Translating onomatopoeia from Japanese is definitely hard due to the frequent lack of English equivalents, notably ones that are not based on sound, but simply the energy and the context behind the word itself. Carpenter however seems to take fun in tackling this problem. She was able to put into words how to differentiate the meaning behind the example of waku waku and doki doki. The former containing pure excitement, and the other with a little bit of anticipation mixed into it. It is kind of similar to explaining the differences between synonyms, except for the fact that there really isn't a concrete definition of onomatopoeic expressions in Japanese, as opposed to verbs or nouns or anything else.
I find it interesting how in all the readings that we have done so far, almost all of the translators included an analogy about what translating is like for them, and Carpenter is no different. She puts translating as giving life to a coloring book, and expresses her joy in the freedom of rearranging the image as long as the point gets across. I can't help but compare this to Seidensticker's perspective that translators should be perfect "counterfeiters" from a few readings ago. Both acknowledge the necessity of passing the meaning when translating yet they hold different opinions on how much faithful the final product needs to be.
The interview with Carpenter gave me a lot of insight into the production of a translated book and the collaborative effort required. As someone who finds writing several drafts tedious at times, I'm impressed by the sheer effort and willpower to accurately translate every single sentence while making it flow smoothly, in addition to the assertiveness of seeking help when encountering a roadblock. Putting three years to translate a novel really goes to show how dedicated they were.
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