Mary Norris: The nit-picking glory of The New Yorker's Comma Queen
Meri Noris (Mary Norris): Cepidlačka slava "Njujorkerove" kraljice zareza
As a copy editor for the New Yorker, Mary Norris enforces some of the most authoritative (some might say eccentric) style rules in publishing. Full bio
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trying to be invisible.
pokušavajući da budem nevidljiva.
is like playing shortstop
je poput pozicije šortstopera
gets picked over by the critics --
zapažaju kritičari -
what goes into the magazine.
šta će da bude objavljeno u novinama.
over the "i" in "naïve."
iznad "i" u "naïve".
is particularly distinctive.
"teen-ager" with a hyphen,
"tin-ejdžer" sa crticom,
The New Yorker.
is a mechanical process.
je mehanički postupak.
query proofreading,
through the editor
preko urednika
the author look good.
da pisac dobro izgleda.
not directly to the author,
ne dajemo direktno piscima,
a good cop/bad cop dynamic
dobrog i lošeg policajca
as an umbrella term --
kao okvirni termin -
that was laid at my door.
koja mi je servirana.
the pre-Trump embodiment
pretrampovsko otelotvorenje
in the Republican Party,
iz Republikanske partije,
copy editors?" a reader wrote.
čuveni lektori?" pisao je čitalac.
'know-nothingism'?"
vernacular for "nihilism."
američki žargon za "nihilizam".
a passage from the magazine:
pasus iz novina:
her authoritative bearing;
ali je zadržala autoritativno držanje;
maskirao njene godine.]
knows the meaning of 'belied,'
zna značenje reči 'maskirao',
of how it is used in this sentence.
tome kako je iskorišćeno u ovoj rečenici.
of commas in The New Yorker:
o zarezima u "Njujorkeru":
of knives outlining a body."
koji ocrtavaju telo."
of complaints about commas.
zbog zareza.
in 'Martin Luther King, Jr., Boulevard'?"
'Martina Lutera Kinga, mlađeg, bulevaru'?"
that is New Yorker style for "Jr."
to je "Njujorkerov" stil za "mlađi".
or, at least, restrain,
ili, bar, da obuzdate,
on your editorial staff?"]
iz vašeg uredništva?"]
are well-placed,
zarezi su dobro upotrebljeni,
around "at least,"
da imamo zareze oko "bar",
by using dashes around that phrase:
koristeći crtice oko te fraze:
massive numbers as text?"
da slovima ispisujete ogromne brojeve?"
from a spelling stickler:
pravopisnog cepidlake:
are vocal cords, not chords."]
su vokalne žice, ne žbice."]
proofreading error,
da neću biti poslednji.
between writers and editors.
that had to be cut
nebuloze koje su morale da budu izbačene
from her excesses.
od njegovih ispada.
a reputation for sternness.
zbog strogosti.
how to have their way with me.
koji znaju da izađu na kraj sa mnom.
since the early 80s.
od ranih '80-ih.
about Staten Island
in the middle and lost its other half
i izgubilo svoju drugu polovinu
leaning forward
su se naginjale napred
of linguine and it slides out.]
the grammarian in the days of yore.
kod lingvista starog kova.
on an extended Homeric simile --
na produženo homerovsko poređenje -
conferred poetic justice on Sandy
izvršio poetsku pravdu nad Sandijem
da nešto nije dobro,
in a moment of indiscretion and he said,
u trenutku nesmotrenosti i on je rekao:
for "Talk of the Town,"
za "Gradsku priču",
at the front of the magazine
ranging from Ricky Jay's exhibit
od izložbe Rikija Džeja
of doggie bags in France.
restoranskih kesa u Francuskoj.
the return to the Bronx
o povratku u Bronks
in it that I had to challenge.
morala da dovedem u pitanje.
and Sandy wrote,
i Sandi je napisao:
like in an old, mostly dark painting.]
kako na staroj, uglavnom mračnoj slici.]
didn't have the excuse
and a preposition takes an object,
a predlog zahteva objekat,
who was assisting the justice:
ko je pomagao sutkinji:
on the equipment.
u službi glagola
as a verb with this spelling,
to think that "mic'ed"
pored mene žive.
in its abbreviated form is "mike."
u skraćenom obliku je "mike".
grammar and usage issue
pitanje gramatičke upotrebe
the same grammatical number
da bude istog gramatičkog broja
held their breath]
its antecedent, is singular.
a "svako" joj prethodi i u jednini je.
"Everyone were there."
"Everyone held their breath" all the time.
"Svaki su držali njihov dah."
"the singular 'their,'"
makes it no longer plural.
prestaje da bude množina.
to do my best to eliminate it.
da dam sve od sebe da ga eliminišem.
"Everyone held her breath,"
"Svaka je držala njen dah",
njen ili njegov dah."
moralo je da se uklopi.
held their breath,"
held their breath?"
su držali njihov dah?"
and "presence"
"prisutni" i "prisutnost"
he stood his ground.
"Svako su držali njihov dah".
o restoranskim kesama u Francuskoj,
of the f-word by a Frenchman.
upotrebio reč na j.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Mary Norris - Copy editorAs a copy editor for the New Yorker, Mary Norris enforces some of the most authoritative (some might say eccentric) style rules in publishing.
Why you should listen
Mary Norris settled into her 30-year New Yorker copy-editing post almost by accident -- and after a picaresque series of occupations ranging from checking feet at a Cleveland swimming pool to driving a milk truck. Over the years, she has mustered her skills in the service of such storied writers as Philip Roth, Pauline Kael and George Saunders.
In her book Between You & Me, Norris reflects on her career, the oft-debated quirks of New Yorker style, the serial comma and the joys of a well-sharpened pencil.
Mary Norris | Speaker | TED.com