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Yes - wasn't counting him as 'modern'. Though I guess that depends where you draw the line. Legolas Send a noteboard - 05/04/2017 06:01:37 PM

View original postPushkin is most famous as a poet. At least among Russians. But yes, it is far easier to translate prose than it is to translate poetry. I often wonder what it would like to read Shakespeare in non-English. I don't think plays always translate that well either. I am grateful I can read both Russian and English poetry and understand it. I wish I could do the same for German at the same level.

Back in HS, I was involved in a Dutch-language version of the Taming of the Shrew - translated a couple of characters and assisted with the production. The thing with plays is that any performance takes a different interpretation in any case, whether with or without altering the exact text, so the performances in translation are merely a little further removed. In the case of my HS play, the fact that the performance was in drag (boys in the main female roles, girls in the male roles) probably set it apart more than the language that was spoken.

But it depends on the play, no doubt, some are more verbal than others. Poetry is generally almost entirely verbal, so while you could make a great translation of a poem, it will almost inevitably be so different as to be almost a new poem entirely.

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Yevgeny Yevtushenko, influential Russian poet, has passed away - 03/04/2017 05:30:50 PM 9252 Views
He loomed large in the novel by Aksyonov I read relatively recently, A Mysterious Passion. - 04/04/2017 03:47:45 AM 2096 Views
Non-Russians don't necessarily know they should be interested. - 04/04/2017 12:35:49 PM 1949 Views
I must say, I don't think I'd heard of him before. - 04/04/2017 10:31:26 PM 2017 Views
Poetry loses almost everything in translation. - 05/04/2017 04:05:34 AM 2271 Views
You'd be able to name Pushkin too. - 05/04/2017 01:11:14 PM 2125 Views
Yes - wasn't counting him as 'modern'. Though I guess that depends where you draw the line. - 05/04/2017 06:01:37 PM 2072 Views
Don't get me started on Russian literature classes - 05/04/2017 04:10:04 AM 2012 Views
Mine was similar. - 05/04/2017 01:17:59 PM 1884 Views
I honestly don't know enough about him. - 04/04/2017 12:41:35 PM 1911 Views
You know his work. You just don't know you know it. - 05/04/2017 03:56:28 AM 2040 Views
This appears to be true. - 05/04/2017 01:22:49 PM 2065 Views

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