marbel Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 (edited) ETA: Thanks to Google search and Regentrude, I have found a very helpful thread here: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=258793 Hello - we diving into the Divine Comedy this year. I think I know what I'm doing with support materials (thanks to some previous threads here) but now I'm wondering about translations. For college I used Ciardi's. I still have those old paperbacks in a box. That is a sentimental favorite for me. We bought Pinsky's Inferno when it was new. Um, I haven't actually read it. Unless I'm missing something, he did not translate the other books. I just learned that Dorothy Sayers had translated it as well. Hmmm... What is considered the current best translation? Does it matter that much? Any comments? Thanks! Edited August 18, 2012 by marbel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 (edited) There was a wonderful thread; Eliana typed in excerpts from different translations, and EsterMaria gave her input (she can actually read the original.) Found it. Here it is: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=258793&highlight=dante+translation Edited August 18, 2012 by regentrude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted August 18, 2012 Author Share Posted August 18, 2012 Search the archives. There was a wonderful thread about this 1-2 years ago, when EsterMaria was still here; somebody typed in excerpts from different translations, and there was an in-depth discussion by people who could actually form an opinion because they could read the original. Yes, I just found that after doing a Google search! I had tried using the forum search but with the ability to use only one word for the search... I didn't find it. So, thank you, and never mind! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 Yes, I just found that after doing a Google search! I had tried using the forum search but with the ability to use only one word for the search... I didn't find it. Use the Advanced Search tool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted August 18, 2012 Author Share Posted August 18, 2012 Use the Advanced Search tool. Ah, I thought I had tried that in the past with no success. Will try again, thanks! If you are still checking this thread - what did you end up doing? Was it successful? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 If you are still checking this thread - what did you end up doing? Was it successful? We choose to use the Mandelbaum translation, based on EsterMaria's assessment of the different options. DD loved it. We tried out the Dante in Translation OCW course form Yale, but found it too technical (after all, it is a 300 level course, so it should be). We got the Teaching Company lectures about Dante's Comedia and found them very helpful. We ended up reading only the Inferno and half the Purgatorio. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted August 18, 2012 Author Share Posted August 18, 2012 Thanks! I'm glad it worked out well for you. I would consider reading Inferno and partial of Purgatorio a success. Let's face it, Inferno is much more interesting! If I recall correctly, Paradiso was a complete bore - but it was a long time ago! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.