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"sah er nicht vor allem den im Käfig seiner fatalen Begierde [... ] vor sich"


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18:08 Sep 17, 2011
German to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / Literary Scholarship
German term or phrase: "sah er nicht vor allem den im Käfig seiner fatalen Begierde [... ] vor sich"
"Wie Nabokov selber an seinen Roman dachte, sah er nicht vor allem den im Käfig seiner fatalen Begierde tobenden Schimpansen vor sich, sondern den unablenkbaren Reisenden, der durch eine ergreifend detailreiche Landschaft einem unerreichbaren Sehnsuchtsziel entgegenfährt."


The sentence is taken from a scholarly essay on Nabokov's "Lolita" that I am translating for an upcoming volume concerning the various covers from the many editions published since the novel's inception.
berserksgangr
Local time: 05:21


Summary of answers provided
4saw not so much the [...] raging in the cage of his fatal desire
JudithPattinson
4wdl0355


Discussion entries: 5





  

Answers


1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
\"sah er nicht vor allem den im Käfig seiner fatalen Begierde [... ] vor sich\"


Explanation:
As Nabokov himself thought about his novel, above all he did not see before him the raging chimpanzee in the cage of his fatal longing, rather he saw a determined traveler, heading through a captivating landscape rich in detail toward an unattainable goal of yearning.

wdl0355
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Kirsten Bodart: is it not rather "did not mainly see, ... but..."? The "vor allem" is, as writeaway said, to be read together with "sondern".
14 hrs
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18 days   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
\"sah er nicht vor allem den im Käfig seiner fatalen Begierde [... ] vor sich\"
saw not so much the [...] raging in the cage of his fatal desire


Explanation:
"Nabokov himself, in thinking of his novel, saw not so much the chimpanzee raging in the cage of his fatal desire as the determined travel(l)er who is moving through a captivatingly detailed landscape towards an unattainable object of longing."

JudithPattinson
Local time: 22:21
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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