Well, I noticed the double vision, though really the second had a question added
at the end. Perrhaps you should have a glass of wine, and, since Anny's run off
to catch the cat bus, where undoubtedly some of them were speaking Greek, I'm
going to answer. I don't think anyone's arguing that one must be a translator to
read and respond to poetry properly, nor do I know what properly would be.
And poetry is a way of suspending identity, as many things can be, writing in
other modes, but even things like dancing in a dark wood, or drinking too much
wine. The bit about 'translator's head' came up because in part I was trying to
explain the different emphasis between your response to the comparative
translations and mine and not wanting it to be some oppositional stance or
argument, it seemed to me that it's a different mode, "translator's head." I'm not
saying that it is a better or more valid reading than yours and that there isn't as
much to instruct me in your reading as there might be you in mine. For
instance, I noted that I agreed with much of your description about active
reading, that you were right about the efficacy of the English phrases that you
chose out of the translations and the trochees, that you had mentioned "eros"
might be preferable, and other points where I noted agreement. And I think in
the resulting discussion, it's just a look at the peculiarities of having 'translator's
head,' not a dismissal or diminishment of anyone else's reading, and not meant
to be. After all the pressures of having 'sff head' which is another suspension of
identity and of which you have talked about the particularities of, beewine to
you,
Best,
Rebecca
---- Original message ----
>Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2005 20:14:38 +1100
>From: Alison Croggon <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: Mark, two translations/same Cavafy poem
>To: [log in to unmask]
>
>Whoops - sorry for the double vision. I haven't been drinking, promise
>(though I feel like it)
>
>Best
>
>A
>
>Alison Croggon
>
>Blog: http://theatrenotes.blogspot.com
>Editor, Masthead: http://masthead.net.au
>Home page: http://alisoncroggon.com
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