[solo] Proust, Sodom and Gomorrah translated by Scott-Moncrieff - rap

[MOKelly]

Cities of the Plain, by Marcel Proust (1871 - 1922), translated by C. K. Scott-Moncrieff (1889 - 1930)

Combines the stories of M de Charlus and other "men-women" in French high society with the story of the narrator's developing affair with Albertine. (Summary by Michael O'Kelly)

Source text (please read only from this text!): https://archive.org/details/citiesofplain00prourich/page/n5/mode/2up

Target completion date: 2026-10-31

Prooflistening level: Translated Text
Prospective PLs, please see the Guide for Proof-listeners.

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Magic Window:

BC Admin
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Genres for the project: Literary Fiction
Keywords that describe the book: À la recherche du temps perdu, roman fleuve, proust, scott moncrieff
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LibriVox recording settings: mono (1 channel), 44100 Hz sample rate, 128 kbps constant bit rate MP3. See the Tech Specs

Intro to recording:
Leave 0.5 to 1 second of silence at the beginning.

For the first section, say:

"Section (or Chapter) # of Cities of the Plain. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit librivox.org." [Optional: "Read by your name."] "Cities of the Plain, by Marcel Proust, translated by C. K. Scott-Moncrieff. Section Title."

For the second and subsequent sections, you may use the shortened intro if you wish:

"Section (or Chapter) # of Cities of the Plain, by Marcel Proust, translated by C. K. Scott-Moncrieff. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain." [Optional: "Read by your name."] "Section Title."

End of recording:
Say:

"End of section (or chapter) #." [Optional, and if not stated in the intro: "Read by your name, city, date."]

If you are recording the final section of the book, add:

"End of Cities of the Plain, by Marcel Proust, translated by C. K. Scott-Moncrieff."

Leave 5 seconds of silence at the end.

Filename: citiesoftheplain_##_proust_128kb.mp3 where ## is the section number. (e.g. citiesoftheplain_01_proust_128kb.mp3)

Upload to the LibriVox Uploader: https://librivox.org/login/uploader

MC to select: Rapunzelina

Copy and paste the file link generated by the uploader into the relevant Listen URL field in the Section Compiler, enter the duration in the Notes field, and post in this thread to let your PL and MC know that you have uploaded a file. You may also post the file link in the thread.

[MOKelly]

The translation of Proust's Sodom and Gomorrah (translation is entitled Cities of the Plain), which I have proposed above, has a copyright date of 1929; for librivox, I understand that an audiobook of the translation could not be distributed until 2026. Is it possible to register the translation as a new project now, to be completed in 2026; or does one need to wait until 2026 to register the project?

[Rapunzelina]

We'll have to wait till 2025 January 1st to work on this in the forum, if it's from 1929. But if you're in a country where this is already in the public domain, you could make your recordings, and offer them when the time comes. Otherwise, any work on this would be breaking copyright laws. Though I would suggest waiting on your recordings too, since if there are any edits needed, it would be best to be made in the same voice/equipment

PS. I did find that there is a translation published in 1927 according to WorldCat: https://www.worldcat.org/title/503896513
Maybe it's the same? The text does have the year 1927 in the Translator's Dedication

[TriciaG]

If you're comfortable using a PDF or online scan rather than rendered text, you could use this: https://archive.org/details/citiesofplain00prourich/page/n5/mode/2up

If you want to split it into volumes 1 and 2:
https://archive.org/details/citiesofplainvol0000marc/page/n9/mode/2up
https://archive.org/details/citiesofplainvol0000marc_f0l7/page/n11/mode/2up

[MOKelly]

Thank you to you both for the information and advice.

I have checked the 1927 edition that you have found, via the link supplied by TriciaG, and I see that earlier version seems to contain all the chapters of the later-dated printed version that I have - in fact, the later-copyrighted version that I have seems to be an exact reproduction of the 1927 version. I would be happy to use the linked-to 1927 source when doing the reading. Given the earlier copyright of 1927 in the U.S., and that the book is also out of copyright in EU, do you think this would make it possible to be a librivox project in this year?
-Michael O'K

[TriciaG]

The 1927 edition is PD here in 2023, so yes, you may do that at any time now.

[Rapunzelina]

I'll set this up for you, Michael! Which archive.org scan will you be using?

[Rapunzelina]

We have a Magic Window! Let me know if it works for you, then I will move us to Going Solo.

[MOKelly]

Hello both - thank you so much for your help and for the Magic Window.

It is a delight to be reading Proust.

I will use as the source the single-link one: https://archive.org/details/citiesofplain00prourich/page/n5/mode/2up. Please update the Magic Window with this source, and then all should fine, as far as I can see.

Within the next week I will make a proper list of the sections and update the Window accordingly - I could perhaps do that when the Window is in the Solo forum? I think I will aim for slightly shorter Sections than for the previous project, The Guermantes Way - trying for 40-50 minutes for a Section - hence the rather high number of Sections for Cities of the Plain.

I will be completing the last Section of The Guermantes Way at the end of the first week of July, and will begin on Cities of the Plain then.
-Michael O'K

[Rapunzelina]

Sounds like a good plan! I've moved us to Going Solo for when you're ready

[MOKelly]

Thank you. I have added details for the Sections to the Magic Window. I see that, even though I have made the Sections shorter in duration than in the previous volume (The Guermantes Way), there are just 32 Sections, rather than the 40 or so that I had expected (this volume is a bit shorter than the previous one). Could you please delete the unused rows at the end of the Magic Window?

The translator has added subsection titles (e.g. "Outline of the strange character of Morel"; "Weary of Albertine, I decide to break with her"). May I ask, are these too long to be included in the Title column of the Magic Window? I am happy to omit or include or put somewhere else in the Magic Window, whatever is closest to the standard for Librivox.
-Michael O'K

[Rapunzelina]

I don't think they are too long to be included in the title; they would appear whole on the catalogue page, but probably they'll be cut short on an MP3 player (for example, in a car's MP3 player).
Here's an example were some section titles are longer than others: https://librivox.org/mussolini-as-revealed-in-his-political-speeches-by-benito-mussolini/ where you can see it's not a problem on the catalogue page, though I doubt they would show on an MP3 player's screen.

I've deleted the unused rows

[MOKelly]

Thank you. I will make use the subtitles provided by the translator in the Title column then. The Mussolini example is helpful.

I plan to start recording this weekend, and to submit the first section in about ten days' time.

Best wishes,
Michael O'Kelly

[MOKelly]

I have submitted the first Section of Cities of the Plain for proof listening.

In the Magic Window, I have expanded the titles for most Sections, using the translator's titles (sometimes shortened).

In the Notes column, I have included the duration; I have also included the page numbers of the scanned edition, and I quote the final words in the section. Please let me know if this is OK, or perhaps too much information.

Best wishes,
Michael O'K

[Rapunzelina]

For me, it's perfect! Very organised. I approve