Platonov - Dzhan

[Edward M Dumanis]

On Thu, 27 Apr 2000, Robert Chandler wrote:

> Hello!
> 
> I have already translated, and co-translated several works by Andrey Platonov.  At present I am translating the short novel DZHAN. I am having especial difficulty with the penultimate sentence of the following exchange:
> 
> Chagataev went up to Mohammed and asked him where he was leading the people.
> 
> Nur-Mohammed greeted Chagataev and replied: ŒWhat people?  Their soul scattered?? long ago.  It¹s all the same to them whether they¹re alive or dead.¹
> 
>                *    *    *    *    *
> 
> The original of Nur-Mohammed's speech is:
> "Kakie lyudi?  Ikh dusha davno rasseyalas', im vse ravno, zhivut oni ili net.'
> 
> Can anyone suggest a better word than the literal "scattered"? I dislike it because it is so much less idiomatic than the original. But I don't want to move far away from it because the opposition "sobrat"/rasseyat'" is central to the theme of the book.
> 
> Robert Chandler
> 
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In Russian, "dusha" (soul) is related to "dukh" (in the sense of
"spirit"). 
The use of the singular form here is, most likely, a glimps of an accent
of a non-native speker who is trying to say "Their spirits have gone a
long time ago" or "have dissapeared long time ago."
The use of "rassejat'sja" can be derived from cliche "rassejat'sja vo
mrake" (to dissapear into darkness) - in my humble opinion, of course.

Edward Dumanis <dumanis at acsu.buffalo.edu>

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