More Omissions in Translation.

I decided to finally try one of Mark Aldanov’s historical novels, and I chose Истоки (‘Sources’) [Russian text: I, II], which I have a hard copy of — it’s set in the period leading up to the assassination of Alexander II, in which I have an interest at the moment — and I’m enjoying it; it’s easy reading compared to many of the modernist writers I’ve struggled with, and it’s good Tolstoyan fun to have historical personages show up to interact with the fictional characters. And he explained [that delight] by his hatred of “Badinguet“… “Note, by the way, that not a single German revolutionary will talk about ‘Napoleon III’ but always ‘Badinguet,’ because that was Napoleon’s nickname in Paris, and if that’s what they say in Paris, then that’s how you should say it to be echt Pariser [a true Parisian]. Maybe I’ll turn you over to the police!” using polite forms because he can’t bring himself to be informal with a man he hardly knows, but reflecting that Bakunin was “one of those people who find it physiologically difficult to address someone they know using the formal vy, especially over a bottle of wine.” Routsky only picks it up several lines later, with “Он чокнулся с Мамонтовым” (“They touched glasses”).

Author: languagehat

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