Question about a translation in french.

Hi !

In a french board, we have a quite turbulent discussion about the veracity of a translation in ESB.

The sentence is "It is you and your abalities the Emperor wants. That is why your friends are made to suffer "

In the offical french translation of the movie, we have "C'est toi que l'Empereur veut, et c'est pourquoi tes amis sont faits pour souffrir". Which means "it's why the destiny of your friends is to suffer".

In the official french translation of the ESB book, we have "C'est toi que l'empereur veut, et c'est pourquoi il fait souffrir tes amis.". Which means "it's why he torments your friends".

We have two different translations, and we are in a small fight in this french board about the issue.

So, I had the idea to come here, ask the thing to english-mother-tongue peoples.

it seems to me this line can be interpreted in two different ways, does it mean to you that he is simply making his friends suffer - or rather than his friends' role/destiny is to suffer or sacrifice themselves if need be so he can fullfill his destiny ?

Thanks.

 

Well said.

Vader wants Luke to come to him so tortures Han and Leia to send ripples in the force that Luke will detect and be unable to resist.

 

means "it's why the destiny of your friends is to suffer".
it seems to me this line can be interpreted in two different ways, does it mean to you that he is simply making his friends suffer - or rather than his friends' role/destiny is to suffer or sacrifice themselves if need be so he can fullfill his destiny?

I think this line may be incorporating Yoda's comment "If you honor what they fight for , yes."

g

 

I think it's fascinating that translating Star Wars dialogue into other languages...

...opens up a whole new world of things for fans to argue about!

 

c'est pourquoi tes amis sont faits pour souffrir

Means literally in English, "that is why your friends are made for suffering".

c'est pourquoi il fait souffrir tes amis.

Means literally in English, "that is why he makes your friends suffer."

The second one is the meaning the original line has in English. The problem is that in English if you say "your friends are made to suffer" and "your friends are made for suffering", both translate to pour souffrir in French. That's a problem. I would say the book version makes more sense in French. The English expression 'made to (do something)' can't be literally translated correctly.

Hope this helps

This makes me wonder, though. Do you know what the French line is when Threepio tells R2 in 'A New Hope' -- "We seems to be made to suffer. It's out lot in life." Because even though he says 'made to suffer' there, it has a different meaning than when Obi-Wan says it in Empire Strikes Back. Confusing, I know

I should watch SW in French sometime and see what differences I notice.

-sj loves kevin spacey