July Monthly Blog
July Monthly Blog
This month I am taken with the beauty of language and how elastic yet precise it can be. I made a promise to myself that I would deviate from my usual choices and read different authors of cozies. So, presently I’m reading a novel by Mario Giordano called Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions. The novel was initially written in German although Mr. Giordano is fluent in Italian thus the sprinkling of Italian phrases throughout the novel. The novel was translated from the German to English almost immediately after publication in Germany, and it is the translation that enchants me. I have no idea whether the novel is as lyrically written in its original German as the translation into English makes the novel. Reading the translation shows the translator’s art of language choice. The use of a word to convey with precision the author’s intent is obvious as is the translator’s love of language. I have a good vocabulary, but there are a couple of word choices that I had to lookup (thank you Apple for putting a dictionary app on my phone). This is not by way of boasting. It is that the translator wanted to covey the idea as well as the cultural weight for which the idea deserved. Here is an example of the translator and author playing with Italian phrases in a manner that has the weight of regional cultural practice:
For this is the worst thing that can happen to any Italian male, especially a . Sicilian. Economic crises, volcanic eruptions, corrupt politicians, emigration, the Mafia, uncollected rubbish, and overfishing of the Mediterranean -- he can endure anything with fatalism and a bella figura. The main thing is never to present a brutta figura, a figuraccia. Bella Figura is the Italian credo. The basic equipment for this includes a well-groomed, unostentatiously fashionable appearance, a pair of good shoes and the right make of sunglasses. Above all, though, bella figura means always looking good, never foolish. For an Italian this is a must, not an option, and quite indispensable. It also means you don’t embarrass your fellow men. (101-102)
The passage goes on to add that it includes exercising patience in a restaurant, the manner in which one receives guests, bringing a dessert wheninvited for dinner, and, among other examples, contributing to the betterment of the world. The use of the phrase is so simply translated into English, but the phrase is loaded with cultural significance. Language is both evocative and considered. Amazing!
July also means it’s birthday time for the country. Today’s Supreme Court decisions make birthday time more significant but that’s on a human level. On a Barnaby dog level it means that he has to hide in my shower when the firecrackers go off. Last year he insisted on being in the tub and my daughter ended up bringing a blanket and pillow in so she could doze near him and comfort him each time they could hear the firecrackers. Why, oh why do we celebrate with fireworks? Our doggies hate them. Of course there is the splendor of seeing all of the colors in the sky and being able to celebrate as a group without having been introduced to one another. It’s a pretty nifty “belonging” that we have – despite the current rulings. July holds the promise of another year of freedom from autocrats. We’re pretty lucky to be here regardless of political persuasion. I have to thank those ancestors of mine for being so brave and coming here. Happy Birthday United States!
On an entirely different note, I started practicing “driving” around in my new electric wheelchair. I am a terrible driver! The joystick seems to have a mind of its own, and it just makes me laugh at myself. Poor Barnaby. I’m practicing in the garage to our building where there’s a lot of room to maneuver, but Barnaby fancies himself my guard dog and hates the chair. He barked and he cried, and he tried to get me out of the chair by hitting my feet. Poor baby. I hope he doesn’t write this down in his journal of human abuse. I hope he’ll get used to the chair. It’s really quite wonderful and I’ll be able to go to a museum again (if I can learn how to go in reverse without bumping anything!).