Help finding obscure literary quote in English
Thread poster: JCD61
JCD61
JCD61  Identity Verified
Canada
Local time: 08:51
Spanish to English
Aug 22, 2017

Hi folks, I am wondering if anyone knows of a translator support service that will look up quotes from books that are hard to find online? This is a quote from a Jules Verne novel (Survivors of the Jonathan, now reedited a Magellania). Can't find it online, believe me i've tried! thanks.

 
neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 13:51
Spanish to English
+ ...
More info please Aug 23, 2017

If you have the quote in Spanish, revealing it to us might help find the solution.

According to Wikipedia, the novel in question was not published until 1909, after it had been rewritten by Verne's son Michel under the title Les naufragés du "Jonathan". I would surmise that if the original was written in French, then any quotes from it would - syntactically and grammatically, at any rate - tend to resemble Spanish rather than English, so that might be a better place to begin the s
... See more
If you have the quote in Spanish, revealing it to us might help find the solution.

According to Wikipedia, the novel in question was not published until 1909, after it had been rewritten by Verne's son Michel under the title Les naufragés du "Jonathan". I would surmise that if the original was written in French, then any quotes from it would - syntactically and grammatically, at any rate - tend to resemble Spanish rather than English, so that might be a better place to begin the search.

[Edited at 2017-08-23 09:05 GMT]
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Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 12:51
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Re-edited - and re-translated? Aug 23, 2017

JCD61 wrote:

Hi folks, I am wondering if anyone knows of a translator support service that will look up quotes from books that are hard to find online? This is a quote from a Jules Verne novel (Survivors of the Jonathan, now reedited a Magellania). Can't find it online, believe me i've tried! thanks.


The first edition (1909) was translated from the French by I. O. Evans. That's more than 100 years ago; I imagine that Evans' translation is now very antiquated. A nice job for some French to English translator.

Buy the book, is my suggestion. You can find it here (in 2 vols.):

http://bit.ly/2iqIkQz


 
JCD61
JCD61  Identity Verified
Canada
Local time: 08:51
Spanish to English
TOPIC STARTER
here is the quote, in case anyone happens to have a copy of the book about... Aug 23, 2017

"El Cabo de Hornos está perfectamente adecuado para que en él levanten un faro, que iluminaría ese límite común a dos océanos. Lo exige la seguridad de la navegación y de seguro que disminuiría la cantidad de siniestros, tan frecuentes en aquellos parajes. A falta de faro, no cabía duda de que la hoguera encendida por la mano del Kaw-djer había sido vista. Así el capitán del navío no podía ignorar, lo menos, que se encontraba muy cerca del Cabo. Informado sobre su posición exacta ... See more
"El Cabo de Hornos está perfectamente adecuado para que en él levanten un faro, que iluminaría ese límite común a dos océanos. Lo exige la seguridad de la navegación y de seguro que disminuiría la cantidad de siniestros, tan frecuentes en aquellos parajes. A falta de faro, no cabía duda de que la hoguera encendida por la mano del Kaw-djer había sido vista. Así el capitán del navío no podía ignorar, lo menos, que se encontraba muy cerca del Cabo. Informado sobre su posición exacta por aquel fuego, le sería posible ponerse a salvo lanzándose por los pasos a sotavento de la isla Hornos."

Actually the book was re-translated recently in its original form and under its original title (Magellania). I imagine that part is still in the (new) version in English.
https://www.amazon.com/Magellania-Bison-Frontiers-Imagination-Jules/dp/0803246110


thanks again
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Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 12:51
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
I've just found the book in Spanish... Aug 23, 2017

http://www.enxarxa.com/biblioteca/VERNE%20Los_náufragos_del_Jonathan.pdf

 
JCD61
JCD61  Identity Verified
Canada
Local time: 08:51
Spanish to English
TOPIC STARTER
that's hopeful... Aug 23, 2017

that's hopeful...I have searched and searched and can't find an English version online to extract the correct quotation, and I can't translate from the original French myself.

 
Nikki Scott-Despaigne
Nikki Scott-Despaigne  Identity Verified
Local time: 13:51
French to English
English version Aug 23, 2017

Just hopped on Wikipedia : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Survivors_of_the_"Jonathan"

This may help : The two parts of the novel were subsequently translated and published separately in English as Masterless Man
... See more
Just hopped on Wikipedia : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Survivors_of_the_"Jonathan"

This may help : The two parts of the novel were subsequently translated and published separately in English as Masterless Man and Unwilling Dictator.[2]

http://www.julesverne.ca/vernebooks/jvbkmagellania.html

Links there should lead you to what you want.
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Nikki Scott-Despaigne
Nikki Scott-Despaigne  Identity Verified
Local time: 13:51
French to English
The point being... Aug 23, 2017

that the title changed, the EN version of the work being published in two parts, with the respective titles of Masterless Man and Unwilling Dictator.

[Edited at 2017-08-23 20:08 GMT]


 
JCD61
JCD61  Identity Verified
Canada
Local time: 08:51
Spanish to English
TOPIC STARTER
thanks...is there a link to the actual text? Aug 23, 2017

I couldn't find one on that site you mentioned, only a plot synopsis and images of the English edition cover...maybe I'm just blind.....?

I've looked for full-text versions of all four possibilities (Magellania, SotJ, and the two-part text) online but no joy...

maybe I need to start a librarian service for translators? or if anyone knows of one, please let me know-I'd be happy to pay someone to look it up for me as I'm living off-grid (except for internet) and can't ac
... See more
I couldn't find one on that site you mentioned, only a plot synopsis and images of the English edition cover...maybe I'm just blind.....?

I've looked for full-text versions of all four possibilities (Magellania, SotJ, and the two-part text) online but no joy...

maybe I need to start a librarian service for translators? or if anyone knows of one, please let me know-I'd be happy to pay someone to look it up for me as I'm living off-grid (except for internet) and can't access a print library.

thanks again folks!
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Nikki Scott-Despaigne
Nikki Scott-Despaigne  Identity Verified
Local time: 13:51
French to English
Oops, yes, sorry! Aug 23, 2017

I hadn't followed through right to the end. It is indeed only the plot. You can find secondhand hardback versions of the EN version. Maybe it just doesn't exist in digital form.

 
JCD61
JCD61  Identity Verified
Canada
Local time: 08:51
Spanish to English
TOPIC STARTER
found it, with a bit of fiddling with googlebooks Aug 23, 2017

thanks to everyone! I fiddled with googlebooks search terms and after a bit of effort pieced together the quote.
cheers


 
Alison MacG
Alison MacG  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 12:51
German to English
+ ...
Google Books snippet view Aug 24, 2017

Both Magellania and The Masterless Man can be found on Google Books, but unfortunately only in snippet view. However, it is still possible to extract the text bit by bit.

From: Magellania Jules Verne Welcome Rain Publishers, 2002

Cape Horn would be an ideal place for a lighthouse to brighten the dangerous approaches on the border between two oceans. The security of navigation demands it Already, Ile des Etats sends off night flares at Vancouver Point; but these are rem
... See more
Both Magellania and The Masterless Man can be found on Google Books, but unfortunately only in snippet view. However, it is still possible to extract the text bit by bit.

From: Magellania Jules Verne Welcome Rain Publishers, 2002

Cape Horn would be an ideal place for a lighthouse to brighten the dangerous approaches on the border between two oceans. The security of navigation demands it Already, Ile des Etats sends off night flares at Vancouver Point; but these are remote and are only of use to ships coming from the east across the Atlantic. There is no doubt that the hearth lit by Kaw-djer was seen. Aboard the ship in distress, they must have been aware that the shore was only a mile away under the lee, and the storm was pushing them in that direction. The captain had to know that he was abeam of Cape Horn, if he had measured his position during the day. No doubt he had tried to get around it; but pushed back by the wind and driven by the currents, the ship was unable to haul itself out to the open sea. Now, half disabled, the only salvation was to throw itself across the channels on both sides of Cape Horn.
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=tSobAQAAIAAJ&q="Cape%20Horn%20would%20be%20an%20ideal%20place%20for%20a%20lighthouse%20to%20brighten%20the%20dangerous%20approaches"&dq="Cape%20Horn%20would%20be%20an%20ideal%20place%20for%20a%20lighthouse%20to%20brighten%20the%20dangerous%20approaches"&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwidrvLXiO_VAhXrAMAKHbRMCd4Q6AEIJjAA

From: The Masterless Man Jules Verne Associated Booksellers, 1962

Cape horn seems to have been made to support a lighthouse, which would illuminate that common boundary of the two oceans. The safety of commerce demands it, and it would certainly reduce the number of disasters so frequent off those and it would certainly reduce the number of disasters so frequent off those shores. There could be no doubt that, failing a lighthouse, the fire lit by the Kaw-djer would be seen. The ship's captain could not fail to realize that he was just off the Cape. Informed by the blaze of his exact position, he might be able to seek safety by entering the Straits to leeward of Cape Horn.
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=IPVLAAAAMAAJ&q="Cape%20horn%20seems%20to%20have%20been%20made%20to%20support%20a%20lighthouse,%20which%20would%20illuminate%20that%20common%20boundary%20of%20the%20two%20oceans."&dq="Cape%20horn%20seems%20to%20have%20been%20made%20to%20support%20a%20lighthouse,%20which%20would%20illuminate%20that%20common%20boundary%20of%20the%20two%20oceans."&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiYu-3Wiu_VAhVLLMAKHa8tAuEQ6AEIJjAA

Hope that helps.

@JCD61 - Your latest post had not appeared when I posted these links - sorry! I will leave the post visible for anyone else who may be interested.

[Edited at 2017-08-24 09:14 GMT]
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Heinrich Pesch
Heinrich Pesch  Identity Verified
Finland
Local time: 14:51
Member (2003)
Finnish to German
+ ...
Obsolete Aug 24, 2017

I new translation would surely take into account that lighthouses are obsolete, we have GPS.

 
Platary (X)
Platary (X)
Local time: 13:51
German to French
+ ...
The French original Aug 26, 2017

Even if it was not the question, here the original text :

Le cap Horn est tout indiqué pour porter un phare, qui éclairerait cette limite commune des deux océans. La sécurité de la navigation l’exige, et bien certainement le nombre des sinistres, si fréquents en ces parages, en serait diminué. Nul doute que, à défaut de phare, le foyer allumé par la main du Kaw-djer n’eût été vu. Le capitaine du navire ne pouvait ignorer à tout le moins qu’il se trouvait à prox
... See more
Even if it was not the question, here the original text :

Le cap Horn est tout indiqué pour porter un phare, qui éclairerait cette limite commune des deux océans. La sécurité de la navigation l’exige, et bien certainement le nombre des sinistres, si fréquents en ces parages, en serait diminué. Nul doute que, à défaut de phare, le foyer allumé par la main du Kaw-djer n’eût été vu. Le capitaine du navire ne pouvait ignorer à tout le moins qu’il se trouvait à proximité du cap. Renseigné par ce feu sur sa position exacte, il lui serait possible de chercher le salut en se jetant dans les passes sous le vent de l’île Horn.

Interesting to have a look at the English and Spanish versions...

[Modifié le 2017-08-26 09:57 GMT]
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Help finding obscure literary quote in English







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