Kundera article (cont.)

[Marc Adler]

Alina Israeli(e)k dio:
> I don't know these French translations nor Mr. Kundera's reasons for 
> certifying them, but I'd like to open another can of worms:
> 
> Wouldn't some list members agree that Pasternak's translations are 
> con-genius to the original and works of art in and of themselves 
> (Shakespeare and Goethe, for ex)? The same could be said of Lozinsky's 
> translations, of Cola Brugnon, for example. I could find a few more 
> amazing translators: Rita Rajt-Kovaleva, Golyshev, Ljubimov and others, 
> of course.

That's an interesting question, but it's different from what I'm getting 
at, which is that in Kundera's case, the author himself is saying the 
translation is just as "good" as the original. Note that he didn't say 
certify the translations as "good." By certifying their literary value, 
he's saying that the original Czech had nothing in it that couldn't be 
replaced by a French translation. Does he think so little of his native 
language? That's what perplexes me. (This is also aside from the 
question of whether originals have the inherent literary value of 
authenticity.)

-- 
Marc Adler
marc at adlerpacific.com

Gauzak ez dira multzutu eta berretu
behar, mengoarik eta premiarik gabe.

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