The Odyssey: Rendered into English prose for the use of those who cannot read the original — Page 4
In the preface to my translation of the "Iliad" I have given my views as to the main principles by which a translator should be guided, and need not repeat them here, beyond pointing out that the initial liberty of translating poetry into prose involves the continual taking of more or less liberty throughout the translation; for much that is right in poetry is wrong in prose, and the exigencies of readable prose are the first things to be considered in a prose translation.
Dans la préface de ma traduction de l'« Iliade », j'ai exposé mes opinions sur les principes essentiels par lesquels un traducteur devrait se laisser guider, et n'ai pas besoin de les répéter ici, si ce n'est pour souligner que la liberté initiale de traduire la poésie en prose implique de prendre continuellement plus ou moins de liberté tout au long de la traduction ; car beaucoup de ce qui est juste en poésie est faux en prose, et les exigences d'une prose lisible sont les premières choses à prendre en compte dans une traduction en prose.
That the reader, however, may see how far I have departed from strict construe, I will print here Messrs. Butcher and Lang's translation of the sixty lines or so of the "Odyssey."
Afin que le lecteur puisse néanmoins voir dans quelle mesure je me suis écarté d'une interprétation stricte, je reproduirai ici la traduction de MM. Butcher et Lang des quelque soixante premiers vers de l'« Odyssée ».
Their translation runs:
Leur traduction est la suivante :
Tell me, Muse, of that man, so ready at need, who wandered far and wide, after he had sacked the sacred citadel of Troy, and many were the men whose towns he saw and whose mind he learnt, yea, and many the woes he suffered in his heart on the deep, striving to win his own life and the return of his company.
Parle-moi, ô Muse, de cet homme si plein de ressources, qui erra si longtemps après avoir saccagé la citadelle sacrée de Troie ; il vit les villes de nombreux peuples et connut leur esprit, et nombreuses furent les souffrances qu'il endura dans son cœur sur les flots, luttant pour sauver sa propre vie et assurer le retour de ses compagnons.
Nay, but even so he saved not his company, though he desired it sore.
Pourtant, malgré tout son désir ardent, il ne put sauver ses compagnons.
For through the blindness of their own hearts they perished, fools, who devoured the oxen of Helios Hyperion: but the god took from them their day of returning.
Car c'est par l'aveuglement de leur propre cœur qu'ils périrent, ces insensés qui dévorèrent les bœufs d'Hélios Hypérion : et le dieu leur ôta le jour du retour.
Of these things, goddess, daughter of Zeus, whencesoever thou hast heard thereof, declare thou even unto us.
De ces choses, ô déesse, fille de Zeus, de quelque endroit que tu en aies eu connaissance, daigne nous en faire le récit.
Vocabulary
- préface
- Introductory section written before the main text
- traduction
- The act or result of converting text between languages
- Iliade
- Ancient Greek epic poem attributed to Homer
- exposé
- Presented or set out clearly for an audience
- opinions
- Personal views or judgments on a subject
- principes
- Fundamental rules or guiding ideas underlying something
- essentiels
- Absolutely necessary or most important elements
- lesquels
- Relative pronoun, masculine plural: 'by which, through which'
- traducteur
- A person who translates texts from one language to another
- devrait
- Conditional of 'devoir': 'should, ought to'
- laisser
- To let, allow, or leave something or someone
- guider
- To guide or direct someone toward a goal
- besoin
- A need or necessity for something
- répéter
- To say or do something again; to repeat
- souligner
- To underline or emphasize a point or idea
- liberté
- Freedom or the state of being free from constraints
- initiale
- Relating to the beginning or starting point of something
- traduire
- To translate text or speech from one language to another
- poésie
- Literary art form using rhythm, imagery, and verse
- prose
- Ordinary written language without metrical structure
- implique
- To imply or involve something as a necessary consequence
- prendre
- To take or grab something or someone
- continuellement
- In a constant, uninterrupted, or repeated manner
- moins
- Less; fewer; used in comparisons
- tout
- All, every, whole; entirely
- long
- Extended in length or duration; long
- car
- Coordinating conjunction meaning 'because, for'
- beaucoup
- A large amount or many; much, a lot
- juste
- Fair, correct, or right; also 'just, only'
- faux
- Incorrect, false, or untrue
- exigences
- Requirements or demands that must be met
- lisible
- Easy to read; legible or readable in style
- premières
- First in order, rank, or importance; foremost
- choses
- Objects, matters, or things in general
- compte
- Count or account; to consider or take into account
- Afin
- Conjunction meaning 'so that, in order that'
- lecteur
- A person who reads; a reader
- puisse
- Subjunctive form of 'pouvoir': 'may be able to'
- néanmoins
- Nevertheless; however; in spite of that
- voir
- To see or observe something or someone
- mesure
- Measure or extent; degree to which something applies
- écarté
- Deviated or moved away from a standard or norm
- interprétation
- The explanation or understanding given to a text or event
- stricte
- Exact, rigorous, or demanding close adherence to rules
- reproduirai
- Future tense: 'will reproduce or present again'
- MM.
- Abbreviation for 'Messieurs': plural title for men
- quelque
- Some, a few, or approximately (before numbers)
- soixante
- The number sixty
- premiers
- First in sequence or order; earliest
- vers
- Lines of poetry; also means 'toward'
- Odyssée
- Ancient Greek epic poem by Homer about Odysseus's journey
- suivante
- Following, next, or subsequent in order
- Parle-
- Imperative of 'parler': 'speak!' (with hyphen for inversion)
- ô
- Vocative exclamation: 'O!' used in addressing someone
- Muse
- Divine goddess inspiring creativity in arts and literature
- homme
- An adult male person; man
- plein
- Full of; filled with a quality or substance
- ressources
- Means, abilities, or assets available to accomplish goals
- erra
- Past tense of 'errer': wandered or roamed without direction
- longtemps
- For a long time; over an extended period
- après
- Preposition or adverb: 'after, afterwards'
- avoir
- Infinitive of 'to have'; auxiliary verb in compound tenses
- saccagé
- Ransacked, looted, or violently destroyed a place
- citadelle
- A fortress protecting or dominating a city
- sacrée
- Holy, sacred, or consecrated; treated with reverence
- Troie
- Ancient city of Troy, setting of the Iliad
- vit
- Simple past of 'voir': 'saw, witnessed'
- villes
- Cities or towns as populated urban areas
- nombreux
- Numerous or many in number
- peuples
- Peoples or nations; groups sharing culture or identity
- connut
- Simple past of 'connaître': 'came to know, learned'
- esprit
- Mind, spirit, wit, or intellect of a person
- nombreuses
- Numerous, many (feminine plural form)
- furent
- Simple past plural of 'être': 'were'
- souffrances
- Suffering, pain, or hardships endured over time
- endura
- Simple past of 'endurer': 'endured, suffered through'
- cœur
- The heart as physical organ or emotional center
- flots
- Waves or floods of water; flowing masses
- luttant
- Present participle of 'lutter': 'struggling, fighting'
- sauver
- To save or rescue someone from danger or harm
- propre
- Own; also means clean or proper depending on context
- vie
- Life; the state of being alive
- assurer
- To ensure, guarantee, or secure something
- retour
- Return or coming back to a place or state
- compagnons
- Companions or comrades sharing a journey or activity
- Pourtant
- Nevertheless, yet, however; expressing contrast
- malgré
- Despite or in spite of something
- désir
- A strong wish or longing for something
- ardent
- Passionate, intense, or burning with strong feeling
- put
- Simple past of 'pouvoir': 'could, was able to'
- Car
- Conjunction meaning 'because, for' (explaining a reason)
- aveuglement
- Blindness; also moral blindness or foolishness
- périrent
- Simple past plural of 'périr': 'perished, died'
- insensés
- Senseless or foolish people acting without reason
- dévorèrent
- Simple past of 'dévorer': 'devoured, consumed greedily'
- bœufs
- Oxen or cattle; plural of 'bœuf'
- Hélios
- Greek god personifying the sun
- Hypérion
- Titan god associated with the sun in Greek mythology
- dieu
- God; a divine being or deity
- ôta
- Simple past of 'ôter': 'removed, took away'
- jour
- Day; also daylight or a 24-hour period
- déesse
- A female deity or goddess
- fille
- Daughter; also girl or young woman
- Zeus
- King of the gods in Greek mythology
- endroit
- A place, location, or spot
- aies
- Subjunctive of 'avoir': 'have' (second person singular)
- eu
- Past participle of 'avoir': 'had'
- connaissance
- Knowledge or acquaintance with facts or a person
- daigne
- To deign or condescend to do something graciously
- faire
- To do or make something; a very common verb
- récit
- A narrative account or story of events
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