The Thousand and One Nights, Vol. I.: Commonly Called the Arabian Nights' Entertainments — Page 7
He has therefore wished me to remodel the preface, transferring all portions relating to the subjects in question to the Review, retaining whatever may more properly stand at the commencement of the work, and adding any matter of my own.
Il a donc souhaité que je remanie la préface, en transférant toutes les parties relatives aux sujets en question à la Revue, en conservant ce qui peut plus convenablement figurer au commencement de l'ouvrage, et en ajoutant tout ce que je jugerais bon d'y ajouter.
The object with which the translation was made is best expressed in the words of Mr. Lane's preface.
L'objet pour lequel la traduction a été réalisée est mieux exprimé dans les mots de la préface de M. Lane.
"My undertaking to translate anew the Tales of 'The Thousand and One Nights' implies an unfavourable opinion of the version which has so long amused us; but I must express my objections with respect to the latter in plain terms, and this I shall do by means of a few words on the version of Galland, from which it is derived; for to him alone its chief faults are to be attributed.
« Mon entreprise de traduire à nouveau les Contes des Mille et Une Nuits implique une opinion défavorable à l'égard de la version qui nous a si longtemps divertis ; mais je dois exprimer mes objections à l'égard de cette dernière en termes clairs, et je le ferai au moyen de quelques mots sur la version de Galland, dont elle est dérivée ; car c'est à lui seul que ses principaux défauts doivent être attribués.
I am somewhat reluctant to make this remark, because several persons, and among them some of high and deserved reputation as Arabic scholars, have pronounced an opinion that his version is an _improvement_ upon the original.
Je suis quelque peu réticent à formuler cette remarque, car plusieurs personnes, et parmi elles certaines jouissant d'une haute et méritée réputation en tant qu'arabisants, ont émis l'opinion que sa version constitue une _amélioration_ par rapport à l'original.
That 'The Thousand and One Nights' may be greatly improved, I most readily admit; but as confidently do I assert that Galland has excessively _perverted_ the work.
Que les Mille et Une Nuits puissent être grandement améliorées, je l'admets très volontiers ; mais j'affirme avec autant de conviction que Galland a excessivement _dénaturé_ l'œuvre.
Vocabulary
- donc
- Consequently, therefore, so
- souhaité
- Wished, desired, hoped for something
- remanie
- Revises, restructures, or reworks something
- préface
- Introductory section at the beginning of a book
- transférant
- Transferring, moving something from one place to another
- parties
- Parts, sections, or portions of a whole
- relatives
- Related, pertaining, or referring to something
- sujets
- Subjects, topics, or themes discussed
- question
- Question, issue, or matter under consideration
- Revue
- Review, journal, or periodical publication
- conservant
- Keeping, preserving, or retaining something
- convenablement
- Appropriately, suitably, in a fitting manner
- figurer
- To appear, feature, or be represented somewhere
- commencement
- Beginning, start, or opening of something
- ouvrage
- Work, book, or literary or artistic production
- ajoutant
- Adding, appending something to an existing text
- jugerais
- Would judge, consider, or deem appropriate
- ajouter
- To add, append, or include something extra
- objet
- Object, purpose, aim, or goal of something
- lequel
- Relative pronoun meaning 'which' or 'whom'
- traduction
- Translation of a text from one language to another
- réalisée
- Realized, accomplished, or carried out
- mieux
- Better; comparative adverb of 'bien'
- exprimé
- Expressed, stated, or conveyed clearly
- entreprise
- Undertaking, project, or business venture
- traduire
- To translate text from one language to another
- Contes
- Tales, stories, short narrative fiction pieces
- Nuits
- Nights; plural of 'nuit'
- implique
- Implies, involves, or entails something
- opinion
- Opinion, view, or judgment about something
- défavorable
- Unfavorable, negative, or adverse opinion or view
- égard
- Regard, respect, or consideration toward someone
- version
- Version, edition, or particular form of a text
- longtemps
- For a long time, a long while
- divertis
- Entertained, amused, diverted oneself
- exprimer
- To express, state, or convey thoughts or feelings
- objections
- Objections, disagreements, or reasons against something
- dernière
- Last, latter, most recent; feminine adjective
- termes
- Terms, words, or expressions used in speech
- clairs
- Clear, plain, obvious; masculine plural adjective
- moyen
- Means, way, method of achieving something
- quelques
- Some, a few; plural indefinite adjective
- dont
- Relative pronoun meaning 'of which', 'whose'
- dérivée
- Derived, originating from a particular source
- car
- Because, for; causal coordinating conjunction
- seul
- Alone, only, sole; masculine singular adjective
- principaux
- Main, principal, chief; masculine plural adjective
- défauts
- Faults, flaws, or defects in something
- attribués
- Attributed, assigned, or credited to someone
- quelque
- Some, a certain, a little; indefinite adjective
- réticent
- Reluctant, hesitant, unwilling to do something
- formuler
- To formulate, express, or put into words
- remarque
- Remark, comment, or observation about something
- plusieurs
- Several, many, more than two
- parmi
- Among, amongst; preposition indicating inclusion
- certaines
- Certain, some particular; feminine plural adjective
- jouissant
- Enjoying, benefiting from a reputation or privilege
- haute
- High, lofty; feminine singular adjective
- méritée
- Deserved, earned, merited; feminine past participle
- réputation
- Reputation, standing, or esteem in others' eyes
- tant
- So much, so many, as much; adverb of quantity
- arabisants
- Arabists, scholars specializing in Arabic language
- émis
- Emitted, put forward, expressed an opinion
- constitue
- Constitutes, represents, or forms something
- _amélioration_
- Improvement, enhancement, or betterment of something
- rapport
- Report, relation, or connection between things
- original
- Original, source text or first version
- puissent
- May, can; third person plural subjunctive of 'pouvoir'
- grandement
- Greatly, considerably, to a large extent
- améliorées
- Improved, enhanced; feminine plural past participle
- admets
- Admit, acknowledge; first person singular of 'admettre'
- volontiers
- Willingly, gladly, with pleasure
- affirme
- Affirm, assert, or state confidently
- autant
- As much, as many; adverb of equal quantity
- conviction
- Conviction, firm belief, or strong persuasion
- excessivement
- Excessively, extremely, to an excessive degree
- _dénaturé_
- Distorted, corrupted, or altered from its original form
- œuvre
- Work, literary or artistic creation or production
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