h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Candide and Other Stories - Voltaire's Oeuvre and Magnum Opus - A36990697
Author: String name = "echomikeromeo"; System.out.println(name); - U929375

Another part of the introduction to my almost-finished translation of Voltaire's Candide. To be read in conjunction with the bit on Voltaire's life also in PR. I didn't add links or headers because I'm lazy, but I can do so at the insistence of the reviewers.

As with the oter Voltaire entry, consider this a notification that this will be read and reviewed as soon as I get a spare hour!

>>However, hindsight tells us that Voltaire's poetry was not quite so remarkable; he simply happened to be writing at a time when there were few, if any, poets with comparable or greater skill<<

Would William McGonagall have been a great poet if nobody else was writing poetry at the same time as he was? I don't think so; Voltaire's work is intrinsically great, irrespective of his contemporaries.

I think I was trying to get at the fact that Voltaire was more highly regarded as a poet in his own time than he is today. Today we pay less attention to his poems than we do to his prose.

Ok, I can see where you're coming from, in which case you should include that observation in the Entry.

It now reads thus:

However, today Voltaire's poetry is not quite so highly regarded; he simply happened to be writing at a time when there were few, if any, poets with comparable or greater skill, and modern scholars recognise his prose as the greater set of accomplishments.

I hope that helps.

Hell of a spoiler if you haven't read it.

Just finished reading your entry and here's a couple of thoughts on it.
I haven't read Candide in it's entirety but I have dipped into it occasionally and I wonder whether it would be worth your while to include some quotes from it so that the reader may gather an impression of the style and content of this 'classic'?


I like this quote from the end of the conclusion with Dr Pangloss admonishing Candide:

"All events form a chain in the best of all possible worlds. For in the end, if you had not been given a good kick up the backside and chased out of a beautiful castle for loving Miss Cunegonde, and if you hadn't been subjected to the Inquisition, and if you hadn't wandered about America on foot, and if you hadn't dealt the Baron a good blow with your sword, and if you hadn't lost all your sheep[laden with treasure] from that fine country of Eldorado, you wouldn't be here now eating candied citron and pistachio nuts.'-'That is well said,'replied Candide, 'but we must get on with our gardening.

There is another where Voltaire condemns slavery and colonial exploitation( he made a fortune out of the latter) and this might also give the reader an idea of his thinking.

Candide is travelling back from Eldorado and he comes across a black slave lying on the ground, half naked and missing his left leg and his right hand.:

'My God!' said Candide in Dutch. 'What are you doing lying here, my friend, and in this dreadful state?' - 'I'm waiting for my master, Mr Van der Hartbargin, the well-known trader,' replied the Negro.- 'And is it Mr Van der Hartbargin' said Candide, 'who has treated you like this?' - 'Yes, sir' said the Negro,'it is the custom. We are given one pair of short denim breeches twice a year, and that's all we have to wear. When we're working at the sugar-mill and catch our finger in the grinding wheel, they cut off our hand. When we try to run away, they cut off a leg. I have been in both these situations. This is the price you pay for the sugar you eat in Europe'

It is this event that changes Candide's mind on Optimism:
' "O Pangloss!"...That does it. I shall finally have to renounce your Optimism - "What's Optimism?' asked Cacambo. -"I'm afraid to say" said Candide, "that it's a mania for insisting all is well when things are going badly."

I feel these quotes or similar one's do give you a 'taste' of Voltaire's style and would also add emphasis to the points you are trying to make about his philosophy.

The Poème sur le désastre de Lisbonne as you mention was written while he was "in shock" and he was angry about the injustice of it and it put him in mind of the Day of Judgement and his bitter response to it was: 'All it lacked was a trumpet.'

Voltaire's shock at the earthquake was mitigated by delight when he learn't that members of the Portuguese Inquisition had perished just as they were about to publicly burn some Jews as heretics.

Little insights like this might be useful in aiding people to get a feel for Voltaire and his writings perhaps.

Thanks for your input on this and the other entry, Keith. I'll address it in the next couple days, but I might as well acknowledge that I've seen it now.

I'm interested by your translation calling the Dutch merchant "Van der Hartbargin", since he's "Vanderdendur" in the original. I don't know if that's worth doing for the sake of the pun.

Man, PR is more work than I remembered...

>>I hope that helps<< Yes that works fine EMR

Your correct of course EMR :

"I'm interested by your translation calling the Dutch merchant "Van der Hartbargin", since he's "Vanderdendur" in the original. I don't know if that's worth doing for the sake of the pun."

And so I did some digging about to find out a bit more information about my quote.

It comes from an absolutely marvellous Biography of V by Roger Pearson, M.A., D.Phil.,Professor of French, Fellow of The Queen's College, Oxford. Officier dans l'Ordre des Palmes Académiques, titled:
Voltaire Almighty
a life in pursuit of freedom.
published 2005



Now by dint of my digging I managed to contact Professor Pearson and I don't know if it was the shock of receiving mail from a bloke from down under but he replied to me almost immediately and here is his reply:


Dear Keith,

Thanks for your e-mail, and for your compliment on my biography of Voltaire.

In French 'avoir la dent dure' (lit. to have a hard tooth) means to be severe and unbending (and, in particular, severely critical): so, more or less the equivalent of 'hard-nosed'. V. is clearly making a joke name of this, and so I thought I'd make my own joke (sic), with more emphasis on the 'hard-nosedness' of this character in negotiation: i.e. driving a hard bargain. And I did a little bit of 'Dutchifying' a la Voltaire.

Best wishes,


So that explains my quote I hope and wasn't it nice of him to take the time to reply

Anything more you want to add to this entry EMR?

Your Guide Entry has just been picked from Peer Review by one of our Scouts, and is now heading off into the Editorial Process, which ends with publication in the Edited Guide. We've therefore moved this Review Conversation out of Peer Review and to the entry itself.

If you'd like to know what happens now, check out the page on 'What Happens after your Entry has been Recommended?' at EditedGuide-Process. We hope this explains everything.

Thanks for contributing to the Edited Guide!

I never addressed Keith's suggestions.

In light of that fact, this is an incomplete and imperfect entry. I am concerned about its being picked if it has not taken into consideration all reviewers' suggestions.

Real life has taken its toll on me - I'm now working two jobs, one full-time, and am adjusting to the load. I doubt that I could incorporate those suggestions with any alacrity.

If there is a consensus that this entry is ready, I am dubious. I cannot finish it now; if there's any way it can be removed from the editing queue I would not put it back in PR.

Well in view of the selection...congrat's EMR and don't mind my comments.

EMR - I am subbing your Entry A37616853

Leave it with me and I'll incorporate the suggestions. Don't worry about being busy RL, Keith and other reviewers can assist me if I have any problems,

with everything

GB

Thanks, GB. You're too kind I guess I'll just look it over when you're done, then, though I'm sure it will be lovely.

It's my pleasure, EMR, I'll let you know when I'm done subbing

I've finished adding links and Keith's points, I'm now going to read the rest of the PR thread

Ready for a final read-through when you are