Two passages from Platonov's HAPPY MOSCOW

[Alina Israeli]

By adding words:

"The night still stands still and soon the dew will be lying on the  
ground"


On Nov 10, 2011, at 9:51 AM, Robert Chandler wrote:

> Dear all,
>
> We are revising our earlier (Harvill) translation for publication  
> next year by NYRB CLassics.
>
> 1. At the beginning of chapter 7, Sartorius and Moscow Chestnova  
> catch a late tram to the outskirts of Moscow.  after getting off the  
> tram, and not long before they lie down and make love, Sarorius says:
>
> -- Товарищ  Сарториус,  что  мы  будем   
> теперь  делать? -- спросила Москва. --  
> Ведь ночь еще стоит и скоро ляжет  
> роса...
>
> “Comrade Sartorius, what are we going to do now?” asked Moscow.   
> “It’s still night, soon there’ll be dew on the  
> ground.”  (Harvill ed.)
>
> “Comrade Sartorius, what are we going to do now?” asked Moscow.   
> “It’s still night, soon dew will be lying on the  
> ground.” (revised)
>
> The play between 'stoit' and 'lyazhet' is, in the original, achieved  
> with great delicacy.  Any ideas as to how we might reproduce this?
>
> 					*
>
> 2.  (A few lines later) Под  утро  Москва  и   
> Сарториус  сели  в  землемерную яму,
> обросшую  теплым  буьяном,   
> спрятавшемся  здесь  от  культурных  
> полей, как кулак на хуторе.
>
> What is this zemlemernaya yama???  It seems to be an extremely  
> uncommon phrase, probably Platonov's own. Though it does possibly  
> evoke its opposite: землемерная вышка.
>
> This sentence has to some degree been anticipated a few pages  
> earlier, in the following: Sartorius smiled bleakly; he would have  
> liked to remain now in the very lowest place of the earth, or even  
> to find himself a place in an empty grave and, inseparably from  
> Moscow Chestnova, live out his life there until death.
>
>
> All the best,
>
> Robert
>
> Robert Chandler, 42 Milson Road, London, W14 OLD
>
>
>
>
>
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Alina Israeli
Associate Professor of Russian
LFS, American University
4400 Massachusetts Ave.
Washington DC 20016
(202) 885-2387 	fax (202) 885-1076
aisrael at american.edu

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