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/lit/ - Literature

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2813632 No.2813632 [Reply] [Original]

>Start reading Les Miserables book because everyone else has
>"Hm, never read a French novel, this should be interesting"
>FRENCH WORDS EVERYWHERE

The novel is in English, so why are there French words still in it?!

>> No.2813640

There aren't, you just don't have a good vocabulary and so mistook them for French words.

>> No.2813654

>>2813640
No, the words are in French, and are even italic.

>> No.2813657

There's a lot of french in the English language

>> No.2813782

Literate people are still expected to know French, because French the cultural center of gravity in Europe 200+ years ago. When people are taught French, they are inculcated into the archaic French cultural imperialist mindset that still somehow exists. When these same people translate French to English, they leave in half the French to makes sure that people who don't know French are reminded of that they are uncultured swine.

>> No.2813791

Some words can't be translated without losing some of the connotations. It's part of the dilemma of the translator - you have to establish the connotations in-textus (which is difficult because you can't really add context), use a wrong or inelegant english word or phrase, or just leave it in italics and confuse people.

>> No.2813792

Just learn to read french nerd. Shouldn't take more than six months if you're native language is English.

>> No.2813823
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2813823

>Americlap realizes some French words read the same in English

oh lawd