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!
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Yiğit Yavuz