Translations of Pushkin, Tolstoy?

[Edward M Dumanis]

"Ennui" is perfect but "Russian boredom" for "ruskaja handra" might be
close enough and with probably better approximation in frequency usage,
but I haven't checked it with any contemporary frequency dictionary.

Sincerely,

Edward Dumanis <dumanis at buffalo.edu>


On Fri, 6 May 2005, Sara Stefani wrote:

> These are all very interesting points and arguments. The problem with
> the word "spleen" is that in contemporary usage, it means spite or ill-
> will - more like zloba than khandra. So in a contemporary context, this
> might be misleading. Interestingly enough with regard to Pushkin
> providing his own 19th-century variant of 'angliiskii spleen':
> according to Webster's, one archaic meaning of "spleen" is melancholy.
> So you could use the word "melancholy" or even, which may have more
> nuance, "ennui."
>
> However, also interestingly enough, Webster's gives other obsolete
> definitions of "spleen": one is "a sudden impulse or whim: caprice,"
> another is "the seat of emotions or passions." Which could therefore
> almost justify the use of the word "soul." Using Pushkin's own gloss
> could be problematic without knowing what definition of the English
> word might have been current at the time.
>
> Just a little lexical word-play on a Friday afternoon.
>
> Best,
> Sara Stefani
>
> Quoting Russell Valentino <russell-valentino at UIOWA.EDU>:
>
> > David Powelstock's suggestion is constructive. I especially
> > appreciate the
> > workable solution: spleen is clearly better. But this discussion has
> > reminded
> > me of a comment by Eliot Weinberger. Forgive me for quoting a
> > slightly large
> > snippet:
> >
> > "And yet translations ... are often dismissed on the basis of a
> > single word,
> > usually by members of foreign language departments, known in the
> > trade as the
> > 'translation police.' They are the ones who write- to take an actual
> > example-
> > that a certain immensely prolific translator from the German 'simply
> > does not
> > know German' because somewhere in the vastness of Buddenbrooks, he
> > had
> > translated a 'chesterfield' as a 'greatcoat.' Such examples, as any
> > translator
> > can tell you, are more the rule than the exception. One can only
> > imagine if
> > writers were reviewed in the same way: 'the use of the word
> > "incarnadine" on
> > page 349 proves the utter mediocrity of this book.'"
> >
> > The whole (entertaining and informative) piece is here:
> > http://www.uiowa.edu/~iwp/91st/vol1_n1/vol1_n1AUTH_WEINBERGER.html.
> > Or go to
> > 91st Meridian (http://www.uiowa.edu/~iwp/91st/) and click on issue
> > number one.
> >
> > Russell
> >
> > Quoting David Powelstock <pstock at BRANDEIS.EDU>:
> >
> > > The problem with Falen's translation of "russkaia khandra" as
> > "Russian soul"
> > > is that it suggests that Evgeny's particular spiritual condition is
> > the
> > > equivalent of the Russian soul in general.[...] Do we really think
> > that
> > Pushkin considered Evgeny the emblem of "russkaia dusha"?  That would
> > be a hard
> > argument to make.  Thus, "Russian soul" is a bad translation error.
> > It
> > distorts Pushkin's attitude toward Evgeny and Russia, and it is
> > semantically
> > and historically inaccurate. "Russian spleen" would work better, and
> > it
> > wouldn't be difficult to rhyme.
> > >
> > > David Powelstock
> > >
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: Slavic & East European Languages and Literature list
> > > > [mailto:SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU] On Behalf Of Irina
> > Zhulamanova
> > > > Sent: Friday, May 06, 2005 12:02 PM
> > > > To: SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU
> > > > Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] Translations of Pushkin, Tolstoy?
> > > >
> > > > Dear Laura and Robert,
> > > >
> > > > actually, Pushkin himself gave an 19th century English
> > > > equivalent for 'khandra', 'angliiskii spleen'. How would you
> > > > translate this 'spleen' into contemporary American English?
> > > > The translation of 'khandra' as a 'soul' for me looks like
> > > > saying that 'courage' equals 'temper'. Khandra is one of the
> > > > soul's emotional conditions, features, etc, so soul is a
> > > > generic word for khandra. We say, "Ne khandri, ne nervnichai,
> > > > ne dergaisia" in contemporary Russian, isn't it possible to
> > > > draw on this and find a more specific Enflish lexical item
> > > > than 'soul'?
> > > >
> > > > Irina
> > > >
> > > > Quoting Robert Chandler <kcf19 at DIAL.PIPEX.COM>:
> > > >
> > > > > Dear Laura,
> > > > >
> > > > > I agree entirely with your general praise of Falen.  I just
> > want to
> > > > > add that the line you quote is not an 'unfortunate
> > > > translation choice' in the least.
> > > > > It conveys Pushkin's meaning and tone very well.  I
> > > > appreciate that a
> > > > > language teacher may find it irritating if students end up
> > thinking
> > > > > that 'khandra' = 'soul' - but translators are NOT language
> > teachers!
> > > > >
> > > > > Best Wishes,
> > > > >
> > > > > Robert Chandler
> >
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