Chapter 58 "Famine" Translator's Notes (1)

"Famine" Translator's Notes (1) Michail Saltykov (1826-1889) was one of the so-called "Tendenzios" (Tendenzios) [3] during the Russian reform period [2] in the 1960s, because his works were full of elements of social criticism and the themes were too similar to The society of his own country is closely related, so there are very few introductions to foreign countries.But when we look at historical works on Russian literature, we often see the name "Sichedrin" (4), which is his pseudonym. in his early works.The famous one is "Tales from the Provinces"[5], which focuses on the shortcomings of Russian society before Alexander II's[6] reform; this "Famine" is one of the later works "The History of a Certain City"[7], which describes the It is the situation after the reform. It was retranslated from "The Petitioner" translated by Yasugi Tetoshi [8] in the 20th edition of "New Selection of Overseas Literature" by Shinchosha, but the author's sharp pen and deep observation can still be read. peep.The "Charcoal Drawings" written by the Polish writer Sinkwijz (9) later has a similar meaning to this article; the short stories of his own country, Alzibasev, at the end of the nineteenth century, also have something very similar in structure. , but the people among them are no longer people like the citizens of "Gurbov" [10].

※ ※ ※ [1] This article, together with the translation of "Famine", was originally published in the second issue of Volume 1 of the monthly "Yan Wen" in October 1934, signed by Xu Xia. Saltykov, pen name Shchedrin (M.E.CNUYR] TJAIGHPF, 1826-1889), a Russian satirist and critic, was exiled for almost eight years for criticizing the tsarist autocracy.He is the author of novels such as "Masters of Gorovlyov" and "The History of a City". "Famine", also translated "Hunger City", is an article in "The History of a City". 〔2〕Russian reform period in the 1960s On February 19, 1861 (March 3 in the Gregorian calendar), Tsar Alexander II issued a decree under the pressure of the peasants' anti-feudal struggle and the revolutionary democratic movement, announcing the abolition of Serfdom.

〔3〕The "inclined writer" Saltikov published the novella "Inexplicable Things" in 1848, which was considered by the Tsarist government as "containing a very harmful ideological tendency" and "thoughts that disturbed social order" and sentenced him to exile.Later, he and Nekrasov, Chernyshevsky, Dublolyubov and other revolutionary democratic writers who opposed the tsarist autocracy and serfdom were referred to as "inclined writers". 〔4〕 "Xiqietlin" is a general translation of Xiedlin. 〔5〕 "Stories from Other Provinces" was published in 1856.

[6] Alexander II (EUI] XNFGHQⅡ, 1818-1881) Russian tsar.He came to power in 1855, and was killed in Petersburg by the Narodnaya Volya, a secret group of populists. 〔7〕 "The History of a City" is "The History of a City", one of Saltikov's famous late satirical novels. 〔8〕 Yasugi Tetoshi (1876-1966) Japanese scholar of Russian, professor of Tokyo University of Foreign Studies.In 1946, he founded the "Japanese Russian Literature Association" and served as its president. 〔9〕"Charcoal Painting" is a novella written by the Polish writer Xian Kewei.There is a translation by Zhou Zuoren, which was published by Beijing Wenming Bookstore in April 1914.

[10] "Gurbov" Russian MU Transliteration of HTJ, meaning "fool".The novel "The History of a City" satirizes the reality on the pretense of the history of "Gurbov City".