Banville's proposed translation (in footnote 3 of his essay) of the German subtitle is

The Lovely Wicked World of Vladimir Nabokov


Google translates the phrase in question as "the beautiful evil world," but I prefer Banville's version.

Jim Twiggs





From: Nabokv-L <nabokv-l@UTK.EDU>
To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
Sent: Mon, July 12, 2010 1:08:39 PM
Subject: [NABOKV-L] THOUGHTS re: M.Maar's "Speak, Nabokov"


 
----- Original Message -----
From: Jansy
To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum
Sent: Monday, July 12, 2010 11:26 AM
Subject: Re: [NABOKV-L] M. Maar's "Speak, Nabokov"

Philip Klop:Die Schöne Böse Welt refers to the German expression Die große böse Welt which means something akin to "The big and dangerous world" or "The big and evil world". The expression stems from children's literature and is used when a small child is exposed to the overwhelmingly big outside world; thus stressing some sort of clash between the small, good child in his safe home and the big, evil and dangerous world awaiting him outside.
Anthony Stadlen: Surely, in ordinary English, "the big bad world"
 
JM: I don't think this is the meaning Maar intended for he indicated that it was not the dangerous external world but the world (or worlds) engendered by Nabokov.  I doubt that there are "small, good readers in their safe homes" left to confront Nabokovian "beauteous and evil dangers"! 
 


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