Random blanks in text...heeeelp

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timberwolfmage
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Post by timberwolfmage »

Can anyone tell me what the possible interpretation should be for this? It's Faust, Scene 21:

THE OLD ONE (OLD WITCH)

I offer here my best salute
Unto the knight with cloven foot!
Let him a—————prepare,
If him—————————does not scare.



I feel like there was a discussion about blanks in text at one point, but I can't find it and don't remember what the decision was...help please?
-- [url=http://www.trekandromeda.com][b]Rosalind Wills[/b][/url]
a.r.dobbs
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Post by a.r.dobbs »

Well... is there no space between the words and the dashes?
I don't have any real idea about these blanks, but I think know of other blanks that have been discussed, for instance in the Barchester Towers thread. Rather than naming real dates and places, the author would occasionally say 185-- (which we'd read as 1850-something) and Mr. ___ went to town (which could be read as Mr. So-and-so). ExEmGe is a good one for advice on that sort of blank. But these ones you list ... I have only wild guesses.
Anita
timberwolfmage
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Post by timberwolfmage »

No, no spaces -- the text appears on Gutenberg exactly as I copied it...

Meh...I don't know what to do about this...I'm going to look at other translations and see if they have the same problem...

EDIT: The other Gutenberg translations have this problem too...any suggestions?
-- [url=http://www.trekandromeda.com][b]Rosalind Wills[/b][/url]
ceastman
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Post by ceastman »

Hmm, does Google Books have a scan of it?

-Catharine
timberwolfmage
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Post by timberwolfmage »

It has a scan of a few different translations but not of this one (at least not that I can find...)

"My greetings, and my best approof
To the gallant knight of the 'Horse's hoof!'
Let him draw sword, and stand prepared
To assail th' Enchantress, if not scared!"

Which still doesn't do me much good, since it seems weird to combine translations...
-- [url=http://www.trekandromeda.com][b]Rosalind Wills[/b][/url]
ceastman
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Post by ceastman »

Yes, but I think you now have the clues you need to fill in the blanks, if you so choose: sword and Enchantress are clearly the fill-ins.

One wonders just why the blanks are there, though. Did someone (at the time) edit the text so that it could keep the G rating? ;)

-Catharine
ExEmGe
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Post by ExEmGe »

You need eight syllables in each line so how about

Let him unscabard sword prepare,
If him th' Enchantress does not scare.

I speak with trepidation. Last time I did something like this I got the blackboard cleaner thrown at me!
Isn't there a poet in the house?
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Andy Minter
GordMackenzie
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Post by GordMackenzie »

By there way here is an annotation that I believe applies to these lines:

294-309: The German words corresponding to these indecent particulars have generally been replaced by dashes in the printed editions since 1808.

This is from:

http://www.octc.kctcs.edu/crunyon/CE/03-Goethe/goethe.htm
Gord Mackenzie
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GordMackenzie
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Post by GordMackenzie »

Here's another translation, that makes clear (if not already so), the lewd meaning intended:

I proffer now my best salute
To you, the knight with horse's foot!
Let me a proper cork prepare,
If him a big hole does not scare.

(this translation comes from: http://www.levity.com/alchemy/faust18.html ... not sure where they source it from ... )
Gord Mackenzie
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ceastman
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Post by ceastman »

GordMackenzie wrote:Here's another translation, that makes clear (if not already so), the lewd meaning intended:

I proffer now my best salute
To you, the knight with horse's foot!
Let me a proper cork prepare,
If him a big hole does not scare.
Heavens!

Honest and true, I was totally kidding when I put in that bit about censoring. It took this post to show me the lewd intended meaning.

Must go and dirty my mind some, clearly!

-Catharine
timberwolfmage
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Post by timberwolfmage »

*snorts* Definitely hadn't caught that at all...*dies laughing*

Aaaanyway...

I like the version that you offer, ExEmGe, and I'll probably go with that -- do you think a note should be put into the file somewhere that this was a censored section in the actual translation?
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a.r.dobbs
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Post by a.r.dobbs »

I like ExEmGe's version, too, but I think you'd have to stick with the dashes, frankly. Either what was censored out to begin with, or the censored version, because they're authentic.

I've been wrong a time or two.
Anita
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