Frederick the Great, discussion post 16

[cahn]

We have slowed down a lot, but are still (sporadically) going! And somehow filled up the last post while I wasn't looking!

...I was asked to start a new thread so that STDs could be discussed. Really! :D

Comments

Re: AW readthrough

[cahn]

lololol I noticed the orange peel thing too! I was quite proud that I could be all "well actually..." about it :D (Though of course credit should go to gambitten, thank you!!)

My German is on a 6-year-old level for sure; in the next set of AW letters which is described as being a 12-year-old writing on an 8-year-old level in vocab and syntax, I could mostly make out the syntax but not the vocab :P

Re: AW readthrough

[mildred_of_midgard]

lololol I noticed the orange peel thing too! I was quite proud that I could be all "well actually..." about it :D

It's so awesome how much you know now! Starting from zero, that's pretty great. :D

My German is on a 6-year-old level for sure; in the next set of AW letters which is described as being a 12-year-old writing on an 8-year-old level in vocab and syntax, I could mostly make out the syntax but not the vocab :P

I laughed so hard. 6 but not 8! But remember some of that letter was supplied by his tutor! So make sure you're judging only by what's not in parentheses. ;)

Re: AW readthrough

[selenak]

Well, dear friends, if you want a true challenge, try Wilhelmine, age 10, writing to FW (something I already translated into English when reviewing Oster's biography, but here's the German for you to practice:

"Ich bin sehr gekränkt darüber gewesen, daß Sie meinem Bruder die EHre erwiesen haben, ihm zu schreiben, und ich, die (Ihnen) schon 100 000 Briefe geschrieben hat, habe nie die Gnade gehabt, auch nur ein Wort aus Ihrer Hand zu empfangen. Ich weiß gut, daß mein Bruder mehr Anerkennung verdient als ich, weil er ein Junge ist, aber das ist nicht mein Fehler, wenn ich keiner bin, und ich bin doch auch die Tochter meines lieben Papa, und ich liebe ihn (...). Man hat mir auch gesagt, daß mein lieber Papa niemand anderem schreibt als Offizieren, und wenn das wahr ist, würde ich auch gerne einen militärischen Rang haben; Mademoiselle Leti sagt, daß ich gut ein Dragonerhauptmann sein könnte, wenn mein lieber Papa einen mit langen Kleid haben wollte, aber ich glaube, daß sie sich über mich lustig macht, indem sie das sagt."

Of course, Wilhelmine was the kid who already started writing letters when not yet five years old and who was the future bestelling author of the family. (Sorry, Fritz, but her memoirs outsold your poems by any standard.) (Your various historical works, too. They don't have FW getting punched.)

Re: AW readthrough

[mildred_of_midgard]

I can read 10-year-old Wilhelmine! Only helped slightly by your previous translations. :D

Also, poor Wilhelmine. :(

They don't have FW getting punched.

At least one bowdlerized version of her memoirs doesn't either!