Subject
two comments on Commentaries to Eugene Onegin
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When reading VN's Commentaries to Eugene Onegin I paused on two of them:
When commenting on Tatyana's reaction to shooting star (Stanza VI of Chapter
5) VN quotes Addison from Spectator #7, March 8th 1711 (See
http://meta.montclair.edu/spectator/text/march1711/no7.html):
As if the natural Calamities of Life were not sufficient for it, we turn the
most indifferent Circumstances into Misfortunes, and suffer as much from
trifling Accidents, as from real Evils. I have known the shooting of a Star
spoil a Night's Rest; and have seen a Man in Love grow pale and lose his
Appetite, upon the plucking of a Merry-thought. A Screech-Owl at Midnight
has alarmed a Family, more than a Band of Robbers; nay, the Voice of a
Cricket hath struck more Terrour, than the Roaring of a Lion. There is
nothing so inconsiderable which may not appear dreadful to an Imagination
that is filled with Omens and Prognosticks. A Rusty Nail, or a Crooked Pin,
shoot up into Prodigies.
The second from the end sentence is a short description of illness of
protagonist in Signs and Symbols. S&S was published in 1958 in the year
following the end of VN's work on translation of EO. Coincidence? - may be
not.
Later commenting on 'сень черёмух и акаций' (Stanza VII of Chapter 6) where
Onegin's neighbor Zaretski (he brings an invitation to duel from Lenski to
Onegin) settled down in his life, VN says that English translation of 'сень'
is not exactly 'shade' as esthetic meaning of 'сень' is ephemeral and
sometimes is better translated as 'below' or 'under'. I don't think it bears
much on John Shade's last name but with little wishful thinking on my part
I'll dare to say that John settled in his life under 'сень' of shagbark tree
:-)
- George Shimanovich
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When commenting on Tatyana's reaction to shooting star (Stanza VI of Chapter
5) VN quotes Addison from Spectator #7, March 8th 1711 (See
http://meta.montclair.edu/spectator/text/march1711/no7.html):
As if the natural Calamities of Life were not sufficient for it, we turn the
most indifferent Circumstances into Misfortunes, and suffer as much from
trifling Accidents, as from real Evils. I have known the shooting of a Star
spoil a Night's Rest; and have seen a Man in Love grow pale and lose his
Appetite, upon the plucking of a Merry-thought. A Screech-Owl at Midnight
has alarmed a Family, more than a Band of Robbers; nay, the Voice of a
Cricket hath struck more Terrour, than the Roaring of a Lion. There is
nothing so inconsiderable which may not appear dreadful to an Imagination
that is filled with Omens and Prognosticks. A Rusty Nail, or a Crooked Pin,
shoot up into Prodigies.
The second from the end sentence is a short description of illness of
protagonist in Signs and Symbols. S&S was published in 1958 in the year
following the end of VN's work on translation of EO. Coincidence? - may be
not.
Later commenting on 'сень черёмух и акаций' (Stanza VII of Chapter 6) where
Onegin's neighbor Zaretski (he brings an invitation to duel from Lenski to
Onegin) settled down in his life, VN says that English translation of 'сень'
is not exactly 'shade' as esthetic meaning of 'сень' is ephemeral and
sometimes is better translated as 'below' or 'under'. I don't think it bears
much on John Shade's last name but with little wishful thinking on my part
I'll dare to say that John settled in his life under 'сень' of shagbark tree
:-)
- George Shimanovich
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