Καλώς όρισες Νεκτάριε,
To Beaux' stratagem του Ιρλανδού συγγραφέα
George Farquhar (στα ελληνικά, η πιο συνηθισμένη απόδοση του ονόματος είναι Τζορτζ Φάρκουαρ) ανέβηκε το 1956 από το Εθνικό Θέατρο σε μετάφραση Αλέξη Σολομού (με Αρώνη, Βαλάκου, Λαμπροπούλου κ.ά.) με τίτλο
Στρατηγήματα εραστών.
Η φράση "The game is afoot" προέρχεται από τον Σαίξπηρ, αλλά την χρησιμοποιεί και ο Σέρλοκ Χολμς. Βρίσκω στο
νέτι την εξής σημείωση:
It also has to do with Sherlock Holmes and the game of chess.
The Game Is Afoot!
I am always reminded of this phrase when I start to write a Sherlockian article.
We first see the famous phrase in the Canon in "The Adventure of the Abbey Grange" when Holmes tells Watson: "Come, Watson, come! The game is afoot. Not a word! Into your clothes and come!" The word "game" has two meanings. One is "quarry" or "spoils," and it would be the main meaning in Shakespeare's and Holmes' words. However, the other meaning of "game" is, "a diversion, pastime, or amusement; or a form of mental or physical competitive play, governed by specific rules and testing the skill, endurance, or luck of the participants."
This latter meaning is important, as Sherlockiana is a "game," like chess or Monopoly for me. "Sherlock Holmes is alive" and "Dr. Watson wrote the Canon" are rules of the game, and I do not want to change these rules. It would be impossible to play chess if you deny the rules of movement of the chess pieces. We can enjoy playing games when we adhere strictly to the rules.
Αλλού στο νέτι, βρίσκω (με πιο χιουμοριστικό τρόπο):
The Game is Afoot
First Used:
Henry IV, Part I, Act I, Scene iii, Northumberland to Hotspur.
"Before the game is afoot, thou still let'st slip."
Translated:
"Dude, we haven't even shuffled the cards and you're already in the Lollipop Woods."
Where We'd Be Without It:
Reading the less-than-gripping adventures of Sherlock Holmes and his signature catchphrase, "My dear Watson, I do believe this shit is bananas."
Why It's Un-Fucking-Believable:
Because Sir Arthur Conan Doyle owned it so thoroughly, we're surprised his estate hasn't filed a retroactive copyright lawsuit. Of course Shakespeare could only pay in ducats, so it probably wasn't worth the effort.
οπότε, γι' αυτή τη φράση (που σημαίνει, σε ελεύθερη απόδοση, «το παιχνίδι είναι ακόμη ανοιχτό») θα περιμένουμε κάποιον που έχει διαθέσιμα τα αντίστοιχα ελληνικά κείμενα.