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The Little Prince By Antoine De Saint-Exupéry Is Now Available In Chabacano!

While Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince) written by Antoine De Saint-Exupéry in 1943 now has over 300 translations in different languages worldwide and is now considered the world’s most translated book (not counting religious works), there have been surprisingly only two translations of his book in the Philippines (Filipino and Bicol). El Diutay Principe is only the third edition featuring a Philippine language. The Little Prince is a classic French novella about a pilot who gets stranded in the desert after a plane crash and encounters a little fellow who asks him to draw a sheep for him. Through the course of their meeting, the pilot rediscovers the true meaning of life and what people should value the most. When I came across the book in 2013, I found that I could relate very well to the negative image given to “growing up” in the book. When the idea to translate the book into my mother tongue was presented to me, I didn’t think twice. I thought, ‘a lot of people my

Chabacano at the Fort Pilar

The first sign on our list is one that is actually written in Spanish. I was surprised to see this sign written in Spanish since it was most probably created after 1960. This sign was in an obscure part of the Fort Pilar and was already faded when I found it. The canonical coronation talked about in the sign happened on October 12, 1960 and the crown, in fact, has been lost for 50 years. It was only in 2012 that the crown was found in a bank's vault. Here is an article that Yahoo wrote about it.




The next two are information on a museum exhibit. To those of you who don't know, the Fort Pilar is also a museum and not just a religious shrine. The Chabacano translation was done by Dr. Roberto B Torres, author of the 'El Primer Alfabeto Chabacano' textbook. I like how the translation below used modern Chabacano but still managed to sound formal (at least as formal as it can be). There are albeit, glaring mistakes that one would suppose shouldn't be present. One thing I didn't like is that the word used for century was centurio. I think this word should be siglo. I'm not sure if the word centurio (with the meaning of 'century') has already crept into Chabacano but it is important to note that as early as the 1970s, false cognates have already been entering into the Chabacano language. A proof of this is the word embarasada (meaning embarrassed) which is known to Chabacano speakers who are in their 50s and 60s. The meaning of embarazada in Spanish is pregnant and not embarrassed. Santos' Chabacano dictionary, by the way, says that the word for 'century' in Chabacano is siglo and centuria. Camins meanwhile does not list any of these words.

A very interesting word that can be found in the plaque above is the word desvela. This word obviously means 'to unveil', however, I am uncertain whether this word (with this definition) is really used in Chabacano. However, based on the Diccionario de la Real Academia Española, It looks like this word is being used in Spanish (with this same definition) especially in the Americas. This word does not appear in the Camins Chabacano dictionary at all. In Santos' Chabacano dictionary, the word is listed and defined only as 'to keep a death-watch/vigil'.



Comments

  1. "Tambien maga Islam y otro más" <> "As well as Islamic and Non-Islamic"

    Dol tiene man mali aqui na su traducción.

    Mi opinión solamente:

    "Maga grupo de arriba monte; también como el Islam y otro maga/mana Grupo jendeh Islámico."

    Sultania? sabe yo se "Sultanato". y "de Jolo"? sabe yo se "de Sulu y Borneo Norte"

    Establisa? sabe yo se "Establece".

    Between the different groups in the southern Philippines
    >>> Entre "del" maga diferente grupo na sur de Filipinas
    JENDEH ba gaja mas correcto habla
    >> Entre "el" maga diferente grupo na sur de Filipinas O Entre el mana diferentes grupos na Sur de Filipinas.

    Showcase a two -ection exhibition on the Historical and contemporary barter, Trade and Exchange in the southern Philippines
    >>> ay? (future tense y no present progressive tense?) dale mira el tradicional? y moderno? manera de negocio, comercio o cambiada? de maga benta na parte? sur de Filipinas


    Por que no escribi como
    >> El segundo piso del nuevo renovao estructura de D del Museo Nacional de Zamboanga na Fortaleza del Pilar ta Exhibi un exposicion de dos maga seccion na Historico y Contemporaneo de Trueque, comercio y el intercambio na Sur de Filipinas, que establecido el Mindanao como un Portal para el circulacion del maga bienes local y extranjeros.

    este opinion lang mio...

    el manera que ya traduci si Prof. Torres como de Anglicismo.

    ReplyDelete
  2. another not so good translation y era ya puede pa usa otro palabra que mas poetica.

    Owned by the English East India Company, the Griffin Ship transported goods from its trading post in southern China to India and England. While the Philippines was not part of the Company's trade route, the Griffin shipwreck attests to the efforts of England in Expanding its trade network in the southern Philippines as it plied an experimental route towards the Sultanate of Jolo with the aim of establishing a trading post in the area.

    Plied or played?
    Traduccion de Prof. Torres
    "El barco que ta dueña el English East India Company ta carga mana benta desde sur de China para India y Inglaterra. Mientras el Filipinas hende incluido na ruta del compañia, el destroso del barco Griffin puede servi como evidencia con el esfuerzo ya extende el Inglaterra na parte Sur de Filipinas modo ya conduci este el ruta experimental para na Sultanía de Jolo con el intencion para establisa un porte de negocio en este lugar.

    ¿modo o como?
    as it plied an experimental route <> modo ya conducí este el ruta experimental
    basih "como" ese, ¿cosa tuyo opinion?
    ¿jendeh ba más correcto habla "Como se ta maneja un ruta experimental"? para na Sultania o Sultanato de Jolo con el intención para establece un puerto comercial na este lugar.

    Proba también yo dale mi versión del traducción…
    El Barco Griffin que ta dueña el English East India Company ta transportá maga bienes desde su puerto comercial na Sur de China para India y Inglaterra. Mientras el Filipinas jendêh parte del ruta del compañía, y el catástrofe del Griffin ta juramentá (o legalizá) con el esfuerzo de Inglaterra na expansión de su red comercial na sur de Filipinas como ta manejá un ruta experimental para na Sultanato de Joló con el objetivo para establecé un puerto comercial na lugar.

    Mi pregunta ahora, por que tiene este palabra “parte” antes el palabra “Na (parte) sur de Filipinas”? the English text didn’t even mention as “In the parts of Southern Philippines”.

    ¿Por qué yo ya preferí usa “Sultanato” en vez de “Sultanía” y aunque igual lang man ta signifcá?
    Bueno, ya sigue lang yo con el ritmo del un oración. Como “sultanatO” y “jolÓ”. ¿jendêh ba más pronto pronuncia? 

    bueno, hasta otra vez, sñr. Jerome Herrera. Gracias.

    ReplyDelete
  3. another not so good translation y era ya puede pa usa otro palabra que mas poetica.

    Owned by the English East India Company, the Griffin Ship transported goods from its trading post in southern China to India and England. While the Philippines was not part of the Company's trade route, the Griffin shipwreck attests to the efforts of England in Expanding its trade network in the southern Philippines as it plied an experimental route towards the Sultanate of Jolo with the aim of establishing a trading post in the area.

    Plied or played?
    Traduccion de Prof. Torres
    "El barco que ta dueña el English East India Company ta carga mana benta desde sur de China para India y Inglaterra. Mientras el Filipinas hende incluido na ruta del compañia, el destroso del barco Griffin puede servi como evidencia con el esfuerzo ya extende el Inglaterra na parte Sur de Filipinas modo ya conduci este el ruta experimental para na Sultanía de Jolo con el intencion para establisa un porte de negocio en este lugar.

    ¿modo o como?
    as it plied an experimental route <> modo ya conducí este el ruta experimental
    basih "como" ese, ¿cosa tuyo opinion?
    ¿jendeh ba más correcto habla "Como se ta maneja un ruta experimental"? para na Sultania o Sultanato de Jolo con el intención para establece un puerto comercial na este lugar.

    Proba también yo dale mi versión del traducción…
    El Barco Griffin que ta dueña el English East India Company ta transportá maga bienes desde su puerto comercial na Sur de China para India y Inglaterra. Mientras el Filipinas jendêh parte del ruta del compañía, el catástrofe del Griffin ta juramentá (o legalizá) con el esfuerzo de Inglaterra na expansión de su red comercial na sur de Filipinas como ta manejá un ruta experimental para na Sultanato de Joló con el objetivo para establecé un puerto comercial na lugar.

    Mi pregunta ahora, por que tiene este palabra “parte” antes el palabra “Na (parte) sur de Filipinas”? the English text didn’t even mention as “In the parts of Southern Philippines”.

    ¿Por qué yo ya preferí usa “Sultanato” en vez de “Sultanía” y aunque igual lang man ta signifcá?
    Bueno, ya sigue lang yo con el ritmo del un oración. Como “sultanatO” y “jolÓ”. ¿jendêh ba más pronto pronuncia? 

    bueno, hasta otra vez, sñr. Jerome Herrera. Gracias.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Es muy interesante las traducciones de Chabacano que plantea arandayot,frente a las del profesor Torres.Como profesor de espanol para extranjeros,me suena "mas castellano" su traduccion que la de Torres,aunque las dos son muy entendibles.Tengo curiosidad en saber si usted es hablante joven,de mediana edad o mayor,de chabacano y si es hablante de espanol.Creo que estas diferencias de traduccion,ponen claro la necesidad de "normalizar" de forma clara la gramatica chabacana.Un abrazo,Joaquin.Sorprendente encontrar una placa conmemorativa en Filipinas,de 1960,en castellano.al menos ami me lo parece.

      Delete
  4. Soy un joven nativo Zamboangueño a 31 años. :-) ¿Por qué preguntas por nuestra edad? ^_^

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gracias por tu respuesta,arandayot.Mi pregunta era porque imagino,que los hablantes de chabacano de mediana edad (45-50 anos) y los mayores (+ de 50),estarian de jovenes,mas en contacto con el castellano,que los jovenes que hoy hablan chabacano,mas inmersos en lo "anglo".Tus traducciones,suenan "mas espanol",y pensaba que eras mas mayor.Veo que tambien hablas castellano,no?.Ojala sigamos en contacto,comentando tus apreciaciones sobre tu lengua,son muy interesantes.Gracias,Joaquin

      Delete

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