Volume 5, Number 12 · January 20, 1966
Translation
By Vladimir Nabokov
In response to The Strange Case of Pushkin and Nabokov (July 15, 1965)
To the Editors:
In a recent issue a correspondent alludes to the French rhyme:
Cet animal est très méchant:
Quand on l'attaque, il se défend.
For the benefit of my learned friends, I have devised 1. a paraphrase in English, 2. a fairly close English version, and 3. a very close Russian translation:
1.
This animal is very wicked:
Just see what happens if you kick it.
2.
This beast is very mean: in fact It will fight back, when it's attacked.
3.
Zhivótnoe sié=prezlòe suschestvo:
Oboronyáetsy, kol' trógayutevo.
Vladimir Nabokov
Montreux
Letters
February 17, 1966: J. Bronowski, Dangerous Animal
February 17, 1966: Edmund Wilson, Dangerous Animal