GR translation: Maybe not now.

[John Bailey]

I'm with Laura - those two very different meanings for the phrase
can't be translated into the same sentence in any language, mainly
because languages aren't codes and the 1:1 translation usually loses
one of multiple meanings a word may have. That's why you generally
can't translate a pun. Cripes, I can't imagine how you handled the
Kenosha Kid sequence Mike!
And in this instance, the now could easily be read as a Jimmy Stewart
"oh well now then, fellas..." which is a use of the word that has
almost nothing to do with the literal meaning of "now".
Anyway, I love that so little hangs on the resolution to this dilemma!
As Laura notes, resolving the phrase's meaning (or leaving it
ambiguous) hardly has any payoff... Don't go changing, P-List.

On Sun, Dec 4, 2016 at 6:07 AM, Jochen Stremmel <jstremmel at gmail.com> wrote:
> All I'm saying is: as long as you don't know without a shadow of a doubt
> what the author meant YOU ARE NOT AUTHORIZED as a translator to make
> something as ambiguous as that less so.
>
> And that Mike's questions are a blessing for this list have I said long ago.
>
> 2016-12-03 19:26 GMT+01:00 <kelber at mindspring.com>:
>>
>> "Perhaps he doesn't feel that way anymore." [now that his wife has been
>> forcibly given an abortion, he's decided to rejoin the resistance.]
>>
>> "This is not a good time to talk about this, Enzian." [Enzian, old
>> bastard, you really are out of touch.]
>>
>> It's easy to imagine that the two interpretations would have very
>> different translations. DId Pynchon mean for these words to be ambiguous? I
>> don't see the ambiguity leading to any mind-expanding tangents.
>> From the context, the first interpretation, as Protoman says, seems the
>> right one.
>>
>> Mike Jing's text-parsing questions are about the best thing happening on
>> the p-list. Thanks, Mike, and keep 'em coming!
>>
>> Laura
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> >From: John Bailey
>> >Sent: Dec 3, 2016 5:13 AM
>> >To: Mike Jing
>> >Cc: Mark Kohut , Pynchon Mailing List
>> >Subject: Re: GR translation: Maybe not now.
>> >
>> >An experiment regarding translation vs interpretation: can anyone on
>> >the list rephrase *in English* this simple three-word quote without
>> >reusing any of its terms, and retain the same ambiguity, implications,
>> >valencies?
>> >
>> >On Sat, Dec 3, 2016 at 5:34 PM, Mike Jing wrote:
>> >> That was what I was thinking the first time. Thanks for taking the
>> >> time to clarify it for me, Mark.
>> >>
>> >> On Fri, Dec 2, 2016 at 7:11 AM, Mark Kohut wrote:
>> >>> Let me lead by saying I second Protomen's straightforward reading as I
>> >>> reflect.
>> >>>
>> >>> But, in the spirit of Mike asking for readings, 'interpretations' of
>> >>> what is
>> >>> in English, as remarked,
>> >>> perhaps open-endedly ambiguous, I will add one way I have read this
>> >>> over the
>> >>> years.
>> >>>
>> >>> Because of the line that follows, the same paragraph, not what could
>> >>> easily
>> >>> have been a different paragraph
>> >>> since one "rule" of writing is that words spoken 'should' have their
>> >>> own
>> >>> paragraph to show that the thought
>> >>> they express ends, I have often read "Maybe not now" as spoken very
>> >>> tight-lippedly..."stares him hard as fists"
>> >>> ..controlled anger as in middle class life one person will 'hiss' to
>> >>> another, "Not now", meaning we won't talk about that NOW, in this
>> >>> situation.
>> >>>
>> >>> Controlled anger that 'says', "you bring that up so innocently? With
>> >>> that
>> >>> (stupid) 'Really?' and stupid remark since
>> >>> you should KNOW now"....
>> >>>
>> >>> On Fri, Dec 2, 2016 at 2:42 AM, Mike Jing
>> >>> wrote:
>> >>>>
>> >>>> Thanks. That's what I meant the second time.
>> >>>>
>> >>>>
>> >>>> On Fri, Dec 2, 2016 at 2:19 AM, Protomen wrote:
>> >>>> >
>> >>>> > I'd assume the more straightforward:
>> >>>> > "(the fact that Pavel swore off that) maybe doesn't apply, in the
>> >>>> > current
>> >>>> > situation"
>> >>>> > with the "maybe" a euphemism, hence Enzian feeling out of touch.
>> >>>> >
>> >>>> > -------- Original Message --------
>> >>>> > Subject: GR translation: Maybe not now.
>> >>>> > Local Time: 1 décembre 2016 6:59 PM
>> >>>> > UTC Time: 1 décembre 2016 17:59
>> >>>> > From: gravitys.rainbow.cn at gmail.com
>> >>>> > To: Pynchon Mailing List
>> >>>> >
>> >>>> > V519.9-18, P528.2-11 Pavel and Maria meant to have the child. Then
>> >>>> > Josef Ombindi and his people started their visiting. They have
>> >>>> > learned
>> >>>> > their vulturehood from the Christian missionaries. They keep lists
>> >>>> > of
>> >>>> > all the women of childbearing age. Any pregnancy is an invitation
>> >>>> > to
>> >>>> > hover, to tune in, to swoop. They will use threats, casuistry,
>> >>>> > physical seduction—there’s an arsenal of techniques. Washing-blue
>> >>>> > is
>> >>>> > the abortifacient of choice.
>> >>>> > “The refinery,” suggests Andreas Orukambe.
>> >>>> > “Really? I thought he’d sworn off that.”
>> >>>> > “Maybe not now.” The girl’s brother stares him hard as fists.
>> >>>> > Enzian, old bastard, you really are out of touch . . . .
>> >>>> >
>> >>>> > What does Christian mean by “Maybe not now” here? Is he asking
>> >>>> > Enzian
>> >>>> > to drop the subject?
>> >>>> > -
>> >>>> > Pynchon-l / http://www.waste.org/mail/?list=pynchon-l
>> >>>> >
>> >>>> >
>> >>>> -
>> >>>> Pynchon-l / http://www.waste.org/mail/?listpynchon-l
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >> -
>> >> Pynchon-l / http://www.waste.org/mail/?listpynchon-l
>> >-
>> >Pynchon-l / http://www.waste.org/mail/?list=pynchon-l
>>
>> - Pynchon-l / http://www.waste.org/mail/?listpynchon-l
>
>
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