Vladimir Nabokov on Translation

I've used the phrase:

"Cet animal est tres méchant;
Quand on l'attaque il se défend."

a couple times, once to describe the FT's Izabella Kaminska when a writer at another news organization picked a Twitter fight with her and once to describe the Indian soldiers being attacked by the Chinese at the Line of Actual Control in June.
As noted in the outro from the latter:

...The quote at the top depends on the translation of méchant for the degree of animosity implied. I'm going with naughty but it can also translate as bad or wicked:

"This animal is very naughty
When one attacks it, it defends itself"

The ironic warning that may go as far back as Lactantius (but definitely La Ménagerie, 1868)

Well Lo and Behold, a friend sent this along some time after I used the quote.
From the New York Review of Books:

Translation

Vladimir Nabokov
January 20, 1966 Issue

In response to:
The Strange Case of Pushkin and Nabokov from the July 15, 1965 issue
To the Editors:
In a recent issue a correspondent alludes to the French rhyme:

Cet animal est très méchant:
Quand on l’attaque, il se défend.

For the benefit of my learned friends, I have devised 1. a paraphrase in English, 2. a fairly close English version, and 3. a very close Russian translation:

1.

This animal is very wicked:
Just see what happens if you kick it.

2.

This beast is very mean: in fact
It will fight back, when it’s attacked.

3.

Zhivótnoe sié=prezlòe suschestvo:
Oboronyáetsy, kol’ trógayutevo.

Vladimir Nabokov
Montreux

Letters

Dangerous Animal February 17, 1966
Dangerous Animal February 17, 1966

Well there you go.