(Un)authorized omissions in translations?

[Inna Caron]

>Lewis B. Sckolnick wrote: "A Jewish writer from Baku found that her American PhD Translator did not
>want to fully translate her works so no wonder no one is interested in them."

That is actually a fascinating topic in itself.

A few years ago I had discovered, while teaching Aitmatov's "Plakha," that the English translation, "Place of the Skull," was, in fact, abridged.

Even more frustrating was the experience with non-fiction. I was putting together a syllabus for the survey of 20th-century Russian literature featuring a hero (or lamenting the lack thereof). We would start with Gorky's Danko, and as homage to Anna Politkovskaya, who was assassinated earlier that year, end, uncharacteristically, with excerpts from her "Vtoraia Chechenskaia/A Small Corner of Hell." The last reading of the course that would complete the circle and result in the final, most intense discussion, was that of Politkovskaya's encounter with a female Chechen activist Malika Umazheva, who was murdered shortly after, and who identified herself as Danko of her time. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that that entire section was missing from the English translation. I ended up translating it myself and including in the course packet as an addendum.

I wonder how these cuts get decided upon, and how much of a say the publisher gets in each case.

Inna Caron


________________________________________
From: SEELANGS: Slavic & East European Languages and Literatures list [SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu] on behalf of Lewis B. Sckolnick [info at RUNANYWHERE.COM]
Sent: Monday, December 13, 2010 8:46 AM
To: SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu
Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] Russian accent: investment in footbal

  It is all in the translation. Take a look at Lydia Pasternak's
translations of her brothers poetry and compare with other translations.
A Jewish writer from Baku found that her American PhD Translator did not
want to fully translate her works so no wonder no one is interested in them.


On 12/10/2010 12:34 PM, Lemelin, Christopher W wrote:
> In my mind, the works that made it (more or less) successfully into
> English translation are precisely that type.  Perhaps Russian humor is
> simply too difficult to translate, or maybe this can be said about humor
> in general.  Maybe Russian humor is just too unlike humor in
> anglo-speaking cultures (and maybe this can be said about translating
> any humor).  (By the way, my American college students rarely understood
> my amusement with Monty Python.  Some of it they got; most of it, most
> of them didn't.  And of course there may be political factors in play in
> the less frequent translation of Russian "humorous" works.)  In any
> case, the consequence is that what we get as the masterpieces of Russian
> literature are Dostoevsky and Tolstoy.  To quote:  " 'nuf said."
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> Christopher W. Lemelin
> Language Training Supervisor, Russian Section/Tajiki Section Department
> of Slavic, Pashto, and Persian School of Language Studies National
> Foreign Affairs Training Center 4000 Arlington Boulevard Arlington,
> Virginia  22204
>
> lemelincw at state.gov
> 703-302-7018
>
>
>
> This email is UNCLASSIFIED
>
> ||-----Original Message-----
> ||From: SEELANGS: Slavic&  East European Languages and Literatures list
> ||[mailto:SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu] On Behalf Of amarilis
> ||Sent: Friday, December 10, 2010 10:40 AM
> ||To: SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu
> ||Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] Russian accent: investment in footbal
> ||
> ||On 12/10/2010 9:41 AM, John Dunn wrote:
> ||>  Some thoughts on recent postings.
> ||>
> ||>  Olga Meerson raises an interesting point: has anyone given any
> ||>  consideration to
> ||the question why Russian literature, taken generally, has a reputation
>
> ||for being particularly gloomy, at least among English-speaking
> ||non-specialists (if not non- readers)?
> ||>
> ||
> ||I have taught Russian Short Stories four times at my university.
> ||Inevitably, by the midterm, the students look up to me and say:
> ||"Why does everybody always die in the end?"
> ||
> ||They have Jane Austin. We have Tolstoy and Dostoevsky. 'nuff said.
> ||
> ||Amarilis Lugo de Fabritz
> ||Lecturer, Howard University
> ||
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--
Lewis B. Sckolnick
The Ledge House
130 Rattlesnake Gutter Road, Suite 1000
Leverett, MA 01054-9726
U.S.A.

Telephone 1. 413. 367. 0303
Facsimile 1. 413. 367. 2853
info at runanywhere.com

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