Translations and International Editions >> Transcription errors in a current French translation of The Lord of the Rings
Transcription errors in a current French translation of The Lord of the Rings
15 Feb, 2023
2023-2-15 1:25:05 PM UTC
2023-2-15 1:25:05 PM UTC
A few months ago, I decided that I would read a French translation of The Lord of the Rings and I bought a new paperback copy, the Pocket box set translated by F. Ledoux. (I am English, and I consider that I have adequate “tourist” French.) I thought that this might improve my French, but I was mostly curious as to what I might make of it. This is probably not the place to discuss this, but what I also found were a large number of transcription errors as I read the book alongside my own English copies. These included:
1. Missing text – usually phrases within sentences
2. Missing sentences or larger blocks of text.
3. Errors in the identification of people – using the wrong name for a person in the text.
4. Errors in the naming of people – misspelling of the name of someone.
Not wanting to make too long a post, I give below one example of what I am referring to; but what I would like to know is whether the newer French translation does not have such errors, or whether these sorts of checks have actually been done. I’m not so bothered about individual translation choices by the translator; different choices are inevitable, as Tolkien himself said.
French Pocket Edition Fellowship Chapter 2 Page 68
-Non merci, dit Fred, riant avec les autres. Mais qu’en et il de ces Hommes-arbres, ces géants comme qui dirait?
Translation - "No thank you," Fred said, laughing with the others. But what about these Tree-Men, these giants as it were?
UK HB (2nd Ed) Fellowship Chapter 2 page 53
‘No thank ‘ee,’ said Ted, ‘I won’t. I heard tell of them when I was a youngster, but there’s no call to believe in them now. ‘There’s only one dragon in Bywater, and that’s Green,’ he said, getting a general laugh.
‘All right,’ said Sam, laughing with the rest. ‘But what about these Tree-men, these giants as you might call them?...
In this example several lines of text (shown in bold) are missed and Sam’s words are attributed to Ted. This makes the rest of the conversation appear to say that it is Ted arguing that his cousin Hal has seen a Tree-man and that Sam is disagreeing.
I presume that this must already been a known issue, and if the more recent translation is known not to have these errors, I’ll probably buy it. Hopefully some of the members much more knowledgeable about the French translations can let me know.
1. Missing text – usually phrases within sentences
2. Missing sentences or larger blocks of text.
3. Errors in the identification of people – using the wrong name for a person in the text.
4. Errors in the naming of people – misspelling of the name of someone.
Not wanting to make too long a post, I give below one example of what I am referring to; but what I would like to know is whether the newer French translation does not have such errors, or whether these sorts of checks have actually been done. I’m not so bothered about individual translation choices by the translator; different choices are inevitable, as Tolkien himself said.
French Pocket Edition Fellowship Chapter 2 Page 68
-Non merci, dit Fred, riant avec les autres. Mais qu’en et il de ces Hommes-arbres, ces géants comme qui dirait?
Translation - "No thank you," Fred said, laughing with the others. But what about these Tree-Men, these giants as it were?
UK HB (2nd Ed) Fellowship Chapter 2 page 53
‘No thank ‘ee,’ said Ted, ‘I won’t. I heard tell of them when I was a youngster, but there’s no call to believe in them now. ‘There’s only one dragon in Bywater, and that’s Green,’ he said, getting a general laugh.
‘All right,’ said Sam, laughing with the rest. ‘But what about these Tree-men, these giants as you might call them?...
In this example several lines of text (shown in bold) are missed and Sam’s words are attributed to Ted. This makes the rest of the conversation appear to say that it is Ted arguing that his cousin Hal has seen a Tree-man and that Sam is disagreeing.
I presume that this must already been a known issue, and if the more recent translation is known not to have these errors, I’ll probably buy it. Hopefully some of the members much more knowledgeable about the French translations can let me know.
Hi Roccondil !
So yes, the editions translated by Francis Ledoux (The Hobbit in 69 and The Lord of the Rings in 72-73) are well known for their multiple errors and problems (we could add the absence of the appendices, translated more than 10 years later by Tina Jolas) but the two books were re-translated respectively in 2012 then 2014/15/16.
As you have deduced, the new translation has been purged of all these problems so, if you want to read the most faithful translation to the original work that you know, you have to choose a recent edition translated by Daniel Lauzon.
Besides, if you need help choosing one, that's my area so don't hesitate if you need advice
NB : There is still a lot of work on this page concerning the old editions (Ledoux) but the last three (the only ones translated by Lauzon) are up to date so this page should be able to help you.
So yes, the editions translated by Francis Ledoux (The Hobbit in 69 and The Lord of the Rings in 72-73) are well known for their multiple errors and problems (we could add the absence of the appendices, translated more than 10 years later by Tina Jolas) but the two books were re-translated respectively in 2012 then 2014/15/16.
As you have deduced, the new translation has been purged of all these problems so, if you want to read the most faithful translation to the original work that you know, you have to choose a recent edition translated by Daniel Lauzon.
Besides, if you need help choosing one, that's my area so don't hesitate if you need advice
NB : There is still a lot of work on this page concerning the old editions (Ledoux) but the last three (the only ones translated by Lauzon) are up to date so this page should be able to help you.
I think your wife must have obtained the copy translated by Ledoux on the second-hand market because normally these books have been withdrawn and are indeed no longer sold in bookstores.
Yes, it is now strongly recommended to read Hobbit/LotR with Lauzon's translations which are of much better quality, and there are paperback editions for both books.
Here are the pages of my site with all the details and a video presentation of the 2 editions that I recommend:
- Le Seigneur des Anneaux 2002 : last paperback edition, it benefits from the correction of the typos of the first edition translated by Lauzon and is harmonized with the current paperback collection
- Le Hobbit 2022 : last paperback edition too, it is published for the youth readership and is the most faithful to the edition desired by Tolkien for 1937
Again, if you need help, especially to find purchase links, don't hesitate. It's always a pleasure
Yes, it is now strongly recommended to read Hobbit/LotR with Lauzon's translations which are of much better quality, and there are paperback editions for both books.
Here are the pages of my site with all the details and a video presentation of the 2 editions that I recommend:
- Le Seigneur des Anneaux 2002 : last paperback edition, it benefits from the correction of the typos of the first edition translated by Lauzon and is harmonized with the current paperback collection
- Le Hobbit 2022 : last paperback edition too, it is published for the youth readership and is the most faithful to the edition desired by Tolkien for 1937
Again, if you need help, especially to find purchase links, don't hesitate. It's always a pleasure
Thanks for the links to your site, Bergelmir. I'll use this to get a Lauzon reading copy. Regarding the Ledoux Hobbit, it was certainly bought as a new book from Amazon UK. Here's the cover and the inside page.
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