Rhetoric

Citizenship : Goth

French name : Cloridric
German name : Holperik
Dutch name : Drumstik
Spanish name : Clorhidric
Italian name : Cloridrico
Portugese name : Cloridric

Rhetoric

Cowardly Goth interpreter who dreams of marrying and having lots of little barbarians

Translating an Asterix album is always a huge challenge, given the number of quotes, allusions, puns and dual meanings liberally disseminated by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. But there are also risks involved in interpreting Asterix, Obelix and Getafix themselves: just ask Rhetoric, who has the heavy task in Asterix and the Goths of interpreting into the Gothic language the sayings of our Gauls, while avoiding offense to his master, the terrible Metric.

Rather than faithfully translating the Gauls' answers, which would be sure to arouse his chief's anger, Rhetoric transforms the Gauls' «no» into «yes» in the Gothic language, which comes across as a lot more cooperative.

Unfortunately, Getafix speaks Goth fluently (with a slight accent), and uncovers Rhetoric's lies, quickly landing him in the dungeon, waiting to be drawn and quartered («drawing and quartering is so banal, but it's always good for a laugh,» as Metric would say). But Getafix, who wants to spread chaos and confusion among the Goths, gives Rhetoric the wicked interpreter a taste of magic potion, which really sets things off and has all of the Goths seeking to replace their chief!

In which book ?

3 - Asterix and the Goths