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Kotzebue's Strictures on Mr. Hoppner's

STRICTURES оп an

ENGLISH TRANS LATION of CAPTAIN KRUSENSTERN's VOYAGE ROUND the world, by r. B.

HOPPNER, ESQ.

To the Editor of the New Monthly Magazine.
SIR,

IT is a painful task for a German, the author of these observations, who loves and esteems the English, to be obliged to rise up against a writer of that nation: the justice, however, of his cause, must plead his excuse. He aims at placing truth in its proper point of view: he aims at defending a friend unjustly attacked, whose generous modesty prevents him from doing it himself: and finally, he aims at supporting the honour of the literati of Germany, who, having unanimously pronounced on Captain Krusenstern's work, find their judgment reversed by the sentence of Mr. Hopp

ner.

These motives have induced me to state my sentiments of the translation in question, flattering myself I have some tittle to confidence as it regards the German language.

I shall abstain from touching those objects that are little known to me; but I conceive it my duty to use, in my remarks respecting those which come within the sphere of my knowledge, so much the less reserve, as they are intended to destroy any false impressions, arising out of the errors which the translator has presumed to spread abroad through the English public.

Europe is inundated with bad translations, not deemed worthy of censure, as they manifest nothing but ignorance, and ignorance merits compassion; but when joined to arrogance, as in this instance, it becomes truly disgusting, and force dissatisfaction: for, from Buonaparte down to Hoppuer, nothing on earth is so unpardonable as impudence. It is more shocking, in the present case, as the urbanity which English, scholars have constantly exhibited towards their German brethren, is habitually engraved on our memories; and here arrogance stands forth without one atom of merit to veil its nakedness. I therefore accuse Mr. Hoppner before his own countrymen; and maintain, that he does not understand German, that he is ignorant of what he has translated,-that his translation presents inaccuracies in almost every page:-that he is guilty of omissions, that he makes the most ridiculous blunders, and that he does not even strive to disguise all these defects

[Aug. 1,

by beauty of style, but his sole aim is to impose upon us by the most arrogant pretensions. Here are my proofs.

In the first place, I declare, that having no knowledge whatever of the art of navigation, I shall not attempt to attack the numberless faults he has committed on that head; but I know Captain Krusenstern will not fail to unfold them in due time; when it will be seen how false is the opinion of him excited by the in ability of his translator. All that is foreign to this part shall be exposed in these observations, and in as few words as possible: for if I were to notice every inconsistency coming from the pen of Mr. Hoppner, I should unnecessarily fatigue my readers. It suffices to prove, that England is not yet in possession of a faithful translation of Krusenstern's Voyage; for it would surely be an offence to that navigator, as well as the English nation, to consider the miserable production of Mr. Hoppner in this light.

Not to trouble the good humour of the reader in such a disagreeable affair, I shall begin to amuse him a little at Mr. Hoppner's expense.

A telescope of three feet is called by him, a telescope with tripod and equatorial motions. He transforms sea-otters into seals. The secular Emperor of Japan, is called by him the Western Emperor, probably because in Germany secular is weltlich, aud western is westlich, differing only in the letters S and L. Not to speak of ignorance of language, this error proves him likewise ignorant of the subject. A man who translates a book concerning Japan, ought at least to know it is governed by two emperors, but that they are neither those of the east nor of the west. In a chapter on Kamschatka, Captain Krusenstern remarks, speaking of the soldiers he found there, that it would be very difficult to recog nize, in their pale and haggard features, the brothers in arms of the heroes of Rimnic and Trebbia, two fields of battle, rendered famous, as every one knows, by the valour of the Russian troops; but Mr. Hoppner makes two heroes of them, namely, Von Rimnic and Von Trebbia, the descendants of whom are the soldiers of Kamschatka.

"After so much cruel experience," itranslated by him, after trying innumerable cruelties. Copecks, well known to be a Russian coin, be transforms into cops; and to judge by the sense of the phrase, we should take them for the money of Brazil. In the chapter where Capt. Krusenstern speaks of the island

1814.]

Translation of Krusenstern's Voyage.

of St. Helena, he has adopted a typographical fault that might have easily escaped the corrector, as it depends upon one single letter: if Mr. Hoppner had been well acquainted with what he was translating, and we have certainly a right to exact this of a translator, he would not have fallen into such an error.

Not to fatigue the reader, I shall cite only one blunder more of the grossest kind:-In the Introduction (page xxiv) Capt. Krusenstern says, Vessels leaving the Baltic, bound to the north-west coast of America, should double Cape Horn. In Germany, the Baltic is called Fast Sea, (Ostsee) which is well known to every one but Mr. Hoppner: he, likewise is ignorant that Englishmen designate by the name of Eastern Sea or Eastern Ocean, only the north part of the Great Pacific Ocean; and he makes this the point of departure for vessels on a voyage, which only could be imagined by a Bedlamite, "that ships should be tent to the East Sea round Cape Horn or the Cape of Good Hope, to the northwest coast of America."

We should pardon faults of this nature, as they at least possess the advantage of amusing us, if the translation were faithful in other respects, (as he fatters himself with great assurance) but we shall see from the following examples-Page 4.-It is said in the original, that it was thought the object of the embassy, after its arrival in Japan, might be accomplished in two months, translated, "that the voyage of the vessel Andeshda, carrying the embassy, would finish in two months," (the Nadeshda was to convey the embassy, which, it was supposed, might be done in a couple of months, to Japan !)

Page 103, Mr. Hoppner, instead of placing the American Company in a situation to animate its commerce, wishes to bring its commercial relations into crent as soon as possible.

Page 112, and in many other places, it has pleased Mr. Hoppner extremely mel apropos, to commence a new period, where, in the original, the sense was not quite finished.

Page 115, false representation is rendered by improper terms; and, to interrupt work, by to neglect work.

Page 124, the state of the mind. (Gemather) by public mind,

Page 133, Pantomime, by Grimaces. Page 168, the words," although there may exist some causes," by although

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there should be no other sufficient reason for it,"—which again disfigures the sense.

Page 176, Savage nature, is transformed into passions'

Page 196, Situation or position, in a moral sense (Zustand) by circumstances. Page 215, An infusion of wild garlic in water, becomes with him, the water in which wild garlic is preserved.

Page 296, To dispose or order any thing to be done, is rendered by instituted.

Page 130, Capt. Krusenstern says, "It is only in case of extreme urgency, one would have recourse to such a physician or such remedies. Mr. Hoppner corrects him by translating, "that it is only the wealthy inhabitants who can have recourse to medical assistance." Capt. Krusenstern continues, “What choice then is left?" Mr. Hoppner, What then is left for poor people? Capt. Krusenstern says, at Kamschatka they will long remember Doctor Espenberg: according to Mr. Hoppner, he lives only in the memory of the poor. Capt. Krusenstern says, his assistance was useful at three different epochs; but according to Mr. Hoppner, it was only on three different occasions.

Page 232, Capt. Krusenstern says, his disgraceful conduct constantly involved his chief in trouble, and cast an unmerited stigma on the character of his country; which Mr. Hoppner translates, "and the only regular checks upon his conduct, were so many marks of disgrace inflicted on him, which involved his chief in constant trouble, while they cast an unmerited stigma on the character of his country."

Page 281, The uncertainty of future proceedings, is rendered by "the uncertainty of our movements."

Page 295, A man of such illiberal feelings, as Pouquiqua was at a loss to comprehend this generous declaration, and answered by a shake of the head, is thus translated, "Pouquiqua answered these expressions, which could not however produce much sensation in him, merely by a shake of the head."

Page 305, What made us admire the Chinese, is explained by that which has brought us acquainted with the Chinese.

Page 809, Mr. Boppner was shocked at a desperate combat, and preferred making it a doubtful one.

Without doubt it will be thought I have taken great pains to extract every mark of ignorance from this translation,

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Kotzebue's Strictures on Mr. Hoppner's

to prove it to be unfaithful: for a work in two volumes, that contains no more, cly merits some indulgence. But I only cite here examples taken at random, and without selection; their number might, without difficulty, be augmented an hundred fold. To shew them to the reader in more regular order, we will present him with an entire page, and nor oblige him to skip from leaf to leaf. For example:-page 5th of the first volume, Mr. Hoppner says, chamberlain, instead of counsellor: and according to him, the Japanese, found on the Aleutian Islands, were not thrown upon them by a tempest, but wire captured there. He forgets to mention that they had been at Irkutsk since the year 1797. lie calls a reiterated stay, a long stay. He pretends that the learned Doctor Tilesius was not called but recommended, and passes over in silence that he was from Leipsic. He forgets to mention the reason why one of the draughtsmen did not proceed on the voyage, which was no other than the want of room. In fine, he contends, that as several young gentlemen were to make this voyage at the expense of governmentCaptain Kruseastern "wished to occupy the spare room in the ship with such as might contribute to the improvement of science" whereas Capt. Krusenstern expressly says, "he formed that wish on perceiving a number of young gentlemen inclined to undertake the voyage merely for their pleasure." Behold the errors of one single page; and all the rest are not better. To prove this, vol. ii. page 201, the original reports that in a combat which took place at Sitga, several men were killed and wounded, without saying on which side. Mr. Hoppner is better instructed, and says decidedly it was on the side of the savages. He translates painful, by less dangerous useful, by profitable, and the words most interesting, are entirely omitted. These are certainly enough of faults in one page!

After all this, I think no one will doubt the badness of the production; but in order to convince the more effectually, we must add, that Mr. Hoppner has been guilty of a number of omissions, more or less important, of which the reader will see some as follows :—

Page 67. He omits that the astronomers of Europe rarely have occasion to make observations of the heavenly bodies in the southern hemisphere. P. 116, that the debasement of the female sex is general. P. 176, that the music and mu

[Aug. 1,

sical instruments of savages generally give a strong impression of their character. P. 219, that it is only the question of a country being susceptible of some cultivation.-Does Mr. Hoppner atone for all these errors by the charms of an agreeable style? As a foreigher, I shall not permit myself to pass a judgment farther than to say, that a book which offers in almost every line the conjunction and, and a loathsome repetition of the pronoun this, will never be allowed to be well written: it is what we do not find in the original.

After having exposed the incapacity of the translator, I have no fear of giving the English public a new cause of just dissatisfaction, by placing before them some proofs of the fulsome arrogance that characterizes the preface. It would be a melancholy model indeed on which to form our judgment of the politeness of the English scholar! but, no-the school-boy exercise of Mr. Hoppner can never acquire him that title. We often see impudence endeavouring to mask incapacity; it is, however, too common a stratagem to impose for a moment on an enlightened public.

Captain Krusenstern has written his voyage himself; a circumstance not to be forgotten. He possesses a virtue in common with most men of real merit, that of being too modest. We might apply to him what a great monarch once said of a celebrated general, who at court kept himself concealed behind one of the pillars of the door," that he was ashamed of his merit." It is modesty that dictated the motto which he put at the head of his work: “Les marins ecrivent mal;" and this is the only sentence in the book, as it regards himself, that is false. But what does Mr. Hoppner? He, who, as we have seen, knows very little of the German language, courageously asserts, that Capt. Krusenstern serves as an example of that motto. He reproaches him with an uncouth style, and a cold precision of expression, which must ever prevent him from ranking with some of the English navigators, "who in their descriptions and narratives have displayed a warmth of colouring, taste, and feeling, &c. &c." He assures us, he felt "that any improvement which might bring it nearer to other works of a similar nature, could only be effected by a similar alteration of the style, and the infusion of some little warmth of sentiment into those descriptive parts which would admit of it, without injury to the sense, or departure from the truth." For

1814.]

Translation of Krusenstern's Voyage.

this reason he deems it his duty not to give an amended translation, but a correct copy. We have already seen with what rigid correctness he has fulfilled his promise, and how many absurdities he has put into the mouth of the author. Capt. Krusenstern's aim was not to write a romance; he never aspired to clegance of style; he wrote with a view of giving an historical account of his voyage with clearness, simplicity, and truth, which made him cautious not to use that warmth of colouring, that is often illusive; and it is certain, that not a single connoisseur will refuse him the credit of having written his history well. Well written, is to say, conformably to the matter, without flowing language or studied phrases, but solidly, and with that simple dignity, which alone is the distinguishing attribute of history. When a person is confined to this rule, and has a dry subject to treat, the style must possess a certain portion of the dryness inseparable from the subject. To persuade Mr. Hoppner of this truth, he need not have recourse to Capt. Krusenstern's work; let him read the history of the Stuarts by the celebrated Mr. Fox. Moreover, that dryness is only to be perceived in those parts which treat of matters connected with navigation; and I verily believe that Sterne himself would not have thought of ornamenting them with warmth of colouring; all the rest engages not only the mind, but the imagination of the reader, as far as is permitted in a history without injury to truth. Above all, the work is pervaded by a spirit of candour and sincerity, which enchants every one except Mr. Hoppner, and which no reader would wish to exchange for the most brilliant colouring. This just tribute must not be considered as dictated by the friendship which connects me with the author: it is that of an impartial observer, who enjoying himself a certain portion of reputation in the republic of letters, voluntarily pledges it in support of the truth of his assertions: it is, in fine, that of a German, who knows his own language, against an Englishman, who is not capable of translating three lines of German without committing blunders.

We are led to believe that Mr. Hoppner was at last convinced of his own insufficiency; for he dared not translate the third volume; but assures us most ingenuously(hoping no one will contradict him in England) that it is superfluous. He acts in the same way respecting the Atlas, contenting himself by merely say NEW MONTHLY MAG.-No. 7.

:

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ing, that the plates are executed in an
indifferent manner, and maintaining, with
a presumption truly rare, that the book
has suffered no defect from the want of
them.* Alas! that he had not likewise
dispensed with translating the two first
volumes he would still have passed in
his own country for a man who under-
stood the German language.-The result
of these observations shews, that Mr.
Hoppner, in sailing round the world with
Capt. Krusenstern, has been most unfor
tunately shipwrecked, and his reputation
as a translator totally lost.
&c.

I am,

AUGUSTUS VON KOTZEBUE. The translator of the preceding observations, begs leave to subjoin a few of his own on Mr. Hoppner's preface.

Mr. Hoppner says, "when part of the work first arrived in this country from Berlin, where it was reprinted from the original, it was put into his hands rather for the purpose of his endeavouring to find a proper person to undertake the translation, than of any expectation that he should himself engage in the task. Failing, however, in this endeavour, and having seen a favourable and interesting account of the work in one of those periodical publications which, of all others, are best calculated for the general diffusion of knowledge, and one which, in its character and public estimation, ranks second to none, he was prevailed on to attempt it himself."

From this quotation, it is very evident that Mr. Hoppner felt conscious of his own inability, and he fairly confesses that his labours are but an attempt, which his vanity urged him to perform, after having seen a favourable and interesting account of the work in the Quarterly Review; and he translates the book, although he knows he is not a proper person to execute it faithfully. No wonder, then," he was not animated by any confident feelings of the success of his labours;" and it only asto

* We have it in our power to state the real cause of the suppression of these matecould not possibly be known to the writer of rial portions of Krusenstern's work, which

the above observations. It was occasioned lest this translation should be anticipated, by no other motive than the apprehension and, perhaps, even in part superseded, by the interesting narrative of the same voyage by Dr. Langsdorff, which, with its numerous engravings, was finished, through the industry of the translator and publisher, in as many weeks as the other had taken months.-EDITOR.

VOL. II.

E

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Mr. Boettiger on the German and French Languages. [Aug. 1,

nishes us, that, under those impressions,
he should have so little respect for the
public as to offer them such a lame apo-
logy for so miserable a performance.
The Quarterly Review is certainly too
impartial, and its reputation too well
established, to be moved by Mr. Hopp-
ner's flattery, or to need his support. He
blows hot and cold with the same breath,
and seems not aware that he detracts
from an author, of whom the reviewers,
by his own confession, have spoken
favourably; though we beg pardon for
placing their judgment in competition
with the learned Mr. Hoppner's. If
Capt. Krusenstern has verified the adage,
that "les marins ecrivent mal," Mr.
Hoppner has exemplified in his own per-
son, that lubbers write worse; and bad as
sailors write, I will venture to assert,
there is not a warrant-officer in his ma-
jesty's navy who would not blush to see
his name affixed to the relation of a voy-
age in the vulgar language, and worse
composition, of Mr. Hoppner. He com-
mences his preface in these words
"In offering to the public a translation
of A Voyage round the World, by Capt.
Krusenstern, &c." and we shall end our
remarks thus-If David had said unto
Nathan, "thou art a man," it would
have been an indefinite expression, con-
veying nothing more than his assent to
the existence of Nathan in the ordinary
form of a human being, as we do when
we consent to the existence of Mr.
Hoppner's book in the ordinary form of
a translation; but Nathan said unto
David, "thou art the man," which im-
plies a very different meaning; as we do,
when we say to Mr. Hoppner, thou art
the most arrogant, the most inaccurate,
and the most inelegant translator, that
ever disgraced the British press.
June, 1814.

For the New Monthly Magazine. OBSERVATIONS

on the GERMAN LANGUAGE. By CHARLES BOETTIGER, DIRECTOR of the ROYAL EQUESTRIAN ACADEMY at DRESDEN.

"THE first effort required of us was to shake off the French yoke, and this we have accomplished under Providence by the aid of the British trident and

Alexander's adamantine shield. Germany is at this moment in a purifying flame. Our next object is to emancipate ourselves by arms from the odious tyranny of France, and the Almighty will perhaps bless our exertions to effect this object also. But we have achieved nothing unless we overthrow the domina

tion of the French language in our terri tories, unless we unanimously and openly decree, that it shall cease to be the language of conversation in Germany. As soon as we have gained this victory over superannuated frivolity and coquettish vanity, the day of our glory will again dawn, and in a few generations we shall once more become a truly German nation. Do not the French labour, wherever they are masters, to root out and exterminate our language? Have not the Danes, a weak petty people, presumed to do the same? If, however, they ventured on such an attempt, it was only because we had not sufficient respect for ourselves."

Such are the sentiments of one of the most intrepid champions for whatever is most dear to Germany, of C. M. ARDNT, in one of his late popular publications, intituled, On National Hatred, and on the Use of a Foreign Language. Arndt is a man who does not hesitate to use the knife freely wherever he finds a cancer to be extirpated. In the work abovementioned he most clearly and satisfactorily developes the fundamental character of the French and German nations, the one of which is a talking, the other a thinking nation; he shews what the lat ter ought to do for their most valuable inheritance, their most distinguishing characteristic and rallying-point-for their language, and what incalculable advantages the French derived in their late unsuccessful attempt at subjugating their continental neighbours from the predominance of their language, promoted as it was in every possible way by the rulers, diplomatists, teachers, and higher classes among the latter. The ancient wish that all negociations should be carried on in Latin, or through the medium of interpreters, is here revived. The address to the women of Germany, wha contribute so powerfully to mould the sentiments of future generations, is truly impressive; and the observations on the two principal dialects, the Saxon and Allemannic, are shrewd, and evince an intimate acquaintance with the subject. It is to be hoped that they will not fail to produce a permanent effect.

He who purifies and improves a language, also polishes those who speak it, and richly deserves a civic crown. Kolbe of Dessau, whose graver has given us the most faithful copies of Gessner's designs, illustrative of his Idyls, and to whose pen we are indebted for an excellent work On the Copiousness of the French and German Languages, has truly

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