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Flight 714: Translation mistake in the Bengali version? [Closed]

rastapoper
Member
#1 · Posted: 12 May 2009 17:02
The Bengali book of Flight 714 has a terribly mistake!

Tintin says "Great snakes!", which would be "Dāruṇa sāpa!", but in the Bengali book, it says "SAPKHOP" which means "Snakes and insects!".

Moderator Note: Thank you, that's interesting.
In the circumstances however, the expression "Great snakes!" is simply used in the English edition as a slightly childish, innocent expression in place of swearing or language which might prove to be offensive, in which case the exact sense is not actually needed in the translation (for example, "Great snakes!" replaces what Hergé wrote in the French original, it doesn't translate it). Presumably the Bengali translator was working from the English text, but substituted a suitable word or phrase (wouldn't "Sāpakhōpa" also mean "snake bite"?) which fitted the space, and gave Tintin something to say in surprise.

The Happy Tintinologist Team

This topic is closed.