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Translation of Tintin character names?

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jock123
Moderator
#21 · Posted: 18 Jan 2009 20:39
Amilah:
It's not that much off topic (out of sheer luck, I hadn't specified "Tintin names" in the title, and in any way it's interesting to compare the translation processes).

No really, it is! ;-) We're in the Tintin books section after all; a break out thread in the Lounge would be the appropriate place, which is why I apologized, but no harm done. No doubt the movie of Watchmen might generate a bit of traffic there when it comes out. Thanks for the confirmation on the translator's credentials, by the way, I've not been aware of him.

And the insight into the formality of the language is also really interesting. There is an almost irresistible urge to have any characters involved in tales of derring-do and adventure talk in an overly formal way in English too - the Boy's Own stories of the Thirties, Jennings, the Hitchcock 39 Steps etc. have a great influence, and the ornate names fit that ambience.

Thinking about the Loiseau/ Abird/ Bird thing, it could be that the translators went for Bird, not just because Abird is an improbable looking name, and both Loiseau and Bird are real family names in their respective languages - so they may generally be seen as related names, not just here but elsewhere (as one might equate Schmidt and Smith), but because (doing) bird is British slang for serving time in prison...
nicbunch1
Member
#22 · Posted: 18 Jan 2009 21:03
jock123:

Fascinating - I didn’t know about this at all! It should be compared to the Beric the Briton version, discussed here.

I looked at your discussion back there and would like to know what dates Ranger and Look and Learn are for the 'first' Asterix's in the UK. The Valiant is 1963 and Getafix, for instance, is Hokus Pokus and Obelix is Big Ed
jock123
Moderator
#23 · Posted: 18 Jan 2009 22:46
nicbunch1:
what dates Ranger and Look and Learn are for the 'first' Asterix's in the UK.

They are as given in the thread – Asterix and the Big Fight as Britons Never, Never, Never Shall be Slaves! from 1965 to 1966, and Asterix and Cleopatra as In the Days of Good Queen Cleo from late 1966 to 1967.
So you have pushed back the “earliest” date by at least a couple of years. I’m eager to find out more about this, so perhaps you could add a note or two over at the Beric thread? How does the setting get handles, for example?
Harrock n roll
Moderator
#24 · Posted: 19 Jan 2009 22:28
nicbunch1:

Does anyone know how long he stayed with that name and in which other stories he is still called Blunderbuss?

jock123:

Just for the two Casterman editions (Red Rackham and Unicorn)

Actually, Blunderbuss only appeared in Red Rackham's Treasure - the professor doesn't feature in The Secret Of The Unicorn.

aysouza:
In portuguese Calculus is called "Professor Girassol" that translates as "Professor Sunflower".

That's true, and the Portuguese for Litmus is 'tornassol'. But a few other languages seem to favour the 'Litmus' translation, like the new Indonesian translation which uses 'Lakmus'. My feeling is that Hergé favoured the double meaning.
jock123
Moderator
#25 · Posted: 20 Jan 2009 21:07
Harrock n roll:
Blunderbuss only appeared in Red Rackham's Treasure - the professor doesn't feature in The Secret Of The Unicorn

Ah, to be precise!

I imagine ol’ Bluderbuss is working out of sight off the page in Unicorn…
Harrock n roll
Moderator
#26 · Posted: 21 Jan 2009 11:39
jock123:
I imagine ol’ Bluderbuss is working out of sight off the page in Unicorn…

Indeed, he's in the blue and white boards at the edges of the book... :-)
Ranko
Member
#27 · Posted: 9 Apr 2014 22:32
hello all,

I'm just a little curious really... What was Nestor known as in the French editions?
I've checked our character guide and it doesn't specify. There are obviously other changes i.e, Snowy, Calculus, Thom(p)sons... But were there others? And did Nestor remain as Nestor?
Apologies if this has been answered and I've missed it!
jock123
Moderator
#28 · Posted: 10 Apr 2014 08:38
Nestor's name is the same in French and English (Nestor is both the name of a wise man in Greek legend, and a very early film studio in Hollywood - don't know which, if either, Hergé was thinking of).

Off the top of my head, two other characters who keep their names are General and Mrs Peggy Alcazar.
Ranko
Member
#29 · Posted: 10 Apr 2014 16:53
Thank you!

Reading more about the Nestor from Greek legend, it appears he wasn't to be trifled with. I somehow don't think he would have stood for any of Abdullah's shenanigans!
Furienna
Member
#30 · Posted: 14 Nov 2014 11:36
It seems like the Swedish translations have kept many of the original French names. Snowy is "Milou", the Thom(p)sons are "Dupond" and "Dupont". But the Bird brothers are called "Vogel", which is the German word for "bird" and sounds exactly like the Swedish word, "fågel".

Professor Calculus got the name "Karl Kalkyl". "Karl" is a very common name, and I sometimes wish that they could have come up with something more interesting. "Kalkyl" seems to be influenced by the English "Calculus".

Jolyon Wagg is called "Serafim Svensson". "Serafim" is taken from his original French name, "Seraphin". "Svensson" is a very common surname in Sweden, and it has come to mean "average Joe". And that is a suitable surname for one of the few "Tintin" characters, who lives a more average life with a wife and children.

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