibly stupid, not mentionning that a lot of people from where I live (Québec) wouldn't even know what that means. It's France-specific slang.

The worst to me is the hound in frech: le limier... Sounds so fag!

[Arkash]

The worst thing in the French traduction is "Kraken" translated as "Seiche", which means "squid" or "cuttlefish"... that is so stupid !