Franz' sexy dream.

LOL, well, I am now in somewhat of a debate, where "someone" alleges that the Robin Buss translation is "so bad", "it's awful", has "choppy sentences" and touts the elegance and "accuracy" of the original text (< meaning 1846 Chapman-Hall translation) over Buss' work.

Seeing an interesting challenge, I threw down the gauntlet. Show me. Let's examine some paragraphs... Dumas' French vs. Chapman Hall vs. Robin Buss.

A long time ago, I had compared the introduction of Eugenie Danglars in French, Google translated French to English, Chapman Hall and Robin Buss:

https://www.reddit.com/r/AReadingOfMonteCristo/comments/o4cg6k/chapter_53_robert_le_diable_reading_discussion/

Now my radar is on Franz' sexy dream.

Let's look at Dumas' French:

Alors ce fut une volupté sans trêve, un amour sans repos, comme celui que promettait le Prophète à ses élus. Alors toutes ces bouches de pierre se firent vivantes, toutes ces poitrines se firent chaudes, au point que pour Franz, subissant pour la première fois l'empire du hachisch, cet amour était presque une douleur, cette volupté presque une torture, lorsqu'il sentait passer sur sa bouche altérée les lèvres de ces statues, souples et froides comme les anneaux d'une couleuvre; mais plus ses bras tentaient de repousser cet amour inconnu, plus ses sens subissaient le charme de ce songe mystérieux, si bien qu'après une lutte pour laquelle on eût donné son âme, il s'abandonna sans réserve et finit par retomber haletant, brûlé de fatigue, épuisé de volupté, sous les baisers de ces maîtresses de marbre et sous les enchantements de ce rêve inouï.

Google Translate:

Then it was a pleasure without respite, a love without rest, like that which the Prophet promised to his elect. Then all these stone mouths became alive, all these chests became warm, to the point that for Franz, experiencing for the first time the empire of hashish, this love was almost a pain, this voluptuousness almost a torture, when he felt the lips of these statues pass over his thirsty mouth, supple and cold like the rings of a snake; but the more his arms tried to push away this unknown love, the more his senses were subjected to the charm of this mysterious dream, so much so that after a struggle for which his soul would have been given, he gave in without reserve and ended up falling back panting, burned of fatigue, exhausted of pleasure, under the kisses of these marble mistresses and under the enchantments of this incredible dream.

1846 Chapman-Hall:

It seemed to Franz that he closed his eyes, and in a last look about him saw the vision of modesty completely veiled; and then followed a dream of passion like that promised by the Prophet to the elect. Lips of stone turned to flame, breasts of ice became like heated lava, so that to Franz, yielding for the first time to the sway of the drug, love was a sorrow and voluptuousness a torture, as burning mouths were pressed to his thirsty lips, and he was held in cool serpent–like embraces. The more he strove against this unhallowed passion the more his senses yielded to its thrall, and at length, weary of a struggle that taxed his very soul, he gave way and sank back breathless and exhausted beneath the kisses of these marble goddesses, and the enchantment of his marvellous dream.

1996 Robin Buss:

After that, he felt unremitting sensuality and continual love-making, such as the Prophet promised to the Elect. Now all those stone mouths became living ones and those breasts became warm, to such an extent that for Franz, falling for the first time under the domain of hashish, this lust was almost pain and this voluptuousness almost torture, as he felt the lips of these statues, supple and cold as the coils of a viper, touching his parched mouth. But the more his arms tried to ward off this unknown embrace, the more his senses fell beneath the spell of this mysterious dream, so that, after a struggle in which he would have given his soul, he abandoned himself unreservedly and eventually fell back, panting, seared with exhaustion, worn out with lust, beneath the kisses of these marble mistresses and the enchantment of this unimaginable dream.

Thoughts? Comments?