[Avodah] Translation of Makkos

Zvi Lampel zvilampel at gmail.com
Mon Jun 25 14:49:25 PDT 2012


I was unaware of this discussion until now.
  RMB:
> 2- Why didn't RDF correct the translator, neither initially nor before
> subsequent printings? And that's assuming the translation was ghost-work;
> RDF's name alone is on the English version. (Which even if it wasn't by his own hand, would push to more meticulous proofreading.)
>
>> LL: ...  I imagine
>> RDF considers the Hebrew the primary text and that the English
>> translation isn't even on his radar.
>>
I also don't think scrutiny of my translation of ''makkos,''or its 
hashkafic ramifications, was on anyone's radar, although at the time I 
did think it was a reference to sorrow over loss of life. But although, 
as wiith most translations, the translator's name does not appear on the 
book's cover or front page, I was indeed acknowledged in the 
Acknowledgements, as well as were others who edited my translation, and 
Rav Dovid did review it.

This reminds me of when I was once teaching a class in Breur's Seminary, 
and the class got into a heated argument of what I meant by somethiing I 
said. I was standing there trying to calm them down and pleading with 
them that I was right there and to please let me explain what I meant, 
but they would not be cooperative. As Lisa mentioned before, someone 
really should ask the mechaber himself what he meant. And it seems I 
should be that someone. Bli nedder, I'll try to get clarity on this.

Zvi Lampel


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