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Showing posts from July, 2016

Translating my Australian fairy tale presentation for a German audience

Ein Kohl-Palmen Hüte und ein Peitsche (stockwhip) als Zauberstab: Australische Märchen. A cabbage tree hat and a stock whip wand. As my German is improving I have been working to translate the slides from my recent Australian fairy tale conference powerpoint into German. This is difficult when translating quotes as the language used is 'old'.  Here is an example: … should this story be favourable (sic) received by the little folks for whom it is written it is the Author’s intention to publish a series of Tales, so that the merry children of the fair South may revel in dreams of their own Fairy Lore.   Sarah Anne Charlotte Roland (pseud. Gumsucker*) 1870 Sollte die Geschichte gerne durch die Leutenlein für die sie geschrieben ist gelesen werden, Absicht ist zu veröffentlichen viele Geschichte, so dass die fröhlichen Kinder können Märchen schwelgen in Träumen ihrer.  * slang for a Victorian colonist

Ooroomolia. An Australian Fairy Story by David Cameron.1878

When I discovered this Australian fairy tale it brought back memories of my own childhood Christmases in the 60s and how accurately he had described my family Christmas afternoons. Game playing  for those who hadn't eaten too much , usually Rounders for we were a family of girls, my dad creeping off for an afternoon nap, and the heat of the day. We were always given a book for Christmas and I would find somewhere to curl up and read or perhaps we would watch a Christmas movie. Though celebrating the 'bush ethos' in the description of Harry Smith who has abandoned city life to become a farmer this narrative also recognises that his 'hard working wife' works equally hard and along side him contributing an equal share as they struggle to build a farm from the surrounding bush. His wife is not named but the acknowledgement of her contribution recognises that  t he Bush not only shaped the traits of the men who settled but expected the women who joined th