#I wonder...hmm

[blgblue]

bday post 🥳

[swampybogg]

[skaiind]

the storm coast can be very slippery it seems

[dynamicity-keysmash]

If you only treat antisemitism like a real issue when your political opponents do it I think you're an ignorant hypocrite with a small heart and an empty void where your integrity should be.

[not-rab]

James: How did you get your brother to co-operate with you?

Sirius: I threatened to reveal his dark secret.

James: Which is what?

Sirius: I have no idea, I was bluffing, but it must be something horrible.

James *nervous sweating*:

[msmimundo]

Lil doodle. Was thinking of today's (aka 2 days ago's) prompt for the challenge (night time!) and thinking of the girls having a sleepover the question of wether Vanessa would or not hide Perry's secret got on my mind (remember to her its very normal to see Perry as a spy, I don't think she has ever seen him in pet mode)

Bonus:

[hai-nae]

uno reverse

[demaparbat-hp]

I saw your art, "First Meeting" for Kyoshi Warriors AU, and my head just went "That's Jinshi!".

How can Katara control herself in front of a person who can collapse countries?!

Why would you do this to me.

[starrypawu]

bro just realized

[sweeneydino]

Slime Attack! Raph Ver.

Your favorite turtles are waiting for their slimes 🐢

Gonna slime info dump a little below

Gave big ol' Rise Raph a tabby slime because they are very friendly and love to boop – they are literal slime cats – and idk about you, but I think rise raph deserves the cuddles. And they come with the added bonus of their plorts being a high commodity for athletes, with only a little drawback. If you know, you know.

Since 2012 Raphael has Chompy, whose a fire turtle basically, the fire slime seemed a good fit. They are rather affectionate but also require a hot place to stay, i.e an ash trough and they BURN. Just burn some trash and boom, food for the firecracker. Their plorts would be a nice snack for chompy, plus a cuddle buddy.

The affectionate part is only because these little shits keep jumping on and following me on the range, and while I do love them, they do tend to get themselves killed.

2003 Raph got the Saber slime, as someone– yknow who you are– suggested! They are similar to the tabby slime as they are cat-like, but unlike them, these guys are food possessive. And thought to be extinct, but that's not important. They will roar, scaring any other slimes, just to get food. Or to just announce their arrival. These guys parkour, too, so now Mikey's got a roadblock.

2003 Donnie might be kind of sad he didn't get one but there's always another chance.

And finally, 1987 Raph with the mischievous ringtail slime!

...do I have to explain?

These fellas bring my carrot farm every ounce of shame as they stare with those shifty eyes back at me, and all I can do is continue feeding them over... and over... and over again...

Oh, and they turn to stone too, but nothing little money can't fix.

[linusbenjamin]

Lost + Tags

[auuwmk]

orv.....

[evil-swedenish]

Spn leave me ALONE!!!

[nostalgebraist]

I feel like I've had the same experience several times now: someone does a new translation of a non-English literary classic, and all the critics praise it to the moon, so I go and try to read it, and it's turns out it's just . . . bad? Like, really bad? And weirdly bad?

A while back, I wrote about the case of Pevear and Volokhonsky. Here's another example, which I encountered while doing background research for my novel Almost Nowhere.

----

One of my novel's major characters is a literary translator, famous for his rendition of the Persian epic poem Shahnameh ("Book of Kings").

To help me write this character, I tried to read the Shahnameh myself. I started out – where else? – with the translation that seemed to be the gold standard, and which was certainly the most critically lauded.

Namely, the 2006 translation by Dick Davis, in prose with occasional shifts into verse.

Here's how the Shahnameh begins, in Davis' translation:

What does the Persian poet say about the first man to seek the crown of world sovereignty? No one has any knowledge of those first days, unless he has heard tales passed down from father to son. This is what those tales tell: The first man to be king, and to establish the ceremonies associated with the crown and throne, was Kayumars. When he became lord of the world, he lived first in the mountains, where he established his throne, and he and his people dressed in leopard skins. It was he who first taught men about the preparation of food and clothing, which were new in the world at that time. Seated on his throne, as splendid as the sun, he reigned for thirty years. He was like a tall cypress tree topped by the full moon, and the royal farr shone from him. All the animals of the world, wild and tame alike, reverently paid homage to him, bowing down before his throne, and their obedience increased his glory and good fortune.

And here is the same opening, in the 1905 translation by Arthur and Edmond Warner (which I only discovered much later in the process of writing Almost Nowhere):

What saith the rustic bard? Who first designed To gain the crown of power among mankind? Who placed the diadem upon his brow? The record of those days hath perished now Unless one, having borne in memory Tales told by sire to son, declare to thee Who was the first to use the royal style And stood the head of all the mighty file. He who compiled the ancient legendary, And tales of paladins, saith Gaiúmart Invented crown and throne, and was a Sháh. This order, Grace, and lustre came to earth When Sol was dominant in Aries And shone so brightly that the world grew young. Its lord was Gaiúmart, who dwelt at first Upon a mountain; thence his throne and fortune Rose. He and all his troop wore leopard-skins, And under him the arts of life began, For food and dress were in their infancy. He reigned o'er all the earth for thirty years, In goodness like a sun upon the throne, And as a full moon o'er a lofty cypress So shone he from the seat of king of kings. The cattle and the divers beasts of prey Grew tame before him; men stood not erect Before his throne but bent, as though in prayer, Awed by the splendour of his high estate, And thence received their Faith.

Now, I can't speak at all about the source text. I have no idea how faithful or unfaithful these two translations are, and in what ways, in which places.

Still, though. I mean like, come on.

This is an epic poem about ancient kings and larger-than-life heroes.

This is a national epic, half myth and half history, narrating the proud folkloric lineage claimed by a real-world empire.

There is a way that such things are supposed to sound, in English. And it sure as hell isn't this:

What does the Persian poet say about the first man to seek the crown of world sovereignty?

Excuse me? That's your opening line? I thought I was reading a poem, here, not taking a fucking AP World Literature exam!

----

Postscript

Some of the critical praise for the Davis translation, quoted on the back cover of my copy (emphasis mine):

"A poet himself, Davis brings to his translation a nuanced awareness of Ferdowsi's subtle rhythms and cadences. His "Shahnameh" is rendered in an exquisite blend of poetry and prose, with none of the antiquated flourishes that so often mar translations of epic poetry." (Reza Aslan, The New York Times Book Review) "Thanks to Davis's magnificent translation, Ferdowsi and the Shahnameh live again in English.” (Michael Dirda, Washington Post) "A magnificent accomplishment . . . [Davis’s translation] is not only the fullest representation of Ferdowsi’s masterpiece in English but the best." (The New York Sun)

[lunarwednesday]

"But in my eyes, Furina's humanity was what made her perfect. She was perfectly human in every way...the person I always wanted to be."

[beif0ngs]

One Piece is getting a new anime adaptation starting from the iconic East Blue saga. Titled “THE ONE PIECE”, this series will be produced by Wit Studio, recognized for their work on hit anime shows such as SPY × FAMILY and Attack on Titan.

Currently in the works, “THE ONE PIECE” will be streamed worldwide exclusively on Netflix, marking a significant collaboration with the production committee made up of representatives from Shueisha, Fuji Television Network, and Toei Animation Co.

The project will be distinct from the TV anime series that has captivated audiences for over 25 years. With “THE ONE PIECE”, the committee aims to provide viewers with a fresh yet familiar experience, utilizing cutting-edge visual technology to reimagine Luffy’s adventures through the beloved East Blue saga.