Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0024649, Wed, 2 Oct 2013 20:25:13 -0400

Subject
Re: French terms in Pale Fire
Date
Body
Dear List,

In heraldics, all insects (as well as reptiles or amphibians) are found
depicted in a top-down perspective which is called the "tergiant" (or
"tergant") posture, showing the back (Lat. *tergum*)—with one exception:
when the insect is winged, the posture is known as "volant en arrière"
(since its front is then visible).



Didier Machu,

Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour





Dear colleagues,

My Turkish traslation of Pale Fire will soon be published by Iletisim
Publishing House in Istanbul.

I need your help for two expressions in French:
*feuilles-d'alarme *and *volant en arrière.*
*
*
"He claimed to have improved the glitter and rattle of the so-called
feuilles-d'alarme used by grape growers and orchardmen to scare the birds."
*
*
"From far below mounted the clink and tinkle of distant masonry work, and a
sudden train passed between gardens, and a heraldic butterfly volant en
arrière, sable, a bend gules, traversed the stone parapet, and John Shade
took a fresh card."

What explanations may be given as translator's notes?

Thanks!

--
*Yiğit Yavuz*

--
Susan Elizabeth Sweeney
Co-Editor, NABOKV-L

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