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Truly, being able to read Lem's works untranslated is my favourite thing about being a native polish speaker. There are some fantastic translations out there, b

by miav 5y ago

Truly, being able to read Lem's works untranslated is my favourite thing about being a native polish speaker. There are some fantastic translations out there, but somehow, when it comes to sci-fi, I find works written in polish or other eastern european languages to flow better. In addition to the above, I find that reading an older physical edition adds much charm to vintage sci-fi. The copy of The Truth I own comes from 1967 and the feel of the old, yellowed pages does enhance the reading experience.

andrei_says_ 5y ago
Could you point to some good Lem translations? My sense is that a lot is lost because of the cultural differences, too.
- xyzzyz 5y ago
  Michael Kandel’s translations are as good as you’re going to find. Lem’s literary agent called them “excellent”.
  - B1FF_PSUVM 5y ago
    To this day I boggle at how Kandel managed to translate much of The Cyberiad. Most anyone would have just broke down and changed jobs.
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B1FF_PSUVM 5y ago
> native polish speaker. Ah, the man I want. Tell me, is "Ijon Tichy" a joke on "tachyon", or something else? (noticed that years ago, been wondering it could not possibly be accidental, not Lem ...)
- jagrsw 5y ago
  Probably not, the name goes before the surname in Polish (like in English), so saying "Tichy Ijon" would sound a bit unnatural, even if the 'Citizen Tichy Ijon' form was promoted in communist time, probably as a borrowing from a more formal Russian? The word 'tichy' means 'silent' in Czech/Slovakian, and maybe in some smaller Polish dialects. Though http://encyklopediafantastyki.pl/index.php?title=Ijon_Tichy http://encyklopediafantastyki.pl/index.php?title=Ijon_Tichy claims that "the ancestor of Tichy was called Cichy (the silent one in Polish), but the official putting down the name in the official register was lisping"
- miav 5y ago
  I doubt it, as puns like this are generally not Lem's style in my opinion. "Tichy Ijon" kinda sounds like tachion, which is polish for tachyon, but I would chalk it up to coincidence.

by miav 5y ago

andrei_says_ 5y ago

Could you point to some good Lem translations? My sense is that a lot is lost because of the cultural differences, too.

xyzzyz 5y ago
Michael Kandel’s translations are as good as you’re going to find. Lem’s literary agent called them “excellent”.
- B1FF_PSUVM 5y ago
  To this day I boggle at how Kandel managed to translate much of The Cyberiad. Most anyone would have just broke down and changed jobs.

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B1FF_PSUVM 5y ago

> native polish speaker. Ah, the man I want. Tell me, is "Ijon Tichy" a joke on "tachyon", or something else? (noticed that years ago, been wondering it could not possibly be accidental, not Lem ...)

jagrsw 5y ago
Probably not, the name goes before the surname in Polish (like in English), so saying "Tichy Ijon" would sound a bit unnatural, even if the 'Citizen Tichy Ijon' form was promoted in communist time, probably as a borrowing from a more formal Russian? The word 'tichy' means 'silent' in Czech/Slovakian, and maybe in some smaller Polish dialects. Though http://encyklopediafantastyki.pl/index.php?title=Ijon_Tichy http://encyklopediafantastyki.pl/index.php?title=Ijon_Tichy claims that "the ancestor of Tichy was called Cichy (the silent one in Polish), but the official putting down the name in the official register was lisping"
miav 5y ago
I doubt it, as puns like this are generally not Lem's style in my opinion. "Tichy Ijon" kinda sounds like tachion, which is polish for tachyon, but I would chalk it up to coincidence.