Reading Schedule for The Magic Mountain and Threads

[Esdaile]

Everybody is talking about a translation by Woods. I have read Zauberberg three times, once in German and twice in the Helen Lowe Porter translation. Has anybody read both translations into English so that they can make a comparison? My impression of the HLP translation was that it was as good as any translation could be (I was less convinced by her translations of the short stories). Can anyone say why the new translation was called for, chosen and/or in what way it is different or even an improvement on Helen Lowe Porter's?

[Kalliope]

Esdaile wrote: "Everybody is talking about a translation by Woods. I have read Zauberberg three times, once in German and twice in the Helen Lowe Porter translation. Has anybody read both translations into English..."

Very good question. But it sounds like you are one of the best people in this forum to give an opinion. Translations are always debatable and the translated text must
Certainly please the readership of the new version. But only someone who can read the original as well, can really judge whether it has been well translated.

In the thread on Translations, Kris has posted a link to an article in the NYT about this. And here is another one.

May be you can read the Woods this time and let us know how you are finding it.


http://articles.chicagotribune.com/19...