GR translation: White Visitation
kelber at mindspring.com
kelber at mindspring.com
Sun Jun 26 08:42:59 CDT 2011
The mental hospital/nut job connotation, while there, isn't the primary meaning of the phrase. It's there, but it's unlikely that the first image that would enter a reasonably well-read person's mind is that of a mental hospital. The primary connotation (I think) is the suggestion of a visit from the Virgin Mary (possibly the original historical meaning of the name of the then-hospital) with the ironic twist that any visitors to the current incarnation of the place are likely to be supernatural but non-religious (and therefore un-Christian). I agree that Paul's approach (a non-literal translation of the name) is the best. So perhaps something that evokes an ironic interaction of the Christian versus the non-Christian?
Laura
-----Original Message-----
>From: Paul Mackin <mackin.paul at verizon.net>
>Sent: Jun 26, 2011 7:11 AM
>To: pynchon-l at waste.org
>Subject: Re: GR translation: White Visitation
>
>Mike
>
>I had a thought during the night.
>
>Is there a comical phrase in Chinese that means roughly what we mean in
>the U.S. (and maybe Britain too) when we say "the men in the white coats
>are coming to get you." It means you're alarmingly psychotic and have
>to be institutionalized. That's the image I think I receive when I hear
>"The White Visitation" in the context of what's going on in GR. The
>place formerly, in now sadly gone peacetime, housed mental patients.
>Now it houses another groups of nuts who are trying every possible
>scheme they can think of to help win the war. Could you think up a place
>name that would be suggestive of that?
>
>I do also hear the religious, devotional overtones of a care-giving
>facility (like St. Verionica's) so if that could be worked in, all the
>better.
>
>P
>
>
>
>
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