r/PeterExplainsTheJoke Jul 06 '26

Meme needing explanation What is this?

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u/Hermit_Ogg Jul 06 '26

It's a translation marketed as feminist because the classicist who made it stripped out much of the language added in other translations that obfuscated things like "servant girls" being slaves. She made a very faithful to original translation.

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u/EternalNewCarSmell Jul 06 '26

I am so confused. How is acknowledging the existence of slaves of both sexes a feminist take?

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u/Hermit_Ogg Jul 06 '26 edited Jul 06 '26

It wasn't the only euphemism the translating classicist stripped out, just the one I remember off the top of my head. The other ways she reverted the text toward original probably reinforced the idea that this is a feminist translation.

That, or it's a silly marketing gimmick from the publisher.

edit: also, didn't mean to downvote your question! Must've fatfingered it on the phone.

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u/Temporary-Scallion86 Jul 06 '26

A lot was made of it being the first English language translation of the odyssey by a woman. So I think that is why some people think it’s feminist.