Translation issues on Sartre. AI

Grok

What was said to be inadequate with Barnes' translation of Sartre's Being and Nothingness, and what are criticisms of Richmond's?

Inadequacies of Hazel Barnes' Translation of Being and Nothingness

Hazel Barnes' 1956 English translation of Jean-Paul Sartre's L'Être et le néant (published as Being and Nothingness) has been widely regarded as a pioneering effort that introduced Sartre's existential philosophy to English-speaking audiences, but it has faced significant criticism for inaccuracies, mistranslations, and overall inadequacies that distort key philosophical concepts. It was considered long overdue for replacement due to these issues, which stemmed partly from the translation being rushed amid Barnes' heavy teaching load, illness, and lack of publisher support for thorough proofreading. Specific problems include:

jstor.org

lrb.co.uk

Mistranslations of key terms: For instance, Barnes rendered "motif" as "cause," which conflicts with Sartre's arguments against determinism and his views on freedom, as it implies causality in conscious acts where Sartre intended a non-causal "reason." Similarly, "psychique" (referring to psychic phenomena) was inadequately handled, leading to confusion in discussions of consciousness.

orca.cardiff.ac.uk

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Factual errors and inversions: A 1987 checklist by the British Society for Phenomenology documented numerous errors, such as translating "être lâche" as "being courageous" instead of "being cowardly," and "devant être" as "being beforehand" rather than "having to be." These reversals and inaccuracies altered the meaning of Sartre's text.

lrb.co.uk

Awkward phrasing and lack of nuance: The translation often failed to capture Sartre's philosophical subtleties, resulting in dense, unfriendly prose that made the work harder to grasp. Barnes herself later acknowledged that the work could have been far better with an additional five to ten years of refinement, but it was published to meet a timely demand.

amazon.com

lrb.co.uk

These flaws contributed to misunderstandings of Sartre's ideas on topics like bad faith, freedom, and consciousness, though the translation remained the standard for over six decades.

Criticisms of Sarah Richmond's Translation of Being and Nothingness

Sarah Richmond's 2018 translation has been overwhelmingly praised for its accuracy, clarity, and improvements over Barnes' version, making Sartre's complex text more accessible while correcting historical errors and incorporating modern scholarly insights. It benefits from access to Sartre's original sources (via the internet), addresses neologisms, gender issues in French, and includes helpful notes and an introduction. Specific improvements include translating "motif" as "reason" to better align with Sartre's anti-deterministic stance.

berghahnjournals.com

However, some minor criticisms have emerged:

Over-respectfulness to the original: In certain places, the translation is seen as too faithful to Sartre's French, potentially preserving redundancies, linguistic laxity, or awkward constructions without enough adaptation for smoother English readability.

lrb.co.uk

Overall, criticisms are sparse and mild compared to the acclaim, with reviewers describing it as "breathtaking," "exemplary," and an "indispensable tool" for scholars and general readers alike. chevaliersbooks.com

newsroom.taylorandfrancisgroup.com