ONE cannot hope to understand an author if one cannot even pronounce his name," Vladimir Nabokov has observed. The point, originally made about Nikolai Gogol (pronounced Gaw-gol), applies to Nabokov himself. Over the years he has repeatedly complained about the damage inflicted on the Nabokov name in its passage through foreign ports of articulation. Nabokov, Nabokov, Nah-bo-kov, are frequent errors. Rare mutations, he reports, include Nahba-cocoa and Na-bob-kopf. The correct sound, says the man who made the name famous, is Nahboakoff. Slipping on the mask of a straight face for an instant, he continues: "Vladeemir, as in 'redeemer.' "
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