piatiknizhie in English Pentalogy

[Paul B. Gallagher]

Olga Meerson wrote:

> The translation is poor, of course, but the original locution is even
> "poorer". Pentaptych sounds perfectly adequate but doesn't make me
> any happier about the original expression. Sometimes a perfect
> translation lays bare the badness of the original, thereby expressing
> condescension--in this case, towards Russian colleagues who use a
> word in such a bad taste so liberally... I would opt for covering up
> for my colleagues' bad taste. Although neither ethnically Russian nor
> even a citizen of Russia, I feel somewhat patriotic when it comes to
> these matters. It is like covering up the body of Noah, if he happens
> to be your father.

Well, if you'd like to revise and improve the original, that's a valid 
choice but one you should make consciously with an understanding of the 
implications. It's no longer translation, it's, hmm, "translation plus," 
or something. I would have no qualms about cleaning up the occasional 
typographic error, but before rewriting an original with the aim of 
improving it I would secure my client's fully informed consent. I don't 
want him coming back later saying, "you misled me about what was in the 
original, I didn't realize what a crock it was...."

As for condescension, I don't agree that rendering the original 
faithfully expresses condescension; to the contrary, I think it 
expresses respect. But taking it upon myself to "improve" it might well 
be condescending.

-- 
War doesn't determine who's right, just who's left.
--
Paul B. Gallagher
pbg translations, inc.
"Russian Translations That Read Like Originals"
http://pbg-translations.com

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