Comments on: Weekly acquisitions http://www.logophile.org/blog/2006/11/09/weekly-acquisitions-12/ blog of a logophile (not "logos", but "λόγος") Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:21:32 +0000 hourly 1 By: S. australis http://www.logophile.org/blog/2006/11/09/weekly-acquisitions-12/comment-page-1/#comment-5140 S. australis Sat, 11 Nov 2006 16:57:10 +0000 http://www.logophile.org/blog/?p=227#comment-5140 <p>Some brief research shows that, yes, the translation I read ~10 years ago (by Kilmartin and Cox, 1961 -- via French rather than the German I recalled) is still the only English one. I also found the first two chapters of a stalled English translation <a href="http://mywebpage.netscape.com/stanislawlempl/" rel="nofollow">here</a>, but the English is terrible. Looks like it's time to start learning Polish.</p> <p>Incidentally <i>Le Ton Beau...</i> is also recommended if you haven't read it. Not as coherent and satisfying as <i>GEB</i> (and a bit too wafflesomely anecdotal at times) but rich and gorgeous nevertheless.</p> <p>I shall track down "The Reluctant Cannibal" and give it a listen; I've been fairly underexposed to Flanders & Swann.</p> Some brief research shows that, yes, the translation I read ~10 years ago (by Kilmartin and Cox, 1961 — via French rather than the German I recalled) is still the only English one. I also found the first two chapters of a stalled English translation here, but the English is terrible. Looks like it’s time to start learning Polish.

Incidentally Le Ton Beau… is also recommended if you haven’t read it. Not as coherent and satisfying as GEB (and a bit too wafflesomely anecdotal at times) but rich and gorgeous nevertheless.

I shall track down “The Reluctant Cannibal” and give it a listen; I’ve been fairly underexposed to Flanders & Swann.

]]> By: tikitu http://www.logophile.org/blog/2006/11/09/weekly-acquisitions-12/comment-page-1/#comment-5136 tikitu Fri, 10 Nov 2006 08:23:32 +0000 http://www.logophile.org/blog/?p=227#comment-5136 <p>Learning Polish: it was a plan for a while... but I got sidetracked by Spanish.</p> <p><em>Moby-Dick</em>: I agree with S. australis, it's a glorious read <em>if</em> you've got the belly for it. Trouble is, you won't necessarily know straight away -- I'm roughly a quarter in now, and the style just changed rather dramatically. From the introduction I gather that this isn't the only time it happens.</p> Learning Polish: it was a plan for a while… but I got sidetracked by Spanish.

Moby-Dick: I agree with S. australis, it’s a glorious read if you’ve got the belly for it. Trouble is, you won’t necessarily know straight away — I’m roughly a quarter in now, and the style just changed rather dramatically. From the introduction I gather that this isn’t the only time it happens.

]]> By: szopa http://www.logophile.org/blog/2006/11/09/weekly-acquisitions-12/comment-page-1/#comment-5137 szopa Fri, 10 Nov 2006 00:35:08 +0000 http://www.logophile.org/blog/?p=227#comment-5137 <p>I really couldn't believe that there's no direct English translation of Solaris--after all, it is Lem's masterpiece...</p> <p>But I googled, and it turned awfully true---some mad people seem to own of the license for the book in the English world...</p> <p>The only solution I see is to start learning Polish. :P</p> <p>BTW: Moby-Dick is one of the books I always wanted to read, but never managed to... Arturo Perez-Reverte mentions it in a lot of his books...</p> I really couldn’t believe that there’s no direct English translation of Solaris–after all, it is Lem’s masterpiece…

But I googled, and it turned awfully true—some mad people seem to own of the license for the book in the English world…

The only solution I see is to start learning Polish. :P

BTW: Moby-Dick is one of the books I always wanted to read, but never managed to… Arturo Perez-Reverte mentions it in a lot of his books…

]]> By: tikitu (S. borealis) http://www.logophile.org/blog/2006/11/09/weekly-acquisitions-12/comment-page-1/#comment-5138 tikitu (S. borealis) Thu, 09 Nov 2006 22:05:54 +0000 http://www.logophile.org/blog/?p=227#comment-5138 <p>Golly, that's "Nature" I guess. And I wondered what a bunch of Naturalists arguing with each other had to do with Nature...</p> <p><em>Solaris</em> is only available in Babelfish whispers?! That's criminal!</p> <p><em>Eating People is Wrong</em>: haven't read, will check it out. I presume you know the Flanders and Swann song, but if not, you should. I'm also loving <em>Moby-Dick</em>, the quote book is filling steadily...</p> Golly, that’s “Nature” I guess. And I wondered what a bunch of Naturalists arguing with each other had to do with Nature…

Solaris is only available in Babelfish whispers?! That’s criminal!

Eating People is Wrong: haven’t read, will check it out. I presume you know the Flanders and Swann song, but if not, you should. I’m also loving Moby-Dick, the quote book is filling steadily…

]]> By: S. australis http://www.logophile.org/blog/2006/11/09/weekly-acquisitions-12/comment-page-1/#comment-5139 S. australis Thu, 09 Nov 2006 21:42:13 +0000 http://www.logophile.org/blog/?p=227#comment-5139 <p>Lem was a genius. The <i>Cyberiad</i> is markedly different in style to anything else of his that I've read, and as you say it is perhaps a bit much at one gulp. Hofstadter's <i>Le Ton Beau de Marot</i> uses the "Anything that starts with an N" story as the kernel of a discussion of translation and its impossibility; specifically, when Klapaucius requests (in Polish) "nauka" (science), how do you render it into English? Every possible solution is (as ever in translation) unsatisfactory, but which is least unsatisfactory?</p> <p>And yes, Michael Kandel is as incredible a translator as Lem is an author. I don't know how much Lem you've read, but I urge you to read more -- anything you can get your hands on. (Some of his works are shamefully hard to come by in English, though; last I checked, <i>Solaris</i> was only available -- unforgivably -- in double translation via German. But, even viewed through that murky glass, it was an amazing book.)</p> <p>I'm most of the way through <i>Moby-Dick</i> at the moment (it went on hold for <i>Eating People is Wrong</i> (recommended) which in turn went on hold for <i>The New Zealand Road Code</i>, but is now at the top of the stack again). It's a glorious read for anyone who can stomach a ~1:8 plot-to-digression ratio; I'm loving it.</p> Lem was a genius. The Cyberiad is markedly different in style to anything else of his that I’ve read, and as you say it is perhaps a bit much at one gulp. Hofstadter’s Le Ton Beau de Marot uses the “Anything that starts with an N” story as the kernel of a discussion of translation and its impossibility; specifically, when Klapaucius requests (in Polish) “nauka” (science), how do you render it into English? Every possible solution is (as ever in translation) unsatisfactory, but which is least unsatisfactory?

And yes, Michael Kandel is as incredible a translator as Lem is an author. I don’t know how much Lem you’ve read, but I urge you to read more — anything you can get your hands on. (Some of his works are shamefully hard to come by in English, though; last I checked, Solaris was only available — unforgivably — in double translation via German. But, even viewed through that murky glass, it was an amazing book.)

I’m most of the way through Moby-Dick at the moment (it went on hold for Eating People is Wrong (recommended) which in turn went on hold for The New Zealand Road Code, but is now at the top of the stack again). It’s a glorious read for anyone who can stomach a ~1:8 plot-to-digression ratio; I’m loving it.

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