IV translation: Pierre

[Paul Mackin]

On 5/9/2012 2:50 PM, Bled Welder wrote:
> You see, how do you know if he intended what, anyway.
>
> Or I think a big one is, what if the writer conceives something, jots it
> down, then five minutes later realizes it means multiple other things
> than what he first thought. Does that count?
>
> Just because we can all agree that there is at least seventeen levels of
> pun going on in one single crack, does it mean that all seventeen were
> intended, or even thought of?

Sometimes, when reading an English translation of a novel, you come 
across what seems like it should be an important sentence--but the 
sentence falls completely flat, doesn't resonate, doesn't have any 
overtones. You realize, of course, that you are missing a lot of what 
the original author wrote, possibly a pun, conscious or unconscious, 
humorous or not necessarily so, but important, and alas irretrievable. 
This kind of loss may not be the fault of the translator, often is not. 
  It's just the way language works.

Dang.

P


>
>  > Date: Wed, 9 May 2012 14:32:12 -0400
>  > Subject: Re: IV translation: Pierre
>  > From: richard.romeo at gmail.com
>  > To: max.nemtsov at gmail.com
>  > CC: mackin.paul at verizon.net; pynchon-l at waste.org
>  >
>  > could be simply doc doesnt know what the capital of south dakota is.
>  > let s not over analyze everything
>  >
>  > On Wed, May 9, 2012 at 2:22 PM, Max Nemtsov <max.nemtsov at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>  > > hm, interesting results
>  > > http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/33/messages/458.html
>  > > thanks a load, Paul
>  > > Mx
>  > >
>  > >
>  > > On 09.05.2012 22:07, Paul Mackin wrote:
>  > >>
>  > >> On 5/9/2012 12:53 PM, Max Nemtsov wrote:
>  > >>>
>  > >>> p. 39
>  > >>> "Ask you something, Doc?"
>  > >>> "Long as it ain't the capital of South Dakota, sure."
>  > >>>
>  > >>> colleagues, are there any special jokes re Pierre I'm not aware of,
>  > >>> apart from different pronunciations of the name or the fact that it's
>  > >>> too difficult to name, being obscure in California or something?
>  > >>> again, your suggestions will be much appreciated
>  > >>>
>  > >>
>  > >> You might want to google "lucky pierre."
>  > >>
>  > >> it has a sexual meaning, which I forget at the moment.
>  > >>
>  > >> P
>  > >>
>  > >