On Thursday we got a new floor laid in the living room. The missus’ Dad sat in for the workman while we were at work and he was left a list of instructions. Amongst the instructions was a note; “Someone will be round for the dog about 1pm”
We pay someone £15 a week to take the dog out at midday, Monday to Friday.
We got home and all is well with the floor. The living room looks fantastic now, I must say.
“Oh, and no-one came for the dog.”
Strange. Perhaps she saw that someone was in and decided she wasn’t needed.
Anyway, that night I suffered terrible stomach pains, throwing up and general illness. I decided that I wouldn’t last half-an-hour on a train without something embarassing happening. I took the day off to be closer to the toilet.
Just to see what happened though, I didn’t cancel the dog-person. I stayed in the bedroom and waited for her to arrive.
Sure enough, no-one came for the dog.
It’s Friday today, and money has been left on the kitchen table as usual. I feel that I need more evidence, but I’m betting she’ll come round today.
March 5th, 2004
You are what you read, said Gordon. If that’s true, then I’m deeply pretentious. I’d always suspected it but it hurts to hear the truth.
I found myself a copy of Don Quixote for 99p in the local ‘Bookworld’, you see. There’s nothing like a bit of 18th century English translated from 16th century Spanish to wear you out on the train in the morning before you even get to work.
There are three translations of Don Quixote in existence, (apparently,) and the one in the book I bought is the oldest. It was deliberately chosen for that edition due to the translator’s closeness to the original time period, and so it should maintain more of the spirit of the original.
It made me wonder wether it would be worth translating other books into more contemporary styles to make them more accessible to the modern reader.
Is this true? Or is the point moot since the spirit will be lost anyway on the modern reader who knows nothing of 16th century Spain anyway?
Another ‘classic’ I’ve tried to read is Moby Dick, which I have attempted twice now. I’ve always lost interest halfway through due to its fiddly, drawn out 1850s language. Maybe a ‘translation’ into modern day English would revitalise the book and open up a classic to the modern reader. Or maybe it would destroy some essence of the book that can only be present in the original.
Or maybe it’s just me. I’m not a very patient reader. It’s not until a book is half-finished that I feel like I’m getting anywhere; the pages in my left hand suddenly being more bulky than those in my right.
Discuss.
March 5th, 2004
