IV translation: Pierre

[Max Nemtsov]

i can tell you from my own experience that a lot of soviet-period 
russian literature now needs translating into normal russian )) 
otherwise kids won't be able to understand (not that they need it in 
many cases but still ). it's not translating languages, it's more like 
translating mindsets
thanks for support, Alice
Mx

On 10.05.2012 15:32, alice wellintown wrote:
> Previously I wondered...
> If, in 400 years, native speakers of American English  are still
> reading Pynchon, will it need translation? I compared my Future
> Pynchonian texts with our Shakesearean ones. Our Shakespearean texts
> are full on annotation and, of course, Shakespeare has been
> "translated" into an English closer to our own; this text is often set
> next to or parallel to the original. Words that have shifted in
> meaning or usage are explained in footnotes&  Co.
>
> We find these kinds of texts for Middle English literature, like
> Chaucer's CT. And, for Old English texts, like Beowulf.
>
> But we don't see such texts of Milton. I guess we could dig one up.
> But they are not common. We do find annotated Milton, and Critical
> Editions like the Norton text. But Milton, who was a lad when
> Shakespeare died, knew the language of Shakespeare. Of course, Milton
> is a very different poet; his training, education, travel, religion,
> the context or his political life and his political work...all
> influence his works and his language. Still, we "translate"
> Shakespeare and not Milton. Why is that? What little prose we have of
> Shakespeare gets the same treatment. Why? We don't "translate"
> Milton's English prose. We annotate and gloss, but not "translate." Is
> it because we market Shakespeare to everyone and Milton only to
> graduate students we don't like?
>
> Or, is Shakespeare, like Pynchon, a writer who requires "translation"?
> If so, those closer to the publication have an advantage. So, work
> quickly translators. Many who speak Pynchon's language have one foot
> on the platform and one foot in the sailor's grave. We may be your
> best foot, NB.