tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4983456639903939161.post6686376486375519365..comments2023-12-17T02:42:27.945-08:00Comments on The Virtual Astrolabe : Translating Shakespeare for English Speakers: An Act of Cultural Survival?Joshua Grassohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18044499439462324420noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4983456639903939161.post-82727019141050904852022-02-08T17:52:46.666-08:002022-02-08T17:52:46.666-08:00I wonder if you'll recieve this message after ...I wonder if you'll recieve this message after about 7 years. If you didn't switch accounts.new maaaaapppps!!!https://www.blogger.com/profile/11590221734642253924noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4983456639903939161.post-86413359746813632202022-02-08T17:51:51.044-08:002022-02-08T17:51:51.044-08:007 years later...7 years later...new maaaaapppps!!!https://www.blogger.com/profile/11590221734642253924noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4983456639903939161.post-35632574254993495462015-10-06T19:19:09.716-07:002015-10-06T19:19:09.716-07:00I can't do Monday, but let me see about the ot...I can't do Monday, but let me see about the other dates...<br />Joshua Grassohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18044499439462324420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4983456639903939161.post-65875207841281068342015-10-05T05:54:09.953-07:002015-10-05T05:54:09.953-07:00Sorry for the confusion about the dates--my class ...Sorry for the confusion about the dates--my class will start discussing Shakespeare on Monday the 12th. We'll also discuss the play on the 14th, the 19th, the 21st, the 28th, November 4th, and November 6th. I should have checked to see if you had class from 1-2 before I mentioned this possibility!Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08265878664798504260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4983456639903939161.post-24343712163818813412015-10-04T15:10:38.184-07:002015-10-04T15:10:38.184-07:00Yeah, I think if we only read Shakespeare and he w...Yeah, I think if we only read Shakespeare and he was a "closet dramatist," then he would have more of a point. However, I enjoyed Shakespeare from my late teens on, and I certainly didn't understand all the language and references--but I loved the plays and the characters. To think that audiences long ago just got him and breathed him like air is erroneous, especially since the 18th century was constantly adapting and translating Shakespeare to make him "palatable" to their own audiences. I think we're more in tune with Shakespeare now than ever, generally. But yes, these translations aren't whole sale translations and are merely cosmetic, and therefore, almost beside the point. <br /><br />Hmm...I have class at 1 on MWF, so let me see if I can miss a period. I would certainly love to come (as always). I might be able to come this Friday...isn't the 12th a Monday? Today is the 4th, right? Well, let me know and I'll see what I can do in my Non-Western class. Thanks for reading and responding, too!Joshua Grassohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18044499439462324420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4983456639903939161.post-77423442391517796622015-10-04T14:00:21.342-07:002015-10-04T14:00:21.342-07:00At your suggestion, I’ve read the WSJ article by J...At your suggestion, I’ve read the WSJ article by John McWhorter (students in my Grammar course have also been reading him this semester, coincidentally).<br />My thoughts: <br />1) I don’t have a problem with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival commissioning these translations as a marketing gimmick. Let a thousand flowers bloom.<br />2) Based on the examples McWhorter provides, these “translations” seem more like interior decorating than foundation repair and are unlikely to have much if any effect on audience engagement.<br />3) McWhorter vastly overestimates the difficulty Shakespeare’s dated language presents to audience enjoyment of the plays. By the end of the article, he has talked himself into arguing that most of us only understand “half” of Shakespeare’s work. But as you point out, in staged productions especially, an odd word here or there (even 10% of the words) is not going to interfere significantly with comprehension.<br />4) I agree with you that the “strangeness” and the “difficulty” of Shakespeare’s texts are part of what make them valuable, in the same way that we value friends who have different perspectives and come from different backgrounds. That’s part of what makes human interaction interesting. And, as you point out, it’s also part of what makes us want to read and re-read Shakespeare.<br /><br />We're going to be discussing "Hamlet" in my Honors course staring on Friday, October 12. We'll dedicate 7 class periods to the play in anticipation of the ECU SCREENS event on November 7. I'd love to have you in as a guest, if you anticipate having a break in your busy schedule. We meet MWF from 1-1:150. Let me know when you get a chance.Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08265878664798504260noreply@blogger.com