Engllish translation of X-Mickey in Papercutz

[Matilda]

Just found the Papercutz X-Mickey volume for four bucks at a half-price bookstore. Anybody know who did the English dialogue? It seems to be someone who knows British English rather than American English--there's a reference to a joke about a "lorry driver," for instance. I'd characterize the dialogue overall as halting and bumpy. See the following interchange:

Mickey (pointing to a magazine): "Almost True--The Nearly Real Alien!" Do you read this stuff? Aren't you a bit skeptical?

Mailman (eating at Mickey's table, holding up a container): Cocoa-free chocolate? You actually eat these things?

Mickey: So... Reading this has turned you into a bit of a joker, has it?

Mailman: Well anyway, the magazines are for my aunt! She doesn't have to see to believe! She only has to read about it!

Mickey: I'll say! When I was young, I thought I had some sort of...intuition! When I had to make a decision, I'd feel a shiver down my spine, and... [next panel] well, I grew up! Now everything has an explanation!

Mailman: We use reason to explain the world around us! [next panel] But what can we use in all the other cases? See you tomorrow! (leaving)

Mickey: A-ha! That shiver again...if only it were true! (The art doesn't look like he's actually *feeling* the shiver, despite what the dialogue implies--maybe he's just supposed to be thinking about it?)

I can only say that I had several Wha--? moments while reading these two pages. One non-sequitur and oddness after another.

[Spectrus]

Well, mostly it's similar to the German version. But there are some odd differences. I'll try to translate it on the fly:

Mickey (pointing to a magazine called "Basically true"): Goodness! You're telling me you're actually reading these completely over-the-top tabloids?" (the German term "Krawallblättchen" is a bit of a slang word and I can't find a good English equivalent right now)
Mailman: Every now and then I indulge in them, yep!
Mickey: Really? So you enjoy reading completely made-up nonsense about monsters and aliens?
Mailman: Well you know, after reading I always bring these magazines to my aunt. She has a good feeling for whether a story is true or made-up!
Mickey: Hm... when I was younger, I think, I also had such an intuition. It was a kind of tingle, that told me whether a situation was dangerous...
... but that's ages ago and nothing but youthful phantasm! Nowadays, I use my reason, of course!
Mailman: Me too! And that's mostly pretty helpful in our world...
Mailman: ...but there are things between heaven and earth, for which pure reason does not suffice! 'Til tomorrow, Mr. Mouse!
Mickey: Postman Persipan and his post-fresh wisdom. (I don't really like this awkward pun, it doesn't sound good in German either.)
Mickey: But... last evening in the park... the powder compact...


It does seem like the series deserves a far better treatment. I mean, they were about to call the story "The 13th Floor" the "13th piano" (same word in Italian, but just read the story, man!)...

[Matilda]

Feb 6, 2019 10:50:43 GMT Spectrus said:

Well, mostly it's similar to the German version. But there are some odd differences. I'll try to translate it on the fly:

Mickey (pointing to a magazine called "Basically true"): Goodness! You're telling me you're actually reading these completely over-the-top tabloids?" (the German term "Krawallblättchen" is a bit of a slang word and I can't find a good English equivalent right now)
Mailman: Every now and then I indulge in them, yep!
Mickey: Really? So you enjoy reading completely made-up nonsense about monsters and aliens?
Mailman: Well you know, after reading I always bring these magazines to my aunt. She has a good feeling for whether a story is true or made-up!
Mickey: Hm... when I was younger, I think, I also had such an intuition. It was a kind of tingle, that told me whether a situation was dangerous...
... but that's ages ago and nothing but youthful phantasm! Nowadays, I use my reason, of course!
Mailman: Me too! And that's mostly pretty helpful in our world...
Mailman: ...but there are things between heaven and earth, for which pure reason does not suffice! 'Til tomorrow, Mr. Mouse!
Mickey: Postman Persipan and his post-fresh wisdom. (I don't really like this awkward pun, it doesn't sound good in German either.)
Mickey: But... last evening in the park... the powder compact...


It does seem like the series deserves a far better treatment. I mean, they were about to call the story "The 13th Floor" the "13th piano" (same word in Italian, but just read the story, man!)...

That dialogue makes a LOT more sense to me. One sentence actually flows into the next. And for one thing, the bit about the aunt fits with Mickey's comment about intuition. In the English version, it sounds like the aunt believes everything she reads. That has no connection at all with Mickey's remembered intuition shiver/tingle, which is about distinguishing, not indiscriminate credence.

I wonder whether the English translation destroys the original's meaning, or whether the German translation makes more sense than the original?

[Spectrus]

Feb 6, 2019 14:31:49 GMT Matilda said:

Feb 6, 2019 10:50:43 GMT Spectrus said:

Well, mostly it's similar to the German version. But there are some odd differences. I'll try to translate it on the fly:

Mickey (pointing to a magazine called "Basically true"): Goodness! You're telling me you're actually reading these completely over-the-top tabloids?" (the German term "Krawallblättchen" is a bit of a slang word and I can't find a good English equivalent right now)
Mailman: Every now and then I indulge in them, yep!
Mickey: Really? So you enjoy reading completely made-up nonsense about monsters and aliens?
Mailman: Well you know, after reading I always bring these magazines to my aunt. She has a good feeling for whether a story is true or made-up!
Mickey: Hm... when I was younger, I think, I also had such an intuition. It was a kind of tingle, that told me whether a situation was dangerous...
... but that's ages ago and nothing but youthful phantasm! Nowadays, I use my reason, of course!
Mailman: Me too! And that's mostly pretty helpful in our world...
Mailman: ...but there are things between heaven and earth, for which pure reason does not suffice! 'Til tomorrow, Mr. Mouse!
Mickey: Postman Persipan and his post-fresh wisdom. (I don't really like this awkward pun, it doesn't sound good in German either.)
Mickey: But... last evening in the park... the powder compact...


It does seem like the series deserves a far better treatment. I mean, they were about to call the story "The 13th Floor" the "13th piano" (same word in Italian, but just read the story, man!)...

That dialogue makes a LOT more sense to me. One sentence actually flows into the next. And for one thing, the bit about the aunt fits with Mickey's comment about intuition. In the English version, it sounds like the aunt believes everything she reads. That has no connection at all with Mickey's remembered intuition shiver/tingle, which is about distinguishing, not indiscriminate credence.

I wonder whether the English translation destroys the original's meaning, or whether the German translation makes more sense than the original?

Hard to say, but I think the German one is closer to the original meaning. I mean, Bruno Enna has a near mythical status among the "younger" Italian writers, and not for no reason. He doesn't write nonsense like that.