Subject
Re: A problem in a translation: "Crack of light" - "short circuit
of light"
of light"
From
Date
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My guess is simply that the translator must have had in mind the intensity of the flash (and the noise) that you often get from a short circuit.
If the translator thought that VN's "crack" was intended to convey the idea both of light and of sound, the use of "short circuit" would perhaps convey both meanings.
Barrie Akin
On 10 Jul 2014, at 19:59, "Mary H. Efremov" <mbutterfly549@AOL.COM><mailto:mbutterfly549@AOL.COM>> wrote:
crack of dawn, crack of light suggests an onset, a beginning
-----Original Message-----
From: Jansy Mello <jansy.mello@OUTLOOK.COM><mailto:jansy.mello@OUTLOOK.COM>>
To: NABOKV-L <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU><mailto:NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>>
Sent: Wed, Jul 9, 2014 10:40 pm
Subject: [NABOKV-L] A problem in a translation: "Crack of light" - "short circuit of light"
Today I came across a most curious translation of a line from S,M:
“The cradle rocks above an abyss, and common sense tells us that… our existence is but a brief crack of light between two eternities of darkness.”
“Nossa existência não é mais que um curto circuito de luz entre duas eternidades de escuridão.” Literally: “our existence in nothing more than a short circuit of light between two eternities of darkness.”
http://www.cultive-ler.com/2014/07/frase-com-vladimir-nabokov.html
Instead of “a brief crack of light” “a short-circuit of light” was chosen and it’s not totally incorrect…
Any thoughts?
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If the translator thought that VN's "crack" was intended to convey the idea both of light and of sound, the use of "short circuit" would perhaps convey both meanings.
Barrie Akin
On 10 Jul 2014, at 19:59, "Mary H. Efremov" <mbutterfly549@AOL.COM><mailto:mbutterfly549@AOL.COM>> wrote:
crack of dawn, crack of light suggests an onset, a beginning
-----Original Message-----
From: Jansy Mello <jansy.mello@OUTLOOK.COM><mailto:jansy.mello@OUTLOOK.COM>>
To: NABOKV-L <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU><mailto:NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>>
Sent: Wed, Jul 9, 2014 10:40 pm
Subject: [NABOKV-L] A problem in a translation: "Crack of light" - "short circuit of light"
Today I came across a most curious translation of a line from S,M:
“The cradle rocks above an abyss, and common sense tells us that… our existence is but a brief crack of light between two eternities of darkness.”
“Nossa existência não é mais que um curto circuito de luz entre duas eternidades de escuridão.” Literally: “our existence in nothing more than a short circuit of light between two eternities of darkness.”
http://www.cultive-ler.com/2014/07/frase-com-vladimir-nabokov.html
Instead of “a brief crack of light” “a short-circuit of light” was chosen and it’s not totally incorrect…
Any thoughts?
Google Search <http://www.google.com/advanced_search?q=site:listserv.ucsb.edu&hl=en%0A>
the archive<http://www.google.com/advanced_search?q=site:listserv.ucsb.edu&hl=en%0A> Contact<mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu>
the Editors<mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu> NOJ<http://www.nabokovonline.com> Zembla<http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm> Nabokv-L <http://web.utk.edu/%7Esblackwe/EDNote.htm>
Policies<http://web.utk.edu/%7Esblackwe/EDNote.htm> Subscription options<http://listserv.ucsb.edu/> AdaOnline<http://www.ada.auckland.ac.nz/> NSJ Ada Annotations<http://vnjapan.org/main/ada/index.html> L-Soft Search the archive<https://listserv.ucsb.edu/lsv-cgi-bin/wa?A0=NABOKV-L> VN Bibliography Blog<http://vnbiblio.com/>
All private editorial communications are read by both co-editors.
Google Search <http://www.google.com/advanced_search?q=site:listserv.ucsb.edu&hl=en%0A>
the archive<http://www.google.com/advanced_search?q=site:listserv.ucsb.edu&hl=en%0A> Contact<mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu>
the Editors<mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu> NOJ<http://www.nabokovonline.com> Zembla<http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm> Nabokv-L <http://web.utk.edu/%7Esblackwe/EDNote.htm>
Policies<http://web.utk.edu/%7Esblackwe/EDNote.htm> Subscription options<http://listserv.ucsb.edu/> AdaOnline<http://www.ada.auckland.ac.nz/> NSJ Ada Annotations<http://vnjapan.org/main/ada/index.html> L-Soft Search the archive<https://listserv.ucsb.edu/lsv-cgi-bin/wa?A0=NABOKV-L> VN Bibliography Blog<http://vnbiblio.com/>
All private editorial communications are read by both co-editors.
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For more information please visit http://www.mimecast.com
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Search archive with Google:
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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
Visit "Nabokov Online Journal:" http://www.nabokovonline.com
Manage subscription options: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/