Translation II

[JP]

> I think this is a tension
> which lies at the heart of Pynchon's work. And it's this unvoiced tension
> that must be the most difficult thing to translate I guess. But I also think
> that it's worth the effort.

It certainly is if we are not to become an endangered species as a whole
(including those who are "not in the know"), as it was nicely proposed by
Billy Joy (from Sun Microsystems) in his most interesting essay "Why the
future doesn't need us" and - why not? - by the infamous Tad Kaczynki (from
the Federal prison) in his manifesto.

Unfortunately, relinquishing development a.k.a. "globalization", or even
combining it with the glorious "Ethics for the New Millennium" (Dalai
Lama's) seems to be another utopian illusion, therefore such bitter-sweet
statements as: "...a promise that the inward bow of a nose-bridge or a
promontory of extra cartilage at the chin meant a reversal of ill fortune
such that the world of the altered would thenceforth run on mirror-time..."
would better be not read by those who still yearn to hope.

Regards

JP