What all the articles we’ve read for class so far taught me is that there’s a lot more work that goes into translating than what I originally expected. Like what Hirano says, I assumed it was a mechanical process of translating and then editing grammar and some words to make the sentences flow better, as I used to read a lot of fan-translated web novels online and that is what they sound like. However, translators need to have a strong understanding of both languages’ cultures and nuances as well as a strong understanding of the book’s characters and the author’s intentions/stylistic choices in order to make informed decisions in their translations. Understanding the author’s style and intentions is something I need to work on because I feel like I am, in regards to literature, tone-deaf and style-blind in languages other than English. This is most likely due to having a weak grasp of those languages.
It’s always quite enlightening to read a translator’s direct translation along with their altered translations and seeing how big of a difference adding or taking away words can make. I really enjoyed reading Hirano’s thought processes for her translations and her reasoning for why she decided to go with certain words/sentences over others. It’s also interesting to see the wide range of options translators can choose from just depending on which one works the best in that situation, what the author prefers, or the translator’s own style.
Hirano mentions consulting with authors while working on translations and I remember Gabriel, in one of the interviews, saying that he’s fortunate to work with authors who are still alive as he has the option of asking the author for clarification. This leads me to wonder what translators who can’t contact the respective authors of the works they’re translating do in those situations.
Lesley
No comments:
Post a Comment