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Critique: Journal of Socialist

Theory
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Translator's preface
a
John‐Paul Himka
a
University of Alberta
Published online: 08 Nov 2007.

To cite this article: John‐Paul Himka (1991) Translator's preface, Critique: Journal
of Socialist Theory, 18:1, 5-6, DOI: 10.1080/03017609108413333

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03017609108413333

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Translator's Preface

This translation was made from the second German edition of Roman
Rosdolsky's Zur nationalen Frage: Friedrich Engels und das Problem der
"geschichtslosen" Volker (Berlin-Vienna: Olle & Wolter, 1979). I have
checked all of Rosdolsky's citations against the original sources, since he
completed the work without access to proper libraries and often had to rely
on notes and memory. This English edition therefore corrects errors still to
be found in the second German edition. Where Rosdolsky introduces
quotations from Slavic-language sources, I have translated from the origi-
nal rather than from the German version. When possible, I use and refer
readers to standard English translations, particularly of the works of Marx
and Engels; however, I have taken the liberty to modify these as necessary
to accommodate the context of Rosdolsky's argument, to convey the origi-
nal more accurately or to accord with stylistic conventions adopted
throughout the translation. Following the accepted practice in
English-language historical writing, East European place names are given
in the language of the country in which the places are currently located;
thus Gdansk, not Danzig, and Lviv, not Lemberg or Lw6w (exceptions are
places that have well-established English names, such as Warsaw or
Prague). I have compiled the Bibliography of works cited which closes the
volume. At the suggestion of the author's widow, Dr. Emily Rosdolsky, I
have omitted what appeared as Appendix II in the original text; this brief
section had dealt with Stalin's statements of the 1930s on theoretical
aspects of the national question and had only a tenuous connection to the
rest of the monograph. It should be noted that, in a departure from the
usage generally prevailing, emphases in quotations usually stem from
Rosdolsky himself rather than from the author cited.
I am profoundly grateful to Dr. Emily Rosdolsky for checking and
rechecking my translation and offering valuable stylistic and editorial
suggestions. What shortcomings still remain are mine alone. I would also
 vi ENGELS AND NONHISTORIC PEOPLES
like to thank Dr. Bohdan Krawchenko of the University of Alberta; he
encouraged me in this work and facilitated its publication. I am grateful
too to those who helped me with the typing: Lydia Dugbazah, Khrystia
Kohut, Anhelyna Szuch and Lubomyr Szuch. Anhelyna Szuch also read
the entire manuscript and discussed it with me.

John-Paul Himka
University of Alberta
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