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larvatus prodeo - submersible self-esteem

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April 29th, 2009
05:17 pm

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submersible self-esteem
Inspired by his skills as an escape artist, Harry Houdini sought to help deep sea divers unable to extricate themselves from a pressure suit upon finding themselves in trouble. On 1 March 1921, he received U.S. Patent Number 1,370,316 for an new and improved diver’s suit. By comprising two halves with a locking joint in the middle, Houdini’s invention enabled the trapped deep sea diver to slip out of the suit quickly, while submerged. He would then have a chance to escape and reach the surface without assistance. The construction also enabled the diver to don and doff the suit without assistance.

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A more intimate application of Houdini’s invention went unappreciated heretofore:
Уже давным-давно замечено,
как некрасив в скафандре Водолаз.
Но несомненно есть на свете Женщина,
что и такому б отдалась.

Быть может, выйдет из воды он прочь,
обвешанный концами водорослей,
и выпадет ему сегодня ночь,
наполненная массой удовольствий.
(Не в этот, так в другой такой же раз).
Та Женщина отказывала многим.
Ей нужен непременно Водолаз.
Резиновый. Стальной. Свинцовоногий.

Вот ты,
хоть не резиновый,
но скользкий.
И отвратителен, особенно нагой.

Но Женщина ждет и Тебя.
Поскольку
Ей нужен именно Такой.

―Владимир Иосифович Уфлянд, 1959		 Well known by folk forever and a day
is the deformity of Diver in his suit.
It’s just as true, and well beyond dispute,
that Woman dreams of him, having his way.

Consider him,
sprung up in fetid spray,
festooned and fringed in glutinous seaweed.
He’s looking forward to a night of sensual play.
(If not this once, just down the road he will succeed.)
The Woman who a myriad wooers mooted,
she needs her Diver, not some substitute.
So rubbery, so steely, so lead-footed.

You there,
if not so rubbery,
yet clammy,
and sickening, seen tumid, pale and nude.

But Woman yearns for You,
craving your whammy,
for only your Kind puts her in the mood.

―traduced by MZ, 29 April 2009

Vladimir Ufliand, 21 January 1937 – 14 April 2007

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From:[info]elbom
Date:April 30th, 2009 02:42 am (UTC)
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What a beautiful illustration!
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From:[info]larvatus
Date:April 30th, 2009 05:24 am (UTC)
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Patent drawings are literally an entartete Kunst.
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From:[info]_78_
Date:April 30th, 2009 10:12 am (UTC)
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Здорово!
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From:[info]larvatus
Date:April 30th, 2009 10:22 am (UTC)
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Спасибо!
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From:[info]sensanome
Date:April 30th, 2009 05:58 pm (UTC)
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Damn! I'm so jealous! Nicely done.

why didn't you keep them female in the first stanza?
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From:[info]larvatus
Date:April 30th, 2009 06:08 pm (UTC)
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Thanks muchly.

I have my issues with rendering the first stanza. But who but Woman be female therein?
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From:[info]sensanome
Date:April 30th, 2009 06:36 pm (UTC)
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Why, female are замечено and Женщина.
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From:[info]larvatus
Date:April 30th, 2009 06:54 pm (UTC)
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If you mean a feminine rhyme, I hadn’t attempted that order of isomorphism. But now that you mention it, the alternation of genders in the first stanza has an effect not to be found in my Englishing. Thanks for pointing it out. I’ll have to think this over.
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From:[info]larvatus
Date:June 3rd, 2009 07:23 am (UTC)
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Well, I am at a loss. Got any ideas?
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From:[info]sensanome
Date:June 4th, 2009 02:22 pm (UTC)
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hm... frankly, on second thought, i'd rather not mess with it.
From:[info]nickel1
Date:May 2nd, 2009 02:47 am (UTC)

;Q)

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!
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From:[info]piony
Date:May 10th, 2009 07:21 pm (UTC)
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Smooth translation, but less lyrical.
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From:[info]larvatus
Date:May 10th, 2009 07:30 pm (UTC)
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“Man’s got to know his limitations.” © 1973 Harry Callahan
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From:[info]obzor_inolit
Date:June 3rd, 2009 07:06 am (UTC)

спасибо!

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хм... вот откуда шланги растут у водолазов Леонида Тишкова - из Уфлянда...
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From:[info]larvatus
Date:June 3rd, 2009 07:20 am (UTC)

Re: спасибо!

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Спасибо Вам за ссылку.
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