Editor in China requesting help with translation of certain sentences in BotNS

David Stockhoff · 16 Dec 2013, 23:35 · from 2013-December.txt.gz

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From: dstockhoff at verizon.net (David Stockhoff)
Date: Mon, 16 Dec 2013 18:35:36 -0500
Subject: (urth) Editor in China requesting help with translation of
 certain sentences in BotNS
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	<CAM0v-i5K7dW_F15E9URqLBBeG5PAP=-GLmo4-DVpRNZ7OSbERw at mail.gmail.com>
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Blue cheeks are cheeks with one-day stubble (if you have black hair and 
pale skin).

Otherwise, I agree. The Solitaire question is especially interesting, 
since Wolfe could not possibly have slipped those in without working out 
a system. An elector is an HRE prince 
(archbishop/count/duke/margrave/king), thus probably taking the place of 
the jack.

I can only assume, given the milieu, that the king is an autarch, who of 
course has no queen so the queen becomes a patroness. This sounds like 
an ecclesiastical rank but it could mean "patrona" (city patroness) or 
female "patron saint."

Either way, one must wonder who it is that the elector elects. Could the 
autarchy originally have been at least theoretically elective?

(There seem to be very few noble titles in the Commonwealth; the highest 
title I can recall is "waldgrave." The autarch can't allow any ranks 
near his own.)

On 12/16/2013 3:54 PM, Antonin Scriabin wrote:
> Well, "bluer of cheek" is a variation on the term "blue-blood", of 
> course a reference to nobility ... you could see the surface veins of 
> those who, because of their stature in society, had very pale skin 
> (they didn't have to work outside at physical labor, thus acquiring a 
> tan).
>
> In Solitaire, a black (or red) Jack is placed "on top" of a Queen of 
> the opposite color (and a different suit, necessarily) ... so perhaps 
> the "elector" is the Jack and the "patroness" is the Queen?
>
> "Theocenter" might simply mean "godhead", or a reference to the 
> oneness and simplicity thereof, as the root of all existence, in a 
> Judeo-Christian sense.  But don't quote me.
>
> Not sure about the other one, I'll have to page through my copy at 
> home to get the full context.
>
>
> On Mon, Dec 16, 2013 at 2:58 PM, Daniel Otto Jack Petersen 
> <danielottojackpetersen at gmail.com 
> <mailto:danielottojackpetersen at gmail.com>> wrote:
>
>     Got this alert from the Goodreads Gene Wolfe group:
>
>     https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1614149-help-some-details-in-the-shadow?utm_medium=email&utm_source=comment_instant#comment_88705259
>
>
>     "I am a SF editor & Wolfe fan in China, and we are trying to
>     publish The Book of New Sun in Chinese. I've done a lot of work in
>     reading and translation , yet there are still some sentences I
>     can't understand. Hope I can get some help here.
>
>     THE HOUSE AZURE
>     While I was undressing I said, "Nevertheless, we all seek to
>     discover what is real. Why is it? Perhaps we are drawn to the
>     theocenter. That's what the hierophants say,that only that is true."
>
>     what does "theocenter" mean? I can't find this word in dictionary
>     nor can I google it. and what does the whole sentence mean?
>     --------------------------------------------
>     THE LAST YEAR
>     I carried them to her, and she said my beard had shot up like
>     them, and I should be bluer of cheek than the run of common men,
>     and the next day begged my pardon for it, saying I was that already.
>
>     what does "bluer of cheek"and " run of common men" mean here?
>     -----------------------------------------
>     DORCAS
>     "Your pardon, sieur," he said. "But I can't come no nearer. Wet
>     she may be, but she gets too dry for me, or you couldn't walk upon
>     it.
>
>     Does "she" refer to the boat or Cas' body? what does the sentence
>     mean?
>
>     ------------------------------------------
>     THE PLAY
>     confirm the outcome of a love affair by putting the elector of one
>     suit atop the patroness of another
>
>     If the word suit refer to the some card game, then what does
>     "elector"and "patroness"mean?"
>
>     -- 
>     Daniel Otto Jack Petersen
>
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