Adaptation 2

February 4, 2004

Good old Flintstones, keeping me on my toes and helping to provide a better example of adaptation. Fred, following a series of events that would be too complicated to describe here, ends up giving Wilma the ring Barney bought for Betty. Wilma: "And to think you love me that much just chokes me up." Fred: "When Barney finds out, I'm the one that's gonna get all chocked up." The play on words here is that while Wilma is so happy that she is choked up, Fred will get choked by Barney for giving his ring away.

You can use the equivalent of "choked" (étranglé) in the same sense in French, but only for someone's voice. Not for the person itself. So I couldn't use it. I thought I should find a physical reaction that is brought about by happiness as well as by pain and came up with tears. My translation was: "Les larmes me viennent aux yeux à l'idée que tu m'aimes tant." "Quand Arthur découvrira la vérité, c'est moi qui aurai les larmes aux yeux." ("I well up thinking about how much you love me." "When Barney finds out the truth, I'm the one who will well up.")