/lit/ - Literature

Is there a 'definitive' translation of AK?

>New Translations of Tolstoy’s ‘Anna Karenina’ - The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/28/books/review/new-translations-of-tolstoys-anna-karenina.html

>Socks | by Janet Malcolm | The New York Review of Books
https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2016/06/23/socks-translating-anna-karenina/

>The Pevearsion of Russian Literature | commentary
https://www.commentarymagazine.com/articles/the-pevearsion-of-russian-literature/

>Tolstoy vs. Tolstoy : Apostrophe : ameliaatlas.com
http://www.ameliaatlas.com/?p=344

>>11439560
> ignore the contrarians, build your house from a wet sand
>>/lit/?task=search&ghost=&search_text=pevearsion

>P&V
Firing squad reporting in.
>>/lit/?task=search&ghost=&search_text=pevearsion

>>11379718
https://www.commentarymagazine.com/articles/the-pevearsion-of-russian-literature/

Pevear and Volkhonsky market success is only possible because of the hordes of uncultured intellectual midgets who really think that the world hasn't existed before they came into it, and believe that trivial ideas about translation are somehow fresh despite of centuries of discussion. This thread provides very specific examples.

>>/lit/?task=search&ghost=&search_text=pevearsion

>>11346419
No!

>>/lit/?task=search&ghost=&search_text=pevearsion

>>11269427
>>/lit/?task=search&ghost=&search_text=pevearsion

>all these trolls picking P&V

Dont believe them OP

http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2016/06/23/socks-translating-anna-karenina/

https://www.commentarymagazine.com/articles/the-pevearsion-of-russian-literature/

https://www.tolstoytherapy.com/2014/01/on-war-peace-my-problems-with-pevear.html?m=1

>>11234827

They are amateurs by the very definition of it, but they are marketed as New Gods of Russian Classics Translation. Their method is essentially hit or miss process of Pevear rewriting coarse English passages into what he feels is right. Well, he may have some talent, and understand the author's intentions, but the problem is that ANY and EVERY translator is supposed to be good with words and extensively study the mindset of the author. That's just prerequisite zero, the actual problem of t-r-a-n-s-l-a-t-i-o-n of multidimensional cloud of multireactant particles in one language to another such cloud lies ahead. They pretend that the whole set of theories, examples, dos and don'ts, and previous works don't exist. (Except for Garnett, who is always presented as a scapegoat.) The concept of style (and systemic matching of styles in different languages) is alien to their work.

No wonder they translate Great Russian Realists, who are supposed to collectively form “generic” literary Russian, and therefore can be represented by “generic” literary English (obviously, both statements are invalid). Just trying to approach any author with a distinct, irregular style would ascertain their complete impotence. I suppose Gogol is the one who suffers the most in their translation, as his careful word choices, intonation, and delivery remind you of a person who is slightly mad albeit talking quite intelligently.

Here's a Pevear-Volokhonsky firing squad:

https://www.commentarymagazine.com/articles/the-pevearsion-of-russian-literature/ — unpaywalled copy: https://notehub.org/rxu4r
http://www.thinkaloud.ru/feature/berdy-lan-PandV-e.html
https://www.librarything.com/topic/260074
https://readingroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/29/the-art-of-translation/#comment-206
http://languagehat.com/the-translation-wars/
http://languagehat.com/more-translation-wars/
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2016/06/23/socks-translating-anna-karenina/
http://languagehat.com/janet-malcolm-vs-pv/
https://kaggsysbookishramblings.wordpress.com/2013/06/01/why-i-dont-read-pevear-and-volokhonsky-vtranslations/
https://www.firstthings.com/blogs/firstthoughts/2013/01/the-pevearvolokhonsky-hype-machine-and-how-it-could-have-been-stopped-or-at-least-slowed-down/

>>11204513
This article explains it pretty much perfectly
https://www.commentarymagazine.com/articles/the-pevearsion-of-russian-literature/

I'm 70 pages in P&V's translation of the Brothers Karamazov. I don't know if I should switch to a different translator. So far, I can't tell what is necessarily so hated about them, their sentences seem clunky but it feels like they get the message across. I've read the numerous criticisms of P&V's translations (Pevearsion of Russian Lit, P&V Hype Machine etc.) and its just getting so frustrating that seemingly everyone loves one particular translation and hates all the rest. I've heard P&V be called both "flat and fake" and "closest to the original Russian"- those are fairly contradictory statements, which is true?

If anyone who is familiar with Dosto translations explain all of this? Also what translation is both fairly accurate and enjoyable?

>>10353722

RRRRRRRRRAGEPOST!

As mentioned, The Pevearsion of Russian Literature
http://www.thinkaloud.ru/feature/berdy-lan-PandV-e.html
https://readingroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/29/the-art-of-translation/#comment-206
http://languagehat.com/the-translation-wars/
http://languagehat.com/more-translation-wars/
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2016/06/23/socks-translating-anna-karenina/
http://languagehat.com/janet-malcolm-vs-pv/
https://kaggsysbookishramblings.wordpress.com/2013/06/01/why-i-dont-read-pevear-and-volokhonsky-vtranslations/
https://www.firstthings.com/blogs/firstthoughts/2013/01/the-pevearvolokhonsky-hype-machine-and-how-it-could-have-been-stopped-or-at-least-slowed-down/

>>10352387
So I can ignore that one criticism- "the Pevearsion of Russian Literature" and feel like I'm reading authentic Dostoyevsky with them? (P&V)

https://www.commentarymagazine.com/articles/the-pevearsion-of-russian-literature/
>When Chichikov first arrives in town, we are told that “there was something substantial about the ways of this gentleman, and when he blew his nose he did so exceedingly loudly,” as if somehow the loud nose-blowing was proof of substantiality. P&V put it this way: “The gentleman’s manners had something solid about them, and he blew his nose with exceeding loudness.” Not only is the connection between the two clauses weakened, but “solid manners” is too earnest a notion for the author. Gogol does something inventive and strange in almost every sentence, and that’s where this book’s real energy lies. To be flat-footed and literal as if that were enough is to make a lively masterpiece into a dead soul.

No translation is perfect, but I'd avoid theirs.

>>9398961
I mean it's your first Russian novel and you decided to start with an 800 page one, what did you expect? You should read "Crime and Punishment" or "Notes From the Underground" first, those get into the action quicker (well "Notes" doesn't exactly have action, but at least it's short) so you won't be so bored because you're not used to the style.

Also: https://www.commentarymagazine.com/articles/the-pevearsion-of-russian-literature/

>>9377721
https://www.commentarymagazine.com/articles/the-pevearsion-of-russian-literature/

>>9177871
>>9180100
I will never not link this.
https://www.commentarymagazine.com/articles/the-pevearsion-of-russian-literature/

>>8948301
Pevear or listen to this guy

>https://www.commentarymagazine.com/articles/the-pevearsion-of-russian-literature/

https://www.commentarymagazine.com/articles/the-pevearsion-of-russian-literature/

>>8816336

>https://www.commentarymagazine.com/articles/the-pevearsion-of-russian-literature/

I'd stay away from then if I were you. Apparently she just translates the work word by word into English, making sure every word is as correct as they can be, and then he goes and brings the things together so they flow better. That and huge amount of content they've outpoured in not as much time, makes me doubt that they truly understand what they're translating.

>>8808386
>>8808406
>https://www.commentarymagazine.com/articles/the-pevearsion-of-russian-literature/

How correct is he?

>>8713739

Objectively not.

https://www.scribd.com/document/40906160/The-Pevearsion-of-Russian-Literature

Google "The Pevearsion of Russian Literature" for an explanation of why their translations are inferior written by the leading Slavist in North America.

>>8622353
Pevar and Volohonsky

Not sure of the spelling there, but they are very popular translators of Russian literature. /lit/ mostly doesn't like their work, and for good reason.

https://www.commentarymagazine.com/articles/the-pevearsion-of-russian-literature/

The author of the article wrote an introduction for Marian Schwartz' translation, so that should attest for it's quality.