John Bull, Junior; or, French as She is Traduced

by Max O'Rell

[ Monsieur, ] ne vous retournez pas, "Sir, do not return yourself."

But to return to John Bull, junior.

I pass young worthies who translate "I have never read any thing by Molière" by "Je n'ai pas jamais lit quelque chose par Molière," on the ground that "it is so in English." This "French" sentence was, by-the-bye, the first essay on Molière I received at the hands of the English boys.

Some little fellows, trusting their sense of sight, have the objectionable habit of writing the translation of a text before looking at it, at all events before seeing it.

[ Result: ] "Il raccommodait les vieux souliers"—"He recommended the old soldiers."

[ A ] clever boy, whilst reading a comedy at first sight, translated "Eglantine (baissant les yeux)" by "Eglantine (kissing his eyes)."

You naughty boy!

I once read the following sound advice given in the preface of a French Translation book: