"garrulously pour hateful instructions in
Russian-lapped German into her hateful bidet, she decided to stop turning on tap
water altogether".
To me this sentence always suggested that Dr's
German is strongly "lined up" - or folded over - with a Russian
accent. I got this meaning from the "lapel": part of the front of a coat folded
back toward the shoulders", and "lappet: flat or fold". Of course, I may be
transferring my own associations of the words into the text here. But isn't this
the common-sence meaning?
Also, probably, not all VN's uses of the word
"lapping", "lapped", etc. are identical, and should not be automatically
linked.
Irena
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, March 01, 2005 12:52
AM
Subject: Fwd: Re: Help to translate
"lapping at Vanīs rock" ...??
----- Forwarded message from chaiselongue@earthlink.net
-----
Date: Mon, 28 Feb 2005 11:33:25
-0800
From: Carolyn <chaiselongue@earthlink.net>
Reply-To:
Carolyn <chaiselongue@earthlink.net>
Subject:
Re: Help to translate "lapping at Vanīs rock"
...??
To: Vladimir Nabokov
Forum
Russian-lapped German into her hateful bidet,
Could
this be a reference to Aqua's Alsatian dog?
----- End forwarded message
-----
Russian-lapped German into her hateful
bidet,
Could this be a reference to Aqua's Alsatian
dog?