Mark’s answer to “I have the H.T. Lowe-Porter translation (in English). however, when we finally get to the conversat…” > Likes and Comments
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Yes I tend to agree. The original did not feature a translation either, but as I mentioned, I think that even at the turn of the last century it was more common for the educated classes to speak French than it is now. There may be editions where the French is translated.
Still, basically yes, he declares his love for her. I can summarise more than a page of monologue in this way: "Mme Chauchat, I love you", and I dont think I would unduly compress the essence of the scene. But of course, this is part of the satire that is always present in Magic Mountain - his speech on love is so convoluted, and pseudo-philosophical, that you cannot help chuckling when you read it.
Yes, Chauchat does respond to it. It is a wonderful response that it both anti-climatic and climatic at once. It is an anticlimax because she teases him with a one-line response, and of course this is given in German (or the language of the translation) to deliver the reader back from the dream into "realty". But it is a climax when Chauchat, now leaving the room, looks back over her shoulder at him at reminds him to return her pencil. Everything is implied, nothing is said, but we know that Hans is going to be closer to Chauchat than he ever was, at least physically... :-)
oh thank you so much! yeah, I guess I understand why the original may have not translated the French, but in the English translation it seems odd to still have it in French. thanks for the summary of what was said, I know exactly what you mean about his speech :)
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Yes I tend to agree. The original did not feature a translation either, but as I mentioned, I think that even at the turn of the last century it was more common for the educated classes to speak French than it is now. There may be editions where the French is translated.Still, basically yes, he declares his love for her. I can summarise more than a page of monologue in this way: "Mme Chauchat, I love you", and I dont think I would unduly compress the essence of the scene. But of course, this is part of the satire that is always present in Magic Mountain - his speech on love is so convoluted, and pseudo-philosophical, that you cannot help chuckling when you read it.
Yes, Chauchat does respond to it. It is a wonderful response that it both anti-climatic and climatic at once. It is an anticlimax because she teases him with a one-line response, and of course this is given in German (or the language of the translation) to deliver the reader back from the dream into "realty". But it is a climax when Chauchat, now leaving the room, looks back over her shoulder at him at reminds him to return her pencil. Everything is implied, nothing is said, but we know that Hans is going to be closer to Chauchat than he ever was, at least physically... :-)
oh thank you so much! yeah, I guess I understand why the original may have not translated the French, but in the English translation it seems odd to still have it in French. thanks for the summary of what was said, I know exactly what you mean about his speech :)
it still just makes me annoyed. they could have kept that stylistic device in there while also giving a footnote or endnote translation for non-French speakers.