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WAR And PEACE
Alex C:
Yeah, one should never underestimate colloquialisms as a language barrier. Even if you're speaking ostensibily the same language there's still a number of ways for meaning to be lost from era to era and region to region. Bottom line is, even if I can read a foreign language, I'm still not going to have the same experience as someone who's been steeped in the culture their whole lives. Note how that isn't even touching upon the fact that War and Peace is like 140 years old. I understand that the Russian form is by definition the most accurate experience, but pointing it out is basically crowning yourself Captain Obvious.
Joseph:
--- Quote from: Alex C on 05 Apr 2009, 12:03 ---Captain Obnoxious
--- End quote ---
Hat:
--- Quote from: TheFuriousWombat on 04 Apr 2009, 16:22 ---I think the whole "oh man, how can you read that book in translation?? The original is so much better!" is as tiring an argument as the whole book to film adaptation one.
--- End quote ---
An interpretation is not an adaptation they are two completely different things, and since this is kind of the idea that your whole argument relies upon you are completely and objectively wrong about this, sorry you had to hear that from me.
Translating something from Russian to English is not the same as adapting something from the written word to the cinema screen because the difference between written languages is not nearly as a vast as the difference between writing a novel and writing/directing a movie.
How did you even think that was analogous.
--- Quote from: Dark Flame on 05 Apr 2009, 16:53 ---
--- Quote from: Alex C on 05 Apr 2009, 12:03 ---Captain Obnoxious
--- End quote ---
--- End quote ---
It's awesome that you seem to think that a fairly succinct explanation of the difficulty of colloquialism in translation is obnoxious, have you not bothered trying to learn another language or are you just a jerk?
Also I would like to say I have no particular problem with translations of literary classics. I can read French quite well for a foreigner, but I still don't bother with French authors unless they're translated because a lot of the subtlety of word usage is lost on me anyway, so I'd rather have faith in the ability of a translator to create the same effect with our language, and the very worst that can happen with a bad translation is that it makes a close reading of the text impossible, but honestly closed readings of texts are fucking tedious and in my opinion, the least interesting part of literary analysis.
Trollstormur:
Absolutely nothin' HUH!
Joseph:
Hat, I think you need to reread what you quoted from TFW. He's not saying that adaptations and translations are the same things at all.
I did not mean to call Alex obnoxious. I would likely have been more clear had I done my previous post like this:
--- Quote from: Alex C on 05 Apr 2009, 12:03 ---I understand that the Russian form is by definition the most accurate experience, but pointing it out is basically crowning yourself Captain Obnoxious.
--- End quote ---
Alex, I'm really sorry if you thought I was calling you obnoxious! It's not what I meant at all. In fact, I agree with your post completely.
Incedentally, I know some French (not a lot, but some), and am learning Italian (going to Italy this summer to try to learn more). If I am a jerk, I'm sorry. It really isn't my intention.
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