October 22, 2020 · 9:12 am
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When in Rome….

https://www.ippocampoedizioni.it/libro/9788867225514

26 Comments

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26 responses to “When in Rome….”

  2. Robin
    October 22, 2020 at 11:07 am

    Profumo. Somehow, it looks extra-beautiful in Italian. Well-done, sir!

    Reply
  3. filomena813
    October 22, 2020 at 11:48 am

    Congratulazioni Neil! Anche l’Italia ti ama!

    Reply
    • ginzaintherain
      October 23, 2020 at 8:39 am

      Thanks Filomena. Obviously, I would have loved to have been able to update it with more recent entries but that is not how it works with translation rights. Plus, it is a product of a particular time and place with all its merits and demerits, so it is quite amazing to have been picked and translated into such a beautiful language. It will be weird brushing up my Italian WITH MY OWN BOOK.

      Reply
  4. bibimaizoon
    October 22, 2020 at 12:39 pm

    Felicitazioni!
    Cento di questi giorni!

    Reply
  6. Georgia Kossifou
    October 22, 2020 at 4:34 pm

    Bravo!!!!!!👏👏👏👏👏👏

    Reply
  7. emmawoolf
    October 22, 2020 at 4:36 pm

    I am so overjoyed to see this. From 1992 Testaccio to here. Wonderful xx (c’e l’ai una copia?)

    Reply
    • ginzaintherain
      October 23, 2020 at 8:42 am

      I haven’t got one yet, and have only recently become aware of its concrete existence! But you are right – there is something fantastically right about the fact that after all those wonderful memories we had in Rome, that the book should have been translated into Italian. How do you reckon it will come across in italiano? Even MORE feverish?

      Reply
  8. OnWingsofSaffron
    October 22, 2020 at 4:57 pm

    Wow! Congratulations! I am so happy for you. And now to conquer the lands north of the Alps!! According to Wikipedia, there are approx. 90–95 million people who speak German as a first language, and 10–25 million as a second language.
    On another note, I find the sometimes laborious task of translation rather an interesting topic. For instance, the subtitle of you book in English is: “In Search of your Signature Scent”. This “signature scent” thing is a tricky one to translate. The Italian translation opts for “Alla ricerca della tua fragranza”, i.e. “in search of your fragrance”, which of course isn’t quite the same thing. In German that would be: “Auf der Suche nach Deinem Duft”, which obviously would work. However, one could go also go for “Lieblingsduft”, i.e. favourite scent—”Auf der Suche nach Deinem Lieblingsduft”—but there just may be a whiff of an unfortunate association with your favourite dish, like a plate of spag bol. Like in other languages too, we have the word “Duftmarke” which usually goes with the verb “setzen”—to set a scent mark—but is regularly meant more as a tactical stratagem (or canine behaviour), so that wouldn’t be a real choice either. Then one could chose another adjective like “unverkennbar” (unmistakable, distinctive): “Auf der Suche nach Deinem unverkennbaren Duft”. That would come closest to the original but might sound just a tad cumbersome.
    I know it’s nerdy, but that’s exactly what I find interesting about translations: it is always a matter of choice, and it is nervier quite the original.

    Reply
    • Robin
      October 23, 2020 at 2:24 am

      I love this idea of translation. I know a legal/literary translator and he is one of the brightest, most sensitive and creative people I know. He’s an artist with language and his goal is to express the original language not literally, but as true as possible to the most nuanced and reflective meaning. What a beautiful thing.

      Reply
    • ginzaintherain
      October 23, 2020 at 8:47 am

      I am nerdy about these things too, and was thinking about the lack of the word ‘signature’, but this translation has a nice musical ring to it (and I adore the ‘alla ricerca’ – which sounds directly Proustian, as I intended.

      As for German, although I would prefer not to be associated with spaghetti bolognese or some other savoury stew, I do love that expression ‘Lieblingsduft’. And of course, I would be beyond delighted to have a German version. The machinations of publishing are very difficult to understand, though – I have no idea how it works nor what goes on behind the scenes. Next is Chinese! There is something scintillating about the idea of seeing my book in gilded Chinese characters, having written it – although I don’t know how close the translation will be – and not being able to read a word of it. Like a magic spell from a fairy story.

      Reply
  9. matty1649
    October 22, 2020 at 7:33 pm

    Congratulations Wonderful XXX

    Reply
  10. brielle87
    October 24, 2020 at 9:15 am

    How absolutely magnificent!! I am so pleased that your book just keeps getting more and more known throughout the world.

    Reply

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