Subject
Re: THOUGHTS: Creationism and VN
From
Date
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To: JANSY MELLO
Dear Jansy Mello,
Many thanks for your comments.
In Russian there is “obez’iana” (singular) or “obez’iany” (plural), just
like in Portuguese. (Incidentally, “obez’iana” is derived from a word, which
is met in the Levant and Persia — “abuzine”.) There is also a scientific
term “gominidy” (from “hominidae”) or “chelovekoobraznye obez’iany”. “In my
younger and more vulnerable years” I always connected this word with the
Russian way of pronouncing the Kuomintang (“Gomindan”), though my perception
has been never as acute as that of Godunov-Cherdyntsev.
All the best,
Grigori
To: SERGEI
Dear Sergei,
Thank you for your remarks, and a truly inspiring reference to Russian
anti-Darwinists.
As to the style of the passage… well, I might have overinterpreted the
passage as a whole, yet something tells me if we have two identical epithets
in one and the same sentence, they both should be equally neutral, equally
derogatory or equally complimentary. Do you presume VN was sarcastic when he
wrote about “the brain, an even more monstrous achievement”?
Best regards,
Grigori
-----Original Message-----
From: Vladimir Nabokov Forum [mailto:NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU] On Behalf
Of NABOKV-L
Sent: Thursday, April 19, 2007 3:21 AM
To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
Subject: [NABOKV-L] THOUGHTS: Creationism and VN
Dear Jansy,
I think Russian in this sense is closer to Portuguese: most common is
the word "obesyany" which covers both apes and monkeys.
And Grigory: your quotation seems to me unconclusive, because
the adjective "monstrous" may be a sign of sarcasm w. r. t.
evolution theory. By the way, between creationism and evolution theory
in its "extreme" form (random changes produce evolution) there is a whole
lot of intermediate theories, assuming some form of "local" creativity
and/or nomogenesis. (No "global plan" of creation, but many "local" laws
and symmetries.) Curiously, the proponents of these theores
often were lepidopterists themselves (Shvanvitch in Russia - I am not
sure what is the correct spelling) or used lepidoptera as examples.
I mentioned once at this list the academician L. Berg, and another Russian
anti-evolutionist, Lubishev.
Best regards,
Sergei
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Dear Jansy Mello,
Many thanks for your comments.
In Russian there is “obez’iana” (singular) or “obez’iany” (plural), just
like in Portuguese. (Incidentally, “obez’iana” is derived from a word, which
is met in the Levant and Persia — “abuzine”.) There is also a scientific
term “gominidy” (from “hominidae”) or “chelovekoobraznye obez’iany”. “In my
younger and more vulnerable years” I always connected this word with the
Russian way of pronouncing the Kuomintang (“Gomindan”), though my perception
has been never as acute as that of Godunov-Cherdyntsev.
All the best,
Grigori
To: SERGEI
Dear Sergei,
Thank you for your remarks, and a truly inspiring reference to Russian
anti-Darwinists.
As to the style of the passage… well, I might have overinterpreted the
passage as a whole, yet something tells me if we have two identical epithets
in one and the same sentence, they both should be equally neutral, equally
derogatory or equally complimentary. Do you presume VN was sarcastic when he
wrote about “the brain, an even more monstrous achievement”?
Best regards,
Grigori
-----Original Message-----
From: Vladimir Nabokov Forum [mailto:NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU] On Behalf
Of NABOKV-L
Sent: Thursday, April 19, 2007 3:21 AM
To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
Subject: [NABOKV-L] THOUGHTS: Creationism and VN
Dear Jansy,
I think Russian in this sense is closer to Portuguese: most common is
the word "obesyany" which covers both apes and monkeys.
And Grigory: your quotation seems to me unconclusive, because
the adjective "monstrous" may be a sign of sarcasm w. r. t.
evolution theory. By the way, between creationism and evolution theory
in its "extreme" form (random changes produce evolution) there is a whole
lot of intermediate theories, assuming some form of "local" creativity
and/or nomogenesis. (No "global plan" of creation, but many "local" laws
and symmetries.) Curiously, the proponents of these theores
often were lepidopterists themselves (Shvanvitch in Russia - I am not
sure what is the correct spelling) or used lepidoptera as examples.
I mentioned once at this list the academician L. Berg, and another Russian
anti-evolutionist, Lubishev.
Best regards,
Sergei
Search the archive: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/archives/nabokv-l.html
Search archive with Google:
http://www.google.com/advanced_search?q=site:listserv.ucsb.edu&HL=en
Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu
Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm
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No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.446 / Virus Database: 269.5.2/766 - Release Date: 4/18/2007
7:39 AM
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No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.446 / Virus Database: 269.5.2/766 - Release Date: 4/18/2007
7:39 AM
Search the archive: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/archives/nabokv-l.html
Search archive with Google:
http://www.google.com/advanced_search?q=site:listserv.ucsb.edu&HL=en
Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu
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