ABSTRACT
Indeed, who would dare to undertake a project like this without fear! Should it not then be someone who has enough expertise in this kind of work, and whose name would suggest to us that he is capable of this heroic labour? In this case, some unknown people (people who insist on remaining unknown!) have embarked on the translation of – whom would you expect? – Goethe! More than that, they have announced that the translation will come out in installments, as if it were a collection of pictures! This diverse giant, this Proteus, with his elusive language and ideas, would be cooked to order, chopped up, and served to Russian readers on a literary plate, like a steak! Of course, if we assume that even the worst translator of a great writer is doing us a favour, we should stop criticizing and maybe even thank the translators of Goethe’s works. May God bless them with strength, patience, and readers!
