NABOKV-L post 0007525, Mon, 3 Feb 2003 15:58:59 -0800

I hasten to extend a clarification for all. Sharp-eyed Mr. Svirilin informed me of the missing “Lolitaâ€\x9d paragraph some time ago. I checked back through all the Russian-language editions to the ms, and found that he was right. Since the paragraph was well worth retaining in Russian one can only conclude that my father inadvertently skipped it while writing the translation, not on index cards, but in an album with lined pages. There is no reason on earth to accuse Nabokov of “hidingâ€\x9d this innocuous and entertaining fragment. By agreement with Olga Voronina, my Russian agent, and with Mr. A. Kononov, director of the Symposium publishing house, I have translated the missing paragraph and sent it to St-Petersburg for publication in the coming edition of the Symposium Lolita. Mr. Svirilin jumped the gun a bit and proceeded to make a translation of his own. To be fair, I think he has made a good effort, and there are relatively few corrections I would have made in his version, mainly matters of style and nuance and only one real boner. At the same time, I have borrowed a couple of felicitous locutions from his text. I have been in touch with him and we are in full agreement that it is my version that will be included in the new edition. My translation is now in semi-final draft, and may undergo some very minor revisions. By the way, here it is:
Еще одна вÑ\x81Ñ‚Ñ€Ñ\x8fÑ\x81ка, помнитьÑ\x81Ñ\x8f, была Ñ\x81вÑ\x8fзана Ñ\x81 городком, через который мы проезжали ночью, на обратном пути. Миль за двадцать до того мне довелоÑ\x81ÑŒ Ñ\x81казать ей, что чаÑ\x81тнаÑ\x8f гимназиÑ\x8f, которую она будет поÑ\x81ещать в БердÑ\x81лее — Ñ\x8dто школа веÑ\x81ьма приличнаÑ\x8f, длÑ\x8f девочек, без вÑ\x81Ñ\x8fкой Ñ\x81овременной чепухи, поÑ\x81ле чего Ло угоÑ\x81тила менÑ\x8f одной из тех Ñ\x81воих бешенных тирад, где мольба и оÑ\x81корбление, Ñ\x81амоутверждение и лукаваÑ\x8f беÑ\x81Ñ\x81мыÑ\x81лица, Ñ\x8fроÑ\x81тнаÑ\x8f вульгарноÑ\x81Ñ‚ÑŒ и детÑ\x81кое отчаÑ\x8fние переплеталиÑ\x81ÑŒ в возмутительном подобии логики, что подталкивало менÑ\x8f к подобию объÑ\x8fÑ\x81нениÑ\x8f. Опутанный ее дикими Ñ\x81ловами (размечталÑ\x81Ñ\x8f!.. Ñ\x8f не дура какаÑ\x8f-то, чтобы Ñ\x81ерьезно Ñ\x8dто Ñ\x81лушать… гадина… Ñ‚Ñ‹ не можешь мной раÑ\x81порÑ\x8fжатьÑ\x81Ñ\x8f… Ñ\x8f презираю тебÑ\x8f… и так далее), Ñ\x8f ехал через дремлющий городoк на Ñ\x81короÑ\x81ти пÑ\x8fтьдеÑ\x81Ñ\x8fÑ‚ миль в чаÑ\x81, не прерываÑ\x8f ровного шоÑ\x81Ñ\x81ейного хода, когда двое патрульщиков оÑ\x81ветили машину и приказали мне Ñ\x81ъехать на обочину. Я шикнул на Ло, машинально продолжавшую бушевать. ПолицейÑ\x81кие разглÑ\x8fдывали ее и менÑ\x8f Ñ\x81 недоброжелательным любопытÑ\x81твом. Внезапно вÑ\x81е ее Ñ\x8fмочки залучилиÑ\x81ÑŒ на них, как никогда, никогда не лучилиÑ\x81ÑŒ на мою орхидейную мужеÑ\x81твенноÑ\x81Ñ‚ÑŒ; ибо в некотором Ñ\x81мыÑ\x81ле моÑ\x8f Ло боÑ\x8fлаÑ\x81ÑŒ закона еще больше, чем Ñ\x8f Ñ\x81ам — и когда добрые Ñ\x81лужители порÑ\x8fдка проÑ\x81тили наÑ\x81 и подобоÑ\x81траÑ\x81тно мы уползли, веки ее опуÑ\x81тилиÑ\x81ÑŒ и затрепетали — она изображала полное изнеможение.
Mr. Svirilin was also diligent and kind enough to find the “vecher-veerâ€\x9d typo and communicate it to me. In this case it was not Nabokov who nodded but the first publisher of his Russian version of Lolita. This correction, too, will be made at the earliest opportunity.
Just in case there is difficulty with this transmission, I am also sending the Russian paragraph as an attached file.
Best to all,
DN
P.S. For Eric Naiman, with my greetings: “Pianitsaâ€\x9d is an old card game that I remember from my childhood. I shall try to reconstruct its details, but cannot promise success. I'm afraid that with serdechko liagushki I draw a blank card.