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l'assunzione di rappresentanze
Sep 5, 2015 14:26
8 yrs ago
1 viewer *
Italian term

cuore bianco tutto da inventare,

Italian to English Art/Literary Poetry & Literature
I'm trying to understand and render the following sentence as accurately and naturally as possible:

Context: From a poetic short story dedicated to the (Malignani) family dog

Alì. Un cuore bianco tutto da inventare, un animo lieto nella biografia riservata del genio che non amava le chiacchiere.

My attempts so far - which are stuck on the first bit are rubbish: Ali, pure of heart ......./ Ali with heart so white....

Any suggestions for improvement on the first bit and suggestions for the second bit (tutto da inventare) much appreciated.

Could the 'tutto da inventare' bit mean something along the lines of a' tabula rasa'? I just don't get it.....
Proposed translations (English)
4 a heart as pure as freshly fallen snow
4 A heart white as untrodden snow
4 a (little) white bundle of love all to be discovered

Discussion

translat_r_p (X) Sep 5, 2015:
hahaha You're doing great, @manducci! Good luck! :)
manducci (asker) Sep 5, 2015:
Thanks, Phil. I like your suggestion. Thanks too to missdutch for your comradely support!!
manducci (asker) Sep 5, 2015:
Thank you all for your invaluable suggestions...@ translat_r_pro - re: something you can shape as you wish- so I wasn't too far off with the 'tabula rasa' idea then ;-))... that is consoling!
P.L.F. Persio Sep 5, 2015:
@Phil: 100% yes.
philgoddard Sep 5, 2015:
Maybe "a pure, innocent heart".
translat_r_p (X) Sep 5, 2015:
Thank you! :)
P.L.F. Persio Sep 5, 2015:
I can definitely see that! You have a subtle sense for languages and your command of English and Italian is excellent.
translat_r_p (X) Sep 5, 2015:
Thanks, @missdutch! I love literature and I like to "interpretate" things. :)
P.L.F. Persio Sep 5, 2015:
@translat_r_pro: I like your interpretation and I think it works; I'm sure the English translation is going to read way better than the original bad Italian in this piece of amateurish writing.
translat_r_p (X) Sep 5, 2015:
"Tuto da inventare" means something raw and pure which you can shape as you wish.
P.L.F. Persio Sep 5, 2015:
I don't get it either, but it's not our fault. The author's style leaves a lot to be desired. It could well mean a pure heart, but the second bit is rather perplexing. Unless you ask the author, there's little you can do, I'm afraid.
translat_r_p (X) Sep 5, 2015:
Talks about a pure heart, incapable of hating.

Proposed translations

3 days 1 hr
Selected

a heart as pure as freshly fallen snow

Very similar to Michael's answer, but the word untrodden seems "a bit too much". Freshly fallen snow sounds much better in my opinion.
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks and apologies for the delay in selecting I have been 'snowed under'!! Thanks too to everyone who posted suggestions."
17 hrs

A heart white as untrodden snow

that is, yet to be trodden ("written") on :))))

It's poetry, don't go too literal.

Besides, it's rather bad: a typical italian chanty raving or ravy chant; I call it "un elenco lirico-drammatico" usually culminating in hysterical screaming (like in most of their popular songs), so whatever you do it'll be an improvement :)))

I particularly love the next, gretagarboish, bit: "biografia reservata". How cute! I just wannabe left alone... but not so completely as not to have a biography, which is by definition a public rendering of one's life

Something went wrong...
10 days

a (little) white bundle of love all to be discovered

Sorry for late answer but I've been thinking about it...this is what I've come up with:)

Alì. A little (not if he was a great big dog obviously:)) white bundle of love (=cuore bianco) all to be discovered (tutto da inventare) in the sense of playful and energetic...

I don't like the way 'heart' sounds in English here or 'pure' etc. etc. I would imagine that the colour 'bianco' also is a reference to the colour of the dog, hence my translation and 'bundle of love' oozes cuteness and affection for something cuddly and helpless

hope that helps



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