The Hermes Complex: Philosophical Reflections on Translation

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tHE HErmes COmpLEX Charles Le Blanc Translated by Barbara Folkart Philosophical Reflections on Translation tHE HErmes COmpLEX And so it fell to HeRmeS to serve the gods as their deathless messeNger. A place on OlYmpus was now his, but not the right to speak on his own initiative. He was to live henceforth at the behest of the other gods, serving them as the faithful carrier of their words. In handing over his lYre to Apollo, Hermes had unwiTTinglY enTered inTo serviTude. DeaThless , he was To spend his immorTaliTY delivering messages for The gods. So iT was ThaT he losT his freedom: bound henceforTh To reiTeraTe, repeaT, and recapiTulaTe The words of oThers, he could no loNger, TragicallY, imbue The words he uTTered wiTh The supreme qualiTY of liberTY —UnpredicTabiliTY. All his labours, all his sTrivings, his everY reflecTion on The sTaTe To which he had been reduced would henceforTh have one and onlY one aim: recover The liberTY he had losT, reasserT his own voice Through his own words, insinuaTe himself inTo The messages he delivers, Take back from Apollo The lYre of which he had made a gifT. ...