Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Arnold J. Pomerans was one of Britain's finest translators. He put many foreign writers on the international map by the very quality of his translations into English, which led to their translation into other languages. Far from being a literal translator, he would frequently read a page of the original carefully, put the book down, and render the text into exquisite idiomatic English. He said that a translator's job was to recreate in the image of the original, and his versions were often held to have improved on their original text.
Arnold Julius Pomerans, translator: born Königsberg, Germany 27 April 1920; married 1956 Erica White (one son, and one son deceased); died Polstead, Suffolk 30 May 2005.
Arnold J. Pomerans was one of Britain's finest translators. He put many foreign writers on the international map by the very quality of his translations into English, which led to their translation into other languages. Far from being a literal translator, he would frequently read a page of the original carefully, put the book down, and render the text into exquisite idiomatic English. He said that a translator's job was to recreate in the image of the original, and his versions were often held to have improved on their original text.
Arno Pomerans was born in Germany in 1920 and spent his childhood in Berlin, in Memel and in Yugoslavia. In 1936 he left Europe with his family and went to South Africa, but in 1948, unable to tolerate the regime there, he settled in the UK. In 1956 he married Erica White in Hampstead, north London, became a full-time translator, and they moved the next year to Suffolk, finding an old cottage in Polstead.
He translated brilliantly from most European languages, but had a particular affinity with Dutch. With Erica, who worked as his editor, he would deliver an almost perfect package to the publisher, complete with useful annotation regarding people and places. Among the almost 200 he translated were Louis de Broglie, Jules Romain, Jan Huizinga, Werner Heisenberg, Anne Frank, Sigmund Freud, Jean Piaget, Hugo Claus, Vincent Van Gogh and George Grosz. He had a particular feel for the language of psychoanalysis and translated the work of many analysts in addition to Freud. Anna Freud said of him that he made the best renditions of her father's work.
An engaging figure, of puckish charm and wit, Pomerans was a notable presence for many years at the Frankfurt Book Fair and made several productive visits to the Translators' House in Amsterdam.
Mark Paterson
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments