Speaking of translation, here is a question for those with enough languages to know:
When Nabokov (and sometimes Dmitri) translated his works from Russian to English, did he adhere to the stringent literal approach he champions so entertainingly in his translation of Eugene Onegin? I’m guessing not, and if so is there a place where he discusses why not?
A subquestion is, did he differentiate in theory from translating his poetry from translating his prose?
All the best
don
>>> Nabokv-L <nabokv-l@UTK.EDU> 8/8/2012 2:24 PM >>>
-------- Original Message --------
Mike M writes:
I imagine there's been plenty of speculation on Pale Fire's 'On Chapman's Homer', relating to Keats' poem, CK's ignorance of baseball (assuming an editorial transposition -- well, he never excelled at sport), whether the Sox really did win 5-4. I suspect that there's been less ink spilled on Chapman himself, the one who performed the translation. His translation is probably not one that would have met with Nabokov's approval. 'Free' scarcely describes it, when you compare it to more literal efforts; at times it is a reinterpretation of, or commentary on Homer....