Subject
ambiguous referent in translations of "Terra Incognita"
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Date
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The Russian original uses a feminine pronoun, and this indicates that
the
pronoun refers to the noun "book" (kniga-- a feminine noun) as opposed
to
"blanket" (odeialo-- neuter noun).
Julian Connolly
Sam: Well spotted! But I see no real ambiguity! 'IT' surely cannot refer
to
the antededent 'blanket' which is clearly THERE and actually being
'groped
all along.' The Russian should confirm my view -- book == kniga being
fem.
(IT == ona) while blanket == odyeyalo is neut. (IT == ono). Unless, of
course, there are some synonyms of the same gender of which I am
blisslessly
unaware.
Stan Kelly-Bootle
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the
pronoun refers to the noun "book" (kniga-- a feminine noun) as opposed
to
"blanket" (odeialo-- neuter noun).
Julian Connolly
Sam: Well spotted! But I see no real ambiguity! 'IT' surely cannot refer
to
the antededent 'blanket' which is clearly THERE and actually being
'groped
all along.' The Russian should confirm my view -- book == kniga being
fem.
(IT == ona) while blanket == odyeyalo is neut. (IT == ono). Unless, of
course, there are some synonyms of the same gender of which I am
blisslessly
unaware.
Stan Kelly-Bootle
Search the archive: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/archives/nabokv-l.html
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