I love this list, this community is solid. Haven't posted much to it, but I read it faithfully.
I learned how to stream from the many good people hereon. I thank them for the freeflow of
information.
Don't ask me why, but I thought some of you might be interested in the following:
A couple of years ago I translated the Olympic Hymn by Costis Palamas from Greek to English. I
thought the translation was rather good, even had some compliments. So, I sent the Athens
Olympics Organizing Committee a copy. I did not hear back from them. Then, I contacted the IOC,
by roundabout means (their web site technical administrators) and the IOC did respond after a few
months. A Marienne Chappuis from their Legal Department told me that the IOC was not currently
in need of an updated translation of the Olympic Hymn. Her exact words were: "This is in
follow-up to your correspondence to the IOC with respect to the new translation from Greek into
English that you propose for the Olympic Anthem. Please note that, although the IOC has studied
with much interest
your proposal, the IOC still considers that the Official Translation of the Olympic Anthem is the
one that was adopted in 1957." [I posted her exact initial message to an academic Classics list:
http://omega.cohums.ohio-state.edu:8080/hyper-lists/classics-l/01-12-01/0366.html plus I have
copies of her messages] Now, when I questioned her on what criteria the decision had been based,
she
repeated herself and didn't provide me with any details. Well, my translation with full credits
can be found online at: http://fp.gnosis.f9.co.uk/olympics/ (scroll to just before the bottom of
that page or simply click on the anchor link to the Official Olympic Anthem (Greek & English)
The person who posted it on that page is completely unknown to me, I've never met them. They
borrowed the translation (with my permission) from a web page I once maintained (but have since
taken down for some unknown reason even to myself).
Interestingly enough (despite the snubs from the IOC and ATHOC), yesterday, BY ACCIDENT I
discovered that the British Olympic Association is using my translation of the OLYMPIC HYMN on
their web site (and God knows where else!), but they have NOT included my name as the translator!
nor was I even informed! To see the poem:
http://www.olympics.org.uk/olympicmovement/olympicmovement.asp
about 2/3 of the way down the page.
One covincing bit of proof that the translation belongs to me is a forwarded message I sent
(signed with a digital certificate on Aug 7, 2001) which contains a copy of my original
translation and which I subsequently modified only very slightly (changed the word "of" to "in"
and I removed an "and") but it is recognizably my translation in its pre-final form. [A copy of
the original digitally certified message containing the poem that I had sent to the publisher
Aristide Caratzas on Aug 21, 2001 regarding my translation can be viewed at:
https://maillists.uci.edu/mailman/public/mgsa-l/2003-January/001347.html
The other gentleman, one Leon Leonidou, who had legally posted my translation to his website with
my permission (mentioned above: http://fp.gnosis.f9.co.uk/olympics/) had this to say when I sent
him an email yesterday apprising him of the situation:
----------------
Dear Sotiris
I had a look at their website and the translation they have there it is
indeed your translation. I can confirm what happened if I am asked to do so.
This is unbelievable!!!
Regards
Leon Leonidou
-----------------
A further example of evidence that it is my translation is the explanation I gave about my work
when questioned about the translation after I had posted it to the Classics-L list on Wed Aug 08
2001: http://omega.cohums.ohio-state.edu:8080/hyper-lists/classics-l/01-09-01/0287.html
Now, yesterday (before I discovered the copyright violation by the BOA), I got a call from a man
who identified himself as Philip Barker of Sky (Sports) Television UK. He was interested in my
translation of the Olympic Hymn, and he asked me why I thought the Hymn had been kept in
obscurity for so many years, between 1896 and 1957 when it was officially adopted by the IOC. We
had a
chat, and when we disconnected, I just chalked it up to another interested party who had run
across my translation (as it's happened before). But something tells me that wasn't a
coincidence... this sort of thing never is.
I am truly appalled at the action of the British Olympic Association vis a vis my translation of
the Olympic Hymn. Most especially when one considers how zealously the various official Olympic
organizations champion the cause of their so-called "Intellectual Property"...
Plagiarism. Pure and simple. Whatever happened to Olympic ideals and ethics? What a pity,
especially when all they had to do was ask. Although, I will admit, somewhere beneath my
righteous and justified indignation and hurt, I am slightly flattered. But I'm still VERY pissed
off and offended!
Sincerely,
Sotiris Sotiropoulos
P.S. For posterity's sake, here's another look:
The Olympic Hymn
Ancient immortal spirit, pure father
Of the beautiful, the great and the true,
Descend, appear, and emblaze this place
With the glory of your own earth and sky.
In the race, the grappling, and the toss,
Kindle the impulse in all noble contests,
Crown with the perennial wreath,
And fashion the steely and worthy body.
Plains, mountains, and seas glow in your presence
Like some great clear porphyrous shrine,
And every nation hurries here to your temple
In supplication, ancient immortal spirit.
Costis Palamas (1859-1942)
Translation by: Sotiris Sotiropoulos,
Canada )2001
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