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Topic: Trivia about Wolverine’s french name (Topic Closed Topic Closed) Post ReplyPost New Topic
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Jerome Bonnet
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Posted: 12 February 2007 at 4:13am | IP Logged | 1  

Wolverine used to be called Serval in the french translation of the Uncanny X-Men.

A more accurate translation would have been "glouton", which can also mean "gluton". I suppose that's the reason why the french translator chose to make him into an entirely different animal.

Surprise! Logan's yellow costume with pointed ears makes a lot more sense with the french translation! See below.  :-)

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John Byrne
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Posted: 12 February 2007 at 5:58am | IP Logged | 2  

I have long nursed a twisted desire to create a
character called "Serval", just to mess with the
French translators…

BWAH-HA-HA-HA-HA!!!!
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Stéphane Garrelie
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Posted: 12 February 2007 at 7:22am | IP Logged | 3  

:)

Lug (french publisher of the X-Men) choose "Serval" which was very fine too me.

Artimat/Aredit that was publishing Hulk choose to call the character"Glouton" in the Hulk/Wendigo/Wolverine issues, which Jerome certainly knows.

"Glouton" never worked for me.

And I have already said on this forum that Nightcrawler was called "Diablo" and that Diablo was called "Diablo" too. Happilly for the translators they never were in the same story.



Edited by Stéphane Garrelie on 12 February 2007 at 7:26am
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David Henriot
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Posted: 12 February 2007 at 7:27am | IP Logged | 4  

The worst ever is to me Wolfsbane (from the new mutants), "translated" Felina.
The wolf just ain't a feline...

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John Byrne
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Posted: 12 February 2007 at 7:32am | IP Logged | 5  

Translations are always fun. When "Hotter Blood", the horror anthology to which I contributed a prose story, was published in Japan, my name became (Japanese Characters) L. (Japanese Characters). Something I share with Samuel L. Jackson!

(I almost never use the L professionally. It was added to my byline by the editor of FEARBOOK, my first novel, and it took me a couple of passes to convince editors to drop it.)

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José Emilio Amo
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Posted: 12 February 2007 at 8:47am | IP Logged | 6  

In Spain we had the same problem, Wolverine was translated to "Lobezno" which means "wolf cub" in English.
"Glotón", the  real translation of Wolverine, was an ugly name for that cool character,
"Glotón" also means "big eater" in Spanish.
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Stéphane Garrelie
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Posted: 12 February 2007 at 8:57am | IP Logged | 7  

In french too José, in french too. Thats why i didn't like the aredit/artima "Glouton" translation of the name for the hulk issues.

Edited by Stéphane Garrelie on 12 February 2007 at 8:58am
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Jeremy Boyd
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Posted: 12 February 2007 at 9:26am | IP Logged | 8  

I believe the wolverine's Latin name is Gluto gluto -- which pretty much means "glutton".   Seem to recall reading, some twenty years ago, that the animal is famous for chewing its leg off to get itself out of beartraps and the like.  Ferocious, doesn't give up -- and not a social animal (like wolves).  It really was a good name for Logan. 

Edited by Jeremy Boyd on 12 February 2007 at 9:27am
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Bruce Buchanan
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Posted: 12 February 2007 at 9:33am | IP Logged | 9  

I love "lost in translation" examples like these.

The best one I've ever heard was about 20 years ago or so when Coca-Cola ran an ad in China. The ad was supposed to say, "Coke lifts your spirits". But in translation, it came out as, "Coke revives your dead ancestors."

 

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Francesco Vanagolli
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Posted: 12 February 2007 at 10:23am | IP Logged | 10  

A friend of mine talked me about the Serval/Wolverine thing. He consider that one of the best choices ever.

Some Italian name...

Daredevil becomes Devil.
Scarlet Witch is simply Scarlet. The adjective become the name! 
In the early '80s Nightcrawler was "Lombrico", i-e. earth-worm (urgh). Wolverine was "Ghiottone", which is the correct translation, but... A "ghiottone" in Italian is someone who really loves to eat, too. 

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Juan Jose Colin Arciniega
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Posted: 12 February 2007 at 10:29am | IP Logged | 11  

Here in Mexico, the editorials used to translate names too. The ones that i remember:

  • Daredevil=Diabolico
  • Spider-Man=Hombre Araña
  • GiantMan=Giganton
  • Scarlet Witch=Bruja Escarlata
  • Hawkeye="Ojo de Halcon", and later just "Halcon"
  • Falcon = "Halcon" too
  • Wasp=Avispa
  • Wolverine=Gloton
  • Doctor Doom="Doctor Destino"
  • Thing=La Mole
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Stéphane Garrelie
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Posted: 12 February 2007 at 10:48am | IP Logged | 12  

In french, Doctor Doom is Docteur Fatalis



Edited by Stéphane Garrelie on 12 February 2007 at 10:48am
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