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Such great timeless stuff from the old Polish and Russian SF masters. I do sometimes wonder what gets lost in translation though. I'm kinda envious of native sp
by ageofwant 7y ago
Such great timeless stuff from the old Polish and Russian SF masters. I do sometimes wonder what gets lost in translation though. I'm kinda envious of native speakers who I suspect has a even higher appreciation for these bedrock SF classics.
- varjag 7y agoNot that much for _The_Invincible_ I imagine, but there are definitely challenges in translating Star Diaries.
- jagrsw 7y agoIndeed. Esp. Cyberiad and Robot's tales are full of wordplays, including the famous Elektrybałt's (Electro-poet's?) poem. Comparing the Polish (my native tongue) version end the English one (not a native speaker myself), I think that the Polish version is a bit better, using better-fitting rhymes and bigger amount of wordplay, but Michael Kandel (the translator) did an amazing job with the translation anyway: --"Have it compose a poem — a poem about a haircut! But lofty, noble, tragic, timeless, full of love, treachery, retribution, quiet heroism in the face of certain doom! Six lines, cleverly rhymed, and every word beginning with the letter S!!" --“And why not throw in a full exposition of the general theory of nonlinear automata while you’re at it?” growled Trurl. “You can’t give it such idiotic — ” But he didn’t finish. A melodious voice filled the hall with the following: “Seduced, shaggy Samson snored. She scissored short. Sorely shorn, Soon shackled slave, Samson sighed, Silently scheming, Sightlessly seeking Some savage, spectacular suicide.”*