Fortochka

[Paul B. Gallagher]

Marian Schwartz wrote:

> 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.

For me, "window" is the entire assembly, including the framing and 
glazing, but the core meaning is the opening that permits passage of 
light and/or objects. But "pane" is specifically a piece of glass or 
other transparent material, and nothing else. A window may have several 
panes, but to identify форточка with "pane" strikes me as misguided -- 
it misses the point of both words.

-- 
War doesn't determine who's right, just who's left.
--
Paul B. Gallagher
pbg translations, inc.
"Russian Translations That Read Like Originals"
http://pbg-translations.com

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