SEELANGS Digest - 19 May 2010 to 20 May 2010 (#2010-178)

[Vadim Besprozvanny]

Absence of "good translators = translations" lays in the nature of the job,
not in someone's personal qualities: that's clear. Is not applicable to the
people but rather (as you pointed it out) to the nature of their field. 

Otherwise I do not see anything in your remark that would require an
answer: 1) the tone and vocabulary is aggressive and abusive; 2)it does not
contain any arguments or points to be discussed thus completely matching
1).
 
"Some people believe that their dark hole is much lighter that any other.
That make them happy." (free translation from Khomiakov)

VB

On Mon, 24 May 2010 12:49:48 -0400, "Paul B. Gallagher"
<paulbg at PBG-TRANSLATIONS.COM> wrote:
> Vadim Besprozvanny wrote:
> 
>> Saying that someone is not beholden to any "theories" of translation<
>> isn't a big compliment. Such thing as a "good translator" simply
>> does not exist (the word "genius" - in order to preserve it from
>> hyperinflation - I would reserve for Shakespeare, Dante, Pushkin,
>> etc.). Translation, if it doesn't serve as an inspiration for
>> creating a new literary work (as in Zhukovskii, for instance), is, by
>> definition, an oversimplified digest for those who cannot/won't
>> read/digest a text in original version and are happy to know "what
>> this book is about?"
> 
> Really, now, I must protest! "A 'good' translator does not exist"??? 
> "Translation is an oversimplified digest"???
> 
> You may have little insight into the process or respect for what 
> translators do, but I assure you there are many highly skilled and 
> creative translators, some of whom have achieved the level where they 
> can be called "good." A rare few can even be called "great creative 
> writers," even if they derive their inspirations from others. As Sir 
> Isaac Newton pointed out, he could not have achieved his greatness 
> without standing on the shoulders of giants.
> 
> Open your eyes, and get your head out of whatever dark hole it may be 
> confined to, and you may discover the great works you've been missing.

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