Subject
Re: bloopers and traps for translators
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Dear Carolyn,
Ouch!
I don¹t think the Vladimir Nabokov line has suffered any great
self-confidence problems in a long time. And I have no trouble believing
that one of the greatest joys of fatherhood for VN was the strong
possibility that his work would be well cared for in the decades to come,
and it has. Despite appearances, I am a great admirer of translators for
what seems the magical gift of having at least two languages to read, dream,
and live in. My eldest sisters speaks and reads French and German
impeccably, and can read and write Hungarian with fair precision. My next
eldest sister can read and understand the Latin of science and study, and is
comfortable in French and German, as well. I know American English and
Detroit English, but I believe I can handle both with a certain panache and,
occasionally, what my father, a U.S. infantry platoon leader who fought from
North Africa to Italy to France (where a tank shell arrested his progress)
used to call the ³tone of command.²
Best,
Andrew
On 9/1/06 2:47 PM, "Carolyn Kunin" <chaiselongue@EARTHLINK.NET> wrote:
> Andrew ³please don¹t hit me² Brown
>
> Dear Andrew,
>
> BAM!! Just jesting. Jansy informs me off List that when Dmitri was in his
> crib his father had already identified him as his future translator.
>
> I guess it doesn't pay to underestimate the self-confidence of a Nabokov.
>
> Carolyn
>>
>
>
>
> Search the Nabokv-L archive at UCSB
> <http://listserv.ucsb.edu/archives/nabokv-l.html>
> Contact the Editors <mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu>
> All private editorial communications, without exception, are read by both
> co-editors.
> Visit Zembla <http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm>
> View Nabokv-L Policies <http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm>
>
Search the archive: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/archives/nabokv-l.html
Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu
Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm
Ouch!
I don¹t think the Vladimir Nabokov line has suffered any great
self-confidence problems in a long time. And I have no trouble believing
that one of the greatest joys of fatherhood for VN was the strong
possibility that his work would be well cared for in the decades to come,
and it has. Despite appearances, I am a great admirer of translators for
what seems the magical gift of having at least two languages to read, dream,
and live in. My eldest sisters speaks and reads French and German
impeccably, and can read and write Hungarian with fair precision. My next
eldest sister can read and understand the Latin of science and study, and is
comfortable in French and German, as well. I know American English and
Detroit English, but I believe I can handle both with a certain panache and,
occasionally, what my father, a U.S. infantry platoon leader who fought from
North Africa to Italy to France (where a tank shell arrested his progress)
used to call the ³tone of command.²
Best,
Andrew
On 9/1/06 2:47 PM, "Carolyn Kunin" <chaiselongue@EARTHLINK.NET> wrote:
> Andrew ³please don¹t hit me² Brown
>
> Dear Andrew,
>
> BAM!! Just jesting. Jansy informs me off List that when Dmitri was in his
> crib his father had already identified him as his future translator.
>
> I guess it doesn't pay to underestimate the self-confidence of a Nabokov.
>
> Carolyn
>>
>
>
>
> Search the Nabokv-L archive at UCSB
> <http://listserv.ucsb.edu/archives/nabokv-l.html>
> Contact the Editors <mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu>
> All private editorial communications, without exception, are read by both
> co-editors.
> Visit Zembla <http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm>
> View Nabokv-L Policies <http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm>
>
Search the archive: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/archives/nabokv-l.html
Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu
Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm