Competition in this pair is now closed. Discussion and feedback about the competition in this language pair may now be provided by visiting the "Discussion & feedback" page for this pair. Entries may also be individually discussed by clicking the "Discuss" link next to any listed entry. Source text in Italian  […]Tra i drammi che aveva dovuto vivere Nanda Pivano c’erano stati l’arresto per avere tradotto “Addio alle armi” di Hemingway, giudicato troppo pacifista e lesivo dell’onore dell’esercito italiano; e la prigione, quando si scoprì il trucco inventato da Pavese per aggirare la censura fascista, consistente in una semplice ma efficace “s” puntata, che trasformò – per i clerico-fascisti di allora – l’Antologia di Spoon River in una potabile “Antologia di S. River”.
Ironia a parte, arresto è arresto e galera è galera, comunque e sempre. Figurarsi in quegli anni bui. Ancora più osceni – arresto e galera – se a subirli è una ragazza di ottima famiglia e ben istruita, con laurea in lettere (tesi sul Moby Dick di Melville) e laurea in filosofia (tesi sull’esistenzialismo, relatore Nicola Abbagnano). “Divenne superproibita l’Antologia di Spoon River in Italia”, ricordò anni dopo Pivano: “Parlava della pace, contro la guerra, contro il capitalismo, contro in generale tutta la carica del convenzionalismo. Era tutto quello che il governo non ci permetteva di pensare… e mi hanno messo in prigione e sono molto contenta di esserci andata”.
E pensare che tutto era nato per sfida, o per scherzo, quando la giovane Nanda chiese al proprio mentore Pavese di spiegarle la differenza tra letteratura inglese e letteratura americana. E per tutta risposta Cesare le mise in mano quel librino di Edgar Lee Masters. Che Nanda aprì a caso, a metà, restando folgorata dai versi: “Mentre la baciavo con l’anima sulle labbra / l’anima d’improvviso mi fuggì”. “Chissà perché questi versi mi mozzarono il fiato”, commentò anni dopo la traduttrice, aggiungendo: “E’ così difficile spiegare le reazioni degli adolescenti…”.
Quella di parlare agli e degli adolescenti, in fondo, è stata la vera vocazione di Fernanda Pivano, dai tempi della galera fascista a quelli della militanza radicale negli anni Settanta, fino alla splendida vecchiaia nel nuovo millennio. E come adolescenti fragili e geniali – adolescenti cresciuti male e in fretta – trattò sempre i “suoi” poeti, dopo che nel 1947, al Gritti di Venezia, Hemingway la redarguì con un “Daughter, questa non me la dovevi fare!”, quando la scoprì completamente astemia.[…]  | Winning entries could not be determined in this language pair.There were 9 entries submitted in this pair during the submission phase, 3 of which were selected by peers to advance to the finals round. Not enough votes were submitted by peers for a winning entry to be determined.
Competition in this pair is now closed. |
[...]Among the tragic events that Nanda Pivano had to experience were her arrest for having translated Hemingway's "A Farewell to Arms", judged too pacifist and damaging to the honour of the Italian army; and going to prison, when the trick that Pavese had come up with to get past the fascist censorship was discovered: a simple but clever "S" followed by a dot, which turned the Spoon River Anthology into a more palatable "S. River Anthology” for the Italian clerical-fascists of the time.
Irony aside, being arrested is being arrested, and prison is prison - no matter the circumstances. Imagine in those dark years. Being arrested and going to prison feels even more obscene if the victim is a young lady of excellent descent, well educated, with a degree in literature (her thesis was on Melville's Moby Dick) and a degree in philosophy (thesis on existentialism, supervised by Nicola Abbagnano). "The Spoon River Anthology became super-prohibited in Italy", Pivano recalled years later: “It spoke of peace and was against war, against capitalism, and defused the charge of conventionalism in general. It was everything the government wouldn't let us think… so they put me in jail and I'm so glad I went."
To think that it had all started as a challenge, or as a joke, when young Nanda had asked her mentor Pavese to explain the difference between English literature and American literature. In response, Cesare had put into her hand that diminutive book by Edgar Lee Masters. Nanda had opened it at random, halfway through, and was struck by the lines: “Kissing her with my soul upon my lips / It suddenly took flight.” “Unfathomably, these verses took my breath away”, the translator commented years later, adding: “It is so difficult to explain the reactions of teenagers…”.
After all, speaking to and about adolescents was Fernanda Pivano's true calling, from her days in a fascist prison to those of radical militancy in the 1970s, all the way to her splendid old age in the new millennium. And consistently, she always treated “her” poets as fragile and ingenious adolescents – teenagers who grew up badly and too fast – after Hemingway, at Hotel Gritti in Venice in 1947, rebuked her by saying “Daughter, you shouldn't have played that one on me!”, on finding out that she was a stern teetotaler.[…] | Entry #35848 — Discuss  0 — Variant: Britishbritish
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| Entry | 3.63 | 3.50 (4 ratings) | 3.75 (4 ratings) |
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too pacifist | Good term selection | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
-1 1 “Kissing her with my soul upon my lips / It suddenly took flight.” | Good term selection | Andrew Hiltzik | |
- 4 users entered 13 "dislike" tags
- 2 users agreed with "dislikes" (7 total agrees)
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[...]Among | Syntax
The sentence follows too closely the complex syntax of the Italian. | Neville Chiavaroli No agrees/disagrees | |
| Mistranslations
Overstated; other translations such as ordeals or troubles are more accurate | Neville Chiavaroli | |
| Other
too close to the Italian original | toasty | |
| Grammar errors
this "the" should be eliminated, sounds better without it | toasty | |
-1 a more palatable "S. River Anthology” for the Italian clerical-fascists of the time. | Other
The idea is good (palatable), but the execution is poor. The sentence is wayyy too long and should be broken up, then it should end with "into the 'S. River Anthology' - a title much more palatable to Italian clerical-fascists of the time" | toasty | |
being arrested is being arrested | Other
I'd rather say "getting arrested is getting arrested" | Alessia Catalani No agrees/disagrees | |
+1 Imagine in those dark years | Mistranslations
"Figurarsi" in Italian is no invitation to imagine anything. It is more of a comparison (more like "Let alone in those dark days") | Maria Federica Gaeta | |
-1 +1 1 descent | Mistranslations
we don't say "excellent descent" in English. From a good family, of good breeding | toasty | |
-1 1 Nanda | Inconsistencies
Generally only the last name is used, and switching between first and last like this is frowned upon | toasty | |
| Spelling
Again, use surnames ONLY. The use of "Cesare" here is confusing and assumes all readers know that you are referring to Pavese. | toasty | |
-1 1 Fernanda | Inconsistencies
Nanda, Pivano and now Fernanda. These all need to be standardized into the surname only | toasty | |
-1 1 stern | Mistranslations
No need to avoid 'complete' in this context, it's the best translation | Neville Chiavaroli | |
|
Being arrested and imprisoned were just two of the many dramas which Nanda Pivano had to live through. Arrested for translating Hemingway's 'A Farewell to Arms', which was considered too pacifist and injurious to the honor of the Italian army, she was then imprisoned for employing Pavese’s ruse to avoid Fascist censorship, using a simple but effective ‘S.’ which, for the clerical-fascists of the time, transformed the 'Spoon River Anthology' into the more palatable 'Anthology of S. River'.
Notwithstanding these ironies, arrest is still arrest and imprisonment is still imprisonment, let alone during those dark years. How much worse arrest and imprisonment must have been for an educated young lady from a respectable family, with degrees in Literature (having completed a thesis on Melville's 'Moby Dick') and in Philosophy (with a thesis on existentialism, supervised by Nicola Abbagnano). ‘The Spoon River Anthology became ultra-prohibited in Italy,’ Pivano would recall many years later: ‘It spoke of peace, against war, against capitalism, against the pervasive weight of conventionalism. It was everything which the government forbade us to think – they put me in jail for it, and I'm so glad they did.'
And to think that it all started as a challenge, or even a joke, when the young Nanda asked her mentor Pavese to explain to her the difference between English and American literature. And in response, Cesare simply handed her Edgar Lee Masters’ little book. Opening the text randomly in the middle, she was stunned by these verses: 'As I kissed her with my soul upon my lips / suddenly my soul took flight'. ‘I have no idea why I found these verses so breathtaking,’ the translator observed years later, adding: ‘It’s so hard to explain the reactions of young people…’.
Yet, deep down, speaking to and about young people was Fernanda Pivano's true calling, from the days of fascist imprisonment, to those of radical militancy in the 1970s, and into glorious old age in the new millennium. And just like those fragile and precocious adolescents – adolescents who grew up with difficulty and in a rush – she always cherished ‘her’ poets. So much so that one day in 1947, at the Gritti in Venice, Hemingway, on finding out that she was a complete teetotaler, could rebuke her with: ‘Daughter, how could you do this to me!’ | Entry #36364 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Australianausteng
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10 | 2 x4 | 1 x2 | 0 |
| Rating type | Overall | Quality | Accuracy |
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| Entry | 3.70 | 3.80 (5 ratings) | 3.60 (5 ratings) |
- 3 users entered 15 "like" tags
- 1 user agreed with "likes" (2 total agrees)
+1 1 Being arrested and imprisoned were just two of the many dramas which Nanda Pivano had to live through. | Flows well | Maria Federica Gaeta | |
let alone during those dark years | Flows well
One of the few correct translations of "Figurarsi"! Well done! | Maria Federica Gaeta No agrees/disagrees | |
How much worse | Flows well | VHClifford No agrees/disagrees | |
an educated young lady from a respectable family | Flows well | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
supervised by | Good term selection | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
It spoke of peace, against war, against capitalism, against the pervasive weight | Flows well | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
‘I have no idea why I found these verses so breathtaking | Flows well | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
to those of radical militancy | Flows well
phew, finally someone who eliminated "the" here | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
precocious | Good term selection | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
on finding out that she was a complete teetotaler, could rebuke her with | Flows well
nice work changing the order here! | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
- 3 users entered 10 "dislike" tags
- 4 users agreed with "dislikes" (5 total agrees)
- 1 user disagreed with "dislikes" (2 total disagrees)
many dramas | Inconsistencies
source text doesn't specify they were "many" | Maria Federica Gaeta No agrees/disagrees | |
Literature | Syntax
subjects aren't to be capitalized unless part of the official title of a degree, i.e., "a degree in philosophy" v "a B.A. in Philosophy from NYU" | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
many | Inconsistencies
source text doesn't specify they were "many" | Maria Federica Gaeta No agrees/disagrees | |
-1 1 Nanda | Inconsistencies
Standardize with surnames only | toasty | |
-1 +1 1 Cesare | Inconsistencies
Who is Cesare? This assumes the reader knows Pavese's first name. Moreover, it's best to always use surnames after first using first+last | toasty | |
+4 As I kissed her with my soul upon my lips / suddenly my soul took flight | Mistranslations
Should have looked up the original English | Andrew Hiltzik | |
young people | Inconsistencies
they may be young yet not adolescents | Maria Federica Gaeta No agrees/disagrees | |
Fernanda Pivano | Inconsistencies
Just because the Italian source uses 3 names for the same person doesn't mean you have to! This is confusing, standardize with just "Pivano" | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
|
Among the ordeals Nanda Pivano has had to endure were her arrest for translating Hemingway’s Farewell to Arms, deemed too pacifist and injurious to the honor of the Italian armed forces, and her imprisonment when the Fascist censors discovered Pavese’s ploy to circumvent them with a simple, yet effective, “S” initial, transforming "l’Antologia di Spoon River" (Spoon River Anthology) into the more palatable—for the Fascist bureaucrats of the time—"Antologia di S. River."
All irony aside, arrest is arrest and prison is prison, one way or another, let alone in those dark years. Yet still more obscene—arrest and imprisonment, that is—when the one subjected to them is a well-educated young woman from an upstanding family with degrees in literature (thesis on Melville’s Moby Dick) and philosophy (thesis on existentialism, advisor Nicola Abbagnano). “Spoon River Anthology was absolutely prohibited in Italy,” Pivano recalls years later. “It spoke for peace, against war, against capitalism, against the whole concept of conventionalism in general. It was everything the government told us we weren’t allowed to think… so they sent me to prison and I have no regrets about it.”
And to think that it all came of a challenge, or even a joke, when the young Nanda asked her mentor Pavese to explain the difference between English literature and American literature. In reply, Cesare merely handed her that little book by Edgar Lee Masters, which Nanda opened casually to somewhere in the middle and read, “Kissing her with my soul upon my lips/It suddenly took flight.” “Who can say why those words took my breath away,” the translator commented years later, adding, “It’s so hard to explain our adolescent reactions…”
Speaking to and of adolescents has ultimately been Fernanda Pivano’s true calling, from her time in Fascist prison to her time as a militant radical in the ‘70s, all the way to her splendid seniority in the new millennium. And she has always treated “her” poets like fragile, gifted adolescents—adolescents forced to grow up too fast—ever since 1947, when, at Gritti Palace in Venice, Hemingway admonished her with a “You can’t do this to me, daughter!” upon discovering that she didn’t drink. | Entry #35737 — Discuss 0 — Variant: USuseng
Finalist | Voting points | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
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9 | 2 x4 | 0 | 1 x1 |
| Rating type | Overall | Quality | Accuracy |
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| Entry | 3.83 | 3.83 (6 ratings) | 3.83 (6 ratings) |
- 3 users entered 17 "like" tags
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| Good term selection
nice! | toasty | |
+1 one way or another, let alone in those dark years. | Flows well
One of the few correct translations of "figurarsi"! Well done! | Maria Federica Gaeta | |
well-educated young woman from an upstanding family with degrees in literature | Flows well | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
advisor | Good term selection | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
whole concept | Good term selection | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
told us we weren’t allowed to think | Flows well | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
+1 casually to somewhere in the middle | Good term selection
But better without the 'to' | Neville Chiavaroli | |
those | Good term selection
kudos for "those" instead of "these" | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
from her time in Fascist prison to her time as a militant radical in the ‘70s | Flows well
excellent, finally proper punctuation on the year here | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
“You can’t do this to me, daughter!” upon discovering that she didn’t drink. | Flows well | Neville Chiavaroli No agrees/disagrees | |
- 5 users entered 15 "dislike" tags
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Among the ordeals | Syntax
Sentence follows too closely the complex syntax of the Italian. | Neville Chiavaroli No agrees/disagrees | |
| Grammar errors
Nanda Pivano died in 2009 so the past tense is the only tense to be used here. | Carla Catolino | |
+2 "Antologia di S. River." | Inconsistencies
Should have been translated into English for full effect - even if only in parentheses as done for the original title. | Neville Chiavaroli | |
Moby Dick | Punctuation
needs quotes or italics | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
Spoon River Anthology | Punctuation
needs quotes or italics | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
recalls | Mistranslations
should be past tense | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
Nanda | Inconsistencies
last name should be used here | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
Cesare | Inconsistencies
Use his last name only, suddenly using his first name is confusing. | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
Fernanda | Inconsistencies
stick with her last name only, this makes it sound like you are referring to a different person entirely. The reader doesn't necessarily know that "nanda" is short for "Fernanda" | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
a | Punctuation
needs a comma or a colon to introduce the quote | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
|
Non-finalist entries The following entries were not selected by peers to advance to finals-round voting. […]Among the dramatic events that Nanda Pivano had to live through was being arrested for her translation of Hemingway’s "A Farewell to Arms", a book that was deemed too pacifist and detrimental to the reputation of the Italian army; and prison, when the ruse invented by Pavese to get around the fascist censorship was discovered, consisting of the use of a simple but effective "S.", which transformed the original title “Spoon River Anthology” into "S. River Anthology", knowing that ‘S. River’ would be interpreted as an abbreviation of the holy ‘San River’, a more palatable title for the clerical fascism characterising the period.
Irony aside, arrest is always arrest and prison is always prison, ad infinitum. Just imagine during those repressive years. Even more shocking - arrest and prison - if the victim is a well-educated girl from an excellent family who has a degree in literature (thesis on Melville’s Moby Dick) and a degree in philosophy (thesis on existentialism, supervisor Nicola Abbagnano). “The Spoon River Anthology became widely banned in Italy”, Pivano recalled years later: “The book spoke of peace, against war, against capitalism, against all the oppressive conventionalism in general. It was everything the government prohibited us from thinking about…and they sent me to prison, and I'm so glad I went there."
And to think that everything had started as a challenge, or for a laugh, when the young Nanda asked her mentor Pavese to explain the difference between English literature and American literature. And Cesare’s response was to hand her that little book of poetry by Edgar Lee Masters, which Nanda opened at random halfway and remained stunned by the verses: "Kissing her with my soul upon my lips, it suddenly took flight". “I wonder why these verses took my breath away”, the translator commented years later, adding: “It is so difficult to explain the reactions of teenagers…”.
After all, speaking to and of adolescents was in essence Fernanda Pivano's true vocation, from the times of prison during the Italian fascist period to the radical militancy in the 1970s, up to her magnificent old age in the new millennium. And just like fragile and gifted adolescents – adolescents who grew up inadequately and hurriedly – she always spoke about “her” poets, after Hemingway had reprimanded her at the Hotel Gritti in Venice in 1947, saying “Daughter, you weren't supposed to do this to me!”, when he found out that Nanda was completely teetotal.[…] | Entry #36248 — Discuss 0 — Variant: UKukeng
| Rating type | Overall | Quality | Accuracy |
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| Entry | 3.10 | 3.00 (5 ratings) | 3.20 (5 ratings) |
- 4 users entered 10 "like" tags
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if the victim is a well-educated girl from an excellent family | Flows well | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
literature | Good term selection
Finally! someone who didn't unnecessarily capitalize literature and philosophy | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
little | Flows well | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
-1 1 Kissing her with my soul upon my lips, it suddenly took flight" | Good term selection | Andrew Hiltzik | |
After all, speaking to and of adolescents | Good term selection | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
“Daughter, you weren't supposed to do this to me!”, | Flows well | Neville Chiavaroli No agrees/disagrees | |
- 4 users entered 15 "dislike" tags
- 2 users agreed with "dislikes" (3 total agrees)
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the | Grammar errors | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
knowing that ‘S. River’ would be interpreted as an abbreviation of the holy ‘San River’, | Other
Unnecessary addition | Andrew Hiltzik No agrees/disagrees | |
| Syntax
The sentence spans 8 lines, which reads awkwardly in English. | Neville Chiavaroli | |
-1 Just imagine during those repressive years | Mistranslations
"Figurarsi" in Italian is no invitation to imagine anything. It is more of a comparison (more like "Let alone in those dark days") | Maria Federica Gaeta | |
Even more shocking - arrest and prison - | Other
Doesn't flow quite well | Maria Federica Gaeta No agrees/disagrees | |
Moby Dick | Syntax
should be in quotes or italics, like all other works of literature | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
Spoon River Anthology | Syntax
Missing quotation marks | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
Nanda | Inconsistencies
Should be surname only after initial use of first+surname | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
Cesare’s | Inconsistencies
Again, the bouncing around between first and surnames is confusing and not the standard in English | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
Fernanda | Spelling
Nanda, Pivano and Fernanda Pivano. Should be standardized | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
| Grammar errors
The phrase is a good choice but the grammar is wrong - should be a 'complete teetotaller' | Neville Chiavaroli | |
|
Among the dramas experienced by Nanda Pivano, was her arrest for the translation of Hemingway’s “Farewell to Arms”, considered too pacifistic and detrimental to the honour of the Italian army; and prison, when the trick invented by Pavese to circumvent Fascist censure was discovered in the form of a simple but effective “s” which transformed – in the eyes of the clerical-fascists of that time – “Anthology of Spoon River” into a potable “Anthology of S. River”.
Irony aside, however, arrests are always arrests and prison is always prison. Imagine those dark days. Even more obscene – arrest and prison – when it involves a well-educated girl from a particularly good family, with a degree in literature (thesis on Melville’s Moby Dick) and one in philosophy (thesis on existentialism, of Nicola Abbagnano). “The Anthology of Spoon River became super-prohibited” Pivano recounted years later: “It was about peace, against the war and capitalism, overall, against the whole burden of conventionality. It was everything the government did not permit us to think about …and they put me in prison, and I am happy to have gone there.”
And to think that everything was the result of a challenge, or a joke, when young Nanda asked her mentor Pavese to explain the difference between English and American literature. And in response Cesare offered her the little book of Edgar Lee Masters. Which Nanda, randomly opened half-way through, and was thunderstruck by the verses: “While my lips soulfully kissed her/my soul suddenly fled my body. Who knows why these verses took my breath away,” she commented years later adding: “It is so difficult to explain the reactions of teenagers…”
Speaking to and about teenagers, was the true vocation of Fernanda Pivano, from her time in fascist prison to that of being a radical militant in the seventies, up to her splendid old age in the new millennium. And like fragile and brilliant adolescents – brought up badly and quickly – it was always about “her” poets, after 1947 at the Gritti in Venice, when Hemingway rebuked her with “Daughter, you shouldn’t have done that to me!” after he discovered she was a complete teetotaller (…) | Entry #35813 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Australianausteng
| Rating type | Overall | Quality | Accuracy |
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| Entry | 2.90 | 2.80 (5 ratings) | 3.00 (5 ratings) |
- 2 users entered 5 "like" tags
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from her time in fascist prison to that of being a radical militant in the seventies, | Flows well | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
brought up badly and quickly | Flows well | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
- 5 users entered 17 "dislike" tags
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- 1 user disagreed with "dislikes" (1 total disagree)
– in the eyes of the clerical-fascists of that time – | Syntax
this is too hard to read, too many asides. It flows better with this part moved to the end of the sentence | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
+2 1 potable | Other
potable seems to be a loan translation from Italian. As Merriam Webster has it: "potable" is only "suitable for drinking" | Maria Federica Gaeta | |
-1 Imagine those dark days. | Mistranslations
"Figurarsi" in Italian is no invitation to imagine anything. It is more of a comparison (more like "Let alone in those dark days") | Maria Federica Gaeta | |
of | Mistranslations
what? | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
Anthology of Spoon River | Syntax
missing quotes for the work of literature | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
super-prohibited | Mistranslations
Awkward phrasing for English | Neville Chiavaroli No agrees/disagrees | |
d” | Punctuation
missing the comma after the quote | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
Nanda | Inconsistencies
Names need to be standardized as last name only, that goes for "Cesare" too | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
Cesare | Inconsistencies | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
+2 While my lips soulfully kissed her/my soul suddenly fled my body. | Spelling
Should have looked up the original English | Andrew Hiltzik | |
later | Punctuation
comma missing after "later" | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
, | Punctuation
what's the point of this comma here? | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
+1 at the Gritti in Venice | Syntax
this would have worked much better if shifted later in the sentence | toasty | |
|
[…]Among the ordeals that Nanda Pivano faced during her lifetime were her arrest for having translated Hemingways’s “Farewell to Arms”, deemed too pacifist and detrimental to the honor of the Italian military; and her time in prison, when the trick invented by Pavese to evade fascist censorship was discovered, consisting in a simple but effective “s” with a period after it, which transformed – for the clerical-fascists of the time – the Antologia di Spoon River into a potable Antologia di S. River.
Irony aside, an arrest is an arrest, and prison is prison, no matter what. Just imagine what they could have been during those dark years. Even more obscene – arrest and prison – for a young, well-educated woman from a good family and with degrees in literature (a thesis on Melville’s Moby Dick”) and philosophy (a thesis on existentialism with Nicola Abbagnano as her thesis advisor). “The Spoon River Anthology was banned in Italy,” recounted Pivano years later. “It spoke about peace, it was against war, against capitalism, against the burden of conventionality in general. It embodied everything that the government forbade us to think… so they put me in prison and I’m very glad to have gone there.”
And to think it all began as a dare, or as a joke, when young Nanda asked Pavese, her advisor, to explain the difference between English and American literature to her. In reply, Cesare put that small book by Edgar Lee Masters in her hand. Nanda opened it randomly, in the middle, and was awestruck by the verses: “Kissing her with my soul upon my lips / it suddenly took flight.” “Who knows why those verses took my breath away,” Pivano commented years later. “It’s so difficult to explain the reactions of adolescents…”
Talking about and to adolescents was, ultimately, Fernanda Pivano’s true calling, from her time in a fascist prison to her time as a radical militant in the 1970s, all the way to her magnificent old age in the new millennium. And it was like those fragile and brilliant adolescents, those adolescents who were raised poorly and grew up quickly, that she always treated “her” poets, after, in 1947, at the Gritti Palace in Venice, Hemingway reproached her saying “Daughter, you shouldn’t have done this to me!”, when he learned that she did not drink.[...] | Entry #35839 — Discuss 0 — Variant: USuseng
| Rating type | Overall | Quality | Accuracy |
|---|
| Entry | 2.88 | 3.00 (4 ratings) | 2.75 (4 ratings) |
- 4 users entered 11 "like" tags
- 1 user agreed with "likes" (3 total agrees)
Irony aside, an arrest is an arrest, and prison is prison, no matter wha | Flows well | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
| Other
One of the only translators to almost remember that all literary titles should be indicated as such | toasty | |
as her thesis advisor | Good term selection | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
The Spoon River Anthology was banned in Italy, | Flows well
Flows very well but Spoon River Anthology isn't in quotes! | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
Kissing her with my soul upon my lips / it suddenly took flight.” | Good term selection | Andrew Hiltzik No agrees/disagrees | |
in a fascist prison to her time as a radical militant in the 1970s | Flows well | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
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Among the ordeals that Nanda Pivano faced | Syntax
The sentence follows too closely the complex syntax of the Italian. | Neville Chiavaroli No agrees/disagrees | |
| Spelling
The name of the author is Hemingway, no final "s" | Claudia Cherici | |
| Mistranslations
"Figurarsi" in Italian is no invitation to imagine anything. It is more of a comparison (more like "Let alone in those dark days") | Maria Federica Gaeta | |
could have been | Mistranslations
too literal. Could have been? Or were? | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
-1 1 n – for a y | Mistranslations
The correct title is "A Farewell to Arms" | Claudia Cherici | |
and | Syntax
superfluous, should be deleted | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
Spoon River Anthology | Punctuation
Spoon River Anthology should be in quotes | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
Cesare | Inconsistencies
Who is Cesare? Use last names only after having used the full first+last name at the first appearance of a person | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
Nanda | Inconsistencies
Use "Pivano" e basta. | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
+3 1 And it was like those fragile and brilliant adolescents, those adolescents who were raised poorly and grew up quickly, that she always treated “her” poets, after, in 1947, | Syntax
Awkward phrasing | Andrew Hiltzik | |
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Amongst all the trouble that Nanda Pivano had to go through, there was both the arrest for her translation of Hemingway’s “A Farewell to Arms”, a book that was considered excessively pacifist and a threat to the honorable reputation of the Italian army; and the detention, as Cesare Pavese’s trick to fool Fascist censorship, which consisted in a simple yet effective “S.” taking the place of the full name Spoon and transforming “Antology of Spoon River” in “Antology of S. River” (a way more digestible title for the catholic Fascists of the time), was uncovered.
All jokes apart, an arrest is and will always be an arrest, and the same goes for jail time. We can only imagine how it should have been in the context of those darker years. Arrest and jail can become even more obscene if directed against a young and well-educated girl coming from a good family, who obtained a degree in Literature, with a dissertation on Melville’s Moby Dick, and one in Philosophy (dissertation on existentialism with Nicola Abbagnano as a rapporteur). As Nanda Pivano recalled years after the facts “The Anthology of Spoon River became super banned, as it was supporting peace, opposing war, capitalism, and, in general, going up against all the herd of conventionalism. It was everything the government was prohibiting us to think about…so they put me in jail, and I am very proud of this”.
And to think that it all began as a challenge, or better as a joke, when a still young Nanda asked her mentor for an explanation of the difference between English and American literature. In response, Cesare gifted her with that same little book by Edger Lee Masters. Nanda opened it randomly, right in the middle, only to remain struck by these verses: “Kissing her with my soul upon my lips / It suddenly took flight”. Years later she commented: “I wonder why those verses took my breath away: it is so difficult to explain the reactions of a teenager…”.
After all, from the jail time at the hands of Fascism, right through the radical activism in the 70s, into the new millennium and her beautiful old age, writing for and about teenagers was Fernanda Pivano’s true call. Nonetheless, she always treated her beloved poets as frail and brilliant teenagers, who grew up fast and wrong, since in 1947 at the Gritti in Venice, Hemingway, after coming to know her as a complete teetotal, reproached her with a “Daughter, you shouldn’t have played that one on me” […] | Entry #35909 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specifiednone
| Rating type | Overall | Quality | Accuracy |
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| Entry | 2.38 | 2.25 (4 ratings) | 2.50 (4 ratings) |
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from a good family | Good term selection | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
+1 “Kissing her with my soul upon my lips / It suddenly took flight” | Good term selection | Andrew Hiltzik | |
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the | Grammar errors
replace with "her" | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
the full name | Syntax
unnecessary detail, should be omitted | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
| Syntax
Such a long sentence and placement of the verb comes across as awkward in English. | Neville Chiavaroli | |
-1 1 We can only imagine how it should have been in the context of those darker years | Mistranslations
"Figurarsi" in Italian is no invitation to imagine anything. It is more of a comparison (more like "Let alone in those dark days") | Maria Federica Gaeta | |
how it should have been | Mistranslations
should have been? Or WAS? Clearly the latter. | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
obscene | Other
too literal | VHClifford No agrees/disagrees | |
Literature | Spelling
why is this capitalized? Only official names of degrees should be capitalized | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
Moby Dick | Grammar errors
Like other works of literature, it goes in quotes or in italics | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
super banned | Mistranslations
Awkward phrasing for English | Neville Chiavaroli No agrees/disagrees | |
”. | Punctuation
period should be placed inside the quotation marks | Maria Federica Gaeta No agrees/disagrees | |
Nanda | Inconsistencies
Standardize using only surnames after the first instance of first+surname | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
that same | Mistranslations
Not in the Italian, nor previously referenced in the text | Neville Chiavaroli No agrees/disagrees | |
Nonetheless | Inconsistencies
"nonetheless" sort of gives a conflicting accent to what was previously stated, that writing for teenagers was her true calling | Maria Federica Gaeta No agrees/disagrees | |
her | Punctuation
they're not actually hers (should have been "her") | Maria Federica Gaeta No agrees/disagrees | |
| Mistranslations
what happened in 1947 is not a consequence of her treating her poets as frail teens | Maria Federica Gaeta | |
teetotal | Mistranslations
teetotaler (teetotal is an adjective) | Maria Federica Gaeta No agrees/disagrees | |
teetotal | Grammar errors | VHClifford No agrees/disagrees | |
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[…] Nanda Pivano had had to go through drama many times in her life, especially when she had translated ‘Farewell to the Arms’ by Hemingway and she got arrested because of it. The Italian army considered this book as too much in favour of peace, as well as damaging the honour of the Italian army itself. Prison came along, when Pavese’s attempt to avoid Fascist censorship was discovered. He had come up with a simple, though effective ‘s.’, which turned (for the clerical Fascist ones) the Spoon River Anthology into a more acceptable ‘Antologia di S. River’ [‘S. River’s Anthology’]
Irony aside, being arrested is real, as well as prison is, any time, any how, let alone in that dark period. Being arrested and going to jail becomes even more obscene if the subject in point is a well-educated girl from an excellent family, graduated in Literature (with a thesis on Melville’s Moby Dick) and a degree in Philosophy (with thesis on existentialism, with Nicola Abbagnano as supervisor).
“The Spoon River Anthology became extremely forbidden in Italy”, recalled Pivano years later: “It was about peace, against the war, against capitalism, in general against all the conventional truths. It represented everything the Government didn’t allow us to think about… I was sent to jail and I am very happy this happened”.
And you know what? It all started as a challenge or as a joke, when young Nanda asked her mentor Pavese to teach her the difference between British and American literature. Then Cesare placed that Edgar Leed Master’s tiny book in her hands. Nanda opened it at random, towards the half, and she was struck by these verse: “Mentre la baciavo con l’anima sulle labbra / l’anima d’improvviso mi fuggì” [“Kissing her with my soul upon my lips/ It suddenly took flight”]. “I don’t know why those lines made me breathless”, the translator commented years later, adding: “It is so difficult to explain teenagers’ reactions…”.
After all, talking to and about teenagers has been Fernanda Pivano’s real call, from the Fascist jail to the radical activism in the Seventies, up to the magnificent senior period in the new Millennium. She treated ‘her’ poets as frail, genius teenagers, those teenagers who were bad raised and in a hurry, after Hemingway’s episode in 1947 at Gritti in Venice. Hemingway scolded with a “Daughter, you shouldn’t do this to me!”, when he found out she was totally sober.[…] | Entry #35873 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specifiednone
| Rating type | Overall | Quality | Accuracy |
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| Entry | 2.25 | 1.83 (6 ratings) | 2.67 (6 ratings) |
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considered this book as too much in favour of peace | Flows well | Maria Federica Gaeta No agrees/disagrees | |
Italian army itself. Prison came along | Flows well
good sentence break-up | Maria Federica Gaeta No agrees/disagrees | |
+1 let alone in that dark period | Flows well
One of the few correct translations of "Figurarsi"! Well done! | Maria Federica Gaeta | |
Being arrested and going to jail becomes even more obscene | Flows well | Maria Federica Gaeta No agrees/disagrees | |
+1 “Kissing her with my soul upon my lips/ It suddenly took flight”] | Good term selection | Andrew Hiltzik | |
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go through drama | Spelling
awkward phrasing | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
‘Farewell to the Arms’ | Mistranslations
correct title is "A Farewell to Arms"! | Claudia Cherici No agrees/disagrees | |
Prison came along, when | Spelling
unnecessary comma, very "Italian" | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
“The Spoon River | Inconsistencies
Should have belonged to the previous paragraph | Maria Federica Gaeta No agrees/disagrees | |
”. | Punctuation
Period should be placed inside the quotation marks | Maria Federica Gaeta No agrees/disagrees | |
“Mentre la baciavo con l’anima sulle labbra / l’anima d’improvviso mi fuggì” | Inconsistencies
No need to include the Italian translation in an English translation, especially as the original verses are in English | Neville Chiavaroli No agrees/disagrees | |
genius | Mistranslations
Not quite the right word in English - suspect you meant ingenious | Neville Chiavaroli No agrees/disagrees | |
+2 1 were bad raised and in a hurry, | Inconsistencies
sounds like the kids always were in a hurry, not that they were hurriedly raised | Maria Federica Gaeta | |
sober | Mistranslations
'Sober' implies at that moment; better translation would be tee-totaller or non-drinker | Neville Chiavaroli No agrees/disagrees | |
|
Among the dramas Nanda Pivano had to live through was the arrest for having translated Hemingway's 'Farewell to Arms', judged too pacifist and detrimental to the honour of the Italian army and prison, when the trick invented by Pavese to circumvent Fascist censorship was discovered, consisting of a simple but effective 's' punctuation, which transformed - for the clerical-Fascists of the time - the Spoon River Anthology into a potable 'S. River Anthology'.
Irony aside, an arrest is an arrest and jail is jail, no matter what, and always. Imagine those dark years. Even more obscene - arrest and jail - if the person subject to it was a girl from a good family who was well educated, with a degree in literature (thesis on Melville's Moby Dick) and a degree in philosophy (thesis on existentialism, with lecturer Nicola Abbagnano). 'Spoon River Anthology became super-prohibited in Italy,' Pivano recalled years later. 'It spoke of peace, anti-war, anti-capitalism, and generally against the whole charge of conventionalism. It was everything that the government would not allow one to think... and they put me in prison and I'm very glad I went there'.
To think that it had all started as a challenge, or a joke, when young Nanda asked her mentor Pavese to explain to her the difference between English and American literature. In response, Cesare put that little book by Edgar Lee Masters in her hand. At random, Nanda opened it halfway through and was thunderstruck by the verses 'As I kissed her with my soul on her lips / my soul suddenly escaped me. 'Who knows why these verses took my breath away,' the translator commented years later, adding 'It is so difficult to explain the reactions of adolescents...'.
Talking to and about adolescents, after all, has been true vocation of Fernanda Pivano, from her days in the fascist jail to her radical militancy in the 1970's, to her splendid old age in the new millennium. As fragile and brilliant adolescents - adolescents who grew up poorly and hastily - she always treated 'her' poets, after Hemingway rebuked her in 1947, at the Gritti in Venice, with a "Daughter, you shouldn't have done that to me!", when he discovered her to be a complete teetotaler. | Entry #34889 — Discuss 0 — Variant: UKukeng
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| Entry | 2.13 | 2.00 (4 ratings) | 2.25 (4 ratings) |
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from a good family who was well educated | Flows well | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
Who knows why these verses took my breath away | Flows well | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
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potable | Mistranslations
'potable' is never used metaphorically in English | Neville Chiavaroli No agrees/disagrees | |
-1 Imagine those dark years. | Mistranslations
"Figurarsi" in Italian is no invitation to imagine anything. It is more of a comparison (more like "Let alone in those dark days") | Maria Federica Gaeta | |
subject to it | Other
awkward phrasing and tense | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
Moby Dick | Punctuation
Works of literature should be in quotes or italics | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
with lecturer | Mistranslations
this makes it sound like he co-wrote it instead of acting as her advisor | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
Spoon River Anthology | Punctuation
missing quotes on the title | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
super-prohibited | Mistranslations
Awkward phrasing for English | Neville Chiavaroli No agrees/disagrees | |
the whole charge | Mistranslations
Highly ambiguos in this context; who is charging who? | Neville Chiavaroli No agrees/disagrees | |
to her | Syntax
omit, is too wordy | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
At random | Inconsistencies
Placed here it makes it sound like it was the act of opening that was random (when surely it was intentional), rather than the place she opened the book at. | Neville Chiavaroli No agrees/disagrees | |
+2 As I kissed her with my soul on her lips / my soul suddenly escaped me | Mistranslations
Should have looked up the original English | Andrew Hiltzik | |
adding | Punctuation
there should be a colon after "adding" to introduce the quote | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
1970's | Punctuation
no apostrophe here! | toasty No agrees/disagrees | |
+1 1 As fragile and brilliant adolescents | Syntax
This reads like inverted phrasing in English (mimicking the Italian syntax). | Neville Chiavaroli | |
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