Bunin and intelligentnost'

[Robert Chandler]

Thanks, Elena -- you elucidate the meaning very convincingly, though, as you
say, there is still the problem of how to translate it convincingly for a
personal ad.

'Breeding not essential' is tempting, but it limits the meaning to social
class a lot more overtly than the Russian does.

Robert

> From: Elena Gapova <e.gapova at WORLDNET.ATT.NET>
> Reply-To: Slavic & East European Languages and Literature list
> <SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU>
> Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2003 12:24:08 -0400
> To: SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU
> Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] Bunin and intelligentnost'
>
> If I were to explain what the lady means here, I would say smth. like
> "social class, class belonging (prinadlezhnost' k opredelennomu sotcial'nomu
> krugu) in the pre-emigration period not important" (though I understand that
> one cannot translate Bunin like this).
>
> Elena Gapova
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Edward M Dumanis <dumanis at BUFFALO.EDU>
> To: <SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU>
> Sent: 11 September 2003 11:56 AM
> Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] Bunin and intelligentnost'
>
>
>> I disagree. In my reading, this is exactly what was meant. This is a kind
>> of situational (black) humor born from despair in the search of financial
>> security. The woman might not be happy with a lout but she is probably
>> desperate. Remember, she is widowed with 9-year-old son, and she needs to
>> provide him financially, as well. One might consider this as a glimpse on
>> a tragedy.
>> 'employed as chauffeur or similar' hardly makes it compatible with 'higher
>> education.'
>>
>> Sincerely,
>>
>> Edward Dumanis <dumanis at buffalo.edu>
>>
>> On Thu, 11 Sep 2003, Robert Chandler wrote:
>>
>>> Many thanks, Edward.  I don't for a moment doubt the accuracy of your
>>> translation, but I don't think that, in a personal ad, someone would
> write
>>> 'Education and good manners not essential.' I don't think the woman is
>>> saying she'll be happy with a lout.
>>>
>>> 'Higher education not essential' might be a possibility, but it is very
>>> difficult to convey the 'manners' part of the meaning without it getting
> too
>>> wordy for a personal ad.
>>>
>>> R.
>>>
>>>> From: Edward M Dumanis <dumanis at BUFFALO.EDU>
>>>> Reply-To: Slavic & East European Languages and Literature list
>>>> <SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU>
>>>> Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2003 11:28:49 -0400
>>>> To: SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU
>>>> Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] Bunin and intelligentnost'
>>>>
>>>> On Thu, 11 Sep 2003, Robert Chandler wrote:
>>>> ........................
>>>> /snip/
>>>> ........................
>>>>> 'Intellectual interests' is my extremely inadequate translation of
>>>>> 'intelligentnost'.  Can anyone do better?
>>>>
>>>> 'intelligentnost' is a personal characteristic (culture) expressed as
>>>> behavior based on education (not necessarily formal) and good manners.
>>>> Therefore, I would use in this context just 'education and good
> manners.'
>>>>
>>>> Sincerely,
>>>>
>>>> Edward Dumanis <dumanis at buffalo.edu>
>>>>
>>>
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