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Robinson Crusoe - Chapters

Martin

Martin

Active Member
Maybe some of you know the answer to my little conundrum here.

For my Bachelor's degree I have to write an extensive and annotated translation (of 100 pages!! - damn), and I chose Robinson Crusoe, by Defoe, because I'd already translated a bit for a previous course, and I liked it very much. However, while I was translating a minute ago, I decided to look for a full text on the Internet, so I could download that and have it on my computer as a word-file - which is way easier than having to grab the tiny Penguin book all the time.

Anyway. I found a couple of full texts of Robinson Crusoe on the Internet, but all of them are differently structured than my own Penguin edition. The chapters start at different intervals and the titles of these chapters are also different.

Does anyone know if there are two (or more) versions of this book out there? And if so, which one is the 'correct' one, if there is such a thing?

Cheers, Martin :cool:
 
Unfortunately, this books is often abridged. Even worse, it's often hard to tell if it's abridged or not, you really have to dig in the small print to figure it out. I suggest you go with whatever copy has "unabridged" in big letter on the cover.
 
Try this:Norton Critical Edition

The Norton critical editions are supposed to be authoritative, or so my profs kept telling me when I griped about paying $15 for one instead of $4 for the Penguin.

Where's that Robinson Crusoe guy when you need him? Maybe he left his email address lying about somewhere.
 
So, essentially, what you're saying is that there are several editions, each with their own indexing, and that this Norton Edition you gave a link to should be the authoritative version (the way Defoe wrote it).

Okay, thanks! If that is what you're saying, then I'll just use my penguin edition. The point of this exercise is to make a decent translation, which doesn't have to be made from the original text.

I asked because it just struck me as odd.

much obliged, Ashlea. You're a lifesaver.

Cheers, Martin :cool:
 
Oh, and something I wanted to add:

This is one sentence in Robinson Crusoe:

He bade me observe it, and I should always find that the calamities of life were shared among the upper and lower part of mankind, but that the middle station had the fewest disasters, and was not exposed to so many vicissitudes as the higher or lower part of mankind; nay, they were not subjected to so many distempers and uneasinesses, either of body or mind, as those were who, by vicious living, luxury, and extravagances on the one hand, or by hard labour, want of necessaries, and mean or insufficient diet on the other hand, bring distemper upon themselves by the natural consequences of their way of living; that the middle station of life was calculated for all kind of virtue and all kind of enjoyments; that peace and plenty were the handmaids of a middle fortune; that temperance, moderation, quietness, health, society, all agreeable diversions, and all desirable pleasures, were the blessings attending the middle station of life; that this way men went silently and smoothly through the world, and comfortably out of it, not embarrassed with the labours of the hands or of the head, not sold to a life of slavery for daily bread, nor harassed with perplexed circumstances, which rob the soul of peace and the body of rest, nor enraged with the passion of envy, or the secret burning lust of ambition for great things; but, in easy circumstances, sliding gently through the world, and sensibly tasting the sweets of living, without the bitter; feeling that they are happy, and learning by every day's experience to know it more sensibly.

You try fecking translating that!!!

Why on this Godforsaken planet did I chose this friggin' BOOK?!

Cheers, Martin
BAWLING.GIF
 
I'm a little curious myself. Something a tad bit more modern would've had numerous advantages.

And yes, that is what I'm saying, they keep abridging it to make it a "children's book."

That is an interesting viewpoint of the middle class. Rather like it, actually. Much better than modern griping about the soullessness of the bourgeois.
 
I'm a little curious myself. Something a tad bit more modern would've had numerous advantages.
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God yes.

I have an appointment with my tutor tomorrow and I think I'm gonna ask him for a change of source material.

This is not doable. Not 100 pages in 4 weeks (to anyone who's thinking to himself: "100 pages in 4 weeks - easy!" I say: "Feck you!").

Any suggestions for a good book to try to translate.

Cheers, Martin :cool:
 
What are your guidelines? Does it have to be of a certain difficulty? Can it be copyrighted or must be in the public domain? Does it have to be fiction?

Hmm . . . The Great Gatsby? Something by Twain? (both are free game, copyright wise)

Something fun and modern - have to think on that.
 
Tomorrow's my first appointment with the guy, so I don't know exactly what the guidelines are. I guess it has to be a proper (established) literature. Anything besides that, I don't really know.

However, revelations have come to my attention. In his email he said to me that I should translate "from the beginning until the end of Crusoe's diary". I read this as "from the beginning of the novel until the end of the diary" --> being 100 pages. My girlfriend, who also read the email, just now asked me if I wasn't completely sure he meant "from the beginning of the diary until the end of the diary" --> which is about 20 pages.

I pray to God he meant the latter, and I will find out tomorrow.

I'll let you know. In any case, thank you very much for your help!

Cheers, Martin :cool:
 
Martin said:
much obliged, Ashlea. You're a lifesaver.
Click to expand...

I've always thought of Mom as more like a stick of gum. Some might say that after chewing on her for awhile the taste gets pretty bland and you want to stick her under a table some where. Not me of course but some might.

If you prefer to think of her as something to suck on that makes your cheeks pucker up when you try to stick your tongue through the hole in the middle, who am I to say you shouldn't?

RaVeN
 
For those of you who dont get that joke at ALL!!!

A Lifesaver is a type of sweet in America, think fruity Polos and you're not far off ;)

And if you dont know what Polos are!! Well, thats your lookout then, isnt it :p

<Sigh> Americans!!

Phil :D
 
RaVeN said:
I've always thought of Mom as more like a stick of gum. Some might say that after chewing on her for awhile the taste gets pretty bland and you want to stick her under a table some where. Not me of course but some might.

If you prefer to think of her as something to suck on that makes your cheeks pucker up when you try to stick your tongue through the hole in the middle, who am I to say you shouldn't?

RaVeN
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La, la, la. I'm ignoring you.
 
What is it about lifesavers that make one want to stick their tongue in the hole? I do that, too.



Martin, I'm wishing you much good luck with your translation...sounds terrible.
 
Anyway ...
In his email he said to me that I should translate "from the beginning until the end of Crusoe's diary". I read this as "from the beginning of the novel until the end of the diary" --> being 100 pages. My girlfriend, who also read the email, just now asked me if I wasn't completely sure he meant "from the beginning of the diary until the end of the diary" --> which is about 20 pages.
Click to expand...
Well, I was right, she was wrong, he meant the full hundred pages.

But!

After talking to a fellow student, who's doing the same as me, it came to my attention that it should only be about 6000 or 7000 words long, so I went back to the tutor, and he shortened the piece considerably, from 36000 (!!!) to 6000 words.

All in all, problem solved.

To Wabbit and Chewie, and of course Ashlea - thanks for your good luck wishes!

To Phil - we knew what lifesavers are, but thanks for enlightening us with your sagelike wisdom. :p

To RaVeN - get help, son.

Cheers, Martin :cool:
 
What's this crap? Phil has sagelike wisdom but I'm the one that needs help?

Next time you need advice on which books to buy don't come crying to La, la, la.


RaVeN
 
First off, the smiley next to my message to Phil signifies sarcasm.

Secondly, what did you remember?

Cheers, Martin :cool:
 
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