Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2019 December 27

Welcome to the Wikipedia Language Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is a transcluded archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.

December 27

Tahiti au temps des cartes postales

Thanks in advance. Trying to garner important information for article on Teraupo'o. Can someone translate the French text for postcards 173, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179 from:

• O'Reilly, Patrick (1975). Tahiti au temps des cartes postales. Paris: Nouvelles Editions Latines. pp. 104–107. ISBN 978-2-7233-1730-6. OCLC 2348142.

Okay, I'll have a go. Someone else can suggest improvements; I've spent enough time on this. --142.112.159.101 (talk) 09:48, 27 December 2019 (UTC)

173. Raiatea. The royal family and its residence at Avera. — The cards that follow were taken on the Leeward Islands between the proclamation of French sovereignty by Governor Lacascade in March 1888 and the surrender of the rebel chief Teraupoo in February 1897: old and rare documents. They are the work of a Swiss man, Eugène Hänni, who spent several months in the Leeward Islands in 1895–1896 and was interested in the "ruling families". First, here is the residence of the royal family at Avera. A large hut on piles standing on the ground. The queen is seated, wearing a hat and a light-colored dress, beside her husband. All the other persons are standing. Flags with red and white stripes are flying, and a military atmosphere reigns: drums, men carrying rifles, a person in a sailor's frockcoat with braid.

175. Raiatea. Queen Tuaril and her court at Avera. We are inside the royal hut. Avera is the district that was at the center of Teraupoo's rebellion. The queen has put on an ample dress of rich cloth, decorated with motifs in relief. She wears a sash in her colors of red and white stripes. She is seated beside her spouse. The man already appeared in the previous photo. He wears a uniform vest crossed[?] with gold buttons, open on a collar with broken[?] corners[?] and a tie. His neighbor, wearing the cap of a corvette's captain, has also put on a military uniform. Note the roof of the hut made of niau [i.e. coconut-palm leaves], and how the floor has been covered with aretu plants, serving as a carpet, since everyone is barefoot and will be sitting on the ground once the photograph is taken.

176. Raiatea. Chief Teraupoo. Here is the man who, the day after France annexed his island in 1888 (an annexation recognized by King Tamatoa in Tauta), together with some local chiefs and two hundred partisans, refused to recognize the French resident [i.e. governor] installed on the island. Teraupoo raised the flag of Raiatea at Avera, which became the center of the rebeliion. He rejected the census and taxes and even sent away an admiral who arrive to make him see reason. In 1896 France sent an expedition that, after two months, finished by capturing the rebel. Teraupoo was exiled to New Caledonia, where the government provided him a pension! Five hundred of his partisants would spend several months on the Marquesas Islands!

177. Hauhine. Tomb of a French soldier. — A little-known episode in the French occupation of the Leeward Islands. In 1846, at Huahine, there was a battle between two detachments of the Uranie and the Phaéton and the island's residents who refused to recognize the rights of Queen Pōmare IV on the island and to accept French protectorate status. An ensign from the vessel Clappier was killed along with twenty soldiers. At first his body remained there. In 1887 C. de F. Willemsens buried him at Maeva. In October 1906 the gunboat Zélée covered the base of the cross with a bronze plaque engraved with the name of the Clappier and its men. This plate, which shows the cross on a stone pedestal, does not seem to have the inscription applied by the Zélée. It must therefore be older than 1906.

178. Raiatea. The king's stone. — It is very often said that this stone 2.7 m high shows the height of the old kings of Raiatea. Archeologists assure us that in reality it refers to the white stone of the investiture, which was placed on a seat, covered with a traditional belt of red feathers, at the moment of royal recognition for the prince or princess. Tradition would have it that under each corner of this flagstone a living man was buried and his soul remained on guard. "An enormous stone, with P. Huguenin written on its side, that is found in the Averarahi valley and which bears Biblical inscriptions by which the chief of the anti-French movement, Teraupoo, affirmed his conviction that French troops would never reach this point." We see that this stone has the gift of inducing commentary.

I was not allowed to view postcard 179. --142.112.159.101 (talk) 09:48, 27 December 2019 (UTC)

Here's 179. Raiatea. Administrator's residence, - Following the annexation of the Leeward Islands in 1888, a French resident, Mr. Ably, was appointed for the archipelago. In the eyes of rebel leader Teraupoo, he incarnated the French presence. Would the French flag be respected? Would military force need to be used to do so? The resident shows a lot of wisdom, even though Teraupoo tried to have him assassinated. In his view, one must reconcile the forms of justice according to the French legal code that European settlers deserve, and the mores and customs of the country that he has pledged to uphold. He thinks that with a resident who has some leeway in exercising his powers, with the help of a secretary-interpreter and a good school-teacher on each island, everything can be made to work sufficiently... There were weighty matters that had to be resolved in this charming residence. Xuxl (talk) 13:51, 27 December 2019 (UTC)

In case you haven't seen them and are using the images, higher quality versions are available at UPF, (Raiatea. Le Chef Teraupoo), which claims a free license.—eric 13:57, 27 December 2019 (UTC)

BTW, col à coins cassés (literally "collar with broken corners") which was causing problems on card No. 175 apparently means a wing collar, [1] while veste croisée means a double breasted jacket. [2] Alansplodge (talk) 21:01, 27 December 2019 (UTC)

What does "taking shag" mean?

It's from the song "Surfacing" by Slipknot. The relevant part is:

Picking through the parts exposed

Taking shape, taking shag

Over and over and under my skin

All this momentum is doing me in

-- 46.167.134.4 (talk) 09:32, 27 December 2019 (UTC)

I don't think the phrase 'taking shag' has any idiomatic meaning in US English. Are you sure the transcript is correct? Maybe it could be 'faking' or 'shaking' 'shack' or 'shock' or some other thing that sounds similar. All I can think of is a merger of "shag" (carpet, = pubic hair) and "shag" (shagging, = intercourse.) A quick check at the full lyrics to me looks like it's a song about two self-hating gay men having sex. You'd probably have to ask the songwriter about this one to be sure. Temerarius (talk) 20:33, 27 December 2019 (UTC)

The above link should be Slipknot (band) (unless all this shagging involves being tied-up too). Alansplodge (talk) 22:16, 27 December 2019 (UTC)

Manhattan_Project

Further information: Manhattan_Project § Trinity

• Original text:

Oppenheimer later recalled that, while witnessing the explosion, he thought of a verse from the Hindu holy book, the Bhagavad Gita (XI,12):

कालोऽस्मि लोकक्षयकृत्प्रवृद्धो लोकान्समाहर्तुमिह प्रवृत्तः। ऋतेऽपि त्वां न भविष्यन्ति सर्वे येऽवस्थिताः प्रत्यनीकेषु योधाः॥११- ३२॥ If the radiance of a thousand suns were to burst at once into the sky, that would be like the splendor of the mighty one ...

Years later he would explain that another verse had also entered his head at that time:

---

Does Years later he ''would explain'' that another verse had also entered his head at that time: and Years later he ''explained'' that another verse had also entered his head at that time: share same meaning?

--Envisaging tier (talk) 14:42, 27 December 2019 (UTC)

Essentially. There was a similar discussion here a few weeks back. That "would" usage is called "future-in-the-past", or something like that. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 15:50, 27 December 2019 (UTC)

@Baseball Bugs:: Thank you for sharing your expertise! --Envisaging tier (talk) 16:44, 27 December 2019 (UTC)

It's at least worth the price. :) ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 17:06, 27 December 2019 (UTC)

For the curious, that previous discussion is here. Well remembered Mr Bugs! Alansplodge (talk) 20:47, 27 December 2019 (UTC)

Good find. Three months ago. Time flies like an arrow! ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 22:22, 27 December 2019 (UTC)

Yeah, time runs so fast! Thank y'll for spending your precious time on this topic. 🙏 --Envisaging tier (talk) 15:15, 28 December 2019 (UTC)

References