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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