Insights I have gleaned from attempting to reread Becket in the original

In English, Henry is a tennis enthusiast, but en français, he plays (among other things) cricket:

Becket. ... My prince, when you play tennis, do you simply sit back and let things work out. Do you wait for the ball to hit your racket and say "It's bound to come this way eventually"?

King. Ah, now just a minute. You're talking about things that matter. A game of tennis is important, it amuses me.

Becket. And suppose I were to tell you that governing can be as amusing as a game of tennis? Are we going to let the others smash the ball into our court, my prince, or shall we try to score a point, both of us, like two good English sportsmen?

King. (Suddenly roused by his sporting instinct) The point, Begod, the point! You're right! On the court, I sweat and strain, I fall over my feet, I half kill myself, I'll cheat if need be, but I never give up the point!

Translated by Lucienne Hill

Becket. ... Mon prince, quant vous jouez à la paume ou à la crosse, laissez-vous les choses s'arranger? Attendez-vous la balle dans votre raquette en disant : « Elle finira bien par venir? »

Le roi. Je t'arrête. Il s'agit là de choses sérieuses. Une partie de paume c'est important, ça m'amuse.

Becket. Et si je vous apprenais que gouverner cela peut être aussi amusant qu'une partie de cricket? Allons-nous laisser la balle aux autres, mon prince, ou allons-nous tâcher de marquer le point tous les deux, comme deux bons joueurs anglais?

Le roi, réveillé soudain par l'intérêt sportif. Le point, pardieu, le point! Au mail, je me creve, je tombe, je me désosse, je triche au besoin, mais je n'abandonne jamais le point!

I find this unutterably adorable for some reason. Probably because I learned everything I know about cricket from P.G. Wodehouse, Dorothy Sayers, and Douglas Adams. If I could draw, I would spam you all with pictures of Henry and Thomas playing cricket.

Insights I have gleaned from attempting to reread Becket in the original

In English, Henry is a tennis enthusiast, but en français, he plays (among other things) cricket:

Becket. ... My prince, when you play tennis, do you simply sit back and let things work out. Do you wait for the ball to hit your racket and say "It's bound to come this way eventually"?

King. Ah, now just a minute. You're talking about things that matter. A game of tennis is important, it amuses me.

Becket. And suppose I were to tell you that governing can be as amusing as a game of tennis? Are we going to let the others smash the ball into our court, my prince, or shall we try to score a point, both of us, like two good English sportsmen?

King. (Suddenly roused by his sporting instinct) The point, Begod, the point! You're right! On the court, I sweat and strain, I fall over my feet, I half kill myself, I'll cheat if need be, but I never give up the point!

Translated by Lucienne Hill

Becket. ... Mon prince, quant vous jouez à la paume ou à la crosse, laissez-vous les choses s'arranger? Attendez-vous la balle dans votre raquette en disant : « Elle finira bien par venir? »

Le roi. Je t'arrête. Il s'agit là de choses sérieuses. Une partie de paume c'est important, ça m'amuse.

Becket. Et si je vous apprenais que gouverner cela peut être aussi amusant qu'une partie de cricket? Allons-nous laisser la balle aux autres, mon prince, ou allons-nous tâcher de marquer le point tous les deux, comme deux bons joueurs anglais?

Le roi, réveillé soudain par l'intérêt sportif. Le point, pardieu, le point! Au mail, je me creve, je tombe, je me désosse, je triche au besoin, mais je n'abandonne jamais le point!

I find this unutterably adorable for some reason. Probably because I learned everything I know about cricket from P.G. Wodehouse, Dorothy Sayers, and Douglas Adams. If I could draw, I would spam you all with pictures of Henry and Thomas playing cricket.

Ways that you can tell that you're reading a story by mayhap

Gacked from approximately everyone, ever.

1. Hell has frozen over. Okay, this could also be an indication of many other things, but it might mean that you are reading a story by mayhap
   
2. It's short.
   
3. The pairing, if applicable, is either Harry/Draco, or weird, obscure and/or literary.
   
4. There is no more plot than absolutely, positively necessary.
   
5. There's always some plot, though. Or at least, a nice tableau. No one has context-free sex or sex-like activity, anyway. There's some set-dressing tucked around it.
   
6. If the characters are having sex or sex-like activity, the sentences get to be two to three times as long and often involve italics, although these are a bitch to code and I hate them and try to eschew them in the rest of the text because they're a stylistic crutch, but when there is sex, italics probably follow.
   
7. If the characters are having sex or sex-like activity, they are usually very good at the sex act(s) they are performing. If not, they and/or their partner are generally really aroused and stuff and enjoy them anyway.
   
8. The actual choreography of these sex act(s) can be pretty damn fuzzy. Often, it is comparable to a copy of an Impressionist painting done blindfolded.
   
9. If the characters having sex or sex-like activities are guys, which they generally are, they often give blowjobs , for some reason.
   
10. The titles suck. I hate thinking of titles.

Ways that you can tell that you're reading a story by mayhap

Gacked from approximately everyone, ever.

1. Hell has frozen over. Okay, this could also be an indication of many other things, but it might mean that you are reading a story by mayhap
   
2. It's short.
   
3. The pairing, if applicable, is either Harry/Draco, or weird, obscure and/or literary.
   
4. There is no more plot than absolutely, positively necessary.
   
5. There's always some plot, though. Or at least, a nice tableau. No one has context-free sex or sex-like activity, anyway. There's some set-dressing tucked around it.
   
6. If the characters are having sex or sex-like activity, the sentences get to be two to three times as long and often involve italics, although these are a bitch to code and I hate them and try to eschew them in the rest of the text because they're a stylistic crutch, but when there is sex, italics probably follow.
   
7. If the characters are having sex or sex-like activity, they are usually very good at the sex act(s) they are performing. If not, they and/or their partner are generally really aroused and stuff and enjoy them anyway.
   
8. The actual choreography of these sex act(s) can be pretty damn fuzzy. Often, it is comparable to a copy of an Impressionist painting done blindfolded.
   
9. If the characters having sex or sex-like activities are guys, which they generally are, they often give blowjobs , for some reason.
   
10. The titles suck. I hate thinking of titles.