How highly is Shakespeare regarded in non-English speaking cultures? When his plays and poems are translated out of English, how much is lost? Are his stories and characters still considered works of genius when they’re divorced from Shakespeare’s original words?
I started this thread a few months back, it might help.
If Bill Bryson is to be believed, the German translation of Shakespeare is considered one of the classics of German literature along with Actung! Panzer!.
I can vouch that Shakespeare is highly regarded in Russian; I picked up a two-volume set of his complete works while studying in St. Petersburg (lost Volume one to mold, unfortunately). Couldn’t speak to how much is lost, but I’m relatively sure they are considered works of genius.
Tolstoy didn’t like 'im, for some reason.
You can’t appreciate Shakespeare until you’ve read him in the original Klingon.
Similar to the way Pushkin is known here or on a broader level?
Shakespeare is also highly regarded in the francophone world also. Voltaire, though he considered his works inferior to the French classics, translated one of his plays, and since then, many authors have penned translations. The most famous are by André Gide and François-Victor Hugo (Victor’s son).
Speaking of Victor Hugo, he wrote that Shakespeare was one of the authors who defended himself the best against translators.
Just to expand a bit on this, Shakespeare is actually the most-often played theatrical author in France, more than Molière, and way, way more than Racine. In 2007-2008, Shakespeare was programmed 109 times in French theatres.
Not sure how well regarded they are in these languages, but Shakespeare’s Globe in London is currently running Shakespeare plays in 37 languages
I’m going on memories that are coming up on 20 years old now, but I’d say on a broader level. Shakespeare wasn’t the province of nerdy Russian Anglophiles, as I recall - he seemed to be in the libraries of anyone who was even remotely well-read.
I was wondering that last night - we went to see Coriolanus last night (the new Ralph Fiennes one, which was very good) and I was wondering about translations and overseas markets.
See the thread linked in post 2, Zsofia. Translations are exactly what it was about.
The Sonnets of Shakespeare have been translated into Latin.
As far as I know, only one play has been translated. Julius Caesar, as it turns out. I can’t rate the whole translation, because although I have been studying Latin enthusiastically for a few years now, it’s still hard work to absorb an entire literary work. Go figure.
But, I did look at the famous opening word play with the cobbler to see how they managed to compare. Ecce:
English:
Marullus: But what trade art thou? Answer me directly.
Citizen: A trade, sir, that I may use with a safe conscience; which is, indeed, sir, a mender of bad soles.
Latin:
Marulius: Quālis ergo opifex? Statim dīcās.
Cīvis: Honestus, spērō, neque īnfimus; quamvīs inter ima hominum versor.
What the Latin means:
Marulius: What kind of craftsman? Let you say at once.
Civiliam: An honest one, I hope, nor infamous; whatsoever may be at the bottom of men, there I dwell.
The pun has changed, but the spirit of it was well translated, I felt.
I really do like that translation on the opening scene!
The quality of Shakespeare in any foreign language depends on the skill of the translator, of course. The ne plus ultra in Russian is, I believe, Boris Pasternak’s work. I’ve seen his Romeo and Juliet, and it is superb.
I’ve found Russians to be fairly knowledgeable about Shakespeare,or at least certain aspects of his work. When I was teaching English in Moscow, for example, I would often explain words like “ado” by saying something along the lines of “Shakespeare wrote a play called…” and they would pick up on it immediately.
One of the “languages” listed is “South Africa.”