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Re: Fw: Help to translate "lapping at Van´srock" ...??
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EDNOTE. Thanks to Mr. Bouazzi for this splendid and informative quote.
----- Forwarded message from mushtary@yahoo.com -----
Date: Mon, 28 Feb 2005 21:21:48 +0100
From: "A. Bouazza" <mushtary@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: "A. Bouazza" <mushtary@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Fw: Help to translate "lapping at Van´s rock" ...??
To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum
When their basaltic banks become too steep,
most rivers use a kind of rapid Russian,
and so do children talk in their sleep.
"An Evening of Russian Poetry", Poems & Problems, p. 158.
A. Bouazza.
----- Original Message -----
From: D. Barton Johnson
To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
Sent: Monday, February 28, 2005 7:06 PM
Subject: Fw: Help to translate "lapping at Van´s rock" ...??
ED. See bottom
----- Original Message -----
From: Jansy Berndt de Souza Mello
To: don barton johnson
Sent: Monday, February 28, 2005 8:59 AM
Subject: Help to translate "lapping at Van´s rock" ...
Dear Don and list,
I would like to ask help in order to understand VN´s meaning in a particular
sentence ( related to Dorothy´s, née Vinelander, unceasing chatter "lapping at
Van´s rock" ).
I had already tried to investigate its various contrasting uses (lapse,
relapse,colapse, even lap and laprobe ) to get the feeling for this special
verb as employed by VN, but found no way to translate it to Portuguese.
After I mailed the lines dealing with Aqua´s instructions in "Russian-lapped
German", I decided to take up the matter again.
Here are some examples:
1. "garrulously pour hateful instructions in Russian-lapped German into her
hateful bidet, she decided to stop turning on tap water altogether".
2 ."A large boiled strawberry, still very hot. He sucked it in as far as it
would go. He held her close and lapped her palate"
3. "he spoke little, especially since his sister's sonorous soliloquy (lapping
at Van's rock) mesmerized and childishly engrossed him".
As a verb we find: "to overtake by one or more laps; coil, fold or wrap round;
enfold caressingly or encircle protectively; surround a person with influence".
There is also a Middle English sense: "to polish a gem with a lap", i.e, a
rotating wheel which could be applied to boring Dora´s rotating insistence at
"Van´s rock", but it still makes no sense.
There is a Van rock in Armenia, and it is close to a " LakeVan" ( as pointed
out by B.Boyd) where there are ruins of a chapel dedicated to Queen Ada. But
VN was not referring to items in a landscape!
Could a rendering in another language, like "... his sister´s sonorous
soliloquy ( dying at the rock of Van´s impassivity ) ..." be considered
satisfactory?
Jansy
----------------------------------------------
ED. Judging by own experience the most common senses are "water lapping the
shore" and "the cat laps up the milk." The No. 1 usage above is distinctly odd.
I wonder if Dr Lapiner (lapochka) is the "Cavalcanti quoter"" I-3, p. 24 and
echoed in Aqua's word-salad.
----- End forwarded message -----
----- Forwarded message from mushtary@yahoo.com -----
Date: Mon, 28 Feb 2005 21:21:48 +0100
From: "A. Bouazza" <mushtary@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: "A. Bouazza" <mushtary@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Fw: Help to translate "lapping at Van´s rock" ...??
To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum
When their basaltic banks become too steep,
most rivers use a kind of rapid Russian,
and so do children talk in their sleep.
"An Evening of Russian Poetry", Poems & Problems, p. 158.
A. Bouazza.
----- Original Message -----
From: D. Barton Johnson
To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
Sent: Monday, February 28, 2005 7:06 PM
Subject: Fw: Help to translate "lapping at Van´s rock" ...??
ED. See bottom
----- Original Message -----
From: Jansy Berndt de Souza Mello
To: don barton johnson
Sent: Monday, February 28, 2005 8:59 AM
Subject: Help to translate "lapping at Van´s rock" ...
Dear Don and list,
I would like to ask help in order to understand VN´s meaning in a particular
sentence ( related to Dorothy´s, née Vinelander, unceasing chatter "lapping at
Van´s rock" ).
I had already tried to investigate its various contrasting uses (lapse,
relapse,colapse, even lap and laprobe ) to get the feeling for this special
verb as employed by VN, but found no way to translate it to Portuguese.
After I mailed the lines dealing with Aqua´s instructions in "Russian-lapped
German", I decided to take up the matter again.
Here are some examples:
1. "garrulously pour hateful instructions in Russian-lapped German into her
hateful bidet, she decided to stop turning on tap water altogether".
2 ."A large boiled strawberry, still very hot. He sucked it in as far as it
would go. He held her close and lapped her palate"
3. "he spoke little, especially since his sister's sonorous soliloquy (lapping
at Van's rock) mesmerized and childishly engrossed him".
As a verb we find: "to overtake by one or more laps; coil, fold or wrap round;
enfold caressingly or encircle protectively; surround a person with influence".
There is also a Middle English sense: "to polish a gem with a lap", i.e, a
rotating wheel which could be applied to boring Dora´s rotating insistence at
"Van´s rock", but it still makes no sense.
There is a Van rock in Armenia, and it is close to a " LakeVan" ( as pointed
out by B.Boyd) where there are ruins of a chapel dedicated to Queen Ada. But
VN was not referring to items in a landscape!
Could a rendering in another language, like "... his sister´s sonorous
soliloquy ( dying at the rock of Van´s impassivity ) ..." be considered
satisfactory?
Jansy
----------------------------------------------
ED. Judging by own experience the most common senses are "water lapping the
shore" and "the cat laps up the milk." The No. 1 usage above is distinctly odd.
I wonder if Dr Lapiner (lapochka) is the "Cavalcanti quoter"" I-3, p. 24 and
echoed in Aqua's word-salad.
----- End forwarded message -----