New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-07-27

used no dictionary. In twenty consecutive pages
taken at random near the middle OF the book. have
marked fortyOne misranslatons which seriously alter
or entirely destroy the of the original do not
deyations from the literal meaning OF the text
but mistakes due either to carelessness ignorance or
imperfect comprehension OF the authors idea For ex
ample: On page SO the translation makes the hunter
Uncle Eroshka say; Eyes; like TO sit at night; viii
sit during the holidays, and God grant, VIII bite some
thing" This OF course, is utterly unintellgble Inc
original reads: "Yes; do mean to watch nights dor
CAMEL and perhaps by the holidays God Wiling shall
kill something" On the following page the translation
makes the Corporal say to Uncle Eroshka: " Your
Lukashka got very sharp come he VIII
never sit at home only little while ago he killed one"
Here again the meaning is entirely obscured; what tue
Corporal really says u.s. "Y0ur Lukashka has become
around all the whie-wOn't stay at home; only lately he
killed one" "a hostile monntalneer) On page % the
beran 70 White stick into sIiyers The original says
"Lukashla grew lonesome and began to whttle ont
LnKashkas finishing his ramrod" Mr. SCHUYLER trans
lates, stopping his whstling" ON page ~ Lukaslka
speaking of The dead drawers, they
won't 20 on me- he was such lean devil" Mr. schuyler
translates, they won't at me- WHAT sunbgrned dGn
he was" On page 20 one OF the Cossaeks speaking
OF the dead mOuntaneer says to Lukashka, "yes; OUT
II he'd had the chance he wouldn't have let yon on
This the translator renders, Eyes he came to grief ne
had no chance" On page 10 the translator makes
Lukashka saw, in describing how he killed the noun,
looked at me Something resonded in his thront got
ready gup," etc. In the original, Lukashka SAYS
He lust craws up and looks around (ahl something
keeps choking up throat, and got ready my gun
translator changes the choking up OF the
narrator's throat from excitement into resoundng
noise and puts IL nto the throat OF the nountaneer
who is silently and cautiously crawling up out Of the
water. ~,
l give these illustrations merely as SAMPLES OF MI;
Schuyer's glarng inaccuracies. Their number cOulu
be Guadrupled II necessary. There are fifteen NILE
transatlOns on the seventythlrd and seveny-f0urth
pages alone For many of these Is nara 10 ma
any plausible excuse as for instance when the
translator turns silence into sautatiOns" y. ID;
ramrod first into " sivcrs" and then INTO whstl-
Ing" PIP CO and 60 aiming VITA gun INTO " star
ing" D. 40; and " browning " iato snortng, p. 90.
Nothing hut the impOsslbility OF getting access
10 "A Russian dictionary would make bueh mis-
takes pudOnable. Throughout the book Mr;
Schuyler las substituted the word "Clrcassians
Tor tho word "ChechenSes" wherever the latter
occurs, although he should and doubtless does
Enow that Chcchensos live where the scene OF the
story l. LAID while the Circassians nhahit The coast OF
tue Black sea-mOre Than two funded miles away. i
not see that any hlngis gained by taking this unwar
rantcd liberty win fact.
have not meant 10 do Mr. Schuyler injustice or 10
throw auy undeserycd discred upon his work; but II
seems unfair that one OF thy first noVelsts OF
Russia should be earelessly treated aud That the
American public should be left to suppose That u mas III
TINS translation "a fair reflection OF his genins.
Ne,c- YorE July ~, 1878. GEORGE KEENAN,