Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2016 November 26

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November 26[edit]

Reasons for nonlinear narrative[edit]

Nonlinear narrative is, according to the article, "often used to mimic the structure and recall of human memory, but has been applied for other reasons as well."

What are the other reasons? --Llaanngg (talk) 19:11, 26 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]

It's difficult to find the answer to your question in the article, so I'm going to suggest on the article's talk page that this be explicitly addressed. From what I can gather from the article, though, two other possibilities are: (1) The main storyline is in the present, but at appropriate points it is useful to have a flashback to explain how some aspect of the present came about. (2) The main storyline is in the past, but in order to show why it is important, some dramatic present event that causally follows from the past is shown first. Loraof (talk) 01:23, 27 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]
Also, from the lead of flashback (narrative): Both flashback and flashforward are used to cohere a story, develop a character, or add structure to the narrative. Loraof (talk) 01:30, 27 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]
Famously: Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice... --Shirt58 (talk) 02:16, 27 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]
In Use of Weapons, chapters alternate between a linear narrative moving forward and past episodes moving backward, getting closer to the event that traumatized the protagonist. —Tamfang (talk) 00:55, 28 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]

French[edit]

Can someone help me translated this? I've used Google Translate but it is still not clear.--KAVEBEAR (talk) 22:06, 26 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Né en 1846 à Mangareva, Mama Taira Putairi avait donc 23 ans. On l’appelait aux Gambier, Tiripone. Il est le fils de Bernard Putairi, togo’iti, qui devint plus tard régent de l’Archipel. Un rejeton de la branche cadette des rois de Gambier. Une familled échue ; mais qui se faisiat remarquer par une grande doucuer. Tryphon sera un des trois garçons sortis du « petit séminaire » des Gambier. Il avait fait ses études au collège d’Anaotiki, à l’île Aukena, avce M. de La Tout et en partir à tahiti où en 1869 le Père Nicolas, l’envoya pour poursuivre des études cléricales. Il sera tonsuré le 21 septembre 1869, et rentre aux Gambier où le père Laval le reçoit à sa table. Il sera ordonné prêtre à Papeete, par Mgr Jaussen, le 24 décembre 1873. Il résidera dès lors à tahiti, nonloin du père Laval qui y vivait retiré, prêtre catéchiste à Faaone bien que sans les pouvoirs de confesser. Il s’en ira mourir d’une pneumonie à Valparaiso, le 27 décembre 1881. Une lettre manuscrite de lui, en langue de Mangareva, datée de 1881 : Arch. Picpus, 64,9 F. – En collaboration avce Laval achevant ses jours à Tahiti, Tiripone écrivit en mangarévien un travail : E atoga Magareva mei te ao eteni roa. Histoire des temps païens à Mangareva. Un manuscrit en est conservé aux Arch. Picpus, 70,9. Ce texte semble être une copie, de la main du P. Vincent-Ferrier Janeau. Des copies abérgées ont circulé aux Gambier où Buck les a retrouvées lors de son séjour dans l’île en 1924.
I suggest these spelling corrections: faisiat —> faisait; doucuer —> douceur; avce —> avec (two instances); abérgées —> abrégées.
Wavelength (talk) 22:15, 26 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]
Source [1].--KAVEBEAR (talk) 22:25, 26 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]
The French has lots of spelling errors (presumably someone typed it out incorrectly), but it says: "Born in 1846 in Mangareva, Mama Taira Putairi was therefore 23 years old. In Gambier, he was called Tiripone. He was the son of Bernard Putairi, togo’iti, who later became regent of the Archipelago. A scion of the cadet branch of the kings of Gambier. A fallen family; but one that was noted for its great softness. Tryphon was one of the three boys who came out of the "little seminary" in Gambier. He studied at the college in Anaotiki, on the island of Aukena, with Mr. de La Tout and left there for Tahiti where in 1869 Father Nicholas sent him to pursue clerical studies. He was tonsured on September 21, 1869, and returned to Gambier where Father Laval received him at his table. He was ordained as a priest in Papeete by Mgr. Jaussen on December 24, 1873. After that time, he resided in Tahiti, not far from Father Laval who lived there as a retiree, catechist priest in Faaone although without the powers of a confessor. He died of pneumonia in Valparaiso on December 27, 1881. A manuscript letter by him, in the language of Mangareva, dated 1881:Arch. Picpus, 64,9 F. – In collaboration with Laval, ending his days in Tahiti, Tiripone wrote a work in Mangarevan: E atoga Magareva mei te ao eteni roa. Histoire des temps païens à Mangareva. A manuscript is preserved in Arch. Picpus, 70,9. This text seems to be a copy, in the hand of P. Vincent-Ferrier Janeau. Abbreviated copies circulated in Gambier where Buck found them during his stay on the island in 1924." Adam Bishop (talk) 23:11, 26 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks! Can someone also explain what "L'année suivante, le régent Arone, qui avait signé l'acte d'adhésion au protectorat, fut obligé de donner sa démission sous prétexte qu'il avait embrassé une femme dans la rue, et remplacé" means? So Arone had to resign because he kissed someone publicly on the street? --KAVEBEAR (talk) 01:54, 27 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]
That was the prétexte for resignation. Thincat (talk) 11:36, 27 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]
The verb "embrasser" has a wide range of meanings - kiss, embrace, hug, cuddle. As we are talking about the 19th century, it may well also have been used euphemistically for something a lot more sexual. Wymspen (talk) 12:14, 27 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]
A wide range of meanings, yes, but it's hard to imagine actual fornication dans la rue ("in the road"). Perhaps it might refer to what we would call sexual harassment? Carbon Caryatid (talk) 16:19, 27 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]
The Beatles had no such problem:
Why don't we do it in the road?
Why don't we do it in the road?
No one will be watching us.
Why don't we do it in the road?
μηδείς (talk) 00:51, 28 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]
Autres temps, autres mœurs. —Tamfang (talk) 05:39, 28 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]
"Other times, other manners." Well, Wymspen said it was hard to imagine. Maybe that song will help with the imagination. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 15:17, 28 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]
"Other times, other customs." may be a more appropriate translation. Akld guy (talk) 02:37, 29 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]
O tempora o mores! seems to be the original sentiment ("Oh the times! Oh the customs!"). Alansplodge (talk) 13:48, 1 December 2016 (UTC)[reply]
I prefer my Japanese battered-eel version: O tempura! O morays!. -- Jack of Oz [pleasantries] 19:50, 1 December 2016 (UTC)[reply]
Just make sure it's on The Road Not Taken by others. Clarityfiend (talk) 09:31, 29 November 2016 (UTC) [reply]