Tuesday, October 05, 2010

Nie Wiadomość



In case you are wondering about the post's title, the online Polish translator gives me this for "Not a clue."(And when you put it back into the translator for the English, it says "Knowledge not." Close enough.)


What this means is that I got a copy of the Polish version of Matadora in the mail today. Outside the name, which translates to "Matadora" in Polish,  and my own name, I don't know what the text says. 


I hope the book's translator was kind to me.
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8 comments:

  1. Bobbe EdmondsTuesday, October 5, 2010 at 3:34:00 PM PDT

    The translator might have been,but the cover artist sure as hell wasn't. Since when was Dirisha a pasty white Eurotrash Neo-Nazi rubber fetish hooker that could bend bars? And why is she doing it in Prague?

    Or did you write an alternate version for middle America?

    I mean...YEEESH.

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  2. Steve PerryTuesday, October 5, 2010 at 5:24:00 PM PDT

    It's not in the running for the best cover I ever had, I don't think, but I dunno how the Poles judge covers. Might sell a million copies.

    After all they took the biggest guitar band record down last years. Back in '03, when we set it in Portland, it was 520 of us. The Poles topped six thousand in '09.

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  3. J.D. RayTuesday, October 5, 2010 at 7:28:00 PM PDT

    I have a couple of (local) friends who are Polish. If you scan the cover, I could get one of them to translate the blurb for you to see if it passes muster. Or maybe you don't want to know... ;)

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  4. AnonymousWednesday, October 6, 2010 at 2:14:00 AM PDT

    For "not a clue" try Polish: 'nie mam pojęcia", which should translate to something like "I don't have a clue" or idea. I don't think there is an exact translation of "not a clue" to Polish.
    On the front cover you show, it says "Author of novels from world of Star Wars, Alien and Conan". What does the blurb say?

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  5. Steve PerryWednesday, October 6, 2010 at 8:17:00 AM PDT

    I figured somebody who dropped by here would know Polish. My brother-in-law does, but he's back in Louisiana.

    I'll put up the back cover, too.

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  6. AnonymousWednesday, October 6, 2010 at 2:44:00 PM PDT

    It says, roughly:

    "The way is life. The life is fight.

    Dirisha knows that *better* than anyone else. Even for a moment one can't lose vigilance, one can't *forget* that *death* can lurk behind a corner.

    School of Matadors, the place where people like her learn from each other, gives her respite. But for how long?

    BECOME MATADOR. Always be ready to fight. For life and death. With everyone. For everything."

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  7. Steve PerryWednesday, October 6, 2010 at 3:32:00 PM PDT

    Cool. Thanks.

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  8. J.D. RayWednesday, October 6, 2010 at 8:29:00 PM PDT

    Anonymous evidently had "roughly" down pretty well. Here's a translation from one of my Polish friends:

    "The road is a life and life is a fight. ( instead of - Life is a road, and life is a fight)

    Dirisha knows it better than anyone else. One must be alert and never forget that Death may be waiting behind the corner.

    The Matador school, a place where people like Dirisha can learn from each other, can offer some relief, but for how long?

    Become the Matador, Be ready to fight. For death or life. With Everyone. For everything."

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