How Different Translators Dealt with Russian Spoken by a Native German Speaker?
"Her Russian was confident enough, though spoken in a strong German accent."
Fellow Crime and Punishment analyst,
, asked me how the various translations I’m analysing dealt with the dialogue spoken by Louisa Ivanovna, a non-Russian character, in Part Two, Chapter 1 of the novel.
The scene takes place in the police station, where a Louisa Ivanovna, a lady of a questionable profession, is being questioned by officer Ilya Petrovich.
Her speech in the original text is peppered with German words, phrases and pronunciations of Russian words. Naturally, this presents a challenge to a translator.
In English there are some stereotypical ways of presenting vocabulary as if spoken by a German, for example mixing up v and w sounds or th and z sounds, and this is one way that the various translators have dealt with the text. Some have added German where there is none in the original (eg. Katz with fünf and fünfzehn) and most have kept the wholly German words—ganz, gedruckt/gedrückt, Rock—some putting them into italics and others not. I don’t know whether that’s a choice of the translator’s or the publisher’s.
Constance Garnett
Garnett has the lightest touch of all the translators. Her text reads well in English, but perhaps loses some of the foreign feel that the original text has. She has retained some of the wholly German words: sein rock, man muss pay. She and Pevear & Volokhonsky were the only translators of the eight to translate the Russian господин (gospodin) as Mr. over the German Herr, and was also one of two translators who rendered капитэн (kapiten) as the English Captain over the German Kapitän (Cockrell went with Herr Captain).
“There was no sort of noise or fighting in my house, Mr. Captain,” she pattered all at once, like peas dropping, speaking Russian confidently, though with a strong German accent, “and no sort of scandal, and his honour came drunk, and it’s the whole truth I am telling, Mr. Captain, and I am not to blame... Mine is an honourable house, Mr. Captain, and honourable behaviour, Mr. Captain, and I always, always dislike any scandal myself. But he came quite tipsy, and asked for three bottles again, and then he lifted up one leg, and began playing the pianoforte with one foot, and that is not at all right in an honourable house, and he ganz broke the piano, and it was very bad manners indeed and I said so. And he took up a bottle and began hitting everyone with it. And then I called the porter, and Karl came, and he took Karl and hit him in the eye; and he hit Henriette in the eye, too, and gave me five slaps on the cheek. And it was so ungentlemanly in an honourable house, Mr. Captain, and I screamed. And he opened the window over the canal, and stood in the window, squealing like a little pig; it was a disgrace. The idea of squealing like a little pig at the window into the street! Fie upon him! And Karl pulled him away from the window by his coat, and it is true, Mr. Captain, he tore sein rock. And then he shouted that man muss pay him fifteen roubles damages. And I did pay him, Mr. Captain, five roubles for sein rock. And he is an ungentlemanly visitor and caused all the scandal. ‘I will show you up,’ he said, ‘for I can write to all the papers about you.”’
“Then he was an author?”
“Yes, Mr. Captain, and what an ungentlemanly visitor in an honourable house...”
Jessie Coulson
Coulson has chosen to use German grammatical syntax with English vocabulary to get the foreign feeling across, e.g. I am not being to blame. Mine house. Feets. In the eye hitting… And that ‘wee wee wee’ of the schwein made me chuckle because it reminded me of this little piggy went to market.
‘Disturbance and brawling in my house has not been, Herr Kapitän, and not any kind of skandal, but they are coming drunk, and I will tell you everything, Herr Kapitän, I am not being to blame... Mine house is respectable, Herr Kapitän, and respectable behaviour, Herr Kapitän, and never, never, would I any skandal ... But they are coming quite drunk and after as well they are calling for three bottles, and then one is lifting up his feets and is playing the piano with his feets and that is not good in a respectable house and he has the piano ganz broken and that is altogether not manners and I am telling him. And he was taking a bottle and pushing all peoples behind with a bottle. Then I am calling the porter and Karl is coming and he is taking Karl and in the eye hitting and Henrietta also is he in the eye hitting, and mine cheek five times he is hitting. And that is in a respectable house indelicate, Herr Kapitän, and I am screaming. And he has the window on the canal opened and is in the window standing and squealing like a little schwein, it is shameful. How is it possible to stand in the window and squeal into the street like a little schwein? Wee-wee-wee! And Karl behind him is pulling him out of the window by the coat and here, it is true, Herr Kapitän, he has sein coat behind torn. And then he is shouting, that man muss him fifteen roubles to pay. And, Herr Kapitän, I myself am paying him sein coat five roubles. This is not a respectable guest, Herr Kapitän, and he is making a big skandal! He is saying to me, I will a big satire over you to print, because in all the newspapers I will all about you write.'
'Do you mean that he is an author?'
'Yes, Herr Kapitän, and he is not a respectable guest, Herr Kapitän, when in a respectable house...'
There is a footnote at ‘big satire’ which reads: a reference to the fashionable ‘denunciatory literature’ (oblichitel’naya literatura) of the time.
Live translation comparison spreadsheet updated each week with a new chapter
David McDuff
McDuff has a lighter touch than some, possible the lightest after Garnett. His text is perfectly readable in English. He’s gone with some stereotypical German pronunciations, exchanging w’s for v’s—vindow, vith, vay, sqvealing—and has kept the wholly German words in German and used italics to denote them.
‘There was no trouble or fighting on my premises, Herr Kapitän,’ she suddenly rattled out in a voice that was like the scattering of dried peas, in a strong German accent, though her Russian was fluent. 'And there was no, no scandal, but they were drunk when they arrived, that's all there is to it, Herr Kapitän, and I'm not to blame ... I keep a decent house, Herr Kapitän, and a decent vay of life, and I have always, always avoided any kind of scandal. But they arrived completely drunk and then they asked for another three bottles, and then one of them put his legs up and started to play the piano vith his foot, and that is not the vay to behave in a decent house, and he ruined the piano - ganz - and had completely no, no manners, I told him so. But he picked up a bottle and began poking everyone in the back with it. At that point I called the yardkeeper, quick, and Karl came up, he took hold of Karl and gave him the black eye, and also one to Henriette, and he hit me in the face five times. Oh, that vas so unmannered in a decent house, Herr Kapitän, and I shouted. And he opened the vindow on to the Canal and he stood there sqvealing out of it like a little pig, and that was disgraceful. How could he do it, squeal like a little pig out of the vindow for everyone in the street to hear? Pfui-pfui-pfui! And Karl pulled him back from the window by his coat-tails, and tore sein Rock in zwei, that is true, Herr Kapitän. And then he shouted, man muss fine of fifteen roubles pay. And I, Herr Kapitän, paid him five roubles for sein Rock. Oh, what a rude guest he vas, Herr Kapitän, and what a scandal he did make! He said “I'll have a big lampoon about you gedruckt, for I can write whatever I like about you and get it in all the newspapers."'
'He's a writer, then?'
‘Yes, Herr Kapitän, and what a rude guest, Herr Kapitän, in a decent house to…’
There is a footnote after ‘… get it in all the newspapers’, which reads:
sein Rock … gedruckt … get it in all the newspapers: His coat … printed (German).
Pevear & Volokhonsky
This translation certainly does sound very German, with v’s for w’s, German verb endings on English verbs (begint, hitten), mit for with. The wholly German words are retained (gedrückt, ganz). Fortepian is an interesting and, perhaps, the correct choice for фортепьян. All the other translators went with piano or pianoforte.
“I did not haff any noise und fighting, Mr. Kapitän,” she suddenly started to patter, like peas spilling in a pan, in brisk Russian, but with a strong German accent, "und it vas not, it vas not any shcandal, but he came trunken, und I vill tell it all, Mr. Kapitän, und it is not my fault ... mine is a noble house, Mr. Kapitän, und a noble behavior, Mr. Kapitän, und I alvays, alvays didn't vant any shcandal. But he is coming completely trunken, und then again is asking for three more pottles, und then he raised one of his foots und begint to play the fortepian mit his foot, und this is not nice at all in a noble house, und he ganz broke the fortepian, und he had no maniers, no maniers at all, und I tell him so. Und he took the pottle und begint to push everyone from behind mit the pottle. Und here I run und call the caretaker, und Karl comes, und he hitten Karl in the eye, und he hitten Henriette in the eye, too, und me he shlapped five times on the cheek. Und this so indelicate in a noble house, Mr. Kapitän, und I am yelling. Und he opened the vindow on the canal und shtarted sqvealing out the vindow like a little pig; und it is a disgrace. Und mit all his might he is sqvealing out the vindow to the street like a little pig; und vat a disgrace it is! Fui, fui, fui! Und Karl pulled him avay from the vindow by his frock coat, und here, it's true, Mr. Kapitän, he tore sein Rock. Und then he shouted that Mann muss pay him fifteen roubles fine. Und I myself, Mr. Kapitän, paid him five roubles for sein Rock. Und this is not a noble guest, Mr. Kapitän, und he did all sorts of shcandal. I vill gedrückt a big satire on you, he says, because I can write anything about you in all the newspapers."
So he's one of those writers?
Yes, Mr. Kapitän, und he is such an unnoble guest, Mr. Kapitän, ven in a noble house…
Oliver Ready
This translation has a real German feel to it. We have v’s for w’s, German syntax—alvays no scandal vant, zen he pottle take, und black eye give him—, mit for with. He’s chosen Ditch where others have used canal/Canal—this came up also in Part One, Chapter 1 with reference to the Ditch that Alyona Ivanovna’s apartment block faces—but capitalised as it would be if it were a German noun (although he also capitalised the same word in 1-1 as a proper noun). The Russian word used is канава (kanava) rather than канал (canal). He translated the German Rock as tailcoat, where other translators left it in German.
‘Zer vas no noise und no fighting in my haus, Herr Kapitän,’ she suddenly rapped out, scattering her words like peas, in boisterous Russian, albeit with a heavy German accent, 'und zer vas no scandal, und he come back to haus drunken, und I tell you everysing, Herr Kapitän, und I not guilty... I haff honourable haus, Herr Kapitän, and honourable behaviour, Herr Kapitän, and alvays, alvays no scandal vant. Und he come back very drunken, und he three more pottles ask for, und zen he lifted one leg and begin play piano with foot, und zis very bad in honourable haus, und he break piano, und zis very, very vulgar, und I say so. Zen he pottle take and begin pushing everyone behind mit pottle. Und I begin call ze caretaker, und Karl come. He take Karl und black eye give him, und Genriet too, und my cheek hit five times. Zis is so rude in honourable haus, Herr Kapitän, und I begin shout. Zen he open window to Ditch and begin sqveal in vindow like small pig; vat disgrace, Herr Kapitän. Sqveal, sqveal, sqveal, like little pig! Vat disgrace! Foo-foo-foo! Und Karl grab him behind mit tails und take him from vindow, und zen - zis is true, Herr Kapitän - he tear sein tailcoat.
Und zen he shout zat Karl muss fifteen roubles fine pay. Und I myself, Herr Kapitän, him five roubles for sein tailcoat pay. Und he dishonourable guest, Herr Kapitän, und great scandal making! I will have big satire in all ze papers about you gedruckt, he say.'
'A scribbler, I suppose?'
‘Yes, Herr Kapitän, und such dishonourable guest, Herr Kapitän, in such honourable haus…’
Nicolas Pasternak Slater
This rendering feels a little overdone to me. The w’s are not changed. Even ganz has been translated as quite. But the syntax is all over the place—It none my fault. And he quite drunken coming. Like small pig he screaming. Perhaps Pasternak Slater doesn’t know German. It doesn’t sound particularly German to me anyway, besides Herr Kapitän and seinen Rock. I’m not sure why he changed sein to seinen. I ran it by my wife, who speaks German and some Russian, and we got into a discussion of reflexive verbs and nominative vs accusative nouns. The Rock would be seinen in accusative case and sein in nominative case. What it is in this context though is anyone’s guess. The original text has sein in Cyrillic, and I’m keen to give Dostoyevsky or his editor the benefit of the doubt. So what’s Pasternak Slater up to then? Any thoughts? He also missed the umlaut in gedrückt, but he’s not the only one.
‘No noise and fighting in my place is being, Herr Kapitän,’—the words tumbled out like peas rattling onto the floor, all with a strong German accent, though she spoke voluble Russian. 'And nothing, nothing Skandal, only they come drunken, and I tell you all this, Herr Kapitän, and it none my fault... I keeping respectable house, Herr Kapitän, and respectable visitors, Herr Kapitän, and always, always, I don't want no Skandal. And he quite drunken coming, and then he ordering more three pottles, and then he is lifting one feets and start play pianoforte with feets, and that is quite not nice in respectable house, and he quite breaking the pianoforte, and this he has no manners at all, and I telling him. And he taking pottle and start push all people from back with pottle. And then quickly I call porter and Karl coming, and he taking Karl and punch him on eye, and Henriette he also punch on eye, and me five times he hitting on cheek. And all this quite bad manners in respectable house, Herr Kapitän, and I shouting. And he opening window on canal and stand in window, like small pig he screaming; and this is disgrace. And how is possible stand in window on street, like small pig shouting; this is disgrace. Pfui-pfui-pfui! And Karl behind him he hold his coat, he pulling him from window, and now, this true, Herr Kapitän, he tearing him seinen Rock. And so he shouting man muss ihm fifteen roubles to pay. And I myself, Herr Kapitän, pay him seinen Rock five roubles. And this is dishonourable guest, Herr Kapitän, and he making great Skandal! I make one great Satire gedruckt against you, he saying, because I can write about you in all newspapers.’
'So he's a writer, then?'
'Yes, Herr Kapitän, and what for dishonourable guest is this, Herr Kapitän, when in the respectable house...'
Michael R. Katz
Katz has dealt with the text in rather a heavy-handed way, the heaviest of all the translations. It’s barely understandable in some parts. He (or the publisher) have chosen to use italics for some of the German words. I’m rather puzzled at his use of the letter z over s where it really doesn’t make a difference to the English pronunciation: hiz, iz. It feels way overdone to me, to the point of parody.
The speaker uses the Russian numbers for five and fifteen, but Katz changes this to German fünf and fünfzehn.
“Zer vas no noise und no fighting at mine haus, Herr Kapitän, she rattled out all of a sudden, as if scattering peas, with a heavy German accent even though she spoke Russian fluently. "Und no shkandal, none vatever, und zey came trunken, und I vill tell all, Herr Kapitän, und I'm not guilty… I haf respectable haus, Herr Kapitän, und respectable vay of life, Herr Kapitän, and I never, never vanted no shkandal in mine haus. Und dey came completely trunken, and den dey asked for drei bottles more, and zen one puts hiz foots up und begins playing der piano mit hiz foots, und he breaks mine ganz piano, und he has no manners, none, und I say zat. And he takes ein bottle und he pokes everyone from behind mit dis bottle. Und zen I am soon calling ze caretaker und Karl comes, und he iz hitting Karl in hiz eyes, und he iz also Henrietta hitting in hiz eyes, und he is hitting me on der cheek fünf times. Und zat iz not proper in ein respectable haus, Herr Kapitän, und I'm shouting. Und he iz opening der vindow on der canal und begins squealing in der vindow like ze leetle pig; und zis iz disgrace.
Foo, foo, foo! Karl pulls him from der vindow by zhaket, zis iz true, Herr Kapitän, he teared his zhaket. Und zen he shouts zat man muss pay fine fünfzehn rubles. Und I mineself, Herr Kapitän, am paying him fünf rubles on ze coat. Und zis nein respectable guest, Herr Kapitän, makes ze big shkandal! He sez, he vil make big satire on me und vil in all ze papers write on me.
“Is he a writer, then?”
“Ja, Herr Kapitän, and he vas a nein respectable guest, Herr Kapitän, in mein respectable haus...”
Roger Cockrell
Cockrell has changed all the th sounds into z’s. He’s italicised a lot of unds for some reason. Emphasis maybe? We have v’s for w’s—vonted, qvickly, vindow—and the wholly German words are retained—ganz, man muss, straf (although shtraf is also the Russian word for fine/penalty), sein Rock, gedrückt.
Zer vasn't any noise or fighting in my house, Herr Captain, sir, she suddenly began jabbering away, like a whole succession of peas dropping into a tin can. Her Russian was confident enough, though spoken in a strong German accent. "And no shkandal neither, but zey come in drunk - and I tell zem, Captain, sir, so not my fault... I keep a respectable house, Herr Captain, sir, und vell-behaved, Captain, sir, and I never, never vonted a shkandal. But zey come in drunk, and zen zey ask for sree more pottles, and zen one lifts up his foot and starts to play ze piano, and zat's not very good in a decent house, and he ganz breaks ze piano, and it is very bad manners, and I tell him so. So he takes a pottle and begins to hit everyone from behind. So I qvickly ask ze caretaker to come, and Karl comes he takes hold of Karl and hits him in ze eye, und Henriette also, and hits me five times on ze cheek. And zis is all such bad behaviour in such a respectable house, Captain, sir, and I shout. And so he opens ze vindow onto ze canal and stands zer screaming like a pig - and zis is a disgrace. Und how iz it possible zat he stands on vindow and screams, just like a little pig? Und zat is disgrace. Pfui, pfui, pfui! Und Karl takes him by his coat-tails and pulls him back from ze vindow. Zat is true, Captain, sir: he tore sein Rock. Und zen he shouts that man muss pay straf of fifteen silver roubles. Und I myself, Captain, sir, pay him ze fifteen silver roubles for sein Rock. So he iz a very rude guest, Captain, sir, and made a big shkandal. I, he says, will get zumsing gedrückt in all ze papers telling about you - zat's vot I shall do."
"So he's a writer, is he?"
"Ja, Captain, sir, such a rude guest, Captain, sir, ven in a respectable house..."
Which do you prefer?
So, there we have it—eight very different translations of a challenging section of the book. Which one do you prefer? Let me know in the comments.
Not an article, but a treasure 😍I read the translations in your table before, but I didn't see all these nuances.And I was simply infuriated by Pasternak Slater's translation because it reads very awkwardly. I'm starting to regret choosing his translation for reading because at times it feels like it was done "just anyhow," sloppily. He has a well-known surname, yes, but he doesn't have the literary language intuition of his uncle, the author of "Doctor Zhivago." And Katz, apparently, made it closest to the Russian version, which is hard to read without effort: there are incorrect declensions, grammar mistakes, and even German words written in Cyrillic. Which translation did you like more?