The plight of Women

From the UK, George Sassoon says: "A friend and I were trying to translate the phrase: "She Who Must be Obeyed" into French. Finally we decided that it was impossible, and that if it were possible, Frenchmen would be totally unable to grasp the concept". I disagree. "C'est elle qui porte le pantalon". More seriously, it is interesting to see what literature travels and what does not. From Alice in Wonderland to Harry Potter, some English stories have become universal. What about Rumpole? Even some American lawyers complain that his doings would be impossible in the US. So would Harry's.

Ronald Hilton - 9/11/02