Pavel Blann Aug 5, 2006:

Hi Cimet, the interesting is his use of "vůbec" (any, ever, never) then. When used with a verb in Czech, it should be in a negative form. Since he used a positive verb form, "konečně" (finally) should have been used instead of vůbec.

Cimet (asker) Aug 5, 2006:

Hi Pavel. No the letter is definitely in Czech. He wrote quite a lot in Czech to his Czech speaking friends and colleagues, including this letter to his brother-in-law Josef, who was also Czech.

Pavel Blann Aug 4, 2006:

Everything you read in Kafka is true, and more ;) BTW, was this sentence written by Kafka in Czech? He used to write in German so this Czech sentence may already be a translation...

Cimet (asker) Aug 4, 2006:

Hey, Pavel, that's very true. But my sense is that Kafka's being sarcastic or funny here to his brother-in-law. This Vogel guy hates football and writes about it and Kafka sarcastically points to the stupidity of Vogel by saying, this guy wrote another anti-Football article, maybe now, (that he's written this idiotic polemic, he'll have convinced the football loving masses and) football will finally go away.

Maybe I'm reading to much into this one sentence, but I think it may say a lot about Kafka's relation to sports.

Pavel Blann Aug 4, 2006:

I just tried to invent the most idiomatic trans. you wanted: games are being played (by players), they don't just stop or cease to exist by themselves.

Pavel Blann Aug 4, 2006:

Hi Cimet, you're right. The literal translation of the 2nd sentence is: so now perhaps, soccer will finally stop (or: cease to exist).

Cimet (asker) Aug 4, 2006:

Thanks LinguaChick and Pavel! Pavel, I wonder though if the second clause is meant to be passive: soccer won't be played, or active: soccer will cease to be. Also, I think "football won't be played anymore" strikes me as a little awkward...

lingua chick Aug 3, 2006:

Hi, Cimet! You have a point. Indeed, looking at the German translation, it does appear to be a slightly sarcastic statement. Comparing the Czech, German and English versions, it could well mean that "football will die out after all!"

Cimet (asker) Aug 3, 2006:

Problem with the German Trans... The German translation of this letter implies a sort of sarcasm. ,,Professor Vogel schreibt dort wieder gegen den Fußball, vielleicht hört der Fußball jetzt überhaupt auf.’’ Could the second clause mean something more like, "Maybe, now, football will die out after all" as in the German?