i can't read polish but i do 2 other slavic languages and majored in english. i have no idea how i would even approach a translation project like for example The Futurological Congress. the level of wordplay involved in Lem's novels necessitates the creation of an entirely separate work of literature where the original is merely a source of inspiration...
Michael Kandel's translations are breathtakingly beautiful and sublime. they do an amazing job of bridging the slavic and the germanic which is almost on the level of Nabokov (an unfair comparison as in that case the translator is the author).
And that brings us to the sad blemish on Lem's english body of work: Solaris. Could you ask him please please please why there never was one by him? that such an important work is available in print only as a translation of a translation (from french)? Let's crowdsource it!
I'm Polish and I love Lem, but I think Kandel is a better poet. Lem's versions are great but less brilliant than Kandel's. Of course - Kandel cheated and changed the requirements so you cannot compare 1:1 :) Also Lem's math is more coherent :)
There is a translation of Solaris by Bill Johnston that is available as a Kindle e-book that is a direct translation from Polish. IIRC, there are licensing issues with providing a print version of it.
Michael Kandel's translations are breathtakingly beautiful and sublime. they do an amazing job of bridging the slavic and the germanic which is almost on the level of Nabokov (an unfair comparison as in that case the translator is the author).
And that brings us to the sad blemish on Lem's english body of work: Solaris. Could you ask him please please please why there never was one by him? that such an important work is available in print only as a translation of a translation (from french)? Let's crowdsource it!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solaris_(novel)#English_transl...