Subject
Don Quixote, Nabokov, and Spanish (fwd)
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From: Mikhail Avrekh <mavrekh@lbl.gov>
I seem to recall that VN indicated somewhere -- in some comment on
"Lolita", I believe, where he expresses his bewilderment at what Spanish translators may have
done to the book, lacking his supervision -- his ignorance of Spanish. Yet
to someone reading Nabokov's "Lectures on Don Quixote", it becomes
clear that he had some knowledge of Spanish syntax, grammar, and
etymology; certainly enough to elucidate the origins and the meanings of
some words.
I wonder whether he in fact knew some Spanish, or whether he consulted
someone who did. I apologize if this has been discussed before; I've
looked in "The American Years", but couldn't find any indications of where
VN's knowledge of Spanish may have come from.
I seem to recall that VN indicated somewhere -- in some comment on
"Lolita", I believe, where he expresses his bewilderment at what Spanish translators may have
done to the book, lacking his supervision -- his ignorance of Spanish. Yet
to someone reading Nabokov's "Lectures on Don Quixote", it becomes
clear that he had some knowledge of Spanish syntax, grammar, and
etymology; certainly enough to elucidate the origins and the meanings of
some words.
I wonder whether he in fact knew some Spanish, or whether he consulted
someone who did. I apologize if this has been discussed before; I've
looked in "The American Years", but couldn't find any indications of where
VN's knowledge of Spanish may have come from.