That pretty much says it all in my opinion. As far as I'm concerned it's impossible for Yen to be thinking that Geralt is incapable of love at this stage of their relationship.... Absolutely no way... And then once again if this theory is true then why on earth is she breaking up with Geralt?
That pretty much says it all in my opinion. As far as I'm concerned it's impossible for Yen to be thinking that Geralt is incapable of love at this stage of their relationship.... Absolutely no way... And then once again if this theory is true then why on earth is she breaking up with Geralt?
A Shard of Ice, like pretty much all the other Witcher books, is heavy on symbolism. The symbolism is not extremely obtuse, but it does make the text open to interpretation. Still, I have trouble seeing the kestrels as literal purveyors of the truth about someone's emotions. And I can't help but be skeptical of the idea that some sudden revelation regarding Geralt's feelings bamboozled Yennefer to the point that she chose him despite initially wanting to stay with Istredd (or with both), and then decided to leave Geralt too in the end because... I don't know, bitches be crazy, I guess.
If there has to be a mistake, better this than another more serious one, given that original language is not quite easy, lol. Belittle the entire work for that is just not fair.
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On a serious note, I think it's exaggerated to say your translation is bad because of a rhino, I mean if the rest is correct, and most of all, it gives you the feelings and vibes as a correct translation should give you, then I wouldn't worry about it.
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One thing is sure though, Sapkowski is a genius. I've read these books two times already and I feel like I'm only just starting to understand these characters, like I've only just scratched the surface of all of this.
And then I've spent the evening here talking about it, analyzing it. Usually trying to explain things like these takes away part of the magic. But well it didn't. I took one of these books and started to read some samples of it and everything was magical again.
OMG I love these books.
Sephira : yes but the rhino is not the problem though.... There was also what I mentioned earlier about the forgiveness and some other stuff I quoted some time ago about Lady of the lake. Nope I really get the feeling that the french translation is not so good.
And then I've spent the evening here talking about it, analyzing it. Usually trying to explain things like these takes away part of the magic. But well it didn't. I took one of these books and started to read some samples of it and everything was magical again.
OMG I love these books.
Sephira : yes but the rhino is not the problem though.... There was also what I mentioned earlier about the forgiveness and some other stuff I quoted some time ago about Lady of the lake. Nope I really get the feeling that the french translation is not so good.
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If it's "only" a couple of these mistakes, the only way to know it for sure is to make a comparison between those parts you doubt about and the original text.
I've read all the books except one and it's never mentioned how Yen got the unicorn... The only one I haven't read is 'Season of Storms', because it hasn't been translated into English (fan-translated or officially) yet... Perhaps someone who's read that can see if there is a mention of the unicorn there, but from what I've heard of the book, I doubt it.
This is quite interesting- any Polish readers out there to assist with the original?
"- Obie nogi - powiedziała Yennefer wycierając ręce w lnianą szmatkę. - I chyba coś z kręgosłupem. Zbrojana plecach wgnieciona, jakby dostał kafarem. A nogi, to przez własną kopię. Nieprędko on wsiądzie nakonia. O ile w ogóle wsiądzie.- Ryzyko zawodowe - mruknął Geralt. Czarodziejka zmarszczyła się.- Tylko tyle masz do powiedzenia?- A co jeszcze chciałabyś usłyszeć, Yennefer?- Ten smok jest niewiarygodnie szybki, Geralt. Za szybki, by mógł z nim walczyć człowiek.- Rozumiem. Nie, Yen. Nie ja.- Zasady? - uśmiechnęła się zjadliwie czarodziejka. - Czy zwykły, najzwyklejszy strach? To jedno ludzkieuczucie, którego w tobie nie wytrzebiono?- Jedno i drugie - zgodził się beznamiętnie wiedźmin. - Co za różnica?- Właśnie - Yennefer podeszła bliżej. - Żadna. Zasady można złamać, strach można pokonać. Zabij tegosmoka, Geralt. Dla mnie.- Dla ciebie?- Dla mnie. Chcę tego smoka, Geralt. Całego. Chcę go mieć tylko dla siebie.- Użyj czarów i zabij go.- Nie. Ty go zabij. A ja czarami powstrzymam Rębaczy i innych, żeby nie przeszkadzali.- Padną trupy, Yennefer.- Od kiedy ci to przeszkadza? Ty zajmij się smokiem, ja biorę na siebie ludzi.- Yennefer - rzekł chłodno wiedźmin. - Nie mogę zrozumieć. Po co ci ten smok? Aż do tego stopnia olśniewacię żółty kolor jego łusek? Przecież nie cierpisz biedy, masz niezliczone źródła utrzymania, jesteś sławna. Oco więc chodzi? Tylko nie mów nic o powołaniu, bardzo proszę.Yennefer milczała, wreszcie, skrzywiwszy wargi, z rozmachem kopnęła leżący w trawie kamień.- Jest ktoś, kto może mi pomóc, Geralt. Podobno to... wiesz, o co mi chodzi... Podobno to nie jestnieodwracalne. Jest szansa. Mogę jeszcze mieć... Rozumiesz?- Rozumiem.- To skomplikowana operacja, kosztowna. Ale w zamian za złotego smoka... Geralt? Wiedźmin milczał.- Kiedyśmy wisieli na moście - powiedziała czarodziejka - prosiłeś mnie o coś. Spełnię twoją prośbę. Mimowszystko.Wiedźmin uśmiechnął się smutno, wskazującym palcem dotknął obsydianowej gwiazdy na szyi Yennefer.- Za późno, Yen. Już nie wisimy. Przestało mi zależeć. Mimo wszystk
czekiwał najgorszego, kaskady ognia, błyskawicy, ciosu w twarz, obelgi, przekleństwa. Zdziwił się, widząctylko powstrzymywane drżenie warg. Yennefer odwróciła się powoli. Geralt pożałował swoich słów.Pożałował emocji, która je zrodziła. Granica możliwości, przekroczona, pękła jak struna lutni. Spojrzał naJaskra, zobaczył, jak trubadur szybko odwraca głowę, unika jego wzroku."
Andrzej Sapkowski "Granica możliwości"
"There's somebody who can help me. Apparently it... you know what I'm talking about...Apparently it's reversible. There is a chance. I can still have... Do you understand? I understand."It is a complicated and costly operation. But in exchange for a golden dragon... Geralt?"The witcher remained silent."When we were hanging from the bridge," she continued, "you asked me for something. Igrant it to you, in spite of everything."The witcher smiled sadly. He touched the star of obsidian which hung on Yennefer's neckwith his index finger."It's too late, Yen. We're no longer hanging from the bridge. I don't care anymore. In spite ofeverything."He expected the worst: a cascade of flames, flashes of lightning, blows raining down on hisface, insults and curses. There was nothing. He saw, with astonishment, only the subtletrembling of her lips. Yennefer turned around slowly. Geralt regretted his words. He regrettedthe emotion from which they had originated. The last possible limit, like the strings of a lute,had been broken. He glanced at Jaskier and saw that the troubadour quickly turned away to avoid his gaze.
Andrzej Sapkowski "Limit of possibilities"
czekiwał najgorszego, kaskady ognia, błyskawicy, ciosu w twarz, obelgi, przekleństwa. Zdziwił się, widząctylko powstrzymywane drżenie warg. Yennefer odwróciła się powoli. Geralt pożałował swoich słów.Pożałował emocji, która je zrodziła. Granica możliwości, przekroczona, pękła jak struna lutni. Spojrzał naJaskra, zobaczył, jak trubadur szybko odwraca głowę, unika jego wzroku."Andrzej Sapkowski "Granica możliwości"
"There's somebody who can help me. Apparently it... you know what I'm talking about...Apparently it's reversible. There is a chance. I can still have... Do you understand? I understand."It is a complicated and costly operation. But in exchange for a golden dragon... Geralt?"The witcher remained silent."When we were hanging from the bridge," she continued, "you asked me for something. Igrant it to you, in spite of everything."The witcher smiled sadly. He touched the star of obsidian which hung on Yennefer's neckwith his index finger."It's too late, Yen. We're no longer hanging from the bridge. I don't care anymore. In spite ofeverything."He expected the worst: a cascade of flames, flashes of lightning, blows raining down on hisface, insults and curses. There was nothing. He saw, with astonishment, only the subtletrembling of her lips. Yennefer turned around slowly. Geralt regretted his words. He regrettedthe emotion from which they had originated. The last possible limit, like the strings of a lute,had been broken. He glanced at Jaskier and saw that the troubadour quickly turned away to avoid his gaze.
Andrzej Sapkowski "Limit of possibilities"
The unicorn is a reference to the short story " A Shard of Ice" where Geralt is thinking about all the weird places he and Yennefer had sex during their relationship.
It is never stated how the unicorn came into her possession
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I can't say i felt particularly sympathetic in regards her at that moment. While i found her an interesting and complex character i can't say i was won over during any of those stories.
It's OK, it's not like she's known for doing many noble things in those stories, anyway... I've felt sympathetic towards her motivations and goals and they made sense to me even though she didn't care too much about the means in which to accomplish them. She was a complete opposite of stereotypical main protagonist's love interest (the type of personality that I grew to dislike over the years): she wasn't a sweet, naive damsel in distress, she was a sarcastic, devilish badass who didn't let anyone talk down to her. Occasionally she would let her softer, vulnerable side be shown (she was written so well, so this contrast didn't look unnatural or inconsistent) and this mixture is what made me like her character.
"- Obie nogi - powiedziała Yennefer wycierając ręce w lnianą szmatkę. - I chyba coś z kręgosłupem. Zbrojana plecach wgnieciona, jakby dostał kafarem. A nogi, to przez własną kopię. Nieprędko on wsiądzie nakonia. O ile w ogóle wsiądzie.- Ryzyko zawodowe - mruknął Geralt. Czarodziejka zmarszczyła się.- Tylko tyle masz do powiedzenia?- A co jeszcze chciałabyś usłyszeć, Yennefer?- Ten smok jest niewiarygodnie szybki, Geralt. Za szybki, by mógł z nim walczyć człowiek.- Rozumiem. Nie, Yen. Nie ja.- Zasady? - uśmiechnęła się zjadliwie czarodziejka. - Czy zwykły, najzwyklejszy strach? To jedno ludzkieuczucie, którego w tobie nie wytrzebiono?- Jedno i drugie - zgodził się beznamiętnie wiedźmin. - Co za różnica?- Właśnie - Yennefer podeszła bliżej. - Żadna. Zasady można złamać, strach można pokonać. Zabij tegosmoka, Geralt. Dla mnie.- Dla ciebie?- Dla mnie. Chcę tego smoka, Geralt. Całego. Chcę go mieć tylko dla siebie.- Użyj czarów i zabij go.- Nie. Ty go zabij. A ja czarami powstrzymam Rębaczy i innych, żeby nie przeszkadzali.- Padną trupy, Yennefer.- Od kiedy ci to przeszkadza? Ty zajmij się smokiem, ja biorę na siebie ludzi.- Yennefer - rzekł chłodno wiedźmin. - Nie mogę zrozumieć. Po co ci ten smok? Aż do tego stopnia olśniewacię żółty kolor jego łusek? Przecież nie cierpisz biedy, masz niezliczone źródła utrzymania, jesteś sławna. Oco więc chodzi? Tylko nie mów nic o powołaniu, bardzo proszę.Yennefer milczała, wreszcie, skrzywiwszy wargi, z rozmachem kopnęła leżący w trawie kamień.- Jest ktoś, kto może mi pomóc, Geralt. Podobno to... wiesz, o co mi chodzi... Podobno to nie jestnieodwracalne. Jest szansa. Mogę jeszcze mieć... Rozumiesz?- Rozumiem.- To skomplikowana operacja, kosztowna. Ale w zamian za złotego smoka... Geralt? Wiedźmin milczał.- Kiedyśmy wisieli na moście - powiedziała czarodziejka - prosiłeś mnie o coś. Spełnię twoją prośbę. Mimowszystko.Wiedźmin uśmiechnął się smutno, wskazującym palcem dotknął obsydianowej gwiazdy na szyi Yennefer.- Za późno, Yen. Już nie wisimy. Przestało mi zależeć. Mimo wszystk
Andrzej Sapkowski "Granica możliwości"
"There's somebody who can help me. Apparently it... you know what I'm talking about...Apparently it's reversible. There is a chance. I can still have... Do you understand? I understand."It is a complicated and costly operation. But in exchange for a golden dragon... Geralt?"The witcher remained silent."When we were hanging from the bridge," she continued, "you asked me for something. Igrant it to you, in spite of everything."The witcher smiled sadly. He touched the star of obsidian which hung on Yennefer's neckwith his index finger."It's too late, Yen. We're no longer hanging from the bridge. I don't care anymore. In spite ofeverything."He expected the worst: a cascade of flames, flashes of lightning, blows raining down on hisface, insults and curses. There was nothing. He saw, with astonishment, only the subtletrembling of her lips. Yennefer turned around slowly. Geralt regretted his words. He regrettedthe emotion from which they had originated. The last possible limit, like the strings of a lute,had been broken. He glanced at Jaskier and saw that the troubadour quickly turned away to avoid his gaze.
Andrzej Sapkowski "Limit of possibilities"
So in the polish version she actually forgives him even if he refuses to help her? Or did I not understand that correctly? Maybe the french translation is not that bad after all then!
I think it does matter. On one hand Yen wasn't planning on forgiving him and offers to do it only if he is willing to kill a dragon for her, on the other hand she has forgiven him and truly hopes that he can also leave all that behind them and help her because he still cares about her (and not because he wants to be forgiven). That does not say the same thing about the character at all in my opinion.
She is basically telling him, "kill the dragon for me and I'll forgive you, we'll try again", etc. It's (a rather pathetic) manipulation attempt, no two ways about it. But she doesn't do it out of maliciousness, rather self-delusion. She believed that curing infertility would somehow fix her, when her real issue at that point was her inability to offer the other, more important things that make a mother (some of those things are also important in making a lover). She was desperate to have a child, but then again, so was the woman from A L'interieur. It was an obsession and it made her do really stupid things. She figures it out later on, though.
About the forgiveness bit, again. You don't just decide to forgive someone on the spot because you want something in return. She, as per usual at that point in their relationship, was torn on the whole affair, but had probably forgiven him, despite pretending not to. What she does is use a reconciliation as an incentive.
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Yeah I agree with that entirely! Yet I still think it does make a difference. I didn't say it was a "Yen is nice" versus "Yen is a bitch" point. But on one hand she doesn't care whether Geralt cares about her or not as long as he kills that dragon, on the other hand the fact that he will do it for her because he cares about her is important to her. I agree that in both cases it was a shitty move to make and that in both cases it wasn't out of maliciousness. That was not my point.
Anyway, letting this go now, sorry guys :unsure: