Grossman: VSE TECHET: poznala & uznala

[Paul B. Gallagher]

Robert Chandler wrote:

> Dear all,
> 
> Many thanks - as always, I have learned a great deal of importance
> even from messages I have not been able to act on.
> 
> There clearly is considerable depth of meaning in 'poznala' (and the 
> subsequent 'poznavanie'), and I think this is best revealed not
> through elevated vocabulary but through being as simple as possible.
> So I now have this:
> 
> The name of Stalin is inscribed for all eternity in the history of
> Russia.
> 
> Looking at Stalin, Post-revolutionary Russia knew herself.
> 
> ...

Is the verb really describing a static condition (impf.), or a dynamic 
change of state (perf.)?

I would be inclined more in this direction:

"By looking at Stalin, post-Revolutionary Russia came to know herself."
or
"By examining Stalin, post-Revolutionary Russia came to know herself."

Note also that English has a much stronger affinity (even demand) for 
explicit statements of cause and effect -- this is why I inserted "by." 
Russian is perfectly happy to juxtapose events and let the reader draw 
his own conclusions, but that is not our way.

-- 
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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