a little translation exercise

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“Listen to the dream I had last night, it was something… I dreamt that I was finally defending my dissertation, but I did it in this weird way. I walked through a subway car and read passages from it – very loudly and in monotone. And before I started reading, you know, I’d apologize to the passengers for interrupting their journey and all that. And I had this box on my chest, and people would drop black or white marbles into it. And I could see that they didn’t really care, it was a bother, and rather distasteful… some had books in their laps, someone was writing a text message to his girlfriend on a cellphone, and there was me and my declamation. Some just waved me away and didn’t drop any marbles into my box – “God will provide”, you know – and some looked at me with pity, like, poor dear, how did you come to this? And old ladies grumbled behind my back – “lookit him, a healthy bloke, he oughtta be working a proper job…” And the subway cars were long, endless, practically tunnels. And I kept walking, and they stretched on and on, and it was dark… and I had to read aloud, remember. And I felt so awful, and embarrassed – it was terrible. I thought I’d never wake up. Thought I’d just die right there, in the middle of a subway car.
- And what is your dissertation about?
- That’s the thing. The influence of the Cohort’s poetry on the development of the French language.
- Ahhh… then yes. That was awkward.”

an overheard library conversation, from hildegart’s LJ (in Russian)

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Filed under academia, translation