From: bsb@Unify.com (Beverly Sobelman)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.tom-robbins
Subject: TR Translated: Jitterbug Perfume in German
Date: 13 Nov 92 16:43:13 GMT
Organization: Unify Corporation (Sacramento)

I received the following in response to my request for examples
of TR's work in other languages....Thanks, Ralf!

-bev

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Date:         Fri, 13 Nov 92 11:52:49 SET
From: Ralf Huls <USTD83%DDOHRZ11.BITNET@DMSWWU1A.UNI-MUENSTER.DE>
Subject:      Tom Robbins: Translation (German)
To: Beverly Sobelman <bsb@Unify.Com>
Content-Length: 7835

Hi there.
I can't post anything to Alt.fan.tom-robbins (at least my
news-utility states so when invoked) so I'm sending a direct mail.
I would appreciate if you could post this to Alt.fan.tom-robbins.
I've been following the discussion of Robbins translations.
So here is the introduction of "PanAroma-Jitterbug Perfume" as
published in germany. Following that there is my translation back
into english. Please don't judge the official german version from my
inferior re-translation. It's actually better than it would appear
from my scribblings. I translated the german version without looking
at the original first, which I haven't read for 3 or 4 years, so my
translation should not be influenced too much by the fact that I
know the original english version. For german Umlaut letters I use
the LaTeX GERMAN.STY notation of "a, "o, "u.

                                       Enjoy!

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>From 'PanAroma - Jitterbug Perfume'
Official german translation of 'Jitterbug Perfume'
by Nikolaus Hansen,
published december 1985 by Rowohlt Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH,
(c) 1985 by Rowohlt Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH, Reinbek bei Hamburg

############################################################################

Heute in Angebot

Die Rote Bete ist das intensivste aller Gem"use, Zugegeben, der
Rettich ist aufregender, aber das Feuer des Rettich ist ein kaltes
Feuer, ist das Feuer der Unzufriedenheit, nicht das der
Leidenschaft. Tomaten sind immerhin lebhaft frisch, aber Tomaten
werden durchzogen von einem Hauch Frivolit"at. Rote Beten sind
todernst.
Slawische V"olker verdanken ihre physischen Charakteristika den
Kartoffeln, ihre schwelende Unruhe den Rettichen, ihre
Ernsthaftigkeit den Roten Beten.
Die Rote Bete ist das melancholische Gem"use, jenes, das am
bereitwilligsten leidet. Soll mal jemand versuchen, aus einer
_Steckr"ube_ Blut zu quetschen...
Die Rote Bete ist der M"order, der an den Tatort zur"uckkehrt. Die
Rote Bete ist das, was da anf"angt, wo die Kirsche mit der Karotte
aufh"ort. Die Rote Bete ist der Urahn des Herbstmondes, b"artig,
begraben, alles, nur nicht leblos; sie ist das dunkelgr"une Segel des
gestrandeten Mondbootes, gen"aht mit Venen aus Ur-Plasma; sie ist die
Drachenschnur, die einst den Mond mit der Erde verband. und die
jetzt nichts weiter ist als ein schlammverschmierter Schnurrbart,
der verzweifelt nach Rubinen bohrt.
Die Rote Bete war Rasputins Lieblingsgem"use. Man konnte es seinen
Augen ansehen.
In Europa ist der Anbau einer gro|en Bete verbreitet, die Mangold
genannt wird. Vielleicht ist es der Mangold, den wir in Rasputin
erkennen. Auf jeden Fall finden wir Mangold in der Musik Wagners,
wenngleich es ein anderer Komponist ist, dessen Name so anf"angt:
B-e----.
Freilich gibt es auch wei|e Beten und Beten, die statt Blut
Zuckerwasser absondern, aber es ist die Rote Bete, die uns hier
besch"aftigen wird; jene Art, die err"otet und anschwillt wie eine
H"amorrhoide, gegen die es keinerlei Mittel gibt. (Das hei|t, es gibt
doch eins: Beauftragen Sie einen T"opfer, Ihnen ein
Keramik-Arschloch zu bauen - und wenn Sie gerade nicht darauf
sitzen, k"onnen Sie es als Sch"ussel f"ur Borschtsch benutzen.)
Ein altes ukrainisches Sprichwort warnt: "Eine Geschichte, die mit
einer Roten Bete anf"angt, endet mit dem Teufel."
Dieses Risiko m"ussen wir eingehen.

############################################################################

MHT -- My Humble Translation back into ye olde englishe tongue,
Probably infringing on every kind of copyright in November 1992.

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Today's Offer

The red beet is the most intense of all vegetables. Admittedly, the
radish is more exciting, but the radish's fire is a cold fire, is the
fire of discontent, not that of passion. Tomatoes at least are
vividly fresh, but tomatos are a touch frivolous. Red beets are
dead ernest.
Slavian People have got their physical characteristics from
potatoes, their glowing unrest from radish, their seriousness from
the beet.
The beet is the melancholy vegetable, the one that suffers most
readily. Let someone just try to squeeze blood from a _turnip_...
The beet is the murderer returning to the site of the crime. The
beet is what begins, where the cherry's finished with the carrot.
The beet is the ancestor of the autumn moon, bearded, buried, all
but lifeless; it is the dark green sail of the stranded moon boat,
sewn with veins of primordial plasma; it is the kite string that
once linked the moon to earth and that now is no more than a
mud-smeared mustache, that desperately drills for rubies.
The red beet was Rasputin's favorite vegetable. It could be seen in
his eyes.
In Europe cultivation of a large beet called Mangold is very common.
Perhaps it is Mangold that we see in Rasputin. In any case we find
Mangold in the music of Wagner, even though it's another composer
whose name begins B-e-e-t---.

Of course there are white beets and beets that ooze sugary water
instead of blood, but its the red beet that is to be our concern
here; the kind that blushes and swells like a hemorrhoid, for
which there is no remedy. (That is, there is one: Have a potter make
you a ceramic asshole - and if you're not sitting on it you can use
it as a bowl for borscht.)
An old ukrainian proverb cautions: "A story that begins with a red
beet will end with the devil."
We'll have to take that risk.

############################################################################

And now here's the original by TR.
Published by Bantam Books, December 1984
(c) 1984 by Tibetan Peach Pie Incorporated

############################################################################

Today's Special

The beet is the most intense of vegetables. The radish, admittedly
is more feverish, but the fire of the radish is a cold fire, the
fire of discontent, not of passion. Tomatoes are lusty enough, yet
there runs through tomatoes an undercurrent of frivolity. Beets are
deadly serious.
Slavic peoples get their physical characteristics from potatoes,
their smoldering inquietude from radishes, their seriousness from
beets.
The beet is the melancholy vegetable, the one most willing to
suffer. You can't squeeze out of a _turnip_...
The beet ist the murderer returned to the scene of the crime. The
beet is what happens when the cherry finishes with the carrot. The
beet is the ancient ancestor of the autumn moon, bearded, buried,
all but fossiled; the dark green sails of the grounded moon-boat
stitched with veins of primordial plasma; the kite string that once
connected the moon to the Earth now a muddy whisker drilling
desperately for rubies.
The beet was Rasputin's favorite vegetable. You could see it in his
eyes.
In Europe there is grown widely a large beet they call the
_mangel-wurzel_. Perhaps it is _mangel-wurzel_ that we see in
Rasputin. Certainly there is _mangel-wurzel_ in the music of Wagner,
although it is another composer whose name begins, B-e-e-t----.
Of course there are white beets, beets that ooze sugar water instead
of blood, but it is the red beet with which we are concerned; the
variety that blushes and swells like a hemorrhoid, a hemorrhoid for
which there is no cure. (Actually there is one remedy: commission a
potter to make you a ceramic asshole--and when you aren't sitting on
it, you can use it as a bowl for borscht.)
An old Ukrainian proverb warns: "A tale that begins with a beet will
end with the devil."
That is a risk we have to take.

############################################################################

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ralf H"uls              I `Spiegelnde Mauern t"auschen R"aume unendlicher
USTD83@DDOHRZ11.BITNET  I  Ausdehnung vor.' --- Hans Bemmann



-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------
   Beverly H. Sobelman	   *******************************************        
   bsb@unify.COM           * "If your happiness depends on what someone
   Unify Corporation       *    else does...you do have a problem. "
   (916) 928-6279          *	   - Richard Bach, Illusions    


	
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