Commentary on a unique book: "Sophie's World" / Chapter 33

SOPHIE'S WORLD

(Sofies verden), by Jostein Gaarder (JG), translated from Norwegian into American by Paulette Møller (PM)

Commentary on a unique book

Chapters:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35

CH = chapter, P = page, L = line, C = comment, N = Norwegian,
T = (alternative) translation, usually closer to the original text,
TTR = Two-Tier Reality (metaphysical system bridging East and West)

CHAPTER 33: THE GARDEN PARTY (PP391-402)

«		Now's the time to learn a little Norwegian.	»

P391 L1: transfixed T: spellbound L1(cont): She felt her arms (T: stiff) and her hands tremble T: trembling L13: Nils (Holgersson) L20: although T: but L23: lectured her T: made some admonitory remarks L24: he had waited until now for the final blow T: only now had the time come for revenge / to strike back L25(cont): His counterattack was deadly accurate T: He had struck back carefully C: Does this mean war?! L28: radio store T: electrical goods shop

P392 L1: What she wondered about most of all was Sophie T: the black-haired girl C: And why is she black-haired only in Sofies verden? L9: (T: Hilde's fingers told her that) there were only a few pages left L15: make (T: manage) it L28: take a peek T: peep

P393 L5: reached their stop T: had to get off the bus L6: They ran straight into T: There they were met by L7: My God! T: Good heavens! L9: banners T: placards L11: at hand T: coming soon L12: yummy (T: scrumptious) midsummer eats T: feast L15: Never mind T: about them L22: rosebeds T: rose bushes L27: (T: Nearly) Everything L34: trees T: in the garden L34: lanterns C: Then sentence about 'electrical leads' omitted L38: salad T: bowls

P394 L2: a pyramid (C: truncated cone) of (T: 24) almond-paste rings L10: before the party was due to start T: before the guests arrived L12: shirts T: blouses L13: the barest suggestion T: just a hint L13: Jeremy N: Jørgen L13: David N: Lasse L14: blend T: mixture L17: You're an adult now too (Sophie) C: At 15! L19: There was something in the air. It was (T: after all) Midsummer Eve C: How very Scandinavian! L28: long-stemmed wine (T: tall white-wine) glasses L35: pants (T: trouser) suit L35: was (T: felt) sure L39: was unlikely, so T: was so unlikely that

P395 L4: clanking T: clinking/rattling L6: Thank you very much indeed T: A thousand thanks L8: drift toward (T: move around) the table L10: her growing (T: a little) apprehension L15: Let's go ahead T: sit down L16: seat people T: place the guests L19: Sophie was now a grownup T: grown woman L22: (Alberto) was carrying a bouquet of fifteen red roses C: Oh, how romantic! L25: greet T: meet L28: yard T: garden L34: significant look T: meaningful glance L36: Sophie herself was trying to suppress her laughter T: a belly laugh C: ! L41: astounding T: remarkable L41: prowess T: abilities

P396 L4: 'Cheers' (N: 'Skål') said Sophie, and the guests raised their (T: red-wine) glasses (T: full of cola C: !) (and drank his health) L9: he returned her kiss C: Didn't he want it? Midsummer madness... L11: Well, I('ve) never T: I feel faint L12: on T: over L16: A couple of the other boys ... started to throw chicken bones up on the roof C: Don't teenage boys just love to play chicken! L17: elicited (only) a (mild) comment L19: when there are T: with L22: hedge T: fence L24: finally C: Then two sentences omitted referring to serving of coffee L25: a brief discussion T: a little girl-talk L27: so cute T: quite irresistible L28(cont): How did it taste? C: A bit chickeny or just fowl? L30: It was the first time, then? L31(cont): But not the last! C: Tut, tut! These modern girls! L4l: (birthday cake) rings get bigger and bigger as you go T: as time goes by L42: little girl T: tot

P397 L1: rings T: circles L3: she makes calls to all parts of the world T: she rings all over the world L11: they rolled in under the red-currant bushes C: In Britain = gooseberry-bushes L15: followed suit T: him. L16: The (other) guests now stood (T: were now standing) in a semi-circle around Joanna and Jeremy C: Voyeurs! N: som allerede hadde lagt den første uskyldige kyssingen bak seg til fordel for en noe råere form for klining C: Descriptive passage omitted by PM. Was she justified? Now's the time to learn a little Norwegian and find out... L18(cont): They can't be stopped C: A pail of water would do it! L20: generation follows generation T: takes its course L21: expecting T: seeking L22: It can't be helped T: There is nothing to be done (about it) L25: shirt T: blouse L27: Don't catch cold! C: Parents do worry! L35: came drifting T: drifted L39: Thank you T: for your attention L41: you have a dog to keep you company C: But poor Hermes gets left behind when Alberto and Sophie escape

P398 L1: Alberto stood up T: and tapped his coffee cup L4: riotous T: wild L5: whatever happens T: above all L7: sentences T: words L14: a major (!) philosophical investigation C: PM hits nail on head L15: now reveal T: announce L17: the only sounds were (T: they could hear) ... a few subdued noises (T: some lip-smacking) from the red-currant bushes C: Shhh! Keep it quiet! L29: Even as we speak T: At this (very) moment L35: not worth a cent T: a penny N: 5 øre L41: Garbage T: Rubbish

P399 L1: welcome T: entitled L4: got up T: rose L7: this (T: work-shy) know-it-all L12: sir T: Mr Financial Adviser L12: probably T: doubtless L12: those T: that sort of thing L17: Neither T: Nor L22: What a shame T: How sad L23: The younger guests continued to look (T: stare) at Alberto C: Then sentence omitted: T: It is often the case that young people are more open to new ideas than those who have lived a while C: For better or worse: the new ideas may or may not be better than the old ones L27: I can finish by recommending that you (T: the youngsters) take a short course in the history of philosophy C: Then sentence omitted: T: In that way you will develop a critical attitude to the world we live in L29(cont): (T: Not least) It is important to be critical of the older generation's values L37: inherit everything we have built up T: our property L38: our (T: family) lawyer

P400 L2: our T: a L6: her arms T: an arm L7: is T: will be L9: liberate T: free L10: just as (the) Little Red Ridinghood who came to my door that day had a (T: Ridinghood's) basket filled with (T: basket was full of) food for her grandmother L14: said T: admitted L14: and turned T: turning L21: Neither you nor anyone else here will miss us for the simple reason that you do not exist C: But Alberto and Sophie 'exist'?! L22(cont): You are no more than shadows C: That sentence inserted by PM in place of T: You have no apparatus for missing us either C: ! L23(cont): That is (T: really) the worst insult I've ever heard T: one can be given L25: get him nailed (T: sue him) for defamation (of character) L27: The man's a scoundrel T: and a boor L30: grubby T: dirty L33: you (T: we) get home L42: from the table T: to the kitchen

P401 L4: can T: tin L5: She felt her tears welling up T: eyes getting wet L7: more like a children's party than a young woman's philosophical celebration T: party for children than for a 15-year-old L11: to T: into L11: exploded T: cream L14: Joanna picked up a huge (T: big) piece of chocolate cake, smeared it all over Jeremy's face, and proceeded to lick it off again C: A girl with initiative - she should go far... Goodbye, Joanna... L17: glider T: swing-seat L18: waved T: beckoned L24: pricking holes in T: bursting L30: Do you want to play a game? T: Shall we play, children? L33: last (T: bottom) five rings.

P402 L1: This was once my little Garden of Eden T: paradise L9: At the same (T: that) moment L10: hood T: bonnet L13: His (T: charming) wife L15: They have vanished into thin air T: seem to have sunk into the ground L17: She ... walked toward the (T: messy) long table and began to clear up after the philosophical garden party.
C: Well, goodbye, Mom... You've been very brave... You'll look after the animals, won't you... And if Hermes comes round one day, looking for Alberto, perhaps you could let him have a kennel in the garden? He's such a friendly dog, and he'd be company for you until Dad comes home... Goodbye, then, and thanks for everything...