Nora Gal
Encyclopedia
Nora Gal full name Eleonora Yakovlevna Galperina ' onMouseout='HidePop("89792")' href="/topics/Odessa">Odessa
— d. July 23, 1991) was a Soviet translator, literary critic, and translation theorist.
She was born on April 27, 1912 in Odessa. Her father was a medical doctor. As a child, she moved to Moscow
with her family. After several unsuccessful attempts she was admitted to the Lenin Pedagogical Institute, from which she graduated. She then completed her post-graduate studies with a thesis on the French poet Arthur Rimbaud
and published articles on classical and contemporary foreign literature (Guy de Maupassant
, Byron, Alfred de Musset
). She married literary critic Boris Kuzmin and later became editor of his selected works.
When she was still a schoolgirl she published some poems, while during her student years she switched to prose. Towards the end of the 1930s, she wrote many articles on contemporary foreign literature. She started her active career as a translator during World War II
, and after the war she devoted herself to translating authors such as Jules Renard
, Alexandre Dumas, père
and H. G. Wells
.
In the 1950s, she translated "Le Petit Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
, novels by J.D. Salinger, and "To Kill a Mockingbird
" by Harper Lee
into Russian. She became a widely respected and prominent translator. In the last period of her activity she tackled such masterpieces as " The Stranger
" by Albert Camus
and "Death of a Hero
" by Richard Aldington
, as well as books by Thomas Wolfe
, Katherine Anne Porter
, and by a number of science fiction authors, including Isaac Asimov
and Arthur C. Clarke
, Roger Zelazny
and Ursula K. Le Guin
.
In 1973 she wrote Words Living and Words Dead (Слово живое и мёртвое), a manual on voice that contains numerous examples of translation, both good and bad. There, she challenged conventions and advocated lively word choice and sentence structure over passive, cluttered, and official tone, simplicity and flow over the accepted heavy, cold, and technical style; if it makes more sense but sounds rustic, then so be it. It was subsequently revised and had been reprinted four times by 1987. It has recently been reprinted twice in 2001 and 2004.
In July 1995 the International Astronomical Union
chose to honour her naming one of the asteroids in the Asteroid belt
Noragal.
Odessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
— d. July 23, 1991) was a Soviet translator, literary critic, and translation theorist.
She was born on April 27, 1912 in Odessa. Her father was a medical doctor. As a child, she moved to Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
with her family. After several unsuccessful attempts she was admitted to the Lenin Pedagogical Institute, from which she graduated. She then completed her post-graduate studies with a thesis on the French poet Arthur Rimbaud
Arthur Rimbaud
Jean Nicolas Arthur Rimbaud was a French poet. Born in Charleville, Ardennes, he produced his best known works while still in his late teens—Victor Hugo described him at the time as "an infant Shakespeare"—and he gave up creative writing altogether before the age of 21. As part of the decadent...
and published articles on classical and contemporary foreign literature (Guy de Maupassant
Guy de Maupassant
Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant was a popular 19th-century French writer, considered one of the fathers of the modern short story and one of the form's finest exponents....
, Byron, Alfred de Musset
Alfred de Musset
Alfred Louis Charles de Musset-Pathay was a French dramatist, poet, and novelist.Along with his poetry, he is known for writing La Confession d'un enfant du siècle from 1836.-Biography:Musset was born on 11 December 1810 in Paris...
). She married literary critic Boris Kuzmin and later became editor of his selected works.
When she was still a schoolgirl she published some poems, while during her student years she switched to prose. Towards the end of the 1930s, she wrote many articles on contemporary foreign literature. She started her active career as a translator during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and after the war she devoted herself to translating authors such as Jules Renard
Jules Renard
Pierre-Jules Renard or Jules Renard was a French author and member of the Académie Goncourt, most famous for the works Poil de carotte and Les Histoires Naturelles...
, Alexandre Dumas, père
Alexandre Dumas, père
Alexandre Dumas, , born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie was a French writer, best known for his historical novels of high adventure which have made him one of the most widely read French authors in the world...
and H. G. Wells
H. G. Wells
Herbert George Wells was an English author, now best known for his work in the science fiction genre. He was also a prolific writer in many other genres, including contemporary novels, history, politics and social commentary, even writing text books and rules for war games...
.
In the 1950s, she translated "Le Petit Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry , officially Antoine Marie Jean-Baptiste Roger, comte de Saint Exupéry , was a French writer, poet and pioneering aviator. He became a laureate of France's highest literary awards, and in 1939 was the winner of the U.S. National Book Award...
, novels by J.D. Salinger, and "To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel by Harper Lee published in 1960. It was instantly successful, winning the Pulitzer Prize, and has become a classic of modern American literature...
" by Harper Lee
Harper Lee
Nelle Harper Lee is an American author known for her 1960 Pulitzer-Prize-winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird, which deals with the issues of racism that were observed by the author as a child in her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama...
into Russian. She became a widely respected and prominent translator. In the last period of her activity she tackled such masterpieces as " The Stranger
The Stranger (novel)
The Stranger or The Outsider is a novel by Albert Camus published in 1942. Its theme and outlook are often cited as examples of existentialism, though Camus did not consider himself an existentialist; in fact, its content explores various philosophical schools of thought, including absurdism, as...
" by Albert Camus
Albert Camus
Albert Camus was a French author, journalist, and key philosopher of the 20th century. In 1949, Camus founded the Group for International Liaisons within the Revolutionary Union Movement, which was opposed to some tendencies of the Surrealist movement of André Breton.Camus was awarded the 1957...
and "Death of a Hero
Death of a Hero
Death of a Hero is a World War I novel by Richard Aldington. It was his first novel, written in 1929, and thought to be partly autobiographical.-Plot summary:...
" by Richard Aldington
Richard Aldington
Richard Aldington , born Edward Godfree Aldington, was an English writer and poet.Aldington was best known for his World War I poetry, the 1929 novel, Death of a Hero, and the controversy arising from his 1955 Lawrence of Arabia: A Biographical Inquiry...
, as well as books by Thomas Wolfe
Thomas Wolfe
Thomas Clayton Wolfe was a major American novelist of the early 20th century.Wolfe wrote four lengthy novels, plus many short stories, dramatic works and novellas. He is known for mixing highly original, poetic, rhapsodic, and impressionistic prose with autobiographical writing...
, Katherine Anne Porter
Katherine Anne Porter
Katherine Anne Porter was a Pulitzer Prize-winning American journalist, essayist, short story writer, novelist, and political activist. Her 1962 novel Ship of Fools was the best-selling novel in America that year, but her short stories received much more critical acclaim...
, and by a number of science fiction authors, including Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000...
and Arthur C. Clarke
Arthur C. Clarke
Sir Arthur Charles Clarke, CBE, FRAS was a British science fiction author, inventor, and futurist, famous for his short stories and novels, among them 2001: A Space Odyssey, and as a host and commentator in the British television series Mysterious World. For many years, Robert A. Heinlein,...
, Roger Zelazny
Roger Zelazny
Roger Joseph Zelazny was an American writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels, best known for his The Chronicles of Amber series...
and Ursula K. Le Guin
Ursula K. Le Guin
Ursula Kroeber Le Guin is an American author. She has written novels, poetry, children's books, essays, and short stories, notably in fantasy and science fiction...
.
In 1973 she wrote Words Living and Words Dead (Слово живое и мёртвое), a manual on voice that contains numerous examples of translation, both good and bad. There, she challenged conventions and advocated lively word choice and sentence structure over passive, cluttered, and official tone, simplicity and flow over the accepted heavy, cold, and technical style; if it makes more sense but sounds rustic, then so be it. It was subsequently revised and had been reprinted four times by 1987. It has recently been reprinted twice in 2001 and 2004.
In July 1995 the International Astronomical Union
International Astronomical Union
The International Astronomical Union IAU is a collection of professional astronomers, at the Ph.D. level and beyond, active in professional research and education in astronomy...
chose to honour her naming one of the asteroids in the Asteroid belt
Asteroid belt
The asteroid belt is the region of the Solar System located roughly between the orbits of the planets Mars and Jupiter. It is occupied by numerous irregularly shaped bodies called asteroids or minor planets...
Noragal.