Some comments on translations

[Brian]

Hello all--

So, I was at the library today and thought I'd compare some of the qualities of the different translations out there. I read a bit of French for work (though I am by no means an expert) so I thought I'd try my hand at comparing the translations with the French original, too (the beginning of chapter 6).

Raffel: The Raffel translation gets a lot of love on the internet/Amazon, but I found it a bit off-putting. Kevin McGowin's review remarked that the translation ends up sounding like "bad Hemingway," and that sounds about right to me. In looking at the French, I also noticed that Raffel diverges from the French on occasion, and is perhaps also a bit inaccurate. He's literal at some points, but expands beyond the French text at times, too. Raffel's is a legitimate style of translation-- he's attempting to render an older text in a more modern idiom-- but my overall impression is that it's done more liberally (or perhaps carelessly) than I would like.

Moncrieff: The Moncrieff translation, by contrast, seems to have a bad reputation. Moncrieff sounds more old-fashioned, and like Raffel he can expand upon what's in the French. Moncrieff has a lighter touch than Raffel, though, and mainly seems to be trying to make explicit what is implicit in Stendhal's French. Maybe a little stuffy.

Gard: This is the translation that replaced the Margaret Shaw translation for Penguin. It's more faithful to Stendhal's words than Moncrieff and Raffel, and doesn't attempt to update the style. Literal, but not unidiomatic. It's the translation I am planning to read, but your mileage/preferences may vary.

Shaw: Kevin McGowin swears by this translation in his review, but my library doesn't have it.

Hope this is helpful,
Brian

The Kevin McGowin comparison can be found here:
http://www.eclectica.org/v8n4/mcgowin...

[Lily]

Thanks, Brian!

This is one time I may not be translation sensitive and just read what is on my shelf and/or what I can download to my ebook, but I certainly like to hear the opinions on the translations available, especially in case I end up dissatisfied with what I have.

[MadgeUK]

Thanks for the info Brian. Both the Moncreiff and the Raffel translations are available on Kindle but I had downloaded the Moncreiff before I read your review:(. I have an old Penguin paperback around somewhere, which is probably the Margaret Shaw, so I will compare them.

[Lynnm]

I'm just going to use the Barnes and Noble Classics book...

[Kim]

I've just downloaded a free French language audiobook and I've also downloaded a French edition onto my Kindle, as I'm not sure yet whether I'll listen or read. While I'm no translator, I'll definitely be reading or listening in French, so if anyone wishes to raise translation issues I can at least check the original and give you a (probably uninformed) opinion.

[Bill]

There's also the Norton Critical edition translated by Robert M. Adams.

[Bill]

Just a general comment, Lynnm. Barnes & Noble Classics tends to use old public domain translations so they don't have to pay royalties. Just be aware of that. I have lot of the B&N classics in English -- but I'm suspicious of the translations.

[Lynnm]

Bill wrote: "Just a general comment, Lynnm. Barnes & Noble Classics tend uses old public domain translations so they don't have to pay royalties. Just be aware of that. I have lot of the B&N classics in English..."

And the ebook versions have some typos. But they are inexpensive at $2.99 and better than the 99 cent classics.

[MadgeUK]

Thanks Kim, that might prove to be very useful.