SEELANGS Digest - 12 Sep 2013 to 13 Sep 2013 (#2013-378)

[J P Maher]

All
 
 
The Italian is "traduttori traditori"...
A text given to ten competent translators could result in ten acceptable translations, which no 
computer translation could manage.
 
j p maher
 

________________________________
 From: Robert Chandler <kcf19 at DIAL.PIPEX.COM>
To: SEELANGS at LISTSERV.UA.EDU 
Sent: Saturday, September 14, 2013 1:03 AM
Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] SEELANGS Digest - 12 Sep 2013 to 13 Sep 2013 (#2013-378)
  

Dear Subhash,

I am sorry I did not make myself clearer.   I am curious, not angry. As I often do on SEELANGS, I am asking a question!

People (of all levels of linguistic ability) just love repeating all the old lines: "Traduttore/tradittore"; "Poetry is what gets lost in translations"; etc.  Your post was a good example of this.  From the unsuprising discovery that a few people prove unable to write as well as Jane Austen at her very best, you leap to strange images of unsatisfactory lovemaking.  What I am asking is WHY so many people feel this need to make these sweeping and negative generalisations.

In answer to your new point, I don't see any reason not to "look for perfect translation or to judge one translation against another".  Though it should go without saying that perfection is not something one often finds in any realm of human achievement.

All the best,

Robert

> I think your anger at my comment is misdirected. Here is my complete post again:
> 
> I like Marshak's translation. It is simple, has pace and most importantly it raises expectation, wanting me to read more. Irina Gurova's seems more accurate but complicated. For me it doesn't work as an 'opening sentence'. But translation as we all know is never going to be perfect. It is like pouring water from one cup to another and of different sizes: leading either to spills or to under-fill. Or it is like an act of making love in which only one of the parties feels consummated.
> 
> I am merely stating that the art of translation is hard and to look for perfect translation or to judge one translation against another isn't quite right. They serve different and valuable purpose. That's all.
> Translation however imperfect still provides a door to enter to another world. 
> 
> 
> Subhash
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Robert Chandler, 42 Milson Road, London, W14 OLD

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