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Re: Hector Servadac

From: Arthur B. Evans <aevans2~at~tds.net>
Date: Wed, 12 Sep 2007 08:34:55 -0400
To: "Jules Verne Forum" <jvf~at~gilead.org.il>

Dear Vernian friends,

If a new and accurate English translation of HECTOR SERVADAC were available,
then I am certain that Wesleyan University Press would be interested in
publishing it.

Amitiés,
Art


----- Original Message -----
From: "Jan Rychlík" <jan.rychlik~at~seznam.cz>
To: "Jules Verne Forum" <jvf~at~Gilead.org.il>
Sent: Wednesday, September 12, 2007 2:47 AM
Subject: Re: Hector Servadac


> Dear Brian,
> it is really sad. I've thought that university presses would be more
> interested in quality than political corectness.
> Still, it is great that they publish Verne in general. In our country,
> they do not publish fiction at all and Verne surely won't be considered
> writer of that value to be published by a university press.
> Sincerely
> Jan
>
>> Dear Jan, I agree with you "that the novel is too good to be put aside."
>> Yet, generally speaking, university presses are most apt to be concerned
>> over issues of stereotypes and the charge of perpetuating them. A small
>> sf classic press, such as Wildside, could care less about translations or
>> accuracy thereof, or updated-annotated editions, and political
>> correctness. Which sadly leaves Servadac rather stranded again. I only
>> hope someone will have the gravitas to spin a new orbit for the novel!
>> As one of Verne's most undated "sf" stories, it has potential to intrigue
>> a wider range of genre readers than all but his best-known works. Brian
>>
>> On Tue, 11 Sep 2007, [iso-8859-2] Jan Rychlík wrote:
>>
>> > Dear Brian,
>> >
>> > In consideration of the fact, that the posthumous novels are now being
>> > published by university press(es), I can't see any reason why a
>> > commented and edited new translation couldn't appear. On the other
>> > side, a translation softening Verne's antisemitism (if it's possible)
>> > would be viable as well, don't you think. I am convinced that the
>> > novel is too good to be put aside.
>> >
>> > The most recent Czech translation comes from 1956, when the Communist
>> > regime was increasingly antisemitic, and it was republished in 1970s,
>> > when the old Stalinists were again in power in consequence of the
>> > occupation of our country in 1968. The same translation appeared again
>> > in 1990s and I wonder it was somehow modified (but I will try to check
>> > it).
>> >
>> > Sincerely
>> >
>> > Jan
>> >
>> > > 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, Ã 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 Wed 12 Sep 2007 - 15:35:15 IDT

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