# Anyone familiar with this new Ring translation?



## nefigah (Aug 23, 2008)

I was checking for a Kindle version of the Ring text, as it would be mighty convenient to be able to listen to and follow along with the drama anywhere (say on the new Kindle Fire).

There seems to be a new one:
http://www.amazon.com/Rhinegold-Val...=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322970127&sr=1-2

I imagine, from the description, that it is somewhat "dumbed-down"-but I figure it might do in a pinch. I think I'll give the first one a try, but I'm curious if anyone else has already used it.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

nefigah said:


> I was checking for a Kindle version of the Ring text, as it would be mighty convenient to be able to listen to and follow along with the drama anywhere (say on the new Kindle Fire).
> 
> There seems to be a new one:
> http://www.amazon.com/Rhinegold-Val...=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322970127&sr=1-2
> ...


Use the "Click to look inside" function and you will see for yourself that a lot of unpoetic license has been taken with the text - sacrificing the archaic feeling of Wagner's text for comprehensibility.

On the other Rackham's illustrations rock!


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## Chi_townPhilly (Apr 21, 2007)

Oh, dear...

Well, it reads like "dumbed-down" early-- but we can't say it's free of big words (e.g.: 'immeasurable'). I think the overriding impression is a sort of self-consciously colloquial attempt at 'modern speech.' "Lets let him have it" say the Rhinemaidens... and I guess I'm grateful the translator at least restrained himself from adding "like, _totally_."


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## nefigah (Aug 23, 2008)

Haha, thank you guys for the input. I've used it for 2 scenes of Rheingold now, and I agree that at times it's colloquial for the sake of being colloquial. I think on the one hand it's safe to say you'd be cheating yourself a bit to use it, but on the other it might be good for first-time listeners just because it's so easy to parse (I found I could near-instantly read the gist of what someone was saying, allowing me to focus on the music more). Of course once you already are familiar with the work you get that benefit "for free" just by virtue of your experience, so...


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