I am listening to the original French version of Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. I have found this free English translation in Gutenberg Press so I can pass on this passage to all and sundry. I believe it is devastating that man is still killing man to ensure his liberty yet not all people will consent to be free and live as free people.
“Citizens,” said Enjolras, “what that man did is frightful, what I have done is horrible. He killed, therefore I killed him. I had to do it, because insurrection must have its discipline. Assassination is even more of a crime here than elsewhere; we are under the eyes of the Revolution, we are the priests of the Republic, we are the victims of duty, and must not be possible to slander our combat. I have, therefore, tried that man, and condemned him to death. As for myself, constrained as I am to do what I have done, and yet abhorring it, I have judged myself also, and you shall soon see to what I have condemned myself.”
Those who listened to him shuddered.
“We will share thy fate,” cried Combeferre.
“So be it,” replied Enjolras. “One word more. In executing this man, I have obeyed necessity; but necessity is a monster of the old world, necessity’s name is Fatality. Now, the law of progress is, that monsters shall disappear before the angels, and that Fatality shall vanish before Fraternity. It is a bad moment to pronounce the word love. No matter, I do pronounce it. And I glorify it. Love, the future is thine. Death, I make use of thee, but I hate thee. Citizens, in the future there will be neither darkness nor thunderbolts; neither ferocious ignorance, nor bloody retaliation. As there will be no more Satan, there will be no more Michael. In the future no one will kill any one else, the earth will beam with radiance, the human race will love. The day will come, citizens, when all will be concord, harmony, light, joy and life; it will come, and it is in order that it may come that we are about to die.”
Man has never learned from the past and I don't believe he is capable of living in concord and harmony. The English translation misses the strength, beauty, truth and vigor of Victor Hugo's prose/poetry. But it is the best I can do. I do not like to read books in translation but of course I do because I can read English and French. It seems to me that a book in translation is a very different book indeed. It must be a most difficult task to render someone else's thoughts into another language; it is impossible to do them justice. I did try to translate Antoine de St. Exupery's Le Petit Prince into English as I hated the translations I've given to friends and family but I couldn't do it justice although I tried so hard to get it right it just wouldn't translate! I do recall taking French Lit in college and working with microfiche to translate literature from the middle ages into modern French. It was very difficult and wonderful to be able to read the works and understand them. But the translations were never poetic - never moved my soul as the original works did. I loved Tristan et Iseult in its beauty and power but translations fall flat - especially my own!
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Quote: Fully to understand a grand and beautiful thought requires, perhaps, as much time as to conceive it. _____Joubert
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