Those who’ve done even an ounce of translation in their lives know that there’s really only one thing that can’t be translated. Unfortunately, it’s practically the spirit of a language.
Humour.
What’s funny in one language is seldom, if ever, funny in exactly the same way in another. In translation, your best bet is to try to be funny in some other way.
Being half-francophone (the other half being Italo-canadian), I’m so grateful to be able to understand humour in more than one language. Humour has more personalities than Truddi Chase, and as many varieties as wine.
There’s British dry, American slapstick, French lightening, Quebec caustic, German irony, and so forth. Some people marvel at the fact that we’ve been able to adapt different cultures to so many religions. Me, I’m just impressed that we found so many different ways to laugh, and for different reasons.
On that topic, I’ve decided to share some of the things that have made me laugh the most. They’re all in French, but that’s just an accident. Enjoy.
The Revolution of the Crabs
3 hommes et un couffin (the original French version of Three Men and a Baby)
Anne Roumanoff on Infidelity
OLIVIA COLLETTE 