[!@#$%!]

Originally Posted by truncated

Your condescension aside, I plan to participate in the discussions; just not with this particular book.

And surely the next book will be chosen fairly, as before, by a vote.

Anyway, it seems as though the original issue of debate has been lost somewhere. The question is not whether a translation has merits, but whether it can be APPROACHED in the same way as the original. You wanna argue with me on that?

Bring it, bitch.

ha ha ha, ok, maybe im an arrogant bastard, but i think treating you with condescension would be like playing with gasoline and matches.

however, i will not kiss your virtual ass just because you write pretty.

the question of whether a translation can be approached in the same way as the original requires no debate. of course it can't. we can run circles around it but basically we agree original and translation are not the same thing. that's so obvious, arguing about it would be besides the point.

the question as i see it is if a translation can be approached joyfully, and if it can deliver some of the rewards of the original text-- some-- and my answer is yes i said yes i will yes .

now that is something that we can discuss-- how much, how little of the original remains in translation, and how, and why, and what are the limits. it's not a black and white question. just like the translation is NOT the original, it is not TOTALLY NOT either-- something remains, but what?

that which remains i think you called it something like worthless bastardization; i prefer to call it the translated version, and embrace it with all its flaws (of course there are translations and translations, many wonderful, many puke-worthy).

you can't deny you yourself owe much to translation, as anybody who's ever become a well-read person. can you name how many authors that are important to you you've "met" only in translation? i could do a long list but i invite you to do that instead. you'd be surprised. without this heroic effort (again) we'd be stuck in our own little cultural ghettos.

anyway, i love to argue, but to fight is silly. let's refine our ideas instead of our variations on the putdown? (i can't help to be a little mocking however-- don't take it wrong-- it's a mode of playfulness i can't avoid-- i can never be totally serious-- yuck!).