Teffi: Olyonushka and her apples

[R. M. Cleminson]

I am beginning to wonder about the reliability of the text.  Teffi does not seem to have been well served by her editors (see the remarks at the end of the severe review by S.I. Knjazev of the collected works, Acta Slavica Estonica IV, 2013), and this is the second time that the question raises suspicions of textual corruption.  In this case, "вы сейчас и между прочим за один присест съели..." would seem both much more natural and much more comprehensible.  It is rather unfair on the translator when there is no decent established text and when the necessary textual criticism on the original is yet to be done, but this sort of thing is far more common than is generally realised.  In the words of Philip Gaskell (From Writer to Reader, Oxford, 1978), "The majority of paperback texts of English and American authors that are sold in their millions to students and general readers are corrupt and misleading."  The works of a Russian émigrée author (in view of their publication history) are likely to be even more vulnerable.

----- Pôvodná správa -----
Od: "Robert Chandler" <kcf19 at DIAL.PIPEX.COM>
Komu: SEELANGS at LISTSERV.UA.EDU
Odoslané: streda, 23. apríl 2014 7:08:43
Predmet: [SEELANGS] Teffi: Olyonushka and her apples

Dear all,

I am uncertain about the meaning of "и между прочим" in this passage.  Olyonushka is a young actress, very emotional, sometimes a bit silly:
Оленушка капризничает:
—  Разве это жизнь? Разве так надо жить? Мы должны так жить, чтобы травы не топтать. Вот сегодня опять будет яичница, значит, снова истребление жизней. Человек должен посадить яблоню и питаться всю жизнь только ее плодами.
—  Оленушка, милая, — говорю я, — вот вы сейчас за один присест и между прочим съели добрый десяток. Так надолго ли вам яблони-то хватит?
У Оленушки дрожат губы — сейчас заревет.

Here are 2 possible translations.  Please say which seems better!

1.
"Olenushka dear," I say, "just now incidentally, you've eaten a good dozen in one sitting. How long is one apple tree going to last you?"

2.
“Olyonushka, darling,” I say.  “Just now, and without even thinking about it, you polished off a good dozen apples in one sitting.  A single apple tree won’t last you very long, will it?”

All the best,

Robert

Robert Chandler, 42 Milson Road, London, W14 OLD





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