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Re: Hector Servadac

From: Brian Taves <btav~at~loc.gov>
Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2007 10:41:11 -0400 (EDT)
To: Jules Verne Forum <jvf~at~gilead.org.il>

All of the discussion to me raises the question, is anyone going to tackle
a new English translation of this novel? Especially considering Verne's
original ending could be included as an appendix. Or do the anti-semitic
elements simply preclude a modern version?


Brian Taves
Motion Picture/Broadcasting/Recorded Sound Division
Library of Congress
Email: btav~at~loc.gov

Disclaimer--All opinions expressed are my own.

On Mon, 10 Sep 2007, [iso-8859-2] Jan Rychlík wrote:

> So does the first Czech translation (1882).
>
> > Early Spanish translations follow Magasin:
> >
> > "...il faut convenir qu'elle est assez mal représentée par ce juif!"
> >
> > "aunque Alemania esté muy mal representada por este judío."
> >
> > And it goes:
> >
> > "-No, señor; no lo creo así -respondió el capitán Servadac-, sino que, por el
> > contrario, está representada con propiedad."
> >
> > which differs from the book:
> >
> > "- Ne nous montrons pas trop difficiles!» répondit le capitaine Servadac."
> >
> > Best regards,
> >
> > Christian Sánchez
> > chvsanchez~at~arnet.com.ar
> > Rosario, Argentina
> >
> >
> > ----- Mensaje original -----
> > De: "Jean-Paul TOMASI" <jean-paul.tomasi~at~uclouvain.be>
> > Para: "Jules Verne Forum" <jvf~at~Gilead.org.il>
> > Enviado: miércoles, 5 de septiembre de 2007 10:33
> > Asunto: Re: Hector Servadac
> >
> >
> > > Pour clarifier le débat, il ne me paraît pas inutile de préciser que :
> > >
> > > La version (dite préoriginale) du Magasin d'Education et de récréation est
> > > la suivante :
> > > "...il faut convenir qu'elle est assez mal représentée par ce juif!"
> > >
> > > alors que la version (dite originale) de la Bibliothèque d'education et de
> > > récréation est :
> > > "...il faut convenir qu'elle est assez mal représentée par ce renégat!"
> > >
> > > J.-P. Tomasi
> > >
> > >
> > > > Dear Jan,
> > > > I am sorry to disagree with you about the Frewer's translation of the
> > > > French word "renégat" into "miserable Jew". To my knowledge, there is,
> > > > in French, absolutely no relation between the two words "renégat" and
> > > > "Juif" (Jew). The Frewer's translation adds a racist connotation that
> > > > did not exist in the text of JV (in this sentence of course).
> > > >
> > > > Amitiés,
> > > > Jean-Pierre
> > > >
> > > > A ma connaissancz
> > > > Le mercredi, 5 sep 2007, à 10:07 Europe/Paris, Jan Rychlík a écrit :
> > > >
> > > >> 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:
> > > >>
> > > >> â?oTrue, captain,â? answered the count; â?owe 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.�
> > > >> â?oAnd even in him,â? said Servadac, â?operhaps we shall not find so
> > > >> indifferent a representative as we at present imagine.�
> > > >>
> > > >> conform to the French book version:
> > > >>
> > > >> â?" En effet, capitaine, répondit le comte Timascheff, il y a, sur ce
> > > >> fragment de notre ancien globe, des nationaux de France, de Russie,
> > > >> dâ?TItalie, dâ?TEspagne, dâ?TAngleterre, dâ?TAllemagne. Quant Ã
> > > >> celle-ci, il
> > > >> faut convenir quâ?Telle est assez mal représentée par ce renégat!
> > > >> â?" Ne nous montrons pas trop difficiles!» répondit le capitaine
> > > >> Servadac.
> > > >>
> > > >> Sincerely
> > > >>
> > > >> Jan
> > > >>
> > > >>> ------------ Původní zpráva ------------
> > > >>> Od: Norm Wolcott <nwolcott2ster~at~gmail.com>
> > > >>> PÅTedmÄ>t: 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.
> > > >>>
Received on Mon 10 Sep 2007 - 17:41:22 IDT

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