French Dragonkeeper

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I got a bit of a shock when I received a copy of the French version of Dragonkeeper in the post yesterday. It took me a moment to realise what it was. That’s because the title is Liu et le Vieux Dragon or Liu and the Old Dragon.

frenchdkweb.jpg

At first I thought it was someone else’s dragon story. Then I saw my name on it and realised it was mine! They’ve changed Ping’s name to Liu. I don’t know why, perhaps ping means something unpleasant in French. Even more confusing since the emperor’s name is Liu. They’ve change his name to Meng Li. I don’t know how I feel about that. The emperor was a real person, Liu Che was his actual name. I wonder what else has been changed?

 

55 responses to “French Dragonkeeper”

  1. Hey Carole. The french version looks cool.

    Anyway, do you know anything about the UK release of DRAGON MOON? I am really looking forward to it but the publisher said the cover would be released by the end of may/beginning of June! Still nothing and NO DATE either! Do you know anymore than we Dragonkeeper readers in the UK do?

  2. it’s really cool dragonkeeper in french it’s really international. my mother speaks fluent french and also checked in dictionory it means lashing i guess

  3. i see what you mean carole that is weird changing her name to liu and before i had read the whole thing i thought that they had changed ping and the emperor around (hehe). Anyway you should have it translated and then read it and see what they have changed if it is not already in english that is.

  5. Leisel,
    I’m not sure what you mean. Do you mean have the French version translated back into English? I think I have to trust that the French publishers have done a good job.

  9. Wow! Thats an awsome cover for dragon keeper! =] Is France the only country who’ve changed it? I really like that dragon on there! Im always wondering how Danzi looked like…our one wasnt clear! 🙂
    And what does lashing mean? o.0 And Meng Li sounds too female…doesnt it?

  11. hi carole,

    well were to begin it’s a good quetion

    the french virsion looks strange for staters on the cover Danzi looks like he has hair instead of scales and ping looks older than what she is…I didn’t know untill now it came out in France

    I hope it’s a good hit keep up the good work Carole hope to see you make the series a movie or show one day

    connor

  12. hi carole,

    let’s change the subject i just wanted to know were you get the names for the caracters in Dragonkeeper names like

    Laomar

    long Danzi

    liu che

    lan

    pls replie

    connor

  17. Connor,
    Liu Che was the emperor’s name in real life. The other names I made up. Lan means lazy in Chinese. Lao Ma means Old Mother. Long Danzi means Brave dragon.
    I know some French and Chinese but I can’t speak either of them fluently.
    I’d like to see it made into a movie too, but don’t have the millions of dollars needed to make a movie.

  18. I’ll look forward to seeing them! xD
    Im sure thats not the Dan-zi you imagined… ^^
    Whipping? hehe, its a pretty werid name to have for an emperor!
    Im chinese so i understand the meanings perfectly! =]

  19. Carole when u look on a map today it doesn’t even mark Chang’an and other city’s compared to a map of Egypt it mentions Luxor,Thebes or Waset and the valley of the kings did u make these names up because i know u didn’t for the Ramose series

  20. Connor,
    Chang’an is just an archaeological site now I think, where the ruins of the city have been dug up. It is close to Xi’an. I did invent some places in Dragonkeeper. Wucheng and Ming Yang Lodge were made up. I just couldn’t find enough information about Han Dynasty China to base them on real places.

  21. I find Tang dynasty interesting too! But that was AFTER han dynasty. Did you research anything on there carol? =]

  22. Lucy,
    No, apart from looking at some Tang dynasty pictures of dragons, I haven’t done any research on that era.

  23. Hi Carole. I live in the UK and am looking forward to getting the UK version of DRAGON MOON when it comes out but my friend in New Zealand is buying me a copy and sending it over. Which is really nice of her. Which format are they published in? Hardback or paperback? Cheers!

  24. Ryan,
    Glad to hear you are so keen to read it! It will be the Australian edition which only comes out in paperback.

  26. Enchantixdragon,
    I like the German covers a lot. Especially the Garden of the Purple Dragon cover, the colours are beautiful. Very different from any of the other covers.

  27. Hi Carole

    I am about to do some reaserch on the han dynasty I want to find out more Lui che….

    What was your favriote book you have ever read?
    What is your favourite book that you’ve wrote

  28. in the book u tell us about Tian the high miister he was actully Lui Che brother and Lui Che was the 10 child in his family his succsesor was Prince Ju but he died before Lui Che and the prince of yan was also his brother and he was the in line for the crown because he should have been chosen by Lui Che but he thought he was to childish to do the job

    Did u know the duke of yan’s real name? it was Lui Dan and Empore Lui che’s was xionang Wu but was called Wu and Lui Che and his birth name was Lui Zhi but changed his name from it to Lui Che a bit like Tutankhamun so many years before him Lui Che also held the record for the longest living Empore or ruler at that time and the record lasted 1800 years later until it was beaten by Yang Xiong Shiux

  29. Hi Carole,

    I was just wondering, for ‘The Garden Of The Purple Dragon’, what historical information was real?

    If you could reply ASAP it would really help me with my English assignment.

    Please reply.

    Rachael

  30. Connor,
    I think you know more about Liu Che than I do. I didn’t know he was related to Tian Fen.
    My favorite book that I have ever read is probably Lord of the Rings. I don’t have a favorite book of my own. They are all hard work to write, so I like them all the same. I thought I made up the Duke of Yan!

  31. Rachael,
    The story of Garden of the Purple Dragon is all fiction. Liu Che, Princess Yangxin and Dong Fang Suo were real people, but I just imagined what they would be like. I had no information about what Liu Che was like when he was young, so I made it up.
    It is true that he wanted to find a way to live forever when he was older. Some of the things I mentioned, such as drinking drinks with gold in them, eating peaches etc were things that the ancient Chinese believed would make them live longer. Also I think Liu Che did build a tower to catch the dew of heaven.
    I can’t always remember which bits I made up and which bits were historically true.

  33. Connor,

    I know you aren’t really aksing me, but Tian Fen is related to Liu Che – but as a half brother.

    i hope that helps.

    Rachael

  34. Hi Carole.

    Is Lu-Lin a real village in China during the Han Dyansty? Or is it made-up?

    Please reply.

    Emily

  36. Rachael,

    Tien Fen isn’t Liu Che’s half brother. He’s Liu Che’s mother’s half brother. He was also Marquess of Wu’an and made the commander of the armed forces after Liu Che became emperor.

    Emily

  37. Emily,
    It is a made up town. I may have found a place on a map with that name, I honestly can’t remember. I could have made it up. It might mean green forest.
    I didn’t know Tian Fen was related to Liu Che until I looked him up on Wikipedia after Connor’s post.

  38. Hi Carole,

    Thanks. Because i spent ages researching, trying to find any place in China called Lu-Lin and couldn’t find anything. It helps alot. :].

    I remember reading about Tian Fen somewhere because me (and my twin sister Rachael) have both chosen your book for our English assignment and we have to analyze the historical information of your novel and it’s accuracy.

    I love learning about the Han Dynasty.

    I was also wondering, where did you find out about Dongfang Suo. I can’t seem to find much information about him. He seems only to be known as a eccentric and witty but learned man and appears in Chinese jokes forom time to time; but that seems to be it. It was mentioned somewhere Ii think) that he was an imperial courtier and favourite of Liu Che (Emperor Wu).

    Sorry for the information overload. I love history and i guess i could go on forever.

    Please reply,

    Emily

  39. Emily,
    My Dragonkeeper books are historical fantasy. They are not a retelling of real historical events. I like to find a hole in history where I can invent my own story.
    I can’t remember where I read about Dong Fang Suo. I just came across his name and it said he was imperial magician. I also read that he was fat and jolly.
    Then I came across this painting of him
    http://www.baxleystamps.com/litho/sr/sr_15_6-1.jpg
    where he looked really miserable. That’s when I decided that in Garden of the Purple Dragon he would start of jolly and end up miserable. I invented my own reasons for that.
    Sometimes his name is written Tong Fang So in English.

  40. emily as some may know it could have happened
    because dragons r actually real they dicoverd one in norway what looked like to be a over grown bat
    was in fact a dragon and carole i think chinese dragons are real because or were real cause it would take a good imagination too create a legend of a dragon then to paint one on a wall the chinese must have good imagination

    p.s Emily i found out on a tv show

  41. Hi.
    I have just finished reading the french version of Dragonkeeper (I write chronicles for a french SF&Fantasy site).
    I really enjoyed the reading and could not stop untill the end. Sadly, as I’m too lazy to read english books – and they may be hard to find in France – I have to wait for the next traductions…

    Concerning the changes of the names, I just want to point that “ping” as no specific meaning in french – it is just the sound of a small bell. So I do not understanding why they change it..? I hope this was the only modification.

    In fact, never mind, the book is great, really !

  42. Alantea,
    Great to hear from you. My first blog comment from France!. And thank you for clearing up the meaning of Ping. It seems that the translator just didn’t like the name. Anyway, I’m pleased to hear that you liked the book.

  46. Sarah,
    Yes he does. I suspect the cover illustrator didn’t necessarily read the whole book to understand that Danzi is a friendly dragon.

  47. Frenh version

    Hello from France. Indeed Ping doesn’t sound very chinese in French. Liu is somewhat (and mysteriously) more poetic.

    My son (who is ten) just finished your second book and asked about the next one. He looks forward reading it soon.

    JM

  49. Hi Carole. with a friend we’re preparing for an oral presenation (tomorrow) on the first page of chapter one of the dragon keeper and we came across, its on the french translation. And our teacher is the actual translator of your novel. So it was quite interesting to read your reaction to it!

  50. Johanna,
    That’s interesting, I wonder if she was the one who changed the main character’s name?
    I hope your oral presentation went well.

  51. Dear Carole, thanks for answering! It’s always great to be able to exchange ideas with a writer. Actually, the translator, Ma

  53. Glad that you find it interesting. We might have some questions to ask you while we are preparing for our written piece. I just bought dragonkeeper so I’ll be happy to read it soon.

  54. I have read Dragonkeeper and I enjoyed it, I thought it was great. Look forward to reading the second volume.

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