Subject
Fw: reply to Vladimir Mylnikov re the tobakami/sobakami rhyme:
The Cabots & the Lodges
The Cabots & the Lodges
From
Date
Body
EDNOTE. Alexey Sklyarenko is the latest translator of ADA as well as being a
close investigation of that novel's subtleties.
----- Original Message -----
From: "alex" <sklyarenko@users.mns.ru>
>
> ----------------- Message requiring your approval (74
lines) ------------------
> Dear Vladimir,
>
> The present topic concerns not Ada translations, but my note on Pisemski
in
> Ada ("Champagne, Parisian Boulevards etc.") in the latest issue (#50) of
The
> Nabokovian.
> Of course, the "Tobak" is accented on the first syllable. But a Russian
must
> struggle against the temptation to put the accent on the second. Tobak
> doesn't mean "tabak," but, as already has been pointed out, the name is
> closely associated with tobacco. Note also that Cordula coins an
> affectionate diminutive Tobachok, playing on the popular Russian
> affectionate word for tobacco, in conversation with Van. All this makes me
> think that schoolboys who like to tease each other could be easily tempted
> to accent this surname "in Russian," especially its longer plural form,
and
> to rhyme it with "sobakami" in the Instrumental case, plural.
>
> By the way, I find in Dal's dictionary the following couplet:
> Kto niukhaet tabaki,
> Tot khuzhe sobaki.
> ("The one who snuffs tobacco is worse than a dog." The plural "tabaki" is
> very unusual in Russian and hardly exists now.)
> With those verses the schismatics used to abuse the tobacco snuffers,
> chewers and smokers (they considered tobacco a devil's poison,
"sataninskoe
> zelie"). Note possible implications in Ada, part One, chapter 38, where,
at
> the end of the dinner, schismatics are mentioned and, shortly after that,
> all four members of the family light up.
>
> To give a full picture, the reply of smokers (who were Orthodox
Christians)
> was:
> Kto kurit tobachok,
> Tot khristov muzhichok.
> (The one who smokes tobacco is Christ's brave little man.)
>
> sincerely,
> Alexey (a non-smoker)
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "D. Barton Johnson" <chtodel@cox.net>
> To: <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
> Sent: Wednesday, July 02, 2003 10:36 PM
> Subject: Fw: Carolyn Kunin notes on Alexey Sklyarenko's tobakami/sobakami
>
>
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Vladimir Mylnikov" <vmylnikov@yahoo.com>
> > >
> > > ----------------- Message requiring your approval (26
> > lines) ------------------
> > > from vmylnikov@yahoo.com
> > >
> > > Dear List,
> > >
> > > I missed quite a lot on subject of Ada tranlations -
> > > my computer has problems with reading Russian.
> > >
> > > So I may goof, but I feel that the suggestion by
> > > Carolyn Kunin needs a comment.
> > >
> > > Although it may rhyme better in Russian
> > > (Tobakami/sobakami) the original is actually
> > >
> > > I do not think that it is good rhyme because of the
> > > stress - of this charming couple. Another thing is -
> > > Does Tobak means Tabak? Or I am missing something.
> > >
> > > Thanks, Vladimir
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > __________________________________
> > > Do you Yahoo!?
> > > SBC Yahoo! DSL - Now only $29.95 per month!
> > > http://sbc.yahoo.com
>
>
close investigation of that novel's subtleties.
----- Original Message -----
From: "alex" <sklyarenko@users.mns.ru>
>
> ----------------- Message requiring your approval (74
lines) ------------------
> Dear Vladimir,
>
> The present topic concerns not Ada translations, but my note on Pisemski
in
> Ada ("Champagne, Parisian Boulevards etc.") in the latest issue (#50) of
The
> Nabokovian.
> Of course, the "Tobak" is accented on the first syllable. But a Russian
must
> struggle against the temptation to put the accent on the second. Tobak
> doesn't mean "tabak," but, as already has been pointed out, the name is
> closely associated with tobacco. Note also that Cordula coins an
> affectionate diminutive Tobachok, playing on the popular Russian
> affectionate word for tobacco, in conversation with Van. All this makes me
> think that schoolboys who like to tease each other could be easily tempted
> to accent this surname "in Russian," especially its longer plural form,
and
> to rhyme it with "sobakami" in the Instrumental case, plural.
>
> By the way, I find in Dal's dictionary the following couplet:
> Kto niukhaet tabaki,
> Tot khuzhe sobaki.
> ("The one who snuffs tobacco is worse than a dog." The plural "tabaki" is
> very unusual in Russian and hardly exists now.)
> With those verses the schismatics used to abuse the tobacco snuffers,
> chewers and smokers (they considered tobacco a devil's poison,
"sataninskoe
> zelie"). Note possible implications in Ada, part One, chapter 38, where,
at
> the end of the dinner, schismatics are mentioned and, shortly after that,
> all four members of the family light up.
>
> To give a full picture, the reply of smokers (who were Orthodox
Christians)
> was:
> Kto kurit tobachok,
> Tot khristov muzhichok.
> (The one who smokes tobacco is Christ's brave little man.)
>
> sincerely,
> Alexey (a non-smoker)
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "D. Barton Johnson" <chtodel@cox.net>
> To: <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
> Sent: Wednesday, July 02, 2003 10:36 PM
> Subject: Fw: Carolyn Kunin notes on Alexey Sklyarenko's tobakami/sobakami
>
>
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Vladimir Mylnikov" <vmylnikov@yahoo.com>
> > >
> > > ----------------- Message requiring your approval (26
> > lines) ------------------
> > > from vmylnikov@yahoo.com
> > >
> > > Dear List,
> > >
> > > I missed quite a lot on subject of Ada tranlations -
> > > my computer has problems with reading Russian.
> > >
> > > So I may goof, but I feel that the suggestion by
> > > Carolyn Kunin needs a comment.
> > >
> > > Although it may rhyme better in Russian
> > > (Tobakami/sobakami) the original is actually
> > >
> > > I do not think that it is good rhyme because of the
> > > stress - of this charming couple. Another thing is -
> > > Does Tobak means Tabak? Or I am missing something.
> > >
> > > Thanks, Vladimir
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > __________________________________
> > > Do you Yahoo!?
> > > SBC Yahoo! DSL - Now only $29.95 per month!
> > > http://sbc.yahoo.com
>
>