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Re: new 20K

From: <spaceart~at~att.net>
Date: Tue, 11 Oct 2005 13:16:11 +0000
To: Jules Verne Forum <jvf~at~gilead.org.il>

In preparing the Unicorn Press edition I compared the Mercier translation literally word for word with the text of my Hetzel 20K. What I noticed was that Mercier (when he wasn't making gross errors or deleting passages wholesale) translated Verne's text fairly literally. Much of the book appeared to be translated very nearly word-for-word, with only the word order rearranged according to the syntax of English. This, for instance, maintained the fairly short sentences Verne often used. The somewhat stilted delivery as well as the vocabulary are (of course) very Victorian, which also contributes to the flavor of the book---even if it makes it more difficult to read than a modern novel. As I have mentioned elsewhere, my goal was to produce the version of the book Mercier would have done had he not been so incompetent. This is, in fact, very much what Walter Miller himself did in his Annotated 20K. The biggest difference between that edition and mine is that I integrated the corr
 ections, revisions and additions into the text.

I, of course, admit to probably overstating the case in my description (since this is more than somewhat a matter of taste), but I want to emphasize I was not intending to make a qualitative comparison with other editions, only a descriptive one. I absolutely meant no insult to Walter Miller or his work.

RM

--
Black Cat Studios
http://www.black-cat-studios.com
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "thomas mccormick" <tom_amity~at~hotmail.com>
> This sounds like a very interesting edition with a lot of useful features. 
> If it uses the Mercier translation, though, I find that disappointing 
> because I don't think the translation is very good. Personally, I disagree 
> with the statement that Mercier conveys the flavor of Verne well---I don't 
> think he does, and I don't understand how he would be  "incompetent" if he 
> did!
> 
> Tom McCormick

Received on Tue 11 Oct 2005 - 15:17:08 IST

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