Loosed in Translation discussion
Which Translation is Best?
>
Charles Baudelaire
date
newest »
newest »
message 1:
by
Jimmy
(new)
May 23, 2011 10:55AM
Mod
reply
|
flag
My girlfriend recently acquired this gorgeously bound 1947 edition. The translation itself is extremely florid and morbid. But as this is Flowers of Evil, I can't really say it isn't likely accurate and true to the spirit. And if it's a dated translation, fine by me. I don't really need 19th century romanticism/decadence to sound modern.
Though I wrote before that I didn't mind the florid, ridiculus wording (lots of middle-Englishisms, thou and dost, mucking things up), not minding and actually enjoying are different matters, and I was ratrher unmoved. I just read a few other Baudelaires in a different translation (Brian Stableford's in The Dedalus Book of Decadence: Moral Ruins), and they're far far more readable and enjoyable. I'll do a comparison here if I can find one that appears in both.Also, any other suggestions are welcome to me, too.
Might be worth a browse through this: Baudelaire in English, an anthology of translations to try out. I have several translations but I haven't been near them in years... besides, I liked the Fleurs any way I met them. PS. I like this Penguin Classics series, Poets in Translation - Homer in English (a stand-out, as edited by George Steiner), Virgil in English and I don't know who else.
Books mentioned in this topic
Baudelaire in English (other topics)Homer in English (other topics)
Virgil in English (other topics)
The Dedalus Book of Decadence: Moral Ruins (other topics)
Les Fleurs du Mal (other topics)


