I had an idea for an experiment a while back in which we would get ten editors and hand them all the same translated novel. Five would be told that it was a translation (and a translation from Chinese, at that); the other five would be given a nearly identical, but "familiarized" text (in which, e.g., Wang Jianguo becomes Jack White). My suspicion, looking at many of the translations that make their way into print, is that people have the sense that Chinese just "sounds" awkward, even in Chinese, and that relatively little editing is done. It'd be nice to be proven wrong.

Brendan, October 29, 2009, 12:35p.m.

Quote of the Week:

I have come to the conclusion, recently, that much of the art of translation (and translation editing) lies simply in “making a text sound like it was actually meant to sound the way it sounds." (from Dalkey Archive, above)

Bruce, October 30, 2009, 12:38a.m.

Wondering how to get useful training for a career as a professional literary translator? The Dalkey article suggests:

"The 'experience' would include the following: 1) helping to edit translations that are submitted to the publisher (my view is that a translator learns a great deal about translation when having to edit other people’s translations); 2) do sample translations and reader’s reports for books that the publishing house is considering; 3) learn how to work with foreign publishing houses and agents to find potential works to be translated; 4) do their first book-length translation that will then be published by this publishing house so that they will then have a work to show other publishers; 5) have the opportunity to work closely with the editors at the publishing house on this translation; 6) become familiar with and introduced to a range of people in the “business” (editors, funders, agents, reviewers, bookstores) with whom they will have to work in the future (this would best be done through a kind of ongoing seminar that would consist of bringing such people in throughout the year and allowing the translators to hear about translations from their point of view)."

Bruce, October 30, 2009, 2:55a.m.

If that sounds like an oddly specific (and unlikely) set of "recommendations", it's because he's describing a new fellowship the Dalkey Archive set up, in which young translators spend a good chunk of time at Dalkey, doing a translation and participating in the publishing process. 2009 was the first year for this program, and I've asked them to update us when they've got an application date for next year; in the meantime here's a description of the program.

And I agree, Bruce, that was probably the best bit out of the whole talk.

Eric Abrahamsen, October 30, 2009, 5:18a.m.