TRANSLATING TWAIN (Huck Finn)
Notes on the Spanish Translation of ‘Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’
I grew up with Mark Twain, and now I'm growing old with Mark Twain. It has been more than half a century since I read my first Twain book. Since then, I have read everything he wrote: novels, travel books, letters to the editor, personal letters—everything.
Three of his books, in particular, have taken up residence in my mind and heart and soul. Over the years and decades, I have read Roughing It, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn too many times to count.
I just finished re-reading the English/Spanish edition of 'Huckleberry Finn,' (Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: In English and Spanish). I found a few omissions and deviations in the Spanish text, as well as just plain interesting decisions made by the translator, some of which take a little sparkle out of the book.
The rest of this short article will showcase what those comment-worthy “interesting decisions” are, and provide my brief commentary on them. In some cases, the entire paragraph is given, as context sometimes helps. It’s also an excuse to get more Twain brain candy in your life, which is never a bad thing.
If you can read both English and Spanish, you might want to guess what the “problem” or “interesting translating decision” is as you read the paired-up paragraphs.
1)"What! and I as high as a tree and as big as a church? All right, then; I WOULD come; but I lay I'd make that man climb the highest tree there was in the country."
––¡Cómo! ¿Si yo fuera igual de alto que un árbol y cuadrado como un armario de tres cuerpos? Bueno, vale; iría, pero te apuesto a que ese hombre tendría que subirse al árbol más alto que hubiera en todo el país.
Here “as big as a church” is translated as “square like a three-body closet” (according to google tranlsate). What?!? Why? What’s wrong with “tan grande como una iglesia”?
I asked about this on StackOverflow Spanish, and the answer given by a user named cocteau was, in part, that the Spanish rendering is more accurately back-translated like so: “as big as a cupboard/closet/truck/whale/barrel/phone booth,” and refers to a person as broad chested, bulky, broad-shouldered, corpulent ...
2) By and by he says: "Starchy clothes--very. You think you're a good deal of a big-bug, DON'T you?"
Al cabo de un rato va y dice: ––Buena ropa llevas, muy buena. Te debes creer un pez gordo,¿no?
“big-bug” in the original is translated as “fat fish” (pez gordo); in either case, the meaning is clear, although I’ve never anybody use either phrase (big-bug or fat fish) anywhere else.
3) "Oh, yes, this is a wonderful govment, wonderful. Why, looky here.
«Ah, sí, este gobierno es maravilloso, maravilloso y no hay más que verlo.
“Looky here” is basically the same as: “Check this out,” it’s translated as “y no hay más que verlo.” (and you just have to see it). It’s not wrong, just interesting.
4) So he dozed off pretty soon. By and by I got the old split-bottom chair and clumb up as easy as I could, not to make any noise, and got down the gun.
De forma que se quedó dormido muy rápido. Entonces yo saqué la silla vieja que tenía el asiento roto y me subí en ella con mucha calma, para no hacer nada de ruido, y bajé la escopeta.
It seems the translator got this wrong; he apparently didn’t know what a split-bottom chair was, as he translated it as “the old chair that had a broken seat” (la silla vieja que tenía el asiento roto). He took the “split” part literally, rather than realizing it was a type of chair that was split even when brand new:
5) T'other one said THIS warn't one of the short ones, he reckoned--and then they laughed, and he said it over again, and they laughed again; then they waked up another fellow and told him, and laughed, but he didn't laugh; he ripped out something brisk, and said let him alone. The first fellow said he 'lowed to tell it to his old woman--she would think it was pretty good; but he said that warn't nothing to some things he had said in his time. I heard one man say it was nearly three o'clock, and he hoped daylight wouldn't wait more than about a week longer. After that the talk got further and further away, and I couldn't make out the words any more; but I could hear the mumble, and now and then a laugh, too, but it seemed a long ways off.
El otro dijo que ésta no era de las cortas, calculaba, y después se echaron a reír y lo volvieron a decir una vez y otra y se volvieron a reír; después despertaron a otro y se lo dijeron riéndose, pero él no se rió; soltó algo de muy mal humor y lo dejaron en paz. El primero de ellos dijo que seguro que se lo decía a su vieja porque le iba a hacer mucha gracia, pero dijo que aquello no era nada en comparación con las cosas que había dicho en sus tiempos. Oí decir a un hombre que casi eran las tres y esperaba que la luz del día no tardara en llegar más de una semana. Después la conversación se fue alejando cada vez más, y yo ya no podía distinguir las palabras, pero sí el ruido y de vez en cuando también una risa, sólo que ahora todo parecía muy lejos.
Here “he ripped out something brisk, and said let him alone” is translated as “soltó algo de muy mal humor y lo dejaron en paz” (“he blurted out something in a very bad mood and they left him alone”). It’s not a misleading translation, but it’s also not totally accurate. In the original, he tells them to leave him alone, and in the translation, they simply leave him alone without being explicitly told.
6) "Well, I 'uz gwyne to spen' it, but I had a dream, en de dream tole me to give it to a nigger name' Balum--Balum's Ass dey call him for short; he's one er dem chuckleheads, you know. But he's lucky, dey say, en I see I warn't lucky.
––Bueno, iba a gastármelos, pero tuve un sueño y el sueño me dijo que se los diera a un negro que se llama Balum, que lo llaman Asno de Balum; ya sabes, uno de esos medio tontos, pero dicen que tiene suerte, y ya estaba visto que yo no la tenía.
“Balum's Ass dey call him for short” is translated as “que lo llaman Asno de Balum” (“who call him Balum’s Ass”—leaving out the “for short” part, which is what makes it funny).
7) Old Hank Bunker done it once, and bragged about it; and in less than two years he got drunk and fell off of the shot-tower, and spread himself out so that he was just a kind of a layer, as you may say; and they slid him edgeways between two barn doors for a coffin, and buried him so, so they say, but I didn't see it.
El viejo Hank Bunker lo hizo una vez y presumió mucho de ello, y menos de dos años después se emborrachó, se cayó de la torre del agua y se quedó tan aplastado que parecía una hoja, por así decirlo, y lo tuvieron que poner de lado entre dos puertas de establo en lugar de ataúd y lo enterraron así, según dicen, pero yo no me lo creo.
There are a couple of problems with the translation of this passage. First, “shot tower” is translated as “torre del agua” (water tower), when that is not what a shot tower is. Second, Huck equivocates at the end of the passage as to whether he believes the hearsay or not, whereas the translation claims that he flat out did not believe it (perdo yo no me lo creo).
8) She told about me and Tom Sawyer finding the six thousand dollars (only she got it ten) and all about pap and what a hard lot he was, and what a hard lot I was, and at last she got down to where I was murdered.
Me contó cómo Tom Sawyer y yo habíamos encontrado los doce mil dólares (sólo que ella dijo que eran veinte) y toda la historia de padre, y lo malo que era y lo malo que era yo y por fin llegó a la parte en que me asesinaban
Why are “six thousand dollars” and “ten” [thousand dollars]” translated as “doce mil dólares” and “veinte” (12 thousand, and 20 thousand)—twice as much? Especially is this strange when, just a couple of pages later, the translation is accurate:
So there's a reward out for him--three hundred dollars. And there's a reward out for old Finn, too--two hundred dollars.
––El negro se escapó la misma noche que murió Huck Finn. Así que ahora ofrecen una recompensa por él: trescientos dólares. También hay una recompensa por el viejo Finn: doscientos dólares.
Here the 300 and 200 are translated correctly. Why the inconsistency?
9) Keep the river road all the way, and next time you tramp take shoes and socks with you. The river road's a rocky one, and your feet'll be in a condition when you get to Goshen, I reckon."
Sigue siempre por el camino del río, y la próxima vez que te eches a andar lleva zapatos y calcetines. La carretera del río tiene muchas piedras y calculo que vas a tener los pies hechos polvo cuando llegues a Goshen.
The original English says “your feet’ll be in a condition” (IOW, they will be sore, and hurt, possibly bruised). But the translation simply says they will be dusty: “calculo que vas a tener los pies hechos polvo.” Not the same thing at all.
10) COL. GRANGERFORD was a gentleman, you see.
El coronel Grangerford era un caballero, ¿comprendéis?
The translation equates to: “Col. Grangerford was a gentleman, do you see?” or “Col. Grangerford was a gentleman, do you get it?” which is not quite the same thing—it’s a question rather than a statement.
11) The Shepherdsons and Grangerfords used the same steamboat landing, which was about two mile above our house; so sometimes when I went up there with a lot of our folks I used to see a lot of the Shepherdsons there on their fine horses.
Los Shepherdson y los Grangerford utilizaban el mismo embarcadero, que estaba unas dos millas río arriba de nuestra casa, de forma que a veces cuando yo iba allí con muchos de los nuestros veía a un montón de Shepherdson que ya habían llegado con sus caballos de raza.
“their fine horses” is translated as “sus caballos de raza” which literally means “their race horses.” There is no talk about racing the horses competitively, so I don’t think this is right. Race horses are doubtless fine horses in many ways, but a fine horse is not necessarily a race horse.
12) Then she said she'd forgot her Testament, and left it in the seat at church between two other books, and would I slip out quiet and go there and fetch it to her, and not say nothing to nobody.
Entonces me contó que se había olvidado el Nuevo Testamento y lo había dejado en el asiento de la iglesia entre otros dos libros, y que si no querría yo salir en silencio e ir a buscárselo sin decirle nada a nadie.
Why is “Testament” translated as “New Testament” (Nuevo Testamento)?
Typically, American churches call the Hebrew Scriptures the “Old Testament” and the Christian Greek Scriptures the “New Testament,” but when Huck doesn’t specify one or the other, why does the translator assume the “New Testament” is meant? Perhaps there’s a reason, but I’d like to know what it is.
The translator was consistent, though: in further references to “Testament,” it is translated as Nuevo Testamento there, too.
13) Buck begun to cry and rip, and ‘lowed that him and his cousin Joe (that was the other young chap) would make up for this day yet.
Buce empezó a gritar y a maldecir, y juró que él y su primo Joe (que era el otro muchacho) iban a vengarse aquel mismo dia.
“would make up for this day yet” is translated as “ iban a vengarse aquel mismo dia” (they were going to take revenge that very day). So this is wrong; the English/original means that some time, eventually, they would get revenge, not that very day.
14) Blue jeans britches
pantalones vaqueros azules
The Spanish translation is “blue cowboy pants”—not wrong, just interesting.
15) I am the rightful Duke of Bridgewater
soy el auténtico duque de Aguasclaras
The translation is “I am the authentic Duke of Clearwater.” Why? Why not Puenteagua or Aguapuente?
16) They couldn’t hit no project that suited exactly; so at last the duke said he reckoned he’d lay off and work his brains an hour our two and see if the couldn’t put up something on the Arkansaw village; and the king he allowed he would drop over to t’other village without any plan, but just trust in Providence to lead him the profitable way—meaning the devil, I reckon.
No se les occuria ningún proyecto que resultara perfecto, asi que al final el duque dijo que lo dejaba y que iba a pensarlo una hora o dos y ver si podía organizar algo en el pueblo de Arkansaw, y el rey dijo que él iría al otro pueblo sin ningún plan, pero confiaría en la Providencia para que le diese alguna idea lucrativa, o sea, que calculo que se refería al teatro.
In the English, it says “trust in Providence to lead him the profitable way—meaning the devil, I reckon.” But no such thought is rendered in the translation. There’s nothing about the devil; instead, it says, “trust Providence to give him some lucrative idea, that is, I reckon he was referring to the theater.”
How did the devil get transmogrified into “the theater”?
17) Why, before, he looked like the orneriest old rip that ever was; but now, when he’d take off his new white beaver and make a bow and do a smile, he looked that grand and good and pious that you’d say he had walked right out of the ark, and maybe was old Leviticus himself.
Antes tenía el aire de ser el viejo sinvergüenza que era en realidad, pero ahora, cuando se quitaba su sombrero nuevo de castor y hacía una reverencia y sonreía, paracía tan elegante y tan piadoso que diría uno que acababa de salir del arca de Noé y que podía haber escrito el Levítico en persona.
In the Spanish translation, it says, “he could have written Leviticus himself,” whereas the original English says, “you’d say he had walked right out of the ark, and maybe was old Leviticus himself.”
Maybe the translator was confused because there is no Bible character Leviticus; it is the name of a Bible book, not a person featured therein. Still, it’s a wrong translation. Apparently, Twain wanted to display Huck’s failings as a Bible scholar.
18) ... and it just warmed you up and made you feel as good as church letting out.
... de forma que confortaba mucho y se sentía uno como en la iglesia.
The Spanish translation leaves out the “letting out” part, which is what makes it funny. This is a standard technique Twain (and most humorous writers) use: getting you to think one thing is coming, and then “pulling the rug out from under your feet” by adding a zinger like that. Without it, it’s saying the exact opposite thing as he intended.
19) “Well, he does. Where WOULD he live?”
—Hombre, claro. ¿Donde iba a vivir?
The problem is Huck is talking to a girl. Why does he say, “Hombre” (man)?
20) “Looky here,” I says; “did yu ever see any Congresss-water?”
—Mira—respondí—, ¿has tomado alguna vez agua mineral?
“Yes.”
—Si.
“Well, did you have to go to Congress to get it?”
—Bueno, ¿y tuviste que ir a una mina a buscarla?
This is not a mistake in translation, just an interesting example where something other than “Congress water” had to be used, as Spanish speakers would probably not know what it is. So, it was replaced with mineral water. Even many modern-day citizens of the United States might not know what “Congress water” is, but those of Twain’s day presumably would have (it’s a type of health-inducing water, similar to or a type of mineral water, but from the Congress Spring in upstate New York, not from Washington, D.C.).
21) Another time they tried to go at yellocution; but they didn’t yellocute long till the audience got up and give them a solid good cussing, and made them skip out.
Otra vez quisieron dar lecciones de locución, pero no <<locucionaron>> mucho, porque el público se levantó y los emepezó a maldecir e hizo que se marchasen.
By translating “yellocution” as “locution,” the humor of Huck’s pronouncing “elocution” as “yellocution” is lost. In fact, if they were to translate the humorous “straight,” they should have gone with “elocution” rather than “locution.”
22) “Hang the troublesome rubbage, ther’s TEN now!”
Por todos los demonios, ¡ahora hay diez!
“Hang the troublesome rubbage,” admittedly not something you would hear anyone say today, is translated as, “For all the demons” (not wrong, just interesting—there’s no corresponding modern-day English equivalent to that, AFAIK).
23) “Geewhillikins”
Recontradiablo
According to Google Translate, “Recontradiablo” means “Contradevil.” Ok. I understand why there’s no good match for “Geewhillikins” (an archaic expression of surprise), but “Contradevil” or “Against the Devil”? Was zum Teufel ist hier los?
24) “we got to dig in like all git-out”
hay que ponerse a cavar como condenados
Interesting that it’s translated as “have to start digging like condemned” (condemned meaning prisoners or damned, or what?)
25) “Shucks, Tom,” I says, “I think you might tell a person. What’s a bar sinister?”
—Caramba, Tom—dijo yo—; crei que lo podrías contar. ¿Que es una barra de bastardía?
“Oh, I don’t know. But he’s got to have it. All the nobility does.”
—Ah, no lo sé. Pero es necesaria. La tiene toda la nobleza.
This translation is enlightening, as most English speakers would not know (I didn’t) that “bar sinister” referred to bastardy/someone being a bastard (born out of wedlock). The Spanish translation for “bar sinister” (“barra de bastardía”) sheds light on things. So Twain gets a dig in at royalty, as he was wont to do, and it probably went over the head of almost every reader. I’m sure he had a good chuckle to himself as he inserted that. Twain had Tom be ignorant, but obviously Twain knew exactly what “bar sinister” referred to. Finishing his assertion with, “All the nobility does” was quite the slap to those he considered shams and frauds. Twain called monarchy “surely the grotesquest of all the swindles ever invented by man.”
26) UNKNOWN FRIEND.
Untranslated.
Why? Why not something like “Amigo desconocido”? This is the “nonnamous” (anonymous) letter that Tom Sawyer wrote, pretending to be part of a vicious gang of cutthroats from the Indian Territory.
27) “. . . I tell you if I catch you meddling with him again—”
. . . te aseguro que como vuleva a cogerte hablando con él. . .
“Meddling with WHO?”
—¿Hablando con quién? —
Why is “meddling” translated as “speaking”? The Spanish word for “meddling” is “intromisión”; why not use it (or a form of it)?
28) for a couple of weeks or two;
durante dos semanas o tres.
The Spanish translation makes more sense (“two or three weeks”), but it strips the humor out of the expression.
It seems that often the translator did not “get” Twain’s humor. He/she/they reasoned: “That makes no sense; I’m going to fix it.” But it’s not always supposed to make sense!