Best "Thus Spoke [Spake] Zarathustra" Translation

[PierceAndPierce]

I know there are many Nietzsche readers in this forum. I've recently been looking into reading "Thus Spoke Zarathustra." However I can't decide on which translation I should read. The two translations / versions available at my bookstore are:

1) Penguin Classics, translated by RJ Hollingdale
2) Wordsworth Classics, translated by Thomas Common

My limited understanding of English translators of Nietzsche tells me that Walter Kaufmann is the preeminent translator of his work. However, I did not see a copy of his translation at my local bookstore. However, I do want to know if 1) there is a Walter Kaufmann translation, and 2) Is that the best translation out there?

Thanks a bunch. And sorry I do not have much informative to say - yet.

[Michaelson]

1) a google of "kauffman+zarathustra" appears to indicate the answer is no.

2) Redundant.

[PierceAndPierce]

[ QUOTE ]
1) a google of "kauffman+zarathustra" appears to indicate the answer is no.

2) Redundant.

[/ QUOTE ]

Alright, well what about first question?

IE:

WHICH ONE out of the two NON-KAUFMAN translations is better?

That being what I'm really asking. But if you want to give a smart alecky reply, that's fine too.

[madnak]

Well, actually, yes there is a Kaufmann translation.

The only version of Zarathustra I've read is the Kaufmann translation in The Portable Nietzsche, so I don't really have much basis for comparison. I haven't really read much of Nietzsche that wasn't Kaufmann in general. I also find his commentary insightful, but maybe I should look into some other translations at some point - though frankly I'd almost rather just learn German and read the original stuff.

So. I can't speak from experience on Thomas Common and R. J. Hollingdale, but it looks like either of them should be okay. Personally I'd recommend Hollingdale because he did his work post-WW2, worked with Kaufmann, and helped restore Nietzsche's image. A quick google reveals little about Common, but I know the early translations were plagued by input from Nietzsche's sister, a raging anti-Semite. I don't know how much that would be reflected in Common's Zarathustra translation, but I would prefer the more recent version just to be safe. Also it would probably have more extensive commentary and more modern language.

[Siegmund]

Reading any one translation, no matter which one, of a foreign-language work, is dangerous. You will never know for sure whether you're reading the original author's intended meaning, or the translator's personal spin on it.

My standard advice for people reading something like this is to have two translations handy at all times, and when you come upon something those two translators handle very differently, consult a third translation and/or a friend who knows the original language and can give you some insight into it.

(I was 'the friend' who had to help someone choose translations of Rainer Maria Rilke poetry last spring... was kind of a fun adventure.)

[NobodysFreak]

If you can only read English, I would highly recommend the Kaufmann translations. He keeps the tone, sarcasm, and satire of Nietzsche's work alive. However, if you can read a second language (mainly German or French), I'd recommend reading them instead. I can't recommend any particular foreign translation, but both the German and French texts I've read maintain Nietzsche's emotional tone much better than Kaufmann's translations in English.

Mainly, my only complaint about Kaufmann is that he largely ignores Nietzsche's personal life and his emotional state. As far as I've been able to find, this is a major pitfall of just about every English translation.