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Re: Hector Servadac

From: Jean-Paul TOMASI <jean-paul.tomasi~at~uclouvain.be>
Date: Sun, 9 Sep 2007 05:12:08 +0200 (CEST)
To: "Jules Verne Forum" <jvf~at~gilead.org.il>

A la lecture des revues familiales du 19éme siècle, on se doit de
constater que les expressions empreintes d’antisémitisme était courantes à
l’époque. Par exemple, dans le premier numéro de « Musée des familles » de
1833, on trouve dans un article historique sur la mort de Jane Grey, signé
par M. Frédéric Soulié, la phrase suivante : « Sais-tu que c’est drôle, le
même jour, sur le même billot, le grand-père, le père et le mari d’une
reine ; ça ne se rencontre pas comme un pou sur la tête d’un juif. »

J-P Tomasi

> Dear Vernians: Thank you for your acknowledgment of my memo about Verne's
> (Chaucer's, Shakespeare's, Dickens's) anti-Semitism. It takes a lot of
> guts for those of us raised Christian (I'm 90) to admit the complicity of
> the Church. I have put it into print with similar results----I forget
> for the moment which edition of which novel. Thanks especially to Jan
> Rychlik and Norm Wolcott. You have made me feel less isolated in this
> matter. I admit I am a bit shocked by the silence of a few I counted on.
> Cheers! Walter James Miller
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Norm Wolcott <nwolcott2ster~at~gmail.com>
> Date: Thursday, September 6, 2007 11:36 am
> Subject: Re: Hector Servadac
> To: Jules Verne Forum <jvf~at~Gilead.org.il>
> Cc: 1001~at~atlanticbb.net
>
>
>> I somewhat thought this email might prompt some discussion on this one
>> of Verne's most controversial books. I have not looked at the dates
>> yet, but it would seem quite likely that the Seaside version was based
>> on the magazin version, as in the case of Michael Strogoff the Emma
>> Garrison Jones version precedes, at least in the beginning, any book
>> version. There are even chapter inversions, but not having the
>> "magazin" I cannot say for sure if these are translator errors or not.
>>
>> As for Verne's anti-semitic tendencies, these are as WJM states. The
>> 3rd republic was seized by a wave of anti-semitism culminating in the
>> Dreyfus Affair. Dreyfus was not fully exonerated until 1906, after
>> Verne's death. See the illuminating Wikipedia article on the Dreyfus
>> Affair, according to which antisemitism in the French military
>> continued until the 2nd world war in the persona of the Vichy regime,
>> which sent Dreyfus' grand-daughter to her death in the concentration
>> camps.
>>
>> As a further question are any of the "magazin" versions available
>> on-line for comparison purposes?
>>
>> On 9/6/07, Jan Rychlík <jan.rychlik~at~seznam.cz> wrote:
>> > Dear Walter,
>> >
>> > thank you very much for this most pregnant specification. I feel it
>> is an important output of this debate, no matter that my original
>> input was to draw attention to the fact, that the Munro translation is
>> probably based on the Magasin version and not to blame Verne for
>> antisemitism (although it is deplorable).
>> >
>> > Sincerely
>> >
>> > Jan
>> >
>> > > ------------ Původní zpráva ------------
>> > > Od: Walter J Miller <wjm2~at~nyu.edu>
>> > > Předmět: Re: Hector Servadac
>> > > Datum: 05.9.2007 18:02:00
>> > > ----------------------------------------
>> > > Vernians, this has been a typically productive discussion. I want
>> to add what I
>> > > must always add in defense of Chaucer, Shakespeare, Dickens, and
>> Verne,
>> > > shameless as it may sound. They were all raised in a church that
>> preached
>> > > anti-Semitism (until recently). Finally the next-to-the-present
>> pope admitted
>> > > it, the Jews were not responsible for Jesus' death, and the Jews
>> are to be
>> > > regarded as our elder brothers. Poor Chaucer, Shakespeare,
>> Dickens and Verne
>> > > did not have the benefit of such enlightenment in their early
>> upbringing. We
>> > > all know they would have preferred that interpretation. When his
>> followers
>> > > proclaimed him King of the Jews, the Romans had to take over, and
>> the richest
>> > > Jews, disturbed by Jesus' anti-rich man tendencies, were glad to
>> turn him over
>> > > to the Romans for execution. The Church found it convenient to put
>> all the blame
>> > > on the Jews, but no one aware of history can do that any longer.
>> Cheers!
>> > > Walter James Miler
>> > >
>> > > ----- Original Message -----
>> > > From: Jan Rychlík <jan.rychlik~at~seznam.cz>
>> > > Date: Wednesday, September 5, 2007 10:08 am
>> > > Subject: Re: Hector Servadac
>> > > To: Jules Verne Forum <jvf~at~Gilead.org.il>
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > > Dear Chris,
>> > > >
>> > > > Hakhabut in fact is a representative of Germany/Germans, not
>> Jews per
>> > > > se. But it is, of course, significant of Verne's (or, rather,
>> > > > contemporary conservative-christian) perception of Jews.
>> > > >
>> > > > As for Hetzel, according to Lottman's quotation of
>> correspondence of
>> > > > Hetzel father to Hetzel son, he deplored Verne's antisemitic
>> panache
>> > > > in Hector Servadac and Verne had to reduce it in rewriting the
>> text
>> > > > for book edition (Paris rabbi protested against the Magasine
>> version).
>> > > >
>> > > > Your reaction implies that Hetzel was a Jew. Was he? Personally,
>> I
>> > > > remember one Jewish merchant of this name.
>> > > >
>> > > > Sincerely
>> > > >
>> > > > Jan
>> > > >
>> > > > > ------------ Původní zpráva ------------
>> > > > > Od: Chris Moser <crmoser~at~shaw.ca>
>> > > > > Předmět: Re: Hector Servadac
>> > > > > Datum: 05.9.2007 14:22:52
>> > > > > ----------------------------------------
>> > > > > The question of Verne's attitude towards Jewish people can not
>> be
>> > > > separated
>> > > > > from his relationship with Hetzel . Given Hetzel's significant
>> > > > involvement
>> > > > > in the editing of Verne's works and Hetzel's close personal
>> > > > relationship
>> > > > > with Verne I have always thought that the racist comments in the
>> > > > Eglish
>> > > > > editions were placed there by the translators.
>> > > > >
>> > > > > Chris
>> > > > > ----- Original Message -----
>> > > > > From: "Jan Rychlík" <jan.rychlik~at~seznam.cz>
>> > > > > To: "Jules Verne Forum" <jvf~at~Gilead.org.il>
>> > > > > Sent: Wednesday, September 05, 2007 1:07 AM
>> > > > > Subject: Re:Hector Servadac
>> > > > >
>> > > > >
>> > > > > > Dear Norm,
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > I think it should be noted that Munro translation is probably
>> > > > based on the
>> > > > > > Magasin version of the novel. See Vol. 1, end chpt. 18:
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > Munro translation:
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > "In fact, captain," replied Count Timascheff, "there are, on
>> this
>> > > > fragment
>> > > > > > of our old globe, the nations of France, Russia, Italy. Spain,
>> > > > England,
>> > > > > > and Germany. As for the last, it must be allowed that she is
>> very
>> > > > badly
>> > > > > > represented by this Jew."
>> > > > > > " No, I do not think so," replied Captain Servadac.
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > Ellen Frewer's translation:
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > "True, captain," answered the count; "we have only a
>> fragment of a
>> > > > world,
>> > > > > > but it contains natives of France, Russia, Italy, Spain, and
>> > > > England. Even
>> > > > > > Germany may be said to have a representative in the person
>> of this
>> > > >
>> > > > > > miserable Jew."
>> > > > > > "And even in him," said Servadac, "perhaps we shall not find
>> so
>> > > > > > indifferent a representative as we at present imagine."
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > conform to the French book version:
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > – En effet, capitaine, répondit le comte Timascheff, il y
>> a,
>> sur
>> > > > ce
>> > > > > > fragment de notre ancien globe, des nationaux de France, de
>> > > > Russie, d'Italie,
>> > > > >
>> > > > > > d'Espagne, d'Angleterre, d'Allemagne. Quant à celle-ci, il
>> faut
>> > > > convenir
>> > > > > > qu'elle est assez mal représentée par ce renégat!
>> > > > > > – Ne nous montrons pas trop difficiles!» répondit le
>> capitaine Servadac.
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > Sincerely
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > Jan
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > >> ------------ Původní zpráva ------------
>> > > > > >> Od: Norm Wolcott <nwolcott2ster~at~gmail.com>
>> > > > > >> Předmět: Hector Servadac
>> > > > > >> Datum: 04.9.2007 22:12:51
>> > > > > >> ----------------------------------------
>> > > > > >> By now I am sure everyone has looked at the Munro version
>> of Hector
>> > > > > >> Servadac on the Library of Congress web site. However, the
>> > > > magazine is
>> > > > > >> a little difficult to read online, and so I have posted a
>> preliminary
>> > > > > >> version of chapters 1-5 on ibiblio at
>> > > > > >>
>> > > > > >> http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/sherwood/Servadac_001-005.htm
>> > > > > >>
>> > > > > >> As is known the Sampson Low translation by Ellen Frewer ,
>> > > > although it
>> > > > > >> follows the story line faithfully, is defective in that it
>> paraphrases
>> > > > > >> much of the action and conversations, and much of the
>> detail is lost.
>> > > > > >> In addition she seems almost to be trying to explain the
>> story to
>> > > > the
>> > > > > >> English readers as if afraid they will not get the point at
>> all if
>> > > > > >> translated literally. That may be true. We do not have to
>> venture
>> > > > very
>> > > > > >> far into the novel to see how much of the original flavor
>> has been
>> > > > > >> lost in the Frewer version. Miss Frewer has also softened
>> down
>> > > > much of
>> > > > > >> Verne's descriptions of Isaac Hakhabut perhaps noting a
>> little
>> > > > > >> overkill.
>> > > > > >>
>> > > > > >> The Munro translation about which I shall have more to say
>> later
>> > > > is
>> > > > > >> much more of a literal translation giving us the
>> unvarnished Verne.
>> > > > > >> Unfortunately there is much error in the typography
>> requiring much
>> > > > > >> editorial redaction, in addition to the normal OCR
>> difficulties and
>> > > > > >> spelling variations from page to page.
>> > > > > >>
>> > > > > >> One interesting feature of the Seaside Library edition is the
>> > > > > >> confusion of "u" with "n". These two letters are identical
>> > > > > >> typographically, but there are notches indicating the top
>> and bottom.
>> > > > > >> It appears that after typesetting a junior or apprentice
>> distributed
>> > > > > >> the type into the type boxes, carelessly confusing several
>> "u"
>> > > > > >> 'sand"n" 's. There was obviously not much opportunity for
>> proof
>> > > > > >> reading in this high speed operation.
>> > > > > >>
>> > > > > >>
>> > > > > >>
>> > > > > >>
>> > > > > >>
>> > > > > >> --
>> > > > > >> Norman Wolcott, nwolcott2 at post.harvard.edu
>> > > > > >>
>> > > > > >>
>> > > > > >>
>> > > > >
>> > > > >
>> > > > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> >
>>
>>
>> --
>> Norman Wolcott, nwolcott2 at post.harvard.edu
>
Received on Sun 09 Sep 2007 - 06:20:35 IDT

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