Sunday, March 27, 2011
Rhymes with rain
Nice column in the Spokane paper today. Observes that this spring makes Spokane look a lot like the foggy and rainy Spokane imagined by outsiders. Those outsiders also pronounce Spokane as rhyming with rain, which probably reinforces the connection.
Reminds me of something John Updike (who I miss badly!) wrote once. He observed that the Russians liked certain American authors. Thoreau, Hemingway and Steinbeck were prominent, and Updike himself was among those favorites.
He wasn't at all sure that he appreciated the honor. Why? Because Russian versions of American authors came through the cultural filter as different personalities. The words of Dzhon Apdayk (Джон Апдайк) were faithfully translated from the words of John Updike, but the Apdayk who appeared in the minds of his Russian readers was an entirely different man from the Updike who appeared to American readers. Same with Genri Deyvid Toro (Генри Дейвид Торо) and Henry David Thoreau. Even with good translations, Toro and Thoreau were different men. ¶ 11:45 AM
Reminds me of something John Updike (who I miss badly!) wrote once. He observed that the Russians liked certain American authors. Thoreau, Hemingway and Steinbeck were prominent, and Updike himself was among those favorites.
He wasn't at all sure that he appreciated the honor. Why? Because Russian versions of American authors came through the cultural filter as different personalities. The words of Dzhon Apdayk (Джон Апдайк) were faithfully translated from the words of John Updike, but the Apdayk who appeared in the minds of his Russian readers was an entirely different man from the Updike who appeared to American readers. Same with Genri Deyvid Toro (Генри Дейвид Торо) and Henry David Thoreau. Even with good translations, Toro and Thoreau were different men. ¶ 11:45 AM
