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Translation into English
Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2016 3:08 pm
by Clive
Been reading about Humboldt. There are some new translations out and they comment that two competing translations - by women interestingly - were produced in the 1840's.
Some very quick research shows he is basically ignored in uk, although he is key to understanding Darwin.
Looking at some pop histories, they tend to emphasise the British view of history.
So, is there a huge problem caused by trying to understand foreign and ancient texts from a British perspective that actually makes it just about impossible?
We bring so many assumptions we cannot get back there, others are probably far more qualified than English speakers are.
Re: Translation into English
Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2016 8:36 am
by DCHindley
Clive wrote:Been reading about Humboldt. There are some new translations out and they comment that two competing translations - by women interestingly - were produced in the 1840's.
Some very quick research shows he is basically ignored in uk, although he is key to understanding Darwin.
Looking at some pop histories, they tend to emphasise the British view of history.
So, is there a huge problem caused by trying to understand foreign and ancient texts from a British perspective that actually makes it just about impossible?
We bring so many assumptions we cannot get back there, others are probably far more qualified than English speakers are.
Not quite sure what you are looking for.
There is a translation at
http://darwin-online.org.uk/EditorialIn ... boldt.html, but you probably know more about that than I do.
DCH
Re: Translation into English
Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2016 9:28 am
by Clive
General point about translating- I used humboldt as an example of how weak translation can lose the meaning of something, partly because of background assumptions and understandings of receiving language causing these misunderstandings
Re: Translation into English
Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2016 9:34 am
by Clive
Humboldt continually asked about whole systems - parts are always part of a whole. He wrote Kosmos as an attempt to extrapolate this to the universe.
But the British, me included, believe wholes are made of parts! Wrong!
The reaction to my op here is about that! I wanted to discuss translation, not a translation!
Re: Translation into English
Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2017 2:12 pm
by iskander
The difficulty of translating the Aeneid into English is well documented.