Translating Vygotsky: Проникновенье наше по планете, или Lost in translation

[nemo-nostrum.livejournal.com]

Как нам подсказывает Проф. Luciano Mecacci, любезно оставивший запись на этих самых psyhistor'ических страницах, пока Отцы-Основатели издавали Мышление и речь в 1956 и 1982 годах, у них там в результате усушки-утруски много чего повываливалось из текста, изначально предположительно покромсанного уважаемым В.Колбановским и Co при его первой публикации в 1934, а чего не повываливалось, то несколько видоизменилось. И вот теперь выходит, что повезло больше всех итальянским (в 1990) и немецким (в 2002) читателям, получившим искажения лишь первого порядка, неизбежно случившиеся при переводе непосредственно с оригинала 1934 года. Не повезло русским читателям, получившим искажения, удвоенные соответственно двумя советскими изданиями. А меньше всего повезло англоязычным читателям, наслаждающимся искажениями второго порядка, т.к. их с нами английская версия Thinking and Speech получилась при переводе текста из шеститомника.

As we fairly recently learned from Prof. Lucciano Mecacci, who translated Vygotsky's Thinking and Speech (or Thought and Language as some prefer to call it) into Italian the book underwent a series of quite noticeable mutations on the way from its original edition of 1934 to the first Cold War republication of 1956 and again to yet another republication in the 1982-4 six-volume collection of Vygotsky's works. Interestingly enough, this very six-volume collection was grabbed as is and translated into English as the largest available collection of Vygotsky's works. All credits go to the late Plenum publishers. This way it appears that we have the worst possible text of Vygotsky's Thinking and speech (despite the talent and the effort of its Plenum translator Norris Minick) that was unwittingly translated from the most distorted Soviet edition of 1982. So, indeed we have to suffer most, unlike the Italians or the Germans (or, for that matter, Italian- and German-speaking readers) who got their translations from the original of 1934. Bravo, Prof. Mecacci!

Вот теперь мы все сидим и ждем, когда же Dr. Mecacci расскажет всем нам, куда он дел свою давно обещанную статью о различиях в разных изданиях последней прижизненной книги Выготского, -- наподобие той статьи, что написала и, более того, только-только напечатала коллега Завершнева про "Исторический смысл психологического кризиса" Выготского же. А небезразличным англоязыким к тому же еще остается ждать, а) кто б им эту книгу добросовестно перевел на хороший английский и б) какой бы издатель согласился ее напечатать, после всего что с ней сделали Вакар и Ханфманн в 1962, Козулин в 1986 и трудяга Миник в 1987...

... Well, what now? Now we are waiting for Dr. Mecacci to tell us where we are with respect to his article that he announced ages ago, in which he attempted to explain to the poor English-speakers what the differences between all the three Russian versions of this seminal Vygotsky's book are. Then, we can only hope that some equally Good and Knowledgeable Samaritan will translate the text and convince a publisher to actually print the stuff, which is quite a challenge after all that Vakar & Hanfmann (1962), Kozulin (1986), and innocent Minick (1987) have done to it... The only consolation is that we will have Ekaterina Zavershneva's groundbreaking stuff from Vygotsky's archives translated into English first! Don't miss the upcoming issue of the Journal of Russian and East European Psychology! :)

Comments

[achilles-brazil.livejournal.com]

I'm sadly convinced that I never really read Vygotsky until now, spite I am reading translations of him since 1987 (Portuguese, English, Spanish, sometimes French)... And I fear even I would can learn Russian someday (with God's permission) I even not so certain that I will can really know and/or understand what he actually wrote - but there was not only Vygotsky, but many people after and before him. Impossible Mission... :-(

[ipain.livejournal.com]

oh no, i have quite an opposite impression. ur handling of russian in context of our discussions is very very impressive. i've start believing it would be possible to transfer kit even with all translation mishaps. before, i thought it to be an Ipossible Mission. =)

[achilles-brazil.livejournal.com]

I would take Russian/Portuguese translation's tasks in psychology as some kind of "(poli)semicheskii analiz" methodological task, in future, if could be possible a such approach... But, before, I must study Russian more intensively (much more)... I have good Psychological dictionaries Russian-Russian, "Slovar' L.S. Vygotskogo", the "Vygotsky and Varshava", "Meshcheriakov and Zinchenko"... beyond the own several e-books from Vygotsky and his colleagues; and there are "audio-knigi" too... I have the "Psikhologiia Iskusstva" audio-book, beyond printed version, and e-book version (I order Dostoevsky "Bratia Karamazovi" complete e-book too, I think that I must to listen the real and highest forms of language, even if do not understand yet). And now, since last year, I have a Russian native teacher, Prof. Olga Koldaeva - graduated in the Filologicheskii Falkultet, by the Soviet Style. She has her own teaching method and didactic material, and teaches through Skype communication tools - She is a wonderful human being, lives in São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo... Well, in the terms from Machiavelli, I have the "Fortuna", lets see if I will have also the "virtu"... :-)

[ipain.livejournal.com]

i suggest u to read this (http://lib.ru/PLATONOW/) and listen to this (http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%D0%B2%D1%8B%D1%81%D0%BE%D1%86%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9+%D0%B2%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%80&search_type=&aq=1&oq=%D0%B2%D1%8B%D1%81%D0%BE) - these are "highest forms" of russian.

[achilles-brazil.livejournal.com]

Hmmm...

Спасибо! :-)