Re: R: Meetings with Cioran (and talk on E.J.)

[Olaf Schroeter <os@berlin.snafu.de>]

Franco Vitrani wrote:
> 
> Hello !
> 
> Could anyone care to translate in english the contributions in german to
> this list ?
> Unfortunately I am not able (and I think I am not the only one) to
> understand german...
> 
> Thanks !
> ----------
> > Da: Bertil Haggman <bertil.haggman@helsingborg.se>
> > A: ernst-juenger-l@maillist.ox.ac.uk
> > Oggetto: Meetings with Cioran (and talk on E.J.)
> > Data: domenica 9 agosto 1998 1.41
> >
> > Recently reading the March-April issue
> > 1998 of the journal "Sinn und Form" I
> > came upon an article with interviews
> > by Thomas Stoelzel of author Cioran
> > in Paris before the latter died.
> >
> > In one section they come to speak of
> > Ernst Juenger:
> >
> > "Wir greifen den Gespraechsfaden
> > ueber das Verhaeltnis des Franzoesischen
> > und des Deutschen noch einmal auf; kommen
> > zu einem der ins Franzoesische am
> > vollstaendigsten uebersetzten, noch
> > lebenden Autoren: zu Ernst Juenger.
> > (note. E.J. was still alive when the
> > interview was made).
> >
> > "Ich habe den Eindruck, man versteht
> > ihn in Deutschland nicht."
> >
> > "Kennen Sie Gruende fuer dieses Nicht-
> > verstehen?"
> >
> > "Nach dem, was ich weiss, sind die
> > Anfeindungen von oeder Monotonie,
> > das geht schon zeit Jahrzehnten so.
> > Man wirft ihm seine militaerische
> > Laufbahn vor, verbeisst sich an
> > manchen seiner Aeusserungen - und
> > uebersieht dabei das Gewicht vieler
> > seiner Gedanken."
> >
> > Nach einer kurzen Pause.
> >
> > "Sie kommen ja aus dem Land
> > der grossen Systembauer, dieser
> > monstroesen und fatalen architekten!"
> >
> > "In Frankreich ist es anders?"
> >
> > "Ja, hier schaetzt man ihn sehr.
> > Juenger versteht ja auch sich selbst
> > zu feiern und feiern zu lassen. Das ist
> > auch ein Talent. Und fuer Zelebrateure
> > hat man hierzulande viel Verstaendnis."
> >
> > Er wirft zusammen mit diesem Satz auch
> > ein haemisches Lachen aus.
> >
> > "Ich glaube es liegt auch daran, dass
> > Juenger Prosaformen gewaehlt und ver-
> > feinert hat, die in Frankreich mehr
> > gelten als in Deutschland: Das Tagebuch,
> > Essay, die Maxime."
> >
> > "Da koennten Sie recht haben", betont
> > Cioran.
> >
> > Best summer greetings from a rainy Scandinavia.
> >
> > Bertil Haggman
> >
> >

Hello out there,

I have done a little impromptu translation of the Cioran piece. As I'm
still on holiday at the moment I did it without dictionary, but it'll
give you a rough idea anyway.
We pick up the thread of our talk about the relationship between the
French and the German once again; we talk about one of the still living
authors, who has been most completely translated into French, Ernst
Juenger.

"I have the impression that they don't understand him in Germany."

"Do you know the reasons for this non-understanding (incomprehension)?"

"Judging by what I know, the hostilities are of a dull monotony, it's
been the same for decades. They blame him for his military career, stick
obstinately to some of his remarks - and at the same time overlook the
importance of many of his ideas."

After a short interval/rest/pause.

"You are from the country of the great builders of systems, these
monstrous and terrible Architects!"

"It is differently in France?"

"Yes, here they value him a lot. Juenger knows how to celebrate himself
and to let himself be celebrated. That is a talent, too. And in this
country they appreciate Celebrators."

Together with this sentence he emits a sneering laughter.

"I think another reason is that Juenger has chosen and refined forms of
prose that are valued more highly in France than in Germany: the diary,
the essay, the maxim."

"You may have a point there," Cioran underlines.


REgards from a sweltering North Germany,

Olaf Schroeter