Polish translation of Long Sun.

On 27/08/2014 15:59, Piotr Szcz?sny wrote: Hello people of Urth, Some time ago I tried to read the Long Sun in polish, but on first pages I saw that the translator, translated name :Patera Silk to Patera Jedwab (Jedwab is Silk in polish) I was outraged! I hate so much when this happens, fortunately it's not that common. But I was surprised that this crime was commited by a guy who did an excellent job translating new sun. My question: what do you think? Can translating Silk's name can be somehow justified (I'm not yet familiar with long sun) ?

On 27/08/2014 15:59, Piotr Szcz?sny wrote:

Hello people of Urth, Some time ago I tried to read the Long Sun in polish, but on first pages I saw that the translator, translated name :Patera Silk to Patera Jedwab (Jedwab is Silk in polish) I was outraged! I hate so much when this happens, fortunately it's not that common. But I was surprised that this crime was commited by a guy who did an excellent job translating new sun. My question: what do you think? Can translating Silk's name can be somehow justified (I'm not yet familiar with long sun) ? I think it can, because in Silk's city, men are named after animal products, women after vegetable products, and androids after minerals. So to preserve that in the translation, he must translate the names. At least it is a very legitimate reason for doing it this way.

- Gerry Quinn _______________________________________________

On 8/27/2014 9:59 AM, Piotr Szcz?sny wrote: Hello people of Urth, Some time ago I tried to read the Long Sun in polish, but on first pages I saw that the translator, translated name :Patera Silk to Patera Jedwab (Jedwab is Silk in polish) I was outraged! I hate so much when this happens, fortunately it's not that common. But I was surprised that this crime was commited by a guy who did an excellent job translating new sun. My question: what do you think? Can translating Silk's name can be somehow justified (I'm not yet familiar with long sun) ?

On Wednesday, August 27, 2014, Greg Kurzawa <greg at kurzawa.us> wrote: On 8/27/2014 9:59 AM, Piotr Szcz?sny wrote:

Hello people of Urth, Some time ago I tried to read the Long Sun in polish, but on first pages I saw that the translator, translated name :Patera Silk to Patera Jedwab (Jedwab is Silk in polish) I was outraged! I hate so much when this happens, fortunately it's not that common. But I was surprised that this crime was commited by a guy who did an excellent job translating new sun. My question: what do you think? Can translating Silk's name can be somehow justified (I'm not yet familiar with long sun) ?

It's also possible that the translator communicated directly with Mr. Wolfe, and they decided together to do it that way. I've been contacted once by a translator (also Polish) seeking clarification on intended tone and minor details, and that was just for a short story. With work like Wolfe's, I would imagine (hope) that the translator received input, direction, and clarification from the author himself. ... which might mean that Wolfe's translators possess insight (straight from Wolfe) to which the rest of us don't have access. _______________________________________________

On 27/08/2014 15:59, Piotr Szcz?sny wrote:

Hello people of Urth, Some time ago I tried to read the Long Sun in polish, but on first pages I saw that the translator, translated name :Patera Silk to Patera Jedwab (Jedwab is Silk in polish) I was outraged! I hate so much when this happens, fortunately it's not that common. But I was surprised that this crime was commited by a guy who did an excellent job translating new sun. My question: what do you think? Can translating Silk's name can be somehow justified (I'm not yet familiar with long sun) ?

I think it can, because in Silk's city, men are named after animal products, women after vegetable products, and androids after minerals. So to preserve that in the translation, he must translate the names. At least it is a very legitimate reason for doing it this way. - Gerry Quinn _______________________________________________

But notice that the ambiguity of some such names (and Silk is one of them) is part of the story (why have such a naming scheme anyway if not to abuse it), and such things can hardly expect always to be translatable. A writer like Wolfe is very difficult to translate well. No dia 27/08/2014, ?s 16:03, Gerry Quinn <gerry at bindweed.com> escreveu:

On 27/08/2014 15:59, Piotr Szcz?sny wrote:

Hello people of Urth, Some time ago I tried to read the Long Sun in polish, but on first pages I saw that the translator, translated name :Patera Silk to Patera Jedwab (Jedwab is Silk in polish) I was outraged! I hate so much when this happens, fortunately it's not that common. But I was surprised that this crime was commited by a guy who did an excellent job translating new sun. My question: what do you think? Can translating Silk's name can be somehow justified (I'm not yet familiar with long sun) ?

I think it can, because in Silk's city, men are named after animal products, women after vegetable products, and androids after minerals. So to preserve that in the translation, he must translate the names. At least it is a very legitimate reason for doing it this way. - Gerry Quinn _______________________________________________

On Wed, Aug 27, 2014 at 11:46 AM, Piotr Szcz?sny <neternalz at gmail.com> wrote: I've read only Book of the New Sun in Polish, then I started reading in English (In fact Peace was my first novel that I've read in English). But then I re-read some parts in English and boy, the translator added some to the puzzles. Remember the part at the end of the Citadel, when Severian discovers the room with dials? The translator used polish word for dial - "zegar", which is also used in polish for clock, in fact the first thing that pops in your head when you read this word in polish is a clock not a some kind of dial. So for me this place was a room full of clocks...