Swedes and character names in strange languages

[Lars Jensen]

Everybody, this posting is going to be long and boring. Feel free to
skip it, if you're not interested in me taking apart Sigvald's
arguments.

Sigvald wrote:

>> As a historian, you must know that Yugoslavia
>> in the 1970s was part of the East Bloc...
>
> It was a neutral country, and thus not a part of the Warzaw-pact.

Let's just agree this is off-topic.

>>> Well let me just tell all Swedes this: for
>>> Norwegian and I bet also Danish readers of
>>> any age, Asian "rubble" is definitely *not*
>>> as interesting as Swedish names!
>>
>> You'd lose that bet.
>
> Why? Have you asked every Dane or every Norwegian about that???

No. But then, I didn't have to. You said you'd "bet" Danish readers were
not as interested in Asian "rubble" as in Swedish names. Which meant,
you tried to speak for me (amongst others). I am a Danish reader, and I
*am* more interested in the Asian names than in the Swedish ditto. Which
contradicts your line about all Danes sharing your opinion. And makes
you lose that bet.

>> I was very interested by Rich Bellacera's list
>> of characters in the "Disney Character names
>> in Chinese" thread. Looking at it, I see such
>> favorites of mine as Fethry Duck and Madam Mim
>> are mentioned - implying (to me, at least) that
>> stories featuring them are being printed in
>> China.
>
> OK, and the lack of a Portuguese or was is a "Spanish" name for
> Drakeborough tells me that some readctions haven't published some of
> Don Rosa's stories yet. But this is not why I look in such list of
> Character's names anyway.

But that is sometimes why *I* look at such lists. You tried to speak for
every Norwegian and Dane. I'm saying that in my case you were wrong.

>> That's *much* more interesting to me than what
>> the name of, say, Daisy Duck is in Sweden - I
>> already know stories featuring her are being
>> used all over Scandinavia, so what information
>> could I get out of knowing her Swedish name?
>
> You seem to forget that I was 10-12 years old at the time I first got
> "Jeg, Mikke Mus", by then I was very interested to know the Swedish
> names, but I didn't have the internet to help me...

No, I didn't "forget". This part of the discussion is about whether you
have the knowledge to speak on others' behalf, not whether you
personally are interested in Swedish character names.

>> As you probably know, the Barks story
>> "Lost in the Andes!" (about the square eggs)
>> underwent a not-too-well-received second
>> translation when it was used in the Norwegian
>> 1974 "Jeg, Donald Duck" book. Using your
>> own logic, I'm going to blame *you* for that
>> fiasco. On behalf of *serious* Donaldists
>> everywhere I expect to get an apology from you
>> regarding that mess.
>
> You seem to have completely misunderstand my logic.
>
> 1) The second Norwegian translation was "a problem" for Norwegians
> only.

Just as the use of Japanese and Arab names in "Jeg, Mikke Mus" seems to
have been a problem for you only. I certainly haven't seen any other
Norwegian members of DCML chime in with their criticism.

> 2) I haven't given you any reason to assume I support the attitudes
> behind that second translation.

Just as the Swedish members of DCML (and Christina) haven't given you
any reason to assume they support the attitudes behind the use of
Japanese and Arab names in "Jeg, Mikke Mus".

> 3) In my posting I din't ask anyone to apologize for the missing
> languages in "Jeg, Mikke Mus".

You only asked Swedish members of DCML to "clean their own house before
taking care of other people's business". You're right. You should be
apologizing to the Swedes, rather than to me. My mistake.

> I was *not* calling oher languages "rubble" - I was adressing strange
> alphabets and signs *only* as rubble.

My mistake again. Your use of the word "languages" lead me to believe
you were talking about languages, when in fact you had meant to use the
word "alphabets". Honestly, Sigvald, it would be much easier discussing
these things with you if you used the correct words.

As for whether it's OK to call "strange" alphabets and signs "rubble",
I'm going to leave others to address that.

Although, you *do* realize that Sweden has two characters in their
alphabet (ä and ö) which don't appear in the Norwegian one, right?
Doesn't this make the Swedish alphabet "rubble"? Which, according to
you, means it should be kept out of "Jeg, Mikke Mus" - which of course
it was...

Lars