Subject: micro-translations
Date: Fri, 08 Oct 2004 15:29:08 +1000


well then,
in l'ordre du discours we have "un positivisme heureux" (p.72). As in German 
and Greek, the French have one word where we now have two: 'happy' for the 
affective state and 'lucky' for the relative condition. Since here Foucault 
is manifestly talking about "l'humeur généalogique", 'felicitous' is a 
mistranslation - it is a happy positivism.
While I'm on the subject, I really hope that this 'European equilibrium' 
translation can be nipped in the bud here. The English term is 'balance', 
'balance of power'.
Mark