To be clear, plus a little theory

[Judson Rosengrant]

There has been a very interesting off-list discussion of my 'Tolstoy
question' which prompts me to clarify the my position in regard to the
suggestion that I'm overanalyzing or over-reading, etc.

To say 'a sheet is sometimes just a sheet' strikes me as linguistically
naïve, for it begs the question of what a sheet is: a sheet of paper, sail
(three sheets to the wind), sheet of ice, bed sheet, bath sheet, etc., etc.
Простыня too is polysemantic, is ambiguous, as several postings have at
least implicitly acknowledged and as the various replies have underscored in
their very disagreement with each other.

My first query was intended to address that polysemy, that ambiguity,
without necessarily going into the implications, the deeper meanings, as
truly interesting as those are.

My conclusion in the end (see my last long posting) was that the ambiguity
of the triplet, but especially of простыня, cannot be resolved, and that
therefore the translation will have to accept that fact and not attempt an
explanation--to the extent, of course, that that's possible, since it isn't
in regard to линейка; there the English language compels one to make a
choice: 'ruler' or 'wagonette'.

In other works, my position--and unavoidable task--as a translator is
exactly the opposite of that implied by the charge of 'over-reading'.
Rather, I'm trying to locate the surface meaning of the text as accurately
as I can, and if that involves leaving its ambiguities intact, then that is
what it will involve.  But, of course, even ambiguities have their
geography, and it too has to be mapped.  The very nature of translation
requires it: you need to know where the implications reside, make your
choices as richly as you can in English, and then leave the hermeneutics to
others--or take them up yourself somewhere else outside the bounds of the
English text, whether in an introduction or in annotations or in an article
or, SEELANGS be praised, even in a series of internet engagements with
respected colleagues who bring the same seriousness to the issues that you
try to.   

Best wishes,

Jud 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
                    http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------