piatiknizhie in English Pentalogy

[Josh Wilson]

Along these same lines, some might be interested to find out about the
existence of a translator currently working in Russia named "Goblin" 

http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9F%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B4_%D0%
93%D0%BE%D0%B1%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B0 

Official site of his studio: http://oper.ru/  

Basically, he started out doing pirate stuff in the 90's - his
"translations-plus" took major liberties with the jokes and original script
with an eye better adapt them (ok, often completely change them) for mass
consumption by a Russian audience. He was successful, however, and now has
his own "translation studio," other translators working for him in his
style, and contracts with major distributors (and now works legally). He
does translation for South Park into Russian, for instance, for Russia's
version of Cartoon Network, called 2x2. 

Most recently he did an "extra" translation for the film "9" for its Russian
DVD release. Basically, the film was released with its "proper" translation,
but as an added bonus, the Goblin adaptation was also included. He made
major changes - as he often does - switching or deleting scenes, altering
the monologues, etc...  see the Russian wiki on the "alternative
translation" for the film.
http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/9_%28%D0%BC%D1%83%D0%BB%D1%8C%D1%82%D1%84%D0%B8
%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%BC,_2009%29 

Most of his stuff does rely on pretty base humor. But I find the fact that
he has been successful and is called a "translator" to be fascinating... 

Sometimes translation does wander into the field of "adaptation" -
depending, of course, on the material, intended audience and of course the
client... but there is nothing wrong with adaptation in my book. 



Josh Wilson
Assistant Director
The School of Russian and Asian Studies
Editor in Chief
Vestnik, The Journal of Russian and Asian Studies
SRAS.org 
jwilson at sras.org


-----Original Message-----
From: SEELANGS: Slavic & East European Languages and Literatures list
[mailto:SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu] On Behalf Of Robert Chandler
Sent: Tuesday, October 27, 2009 9:35 AM
To: SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu
Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] piatiknizhie in English Pentalogy

I think it is more than clear that Olga has made her choice 'consciously
with an understanding of the implications'!  You seem, Paul, to be
forgetting that, like most activities, translation can serve many purposes.
I know one interpreter who was congratulated for her diplomacy after the
successful performance of an opera.  The producer was, I think, Lyubimov;
the orchestral conductor was  George Solti (I may have muddled the names).
Solti told her that, but for her diplomacy (i.e. MIStranslations) the
production would have fallen apart.

On one occasion Solti asked why Lyubimov kept using the word IDIOT so often.
The interpreter sweetly replied that it was a Russian word meaning 'he/she
is coming/going'.  Solti did not really believe this, but I think he was so
amused and charmed that he did not continue the row with Lyubimov.

R.




> 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.

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