As I was reading the Seidensticker English translation of Kawabata's Snow Country, I found some English expressions that I would consider wrong. Is this maybe acceptable in American English, or even in any Standard English (old fashion expressions or some way of speaking I wouldn't know of ?) or are they really mistakes ? What do you think ?
Here are the problematic passages :
p42
"Not a few of the new novelists whose names came to her meant nothing to her"
"anything" would be more suitable than "nothing", as Standard English doesn't accept double negative, except if it were Black English, which it is not.
p106
"That was the first Shimura had heard of the "one man" in Komako's life."
I suppose it is "the first time".
p114
"Is there a path in back ?"
"in the back", I guess, as they were talking about the inn.
p129
"I meant to come see you at seven, but it was no god."
It should be "come and see you".
In all of them, a word is missing. I guess that's just the typist or printer's fault, rather than Seidensticker. They could at least double check their text, especially that it isn't the first edition or printing.
Here are the problematic passages :
p42
"Not a few of the new novelists whose names came to her meant nothing to her"
"anything" would be more suitable than "nothing", as Standard English doesn't accept double negative, except if it were Black English, which it is not.
p106
"That was the first Shimura had heard of the "one man" in Komako's life."
I suppose it is "the first time".
p114
"Is there a path in back ?"
"in the back", I guess, as they were talking about the inn.
p129
"I meant to come see you at seven, but it was no god."
It should be "come and see you".
In all of them, a word is missing. I guess that's just the typist or printer's fault, rather than Seidensticker. They could at least double check their text, especially that it isn't the first edition or printing.
Last edited: