Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0013796, Mon, 30 Oct 2006 22:17:26 -0500

Subject
Sergei responds to CK on other shores, palindromes,
and birds in the hand
From
Date
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Dear Carolyn,

to my opinion, it might -

- one of most known writings by Herzen was called "S togo berega"
- he was a liberal thinker of the kind that probably was liked by Nabokov
(in difference of "revolutionary" Chernyshevsky).

(But I cannot give you textual proofs.)

Best,

Sergei

> The above reminds me of a question - - has anyone speculated on the
> original title of VN's autobiography, Drugie Berega? Could it have anything
> to do with Herzen?
>
> Carolyn

------------------

This interpretation doesn't sound natural in Russian.
In such a construction instead of nikto you would rather
have "NIKEM" (byl by NIKEM).


Le Dimanche 29 Octobre 2006 16:06, vous avez écrit :
> could "nikto b' " not be translated "he would be
> nobody"?

--
Sergei SOLOVIEV

---------------------
Dear Carolyn,

I think the things can be much simpler:
> the correct spelling is Sibyl
in French the correct spelling is Sybille, and Irondell (hirondelle)
indicates clearly her French (french canadian) origins (mentioned
b. t. w. explicitly).

Biologically, L'hirondelle is in the family "Hirundinidae". As far as I found
on internet, thrush is not in the family "sylviidae" but "turdidae",
and "sylviidae" contains smaller birds mostly living in forests
(like warblers), I think, sylva is latin word ~ forest.

Swallows do not sing at all and it attracted attention already in Antiquity
(cf. the myth on Filomela and Prokna used by T.S. Eliot in "The Waste Land").

Many good singers including the Nightingale belong to the family Turdidae (as
indeed thrushes do).

Sylviidae are usually less good singers.

I don't think it is a convincing link.

Best regards,

Sergei Soloviev

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