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The Thom(p)sons: Who coined the term "Thom(p)son Twins"?

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GurraJG
Member
#21 · Posted: 26 May 2004 15:03
marsbar:
I would be curious to know what Snowy says in the French original, as well as in other language edition books.

In the Swedish translation, Snowy says: "Brøderna Dupond & Dupont. Hi hi." That means "The Dupond & Dupont Brothers. Ha ha."

-Gustav
edcharlesadams
Trivia Challenge Score Keeper
#22 · Posted: 26 May 2004 15:45
Well spotted marsbar! In the French original Snowy says: "Ça y est! ... Entrée sensationnelle des Dupondt Brothers!..."

The fact that he says "Brothers" in English suggests to me that Snowy's actually being facetious - perhaps comparing the Thom(p)sons to the farcical Marx Brothers.

For this reason I'm not sure that this frame should be taken literally in this context - I don't think it is actually implying that they are related!
jockosjungle
Member
#23 · Posted: 26 May 2004 17:11
Agreed ed, it does sound more like a sarcastic comment from snowy. As they do arrive in their usual 'local costumes.'

Is this the only incident where they are referred to as twins/brothers?

Rik
GurraJG
Member
#24 · Posted: 26 May 2004 20:04
jockosjungle:
Surely Dupond and Dupont means Thompson and Thomson?

Yes, both in French and Swedish. However, Dupond and Dupont don't sound to English, so Thompson and Thomson was the name given to them instead.


jockosjungle:
Is this the only incident where they are referred to as twins/brothers?

I think so. It's the only time I've seen it happen.

-Gustav
Big Ren
Member
#25 · Posted: 27 May 2004 13:44
jock123:
And good catch, Big Ren! That must have slipped by me. What was his remark concerning?

No idea! and as edcharlesadams suggested it could have been a loose translation. Does anyone have this film on video so they could check this?
marsbar
Moderator
#26 · Posted: 11 Jul 2004 02:51
Description of the detectives posted on the official Tintin site (English version): "... Their resemblance is stunning: although they are neither twins nor even brothers, nothing seems to differentiate them at first glance. Only the shape of their moustache allows the distinction. As Hergé would explain, Thompson has a straight moustache whereas Thomson’s is slightly twisted.... From TINTIN and the World of Herge, Benoit Peeters, Pub. Little, Brown and Company" [Read full profile - external link]

Michael Farr's translation of Benoit Peeters' "Tintin and the World of Herge", page 59: "First appearing in 1934 in the black and white version of Cigars of the Pharaoh... the Thomson twins have a curious relationship with the other characters of the series."

Michael Farr's "Tintin: the complete companion", page 41 (third paragraph): "Thompson and Thomson, not twins, though identical except for the trim of their moustaches...."

Did Farr make a mistake in translation?

- Irene
Jyrki21
Member
#27 · Posted: 11 Jul 2004 07:35
marsbar wrote:
In Destination Moon (last frame, page 18), Snowy says: "This is it!... Sensational appearance of the Thomson twins!"
I would be curious to know what Snowy says in the French original, as well as in other language edition books.

Now that I'm back home in Vancouver for a few days, I pulled out my Hebrew edition of Destination Moon and can tell you that Snowy says,

"Ve'az hofi'u habalashim ha-te'umim Thomson ve-Thompson!"

Translates to: "And so the twin detectives Thomson and Thompson have entered!"

And somewhat relatedly, if anyone is familiar with the 1980s pop group "The Thompson Twins" (think of the song 'Hold Me Now,' for example), they were actually named after the detectives!
Karaboudjan
Member
#28 · Posted: 22 Dec 2004 01:06
I'm pretty sure the Captain frequently refers to them as 'the Siamese twins', and Snowy (in Destination Moon) says: "Sensational appearance of the Thompson twins".

If people rely on textual evidence, they may well be bamboozled by that.
doubleT
Member
#29 · Posted: 14 Dec 2005 20:07
How can we be sure that they are not related, I mean Hergé never said any thing about that, did he?

Mabye their have have the same mom but different dads, but I don't want to get over my head and get busted by the monitors!

And people! Twin can just be a word for people who look identical, they don't have to be brothers, do they?
labrador road 26
Member
#30 · Posted: 14 Dec 2005 22:59
I'm sure I have read in several bits of information, that Hergé said that they are absolutely not twins, nor even related. Almost sure it was mentioned in the Benoît Peeters book; don't have it here so I can't confirm that.

I do have the Farr book here, and it also confirms that they are not twins.

I think the series comments about them being twins or brothers has more to do with the fact that they look alike.

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