AlexPGP's Corner

Having run across some quotes from Solzhenitsyn's 1978 commencement speech at Harvard in the Bonnal article, I found myself comparing French and English versions of that speech. The English version available online (from Columbia University) seems to be saying almost the same things as the French, but not as well:

Après avoir souffert pendant des décennies de violence et d’oppression, l’âme humaine aspire à des choses plus élevées, plus brûlantes, plus pures que celles offertes aujourd’hui par les habitudes d’une société massifiée, forgées par l’invasion révoltante de publicités commerciales, par l’abrutissement télévisuel, et par une musique intolérable. - as quoted in the Bonnal article

After the suffering of decades of violence and oppression, the human soul longs for things higher, warmer and purer than those offered by today's mass living habits, introduced by the revolting invasion of publicity, by TV stupor and by intolerable music. - The Augustine Club at Columbia University, 1997

After having suffered decades of violence and oppression, the human soul longs for higher, more impassioned, and purer things than those offered today by the habits of a mass society, forged by an appalling invasion of commercial advertising, television-induced stupor, and intolerable music. - my translation

In the end, with the exception of a differing interpretation for "brûlant" (if the French is correct, the English surely isn't "warmer"), my version looks like the Columbia version, though with some elbow grease applied.

As I did this exercise, it struck me that there must be a Russian version of this text (and there is, here, at least), which stands a good chance of being the authoritative text - surely Aleksandr Isaevich would've composed his speech in Russian - though with the usual caveats on post-delivery edits. Here is the relevant Russian and my translation:

Душа человека, исстрадавшаяся под десятилетиями насилия, тянется к чему-то более высокому, более тёплому, более чистому, чем может предложить нам сегодняшнее западное массовое существование, как визитной карточкой предпосылаемое отвратным напором реклам, одурением телевидения и непереносимой музыкой.

The human soul, which has suffered decades of violation, longs for something higher, warmer, and purer than can be offered today by Western mass existence, which presents a bilious rush of advertising, television-induced stupor, and unendurable music as its calling card.

One gets the feeling that the deeper one digs, the muddier things become. Notice the Russian does speak of "higher, warmer, and purer" longings, so the French "brûlant" is probably not the best word choice (though I'll be dipped if I can suggest something better).

The mind boggles.

If I were translating the Bonnal article for pay, I'd go with my first translation (of the French, into English). However, it seems to me that what we see here is a rather elaborate game of "telephone," where the true meaning is lost in translation.

Hmmm... "lost in translation"... sounds like a catchy phrase.

Cheers...