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Italian to English translations [PRO] Art/Literary - Philosophy / oriental mysticism
Italian term or phrase:gioco cosmico dell'universo
Here's a nice one for you. From a question referring to an intuitive eureka moment for a scientist:
si è sentito improvvisamente parte del gioco cosmico dell'universo, da lei definito come la "danza di Shiva"
cosmic game of the universe doesn't do it for me: any ideas :)
Completely agree that the reference to irrationality in your text points to going beyond the rational in order to reach a breakthrough (thinking outside the box and all that).
i'm afraid i don't agree, game theory for example suggests that irrationality is a big part of many games. i believe the irrationality here refers to going beyond mental boundaries of the rational in order to reach a breakthrough - at the same time achieving a quasi-mystical state (the dance of Shiva).
Hmm. This additional context seems to reinforce my initial answer, since the irrationality of the eureka moment suggests feeling part of a grand joke rather than a game (games being, I think, rational since they have rules). IMO.
Here's the full context, (sorry - I thought I'd put it up yesterday): we've got an interviewer who has read this scientist's book paraphrasing the original english into Italian; "Ne ***** ***** lei descrive una sua forte intuizione come un momento irrazionale in cui si è sentito improvvisamente parte del gioco cosmico dell’universo, da lei definito come la «danza di Shiva»." hth
Usually I'd treat the Tandava, dance of Shiva, as a serious meditative reflection of the 'cosmic' as shown to humans - the context of the complete translation as posted seems to me there's been a moment of 'dizzying enlightenment.' From personal experience, these moments have always made me laugh ... hence, the semantics for me is relected with the word 'joke' or similar.
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Answers
5 mins confidence:
great cosmic game
Explanation: A suggestion. Perhaps universe is superfluous when you already have cosmic
KayW Local time: 06:56 Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
It is the simplicity of this solution which works for me.
Explanation: I think if you like out the universe it just sounds like a great cosmic game as if people are supposed to know what that is; IMHO the scientist is likening the universe and its workings to a great game on a cosmic scale.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 6 hrs (2010-06-12 15:23:18 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
the universe and its workings probably, who knows
Oliver Lawrence Italy Local time: 06:56 Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 4
Notes to answerer
Asker: i had a feeling this was going to start to get philosophical: is the game in the universe or is the universe the game itself?
Asker: I would have used 'that great cosmic game that is the universe and its workings' for accuracy, however in the context of a paraphrased informal question it seemed excessive: thanks anyway :)
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 56 mins (2010-06-12 10:06:15 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
I've heard this phrase frequently and it's what immediately came to mind.
It's definitely a "pop philosophy" phrase, which might make sense in this context.
Also, a quick google search yields 120,000 hits for the phrase, which says something about its frequency of use.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 7 hrs (2010-06-12 16:26:19 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Sorry, I thought that you meant that "cosmic game" was not right in the context, so I crossed it out as a possibility!
What is the nature of the scientist's "a-ha" moment?
If on figuring out whatever he figured out he felt duped, or tricked, or foolish, or made the fool, or something along those lines, "joke" might be it.
But if his "a-ha" moment made him feel like he was playing a part in something, then "game" might be it.
Asker: his 'eureka' moment is more general than that: to be more precise we've got an interviewer who has read this scientist's book paraphrasing the original english into Italian; "Ne ***** ***** lei descrive una sua forte intuizione come un momento irrazionale in cui si è sentito improvvisamente parte del gioco cosmico dell’universo, da lei definito come la «danza di Shiva»." hth
Explanation: I would keep both 'cosmic' and 'universe'. As I read this 'cosmic' is about the scale into which the scientist entered the 'game' within the larger setting of the universe; that is, it was not just a local aberration or phenomenon.
For 'gioco' 'game' would probably work; I do not like 'joke' at all, as that carries nihilistic interpretive baggage that I do not see in the original.
I chose 'interplay' as a more neutral term, an attempt to step back from the implications of 'game' as carried out between specific actors for determined ends, as an expression of some sort of teleology. My understanding of the essentially Hindu worldview expressed in the "danza di Shiva" is that it is more impersonal than the Judeo-Christian worldview or the Greek myths of the gods, for example, but less reductive than is usually associated with Western naturalism.
Michael Brennen Local time: 23:56 Works in field Native speaker of: English
Explanation: Using this idea "going beyond mental boundaries of the rational in order to reach a breakthrough - at the same time achieving a quasi-mystical state" - this is getting close to transcendence, and with the idea of 'games' and 'boundaries' with an eventual 'breakthrough' - the best metaphor I can think of - in English - is 'maze'. If it was a question of emphasizing the 'play' part - I might switch 'maze' to 'playground' but that'd belittle the subject. I feel mazes can be joyful fun places - playful, yet, places of potential fear and confusion, mimicing the mysticism of Shiva's dance.
The translation workplace 
peer agreement (net): +1
