Translation II

[Paul Mackin]

On Sat, 27 May 2000, rwan wrote:

> Peter Bergsma took three years to translate GR into Dutch. Quite
> brilliantly, I'd say. During those three years he was supported by grants by
> two literary foundations so it was not a commercial project. Bert Bakker
> published the book and sold most of the first and only edition at one sixth
> of the original price when it became obvious the the reading - and
> non-reading - public just wouldn't catch on to the book. Alas!
> r.
> 

My impression is that a fairly astounding number of Dutch speakers are
good enough in English to take on the original. Even for these a good
translation would be a bad backup. If the interest is there. GR is not
everyone's cup of tea.

Incidently the words gravity's rainbow were used in a review of Tom
Robbins' latest in tommorows Washington Post. I think the phrase was
"gravity's parabolic rainbow." Not with explicit reference to P's book,
though perhaps hiddenly so.

				P.