Fortochka

[Marian Schwartz]

I agree with Will's point a while back.  The word needs a weight at least
somewhat equivalent to what the Russian word has.  The point in the original
is that someone is making the utterly common gesture of bringing air into
the room.  There is no interest in the mechanism per se.

I can see "window."  I can see "pane" (which is what I've used in the past).
 If using this kind of word raises questions and sparks someone's interest
in finding out just how Russians open a single pane, well, тем лучше.  I
worry about crossing too far over the line between translation and
explication, especially in a work of literature.

Marian Schwartz


On Wed, Feb 2, 2011 at 5:30 PM, Jules Levin <ameliede at earthlink.net> wrote:

> On 2/2/2011 5:43 AM, John Dunn wrote:
>
>> Aleksandrov's 1885 dictionary gives 'vasistas', which, although
>> implausible and probably inaccurate,  should, at least, please the
>> Pushkinisty among us.
>>
>> John Dunn.
>>
>>  Isn't the whole question Wass ist dass?
>
> Jules Levin
>
>
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-- 
Marian Schwartz
marianschwartz at gmail.com
www.marianschwartz.com
phone/fax: (512) 442-5100
cell: (512) 497-4820
skype:  marian.schwartz

"Racy Saxon monosyllables, close to us as touch and sight, he will intermix
readily with those long, savoursome, Latin words, rich in 'second
intention.'" -- Walter Pater, "Style," 1889.

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