Lost+in+Translation?

//Lost in Translation? A look at translations of information at historical/tourist sites: Some examples - Paolo Tombolato//
Hello everybody, as I wrote in my introduction, I live in [|Cittadella], a town of twenty thousand inhabitants, lying 20 mile north of Padova. It was founded many centuries ago by ancient roman settlers and in the Middle Ages it developed into [|a feudal fortress] town: a circuit of tall walls was erected, inside which the farmers who lived around it could find shelter whenever enemies would raid the country. Since Cittadella has been acknowledged the status of a city of art by the European Committee in 1995, many funds have been appropriated to [|restore the walls] and monuments that were formerly run-down. Things are going very well, I have to admit it, but in the meanwhile expensive tourist boards (each worth at least 150e!) are springing up along the streets and before the monuments. Here come the troubles! They are written both in Italian and in English……well, it is my opinion that they do both languages a bad turn. I selected one of them as a sample; here it is:


 * "Villa Mastini, della Scaligera, Malfatti Rina**

//Signorile costruzione dell’ Ottocento, [|l’edificio] si sviluppa su due piani e all’interno presenta ampie stanze che ricordano la Casa Padronale del tempo. La Facciata è abbellita [|da decorazioni a bugnato(?) al piano terra]. Sede della biblioteca comunale e centro polifunzionale (?), il complesso è caratterizzato dalla presenza della [|torre] nei giardini interni, coronata da merletti a coda di rondine (?) e affiancata da due corpi cilindrici (?) contenenti le scale"//




 * "Villa Masini, della Scaligera, Malfatti Rina**

//This is a two-storey 19th century [|mansion] (?)which is now the seat of the local library and a multifunctional centre. Inside, there are spacious rooms that remind us the Master’s House of the old days. The Facade [|is been adorned] by [|classical decorations (?)] and by rusticated decorations at the ground floor. The building complex is adorned by the presence of a [|Scaligera Tower] (?) in the inner gardens and flanked by two cylindrical bodies containing the stairs//"

[The (?) are mine] Now, if my Italian classmates evaluated the first part I’d be happy. Do you find the text is overloaded with Latinate constructions? Does it communicate? Could you draw a picture of the Villa out of the decription? Does the English translation say more? Less? Better? Worse than the Italian text? Please, express an opinion whatsoever about it….feel free to write what you want, laugh at it if you feel like it..

And you, my dear Australian friend, what do you think about the English Version? Does it sound friendly? Does it make you smile? Do you think it was done by an Italian or an English “translator”? How would you rate it? Would you be so brave as to attempt to make a better work ( it would be important, indeed it would; our mayor couldn’t help acknowledging it…….an uproar will arise, newspapers and all, that’s granted; the Italians are thirsty for chaos, be sure!!). Anyway, feel as free as my Italian mates

I know it sounds like a joke, but Cittadella is actually a [|fair town] and that’s a waste of money. May an ugly frame spoil a wonderful picture? I’m afraid it could; there are many other boards waiting to be engraved and set out. Maybe we can stop this waste. Let’s save the innocent town ;-)

PS: stay tuned for the next “translation” (…..what a wonderful word it could be!!)

Paolo Tombolato, April 30, 2007