Skip to Navigation | Skip to Page Content

Giorgio Magnanensi

dizionario di parole intraducibili • dictionary of untranslatable words

Scorcio della Torre del Mangia, Siena Scorcio della Torre del Mangia, Siena
Questa sera con Hanif abbiamo deciso di cominciare un dizionario delle parole intraducibili. Parlando con Hanif mi capita a volte di mescolare l'Italiano all'Inglese e costruire discorsi e frasi mescolando i linguaggi e le parole, soprattutto quando parole non esistono o sono intraducibili in Inglese. Lo stesso per Hanif, quando parla Italiano con me e ritorna all'Inglese se e quando parole intraducibili si presentano all'orizzonte della comunicazione.

Comincio con una parola che amo ma che non riesco veramente a tradurre... : scorcio

La traduzione di queste parole viene data qui in immagini

 

Scorcio di Pienza

scorcio_di_Pienza

Scorcio of Pienza

 

This evening with Hanif we decided to start a dictionary of untranslatable words.

Talking with Hanif I happen to mix Italian to English and to build discourses and phrases mixing languages and words, especially when words don't exist or are untranslatable in English. The same goes for Hanif, when talking to me in Italian and returning to English if and when untranslatable words present themselves on the horizon of communication.

I'll start with a word I love but I'm unable to truly translate... : scorcio

The translation of these words is given here through images

 

scorcio prospettico del manto dell Madonna (dall'Annunciazione del Beato Angelico)

scorcio_prospettico_del_manto_della_Madonna

prospectic scorcio of the mantel of the Madonna

 

Beato Angelico, L'Annunciazione

fra_angelico_lannunciazione

Can you see another scorcio on the top left corner, between the column of the frame and the columns perspective?...

Read 1574 times
Tagged under
Social sharing

Latest from Giorgio Magnanensi

Related items (by tag)

3 comments

  • Comment Link Hanif Wednesday, 04 August 2010 06:30 posted by Hanif

    Ciao Giorgio,

    I was toying with this idea some more, and of-course came across a plethora (cool word) of interesting things on the web... a book called 'In Other Words' a compendium (another cool word) of untranslatable words... here's the link:

    http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4457805

    I thought you might enjoy the spanish word 'Duende' - there's a long essay on it by García Lorca...

    http://www.poetryintranslation.com/PITBR/Spanish/LorcaDuende.htm

    Still I think its the use of imagery or music or whatever it takes to provide the 'translation' that is key in this project...

    another segue could in the form of borrowed (permanently) words... I'm thinking of the book 'Hobson Jobson, a dictionary of Hinglish' - words from Hindi, that are know part of english vocabulary and common usage... Pajamas, thug, loot and so on...

    Pero alla fine mi piace molto entrare ed cavalcare nella poesia di un linguaggio ibrido... lo chiamiamo 'engliano' ?

    grazie per una bella serata, a presto, Hanif

    This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
  • Comment Link Giorgio Magnanensi Monday, 02 August 2010 11:21 posted by Giorgio Magnanensi

    ...do you mean your mind...? ; )

    This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
  • Comment Link bradshaw pack Monday, 02 August 2010 10:32 posted by bradshaw pack

    Gigi:

    You are killing me. You are reading my mail.
    This is incredible
    Zio

    This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Add comment