Tintin in Mirandese

Before getting to the heart of the matter, could you explain to us how your passion for Tintin began?

Daniel Sasportes : That's a good question. I will try to answer it in a simple way. I grew up in a French-speaking environment. I lived in Montreal, Canada, where, unlike in Portugal, the influence of Belgian comics was very present, particularly that of Tintin, of course. On my return to Portugal in the 1970’s, I began to buy the Tintin magazine. In 2000, this passion, long kept buried, finally surfaced. I started collecting various objects: first Tintin cars, then the books, and so on. Today, I own many of them.

D.S. : I have had this idea for several years now: since there are Tintin books in different dialects, why not in Mirandese, the only Portuguese dialect? (Editor's note: Mirandese - or mirandês - is an Ibero-Romance language spoken mainly in the North-East of Portugal, in the region of Miranda do Douro. Officially recognised since 1999, it is now used in various cultural initiatives aimed at preserving and promoting this unique linguistic heritage).

D.S. : As you know, I did not undertake the translation myself. However, the translator who did took care to systematically adapt the puns to our cultural context, as well as all the idiomatic expressions by finding equivalents in Mirandese speech. The idea was obviously to preserve Hergé's humour and the comedic effects it produces intact.

D.S. : My choice was obvious since this adventure marks the first appearance of Senhor Oliveira da Figueira, the only recurring Portuguese character in the series.

D.S. : I would like to, but this project wasn’t easy. But sometimes, the first project is the most difficult…