Have a look at the "Translator's Note" in the English edition. Alan Sheridan explains the title, and says that Foucault himself suggested Discipline and Punish
Stuart
Professor Stuart Elden
Geography Department
Durham University, Durham, DH1 3LE
https://www.dur.ac.uk/geography/staff/geogstaffhidden/?mode=staff&id=932 <https://www.dur.ac.uk/geography/staff/geogstaffhidden/?mode=staff&id=932>
Editor, Society and Space (Environment and Planning D)
http://www.envplan.com/D.html <http://www.envplan.com/D.html>
New Book - http://www.upress.umn.edu/Books/L/lefebvre_state.html
________________________________
From: foucault-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxx on behalf of Thomas PERROUD
Sent: Fri 08/05/2009 3:06 PM
To: Mailing-list
Subject: Re: [Foucault-L] Surveiller Et Punir translation
I must admit that as a French when i first head the English title i
was also a bit puzzled even if it sounds very good. Discipline seems
quite far from "Surveiller". A possibility would have been the verb
WATCH as in WATCHMAN, WATCHDOG and it would have capture the
panopticon idea.
The English title is very marketing.
But i think i read that Michel Foucault was not fond of his French
title either.
Thomas
Le 8 mai 09 à 15:33, David Shumway a écrit :
> The English translation is DISCIPLINE AND PUNISH, not "punishment."
> Both terms are verbs, but not infinitives as are those in the French
> title. There is no exact equivalent to "Surveiller" in English; it
> does
> not mean surveillance in the usual sense of that word in English.
> Moreover a title that used the exact cognates, "To survey and to
> punish," would neither be clear nor catchy. Thus the choice of present
> tense verbs, for which again, "survey" does not work. Finally, one
> could
> argue that the English title actually better reflects the focus of the
> book because "discipline" is a more important concept there than is
> surveillance.
>
> David
>
> Tamir Sorek wrote:
>> Hello,
>>
>> Does anyone can help me to solve the following puzzle: Why did Michel
>> Foucault ask to translate the title of his book "Surveiller Et
>> Punir" to
>> "Discipline and Punishment" in English, instead of "Surveillance and
>> Punishment"? Did he think that his French title was misunderstood?
>>
>> Thank you in advance for your help,
>>
>> Tamir Sorek
>>
>>
>>
>
> --
> David R. Shumway
> Professor of English, and Literary and Cultural Studies
> Director, the Humanities Center at Carnegie Mellon
>
> Department of English
> Carnegie Mellon University
> 5000 Forbes Ave.
> Pittsburgh, PA 15213
>
> 412-268-7176
> 412-268-7989 (fax)
>
> _______________________________________________
> Foucault-L mailing list
>
_______________________________________________
Foucault-L mailing list
Stuart
Professor Stuart Elden
Geography Department
Durham University, Durham, DH1 3LE
https://www.dur.ac.uk/geography/staff/geogstaffhidden/?mode=staff&id=932 <https://www.dur.ac.uk/geography/staff/geogstaffhidden/?mode=staff&id=932>
Editor, Society and Space (Environment and Planning D)
http://www.envplan.com/D.html <http://www.envplan.com/D.html>
New Book - http://www.upress.umn.edu/Books/L/lefebvre_state.html
________________________________
From: foucault-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxx on behalf of Thomas PERROUD
Sent: Fri 08/05/2009 3:06 PM
To: Mailing-list
Subject: Re: [Foucault-L] Surveiller Et Punir translation
I must admit that as a French when i first head the English title i
was also a bit puzzled even if it sounds very good. Discipline seems
quite far from "Surveiller". A possibility would have been the verb
WATCH as in WATCHMAN, WATCHDOG and it would have capture the
panopticon idea.
The English title is very marketing.
But i think i read that Michel Foucault was not fond of his French
title either.
Thomas
Le 8 mai 09 à 15:33, David Shumway a écrit :
> The English translation is DISCIPLINE AND PUNISH, not "punishment."
> Both terms are verbs, but not infinitives as are those in the French
> title. There is no exact equivalent to "Surveiller" in English; it
> does
> not mean surveillance in the usual sense of that word in English.
> Moreover a title that used the exact cognates, "To survey and to
> punish," would neither be clear nor catchy. Thus the choice of present
> tense verbs, for which again, "survey" does not work. Finally, one
> could
> argue that the English title actually better reflects the focus of the
> book because "discipline" is a more important concept there than is
> surveillance.
>
> David
>
> Tamir Sorek wrote:
>> Hello,
>>
>> Does anyone can help me to solve the following puzzle: Why did Michel
>> Foucault ask to translate the title of his book "Surveiller Et
>> Punir" to
>> "Discipline and Punishment" in English, instead of "Surveillance and
>> Punishment"? Did he think that his French title was misunderstood?
>>
>> Thank you in advance for your help,
>>
>> Tamir Sorek
>>
>>
>>
>
> --
> David R. Shumway
> Professor of English, and Literary and Cultural Studies
> Director, the Humanities Center at Carnegie Mellon
>
> Department of English
> Carnegie Mellon University
> 5000 Forbes Ave.
> Pittsburgh, PA 15213
>
> 412-268-7176
> 412-268-7989 (fax)
>
> _______________________________________________
> Foucault-L mailing list
>
_______________________________________________
Foucault-L mailing list