Creative Constraints

I’m a great fan of Italo Calvino, and I’m generally interested in Oulipo and similar literary movements. Sure, sometimes it seems too “shticky” (Jonathan Safran Foer springs to mind) but when done well, it can make you think about what literature is and what it could be. I recently read John McGreal’s novel The Book of IT, for example, which employs non-standard spelling and language as part of the method for telling the story. I gave a selection to my undergraduate literature students as a way of challenging them to think beyond the traditional style of literature and the typical ways of using language, and then I asked them to write a work with self-imposed constraints.

Oulipo and writers who work in that vein create artificial constraints for their writing. In a way, this is how translators always work – while a writer might decide to write a novel without a particular letter or based on, say, the five senses, our constraint as translators is the original text. This forces us to be very creative within the limits imposed by the writer. So while some of these literary movements seem very modern and daring, in fact they are doing what translators have always done, but what translators rarely get credit for.

It’s a Crime to Ignore Translation

Yes, we know how popular Stieg Larsson’s books have gotten and how people in English-speaking countries and elsewhere are suddenly becoming aware of Nordic crime fiction (note: they aren’t showing much interest in Nordic literary fiction, unfortunately), but it’s no surprise that articles about the phenomenon still fail to mention translation. Here’s a typical article on Larsson’s work and Nordic crime fiction in general. It does not include a word on how these books make it into English (or other languages) and onto the international market.

How can we educate the reading public, including book reviewers, about what translation is and what it involves?

Swedish References

I maintain a list of references on my main website and that prompted someone to let me know about this other list of mainly Swedish references. I also note that Sweden.se is tweeting a Swedish word each day at WordSweden. Are other countries doing the same with their languages?

Word Nerds ‘R’ Us

This list of the “50 Coolest Online Tools for Word Nerds” is definitely for me. It has links to references sites and sites where you can play games, among many other things. As a proud word nerd who plays Scrabble regularly and works with language on a daily basis, I enjoyed the list.

Job in Translation

I thought some of you might be interested in applying for this job. I teach at the University of East Anglia, which is where the British Centre for Literary Translation is based, and part of my job involves working with the BCLT as well. The BCLT is currently looking for an interim director. Here are the details:

INTERIM DIRECTOR, BRITISH CENTRE FOR LITERARY TRANSLATION
Ref: ALC173

£37,839 to £43,840 per annum

The School of Literature and Creative Writing is looking to recruit an Interim Director to oversee and manage implementation of the Centre's 2010-11 plan, and to liaise with members of the School, especially those working in Literature and Translation, and with a number of external bodies. You should have a relevant postgraduate degree and experience of funding applications, arts administration and events management, as well as knowledge of the literary translation community in the UK and beyond.

This full-time, fixed term post is available from 1 October 2010 until 31 August 2011.

Closing date: 12 noon on 6 August 2010

Translation Directory

Here is a very useful translation directory, with links for many different areas of language and translation.

A Round-Up of Articles

As you read this, I am at a conference, attending stimulating sessions on the connection between authors and translators (and I’m giving a talk myself, on the Swedish author and translator Gösta Knutsson). Here’s some interesting reading to keep you occupied while I’m away.

The first article is about the use of French in France, and how this compares to the way many Americans complain about the role of Spanish in the U.S.

Next is a piece on linguistics, which includes the sentence: ‘Language diversity is the “crucial fact for understanding the place of language in human cognition”’.

The Swedish author Stieg Larsson has become a worldwide phenomenon and this article explores him and his work, including its translation. I don’t usually read thrillers myself, but I have read and enjoyed his first book in Swedish, and I plan to read the next two while I’m at home next month, recovering from surgery.

Here, Edith Grossman explores translating Quixote.

The next piece on all the languages in NYC and on preserving languages.

Finally, have a laugh with these funny signs from around the world.

Question from a Reader: Answered

Brave New Words recently featured a question from a reader. Peter Linton kindly replied, saying that
The Language Of sells second-hand books in more than a dozen languages. Thanks, Peter!

If you have a question on language, literature, or translation, email me!

Top 10 Translator’s Blogs

Check out this list of the top 10 translator’s blogs. Brave New Words is happy to be included, and is in great company, including BNW guest bloggers Dagmar and Judy Jenner.

Multilingual Eye Chart

In non-Latin-alphabet-employing countries, what do people use for eye charts when they go to the optometrist? Certainly not the standard one in the US or the UK, which is now being replaced by computerized projections. This question never occurred to me until I learned of multilingual eye chart. While this multilingual eye chart would not be practical for actual use, it is enjoyable to look at, and would be fun to have in the classroom.

Question from a Reader

Brave New Words reader Alice asks if there was any place in the UK that holds English books translated into other languages. Does anyone know the answer?

If you have a question about translation or literature, email me and I’ll post it on the blog.

References on Translating Children’s Literature

For my second list of references (the first list was on translation in general), I thought I’d offer a list of books on translating children’s literature, which happens to be my area of special.

Hallford, Deborah, and Edgardo Zaghini, Outside In: Children’s Books in Translation (London: Milet, 2005).

Klingberg, Göte, Barn- och ungdomslitteraturforskning: områden, metoder, terminologi [Research on Children’s Literature: Areas, Methods, Terminology] (Göteborg: Lärarhögskolan, 1969).

Klingberg, Göte, Barn- och ungdomslitteraturen [Children’s Literature] (Stockholm: Natur & Kultur, 1970).

Klingberg, Göte, Barnlitteraturforskning. En introduktion [Research on Children’s Literature: An Introduction] (Stockholm: Almqvist & Wiksell, 1972).

Klingberg, Göte, Översättningen av barn- och ungdomsböcker: en metodisk förundersökning [The Translation of Children’s Literature: A Methodological Preliminary Investigation] (Göteborg : Lärarhögskolan, 1974).

Klingberg, Göte, Att översätta barn- och ungdomsböcker: empiriska studier och rekommendationer [Translating Children’s Literature: Empirical Studies and Recommendations] (Mölndal: Lärarhögskolan, 1977).

Klingberg, Göte, ed., Children’s Books in Translation: the Situation and the Problems. Proceedings of the third symposium of the International Research Society for Children’s Literature (Stockholm: Almqvist & Wiksell, 1978).

Klingberg, Göte, De främmande världarna i barn- och ungdomslitteraturen [Strange Worlds in Children’s Literature] (Stockholm: Rabén & Sjögren, 1980).

Klingberg, Göte, Children’s Fiction in the Hands of Translators (Stockholm: CWK, 1986).

Gillian Lathey, ed. The Translation of Children’s Literature (Clevedon: Multilingual Matters, 2006).

Oittinen, Riitta, I am Me – I am Other. On the Dialogics of Translating for Children (Tampere: University of Tampere, 1993).

Oittinen, Riitta, Translating for Children (New York: Garland, Inc., 2000).

O’Sullivan, Emer, Comparative Children's Literature, trans. Anthea Bell (London: Routledge, 2005).

Jan Van Coillie and Walter P. Verschueren, eds., Children’s Literature in Translation: Challenges and Strategies (Manchester: St. Jerome, 2006).

Some Other Blogs

Here are two new blogs I’ve recently found that you might be interested in checking out.

Become a Translator

Sesquiotica

Thinking Italian Translation

I was looking at the Thinking Italian Translation book put out by Routledge as part of my thus-far lazy effort to learn Italian. This book is part of a series that also includes Spanish, German, and French. These texts do not teach you the language, but they teach you to think about the language from a translator’s perspective and thus they’re quite useful both for translators and for language-learners (well, for language-learners of a certain nerdy inclination, like yours truly).

There is some basic information, such as explanations of sociolect, adverbs, code-switching, and calques, among other topics, and there is information on scientific and technical translation and legal and business translation. Throughout the book, there are a number of examples, tips, and practical exercises. There are also several chapters on contrastive linguistics, in which the authors compare and analyze linguistic features in English and Italian, such as the conditional tense.

Saying No Now -- and Forever?

One thing many translators (and other people who run their own small businesses) tend to worry about is what will happen if they turn down a job. They fret, saying things such as, "If I say no to this particular job, the client will never ask me to do anyting again. And s/he won't recommend me to anyone else either." This leads to a situation where many translators (myself included) take on more work than they handle and thus find themselves stressed and overworked. Okay, I can admit that I personally prefer being stressed and overworked to not having any jobs at all, but it's actually not an ideal situation.

So is it true that if you say no to a client once, that means never hearing from him or her again? I would say that this depends on how you say no. Do not say no without explaining why. And always say you are looking forward to hearing from that client again at some point.

If you are turning a job down because you simply do not have the time, explain that, and make sure you add, "Thank you for asking me. I hope you will think of me again in the future."

If you are turning a job down because it is not in your area of expertise, recommend an appropriate colleague (or give a link to where the client can find a translator, such as the Swedish Association of Professional Translators) and remind the client what your particular speciality is.

The point is that even as you say no, do so politely and helpfully, while also subtly telling the customer you will be available in the future for other assignments.

It's true that once clients have found a good translator who delivers on time, charges a fair price, and is professional to work with, they might be unwilling to switch to someone else, partially due to inertia. So if you say no once and the client finds another translator who fulfills the requirements, you may not hear from that person again. But if you are selective about which projects you take on, which clients you choose to work with, and when and how you turn down assignments, it is likely that you will build up a stable of customers who return to you over and over again, even if sometimes you have to reject certain jobs.

Vote for Brave New Words

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References on Translation

I often get emails from people who ask me for reading lists and while I don't think I should do people's research for them, as I've said before, I can provide some suggestions. And if any readers come up with other books and articles that could be of use, feel free to add them in the comments.

So, for the first such list, I thought I'd offer some good introductory texts on translation. These will serve as a useful academic basis for a deeper understanding of what translation is and what translators do.

Mona Baker: In Other Words: A Coursebook on Translation

Basil Hatim and Ian Mason: Discourse and the Translator

Clifford E. Landers: Literary Translation: A Practical Guide

André Lefevere: Translating Literature: Practice and Theory in a Comparative Literature Context

Jeremy Munday: Introducing Translation Studies

Peter Newmark: Approaches to Translation

Peter Newmark: A Textbook of Translation

Eugene A. Nida and Charles R. Taber: The Theory and Practice of Translation

Christiane Nord: Translating as a Purposeful Activity: Functionalist Approaches Explained

Gideon Toury: Descriptive Translation Studies and Beyond

400 Posts

This is just to mark that there have now been 400 posts on Brave New Words, amounting to close to 130,000 words. Thank you to everyone who reads this blog and thank you, too, for all your comments and emails.

Bilingual Editions

I know that it isn't always practical or feasible to publish bilingual editions of translations, but when possible, I think publishers should do so. Such editions are good for language-learners, of course, and I remember a bilingual version of Carlos Fuentes' book Aura that I read when I was learning Spanish many years ago. But they are also great for people who are interested in translation, because then we can analyze the original and the translation in a convenient way.

I was thinking about this recently while reading a bilingual edition of Edward Lear's nonsense limericks, as translated to Spanish by a student of mine, Matías Godoy, and published by Destiempo Libros. Here, for example, is one page in the book:

Había una joven con una quijada
Igual a la punta de una larga espada;
Mandóla afilar, compróse un citar,
Y así tocó música con su quijada.

There was a Young Lady whose chin
Resembled the point of a pin;
So she had it made sharp and purchased a harp,
And played several tunes with her chin.

It's really nice to be able to see Lear's original with Godoy's translation. Poetry is particularly well-suited to bilingual editions due to its length, but I wonder if, as more people gain a deeper understanding of translation and what it involves, publishers might start to publish bilingual editions of prose as well.

Free Language Classes Online

I’ve posted a number of links and other information before about learning languages, so here is another such reference. It has 100 links for learning languages for free online.

Twitterature by Alexander Aciman & Emmett Rensin

A friend of mine gave me Twitterature by Alexander Aciman & Emmett Rensin and I read the entire book in one setting. Yes, it’s shticky and self-consciously so. But it’s also a lot of fun.

Aciman and Rensin play with the classics, retelling them through the medium of Twitter. Is it essential that you have read the original tales before you read the Twitter versions? No, but you’d probably get more out of the book if you have, because otherwise some of the jokes might be a bit difficult to get. Aciman and Rensin helpfully include a glossary (bromance, LOL, MILF, nose candy, and STFU are just a few of the terms that get defined) and an introduction to Twitter format, but they do not summarize the books they satirize, nor should they, since having a joke explained takes the humor out of it.

In one of my classes this semester, we used this book to look what it means to “translate” texts from one form to another (in this case, from a classic novel to Twitter) and then the students attempted to parrot Aciman and Rensin. It was enjoyable to read what they came up with too and to discuss what it means to update classics.

If you like, for example, Mel Brooks’ films, you’ll probably like Twitterature by Alexander Aciman & Emmett Rensin, but you’re also likely to find the joke wearying halfway through.

Turkish Literature

This is a nice resource on Turkish literature.

Sloppy, Inconsistent Translation Between Englishes

As I’ve mentioned before, I research children’s books. In reading a few books that were published in both the UK and the US, I’ve noticed that the English is not always consistent. The English in children’s books is often adjusted so UK children study “maths” while US children study “math,” for example, or wear “trousers” versus “pants,” or spell “favourite” with the “u.” But in a number of books, I’ve come across very sloppy translation (because translating between Englishes is indeed translation). I wonder if publishers are particularly careless about children’s books or if this is a problem in literature for adults, too.

A Site for Freelancers

I recently received information on Caterpi, a new website where freelance translators can find jobs. I haven’t tried it out, but Caterpi offered a special link for readers of Brave New Words, so you can get one month free on the site. I’d be interested to hear from anyone who tries it out.

Some Reading

Here is some more reading for you:

The first article is on machine translation.

The next piece is on the translation of poetry.

Here is a blog on Spanish-English translation.

A colleague of mine at the University of East Anglia, the poet George Szirtes, also has an interesting blog.

SUISS Edwin Morgan Translation Fellowship

I was sent the following information on a fellowship:

The Scottish Arts Council offers again this year the Edwin Morgan
Translation Fellowship for a professional literary translator of
British literature (preferably Scottish) into their native language.
The fellowship is worth £3525 as it covers the course and
accommodation fee to attend the course "Text and Context: British and
Irish Literature from 1900 to the Present' at the Scottish
Universities' International Summer School at Edinburgh University.
Attached further information.

We would appreciate it if you could make your members aware of this
opportunity by advertising it on your website and maybe forwarding
the information to relevant members. The closing date for the
Fellowship is 12th April and the Text and Context application form
can be downloaded from our website.

Your help is much appreciated.

Scottish Universities' International Summer School
Text and Context:
British and Irish Literature from 1900 to the Present

SUISS Edwin Morgan Translation Fellowship
(supported by the Scottish Arts Council)

During his long and prestigious career, Edwin Morgan has revolutionized contemporary Scottish literature, not least with his six decades of work in translation. Perhaps most celebrated is his translation of the poetry of Mayakovsky into Scots, but he has also worked extensively from, amongst others, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Portuguese and Hungarian poems and plays. Edwin Morgan has been a friend of SUISS for many years, giving readings and meeting students, and his work forms an important and popular part of our literature course.

Thanks to a generous donation from the Scottish Arts Council, SUISS is able to offer a free place on the 2010 six-week ‘Text and Context: British and Irish Literature from 1900 to the Present’ course. The Fellowship will be payable in Edinburgh and will cover the costs of all tuition, accommodation, most meals, the social and cultural programme, and includes full use of the facilities of the library of Edinburgh University and the National Library of Scotland. Please note that the Fellowship does not include travel expenses or spending money.

Applications for this Fellowship are invited from professional translators with an interest in twentieth-century and contemporary Scottish writing. The closing date for the award is 12th April 2010. Applicants should indicate on the application form that they would like to be considered for the Edwin Morgan Translation Fellowship, and include a letter explaining their reasons for applying, together with any details of past and/or prospective publications. We also require one of your referees to support the fellowship application, which is normally from the candidate’s publisher.

Further information can be found on the SUISS website, which also contains the facility to download an application form. A brochure, application form and credit information can also be obtained from:

The Administrator
Scottish Universities’ Telephone: 0044 131-650 4369
International Summer School Fax: 0044 131-662 0275
21 Buccleuch Place E-mail: SUISS@ed.ac.uk
EDINBURGH
EH8 9LN
Scotland (UK) http://www.summer-school.hss.ed.ac.uk/suiss

A Travel Resource

I like resources that can serve double duty. This “travel survival guide” is a good resource for those travelling, but also potentially good for translators.

A Word on the Ethics of Blogging

In recent times, more and more companies have contacted me to ask if they could become “patrons” of this blog. They offer me money in exchange for me promoting their work or letting them advertise on my blog.

I know many other blogs do have patron programs like this, but this is not a route that I want to take. I’d rather offer my readers information and resources that I think could be genuinely of use. Otherwise, for me, there is no point to this blog.

So I just wanted to mention this both so my readers know what they can expect to get from Brave New Words and so potential patrons know I am not interested. That doesn’t mean that I don’t want to receive suggestions for topics or websites, because of course that could be very beneficial; it just means that I’m not going to accept money in exchange for posting about something that is not relevant or helpful or true.

Food Allergy Resources

Someone sent me the link to a website that offers “a new language tool dedicated to travelers with food allergies.” This site is not only useful to those who suffer from food allergies, but could potentially be helpful to translators who are working on culinary or medical texts.

Learning Chinese

I like information on how to learn various languages, so here is an article with resources for learning Chinese.

A Round-Up of Articles

Time for another round-up of interesting articles:

The first one is on one of the oldest dialects dying out.

Next is an article on Open Letter Books, which publishes translations.

The third is a discussion of European literature.

Then a piece on the professionalization of translators.

Finally, an article on the global novel.

Another Prize Announcement

I thought I would also tell you about the Stephen Spender Competition.

For this competition, you are to “translate a poem from any language, classical or modern, into English,” and there are three categories for entries: “open, 18-and-under and 14-and-under.”

Some Job Announcements

Here are a couple of interesting job announcements.

1. TWO LINES SENIOR EDITOR & LITERARY PROGRAMS MANAGER

The Center for the Art of Translation is a San Francisco-based non profit
promoting international literature and translation through programs in
publishing, education, and public events. The Center is currently seeking an
experienced Senior Editor & Literary Programs Manager for our Two Lines
publications program, which includes the annual Two Lines World Writing in
Translation anthology and the World Library series of regional anthologies.

The Two Lines Senior Editor & Literary Programs Manager will provide the
editorial and artistic vision for Two Lines publications and curate the
Center¹s Lit&Lunch event series, manage Two Lines staff and volunteers, and
will represent Two Lines externally and in strategic internal discussions
and decisions. This position reports to the Executive Director. The ideal
candidate will have at least five years experience of publishing/editorial
work, familiarity with international literature and literature in
translation, will have significant management and arts administration
experience, and will share enthusiasm and passion for the Center¹s mission.

The Senior Editor & Literary Programs Manager must be able to manage staff
and multiple projects from inception to completion with minimal direction or
oversight. This position will also coordinate shifting priorities, provide
regular reports to the Executive Director, and work effectively both leading
and working on a team.

Responsibilities include the following:

EDITORIAL: Oversee artistic vision, editorial planning and production of all
publications, including selecting guest editors, regions and/or languages
for World Library, soliciting and evaluating monographs for publication,
cultivating contacts within the publishing and translation fields,
evaluating annual anthology submissions, and editing and proofreading
introductions and translations. Provide editorial support on periodic grant
writing and fundraising materials.

LITERARY PROGRAMMING: Curate Lit&Lunch series and other events, including
event programming and annual publication party planning, act as artistic
spokesperson at all Center events, coordinate translation workshops and
other collaborative events and pursue partnerships and collaborations with
publishers, translators, and cultural institutions.

MANAGEMENT & ADMINISTRATION: Manage Two Lines staff, volunteers, guest
editors, translators, language readers, and copyeditors and act as program
representative in staff and management meetings. Ensure tasks are
coordinated, schedules and budgets are maintained, and provide biweekly
reports. The Senior Editor & Literary Programs Manager will also develop a
process to build Two Lines supporters in the literary and translation
communities. Assist with research to identify potential grants and donors.

PRODUCTION: Oversee the production of all Two Lines titles, including the
production timeline, submissions guidelines and production procedures,
submission processing, copyright permissions, final proofreading and
editing, and book design.

DISTRIBUTION, MARKETING & PUBLIC RELATIONS: Oversee distribution of all
publications and provide feedback and support to marketing staff to develop
and implement marketing and public relations plans for publications. Inform
Development Director of any potential funding leads or creative fundraising
ideas. Seek opportunities to raise awareness of and interest in Two Lines
publications, promote the Center and build connections with other
translation and literary organizations, act as a representative of the
Center and lead discussions and/or presentations at literary events, forums
and conferences (3-5 per year).

Qualifications

• Strong background (5+ years) in book publishing, particularly in a
management role

• Experience as a literary translator, editor of translation, or
director of a literary center

• Able to offer contacts within the publishing and translation
industries

• Enthusiasm and passion for the Center¹s mission

• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills,
including editing and proofreading

• Strong organizational sense with a sharp eye for detail

• Ability to prioritize and follow up on activities in a timely manner

• Energetic, flexible and willing to learn

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, familiarity with the Mac environment
and excellent analytical skills

• Experience with FileMaker Pro a plus

This is a full-time position with an initial probationary period. The Center
is an equal opportunity employer and offers generous vacation package,
retirement plan and benefit stipend. Our office is located South of Market
in San Francisco near public transportation. To apply, please email
twolinesresume@yahoo.com with a resume and cover letter addressed to:

Erin Branagan
Acting Executive Director
Center for the Art of Translation
35 Stillman St., Suite 201
San Francisco, CA 94107
Web: www.catranslation.org

--
Olivia E. Sears, President
Center for the Art of Translation
e-mail: osears@catranslation.org
web: www.catranslation.org

The Center for the Art of Translation is a non-profit organization that
promotes international literature and translation through programs in the
arts, education, and community outreach.


2. I write as a member of the Education Committee for the Highgate Literary and Scientific Institution (HLSI). We are looking for a tutor in contemporary literature in translation for the academic year 2010 to 2011 and I wondered if you would know anyone who might be interested in applying.

HLSI is a charity and apart from a professional librarian and office staff, it is run by volunteers. Among our many activities we run 26 classes for adults, mainly in the daytime. Our membership is mostly retired and highly educated, with a good general knowledge of literature. We would want someone for the complete academic year and fees are subject to negotiation. We find most people enjoy teaching here. At the moment we are running a course around the theme of ‘Writers on Writers’. We are aware that literature in translation, even narrowed down to the contemporary (postwar) period, is a huge subject and we would of course be flexible about specific themes or areas of the world in the interests of finding an excellent tutor.

HLSI is situated in the middle of Highgate village in North London, website www.hlsi.net. Apart from classes, we run art exhibitions, concerts and a programme of lectures. Our literature courses, which have a good following, take place on Wednesday afternoons between 2.30 and 4.30 in one of the Institution’s purpose-built classrooms. As we are a charity we have to work to limited budgets - our fees are around £35 per hour for each two hour session. There are two ten week terms in Autumn and Spring and a seven week term in the Summer.

Any interested applicant can simply email me (km.butler@yahoo.co.uk) with a CV which I can then forward to our Committee.

Mary Butler
km.butler@yahoo.co.uk

More Metaphors

In the last post, I discussed Translation in Practice, edited by Gill Paul and published by Dalkey Archive Press. The book offered two new metaphors, one for translation and one for editing.

Mahmoud Darwish is quoted giving another metaphor of translation: “The translator is not a ferryman for the meaning of the words but the author of their web of new relations. And he is not the painter of the light part of the meaning, but the watcher of the shadow, and what it suggests.” (5)

And Ros Schwartz describes a metaphor of editing: “A good editor is like a midwife – he or she helps bring forth that perfectly formed translation that is inside you but doesn’t necessarily emerge unaided.” (65)

The Relationship between Translators and Editors

The title of the new book Translation in Practice, edited by Gill Paul and published by Dalkey Archive Press, is a misnomer. It is a very short (70 pages) book that seems – judging by the title and some of the topics mentioned – to want to be an introduction to various issues on translation but actually is mostly on the process of editing and the relationship between translator and editor. It would have been better called The Role of Editors in Translation or The Relationship between Translators and Editors, or something along those lines. A book on that subject would be interesting and worthwhile and if one focuses on that aspect of Translation in Practice, then one gets something out of it.

This books briefly introduces information about issues such as the role of the outside reader, picking a translator, what a sample translation is and if a translator should get paid for it, what it means for two translators to collaborate on a topic, contracts (both in terms of money and also in terms of relationships, such as establishing boundaries between translators and writers), schedules, publicity (though just one paragraph on this), style, particular challenges such as swear words or humor, what it means to be edited, the use of UK vs. US English, and so on. The issues have generally been discussed in more detail in other texts. It also offers ideas that it doesn’t really explain, such as by defining a bad translation as a “flat” one (69), which is a definition that needs more exploration, or by saying that translators should be paid if their work is used in a relay translation (53), which in fact is something that rarely happens, although Translation in Practice doesn’t analyze why that is the case or how to change it.

But the main part of the text, as already mentioned, explores the jobs of and relationship between the translator and the editor. It offers lists of dos and don’ts for translators and editors. For example, translators should “keep careful notes of changes and decisions made in the process of translating” and “carefully recreate the nuances of the original language” (this last point is one of the major difficulties of translation!), but not “take major liberties with the author’s text without reference to both editor and author” (what is a “major liberty”?) or “anglicize a book beyond recognition” (where is the border here?) (57-8). An editor should “approach the text as an original book rather than a translation” (a debatable point, I’d say) and not “rewrite the text in their own voice, changing the vocabulary choices that the translator has made.” (70-1) The book assumes that English is the target language, so it does not look into issues relevant to the publishing industry elsewhere, though the process of working with editors and publishers in other countries would be fascinating to learn about. Still, what it does discuss regarding the editing process in English-language publishing companies is interesting.

One other comment on the Dalkey book is that oddly, a couple of times a translator is quoted but not named or a translation is mentioned but the name of the translator is not provided (such as on pages 2 and 42-3), so the translator remains invisible. Of course, if this person chose to be anonymous, that should be stated. But if not, this shows how far translators still have to go in terms of visibility.

Translation in Practice tries to cover a lot of ground, but not in any great detail. So it is a good overview, but definitely not the final word.

Links on Children’s Literature

My last post discussed what it means to study children’s literature, so here I want to offer a few links that might be useful or interesting.

Outside In is about children’s literature and translation and Deborah Hallford and Edgardo Zaghini, who run the site, edited a collection of articles about and summaries of children’s literature in translation.

Write Away has many reviews of children’s literature and runs a conference and other activities.

Two organizations dedicated to the study and promotion of children’s literature are IRSCL and IBBY (note that I’ve given the link to IBBY in the UK, but there are branches all over the world).

Here are some major academic journals on children’s lit:

IRCL, which is run by IRSCL

Barnboken

Looking Glass

Papers

New Review of Children's Literature and Librarianship

Write4Children

If you know of any other useful links, let me know!

Studying Children’s Literature

As some of you may know, my PhD dissertation was on the translation of children’s literature and I do a lot of research on children’s lit. I have to deal with a lot of misconceptions about what this means:

-People ask me if I sit around, reading children’s books, and they assume that this must be easy. No, actually, I don’t spend hours reading Laura Ingalls Wilder and Judy Blume and Lewis Carroll and Lemony Snicket and nothing else. I do read them, and I read them very closely, but I also have to read around them, which means studying literary theory, psychology, anthropology, reception theory, translation theory, and much more. I don’t just read books and then summarize them, as you might do in grammar school. I have to analyze them and what they mean and what effect they have on the reader, among other things. It is not easy to study children’s literature.

-People often assume I must be an expert on fairy tales. Actually, no, I’m not. The field of children’s literature is much larger than just fairy tales, and fairy tales are not my area of expertise, even though of course I need to understand them in order to be able to understand the history of children’s literature.

-One of the most common questions I get asked is what I think of Harry Potter. I’ll be honest: I’ve never read any of the Harry Potter books. I don’t study them. It’s very frustrating when I give a talk at a conference and then during the question session people ask me about J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter, even though I never mentioned her and her books once during my presentation. There is more to children’s literature than Harry Potter.

-One of the other most common issues people often ask about is in regards to tv shows and films. First of all, I study literature, not tv. Second of all, I don’t even own a tv. While some people study the transition of children’s books from literature to film, most of us in the field don’t. Again, there is much more to the subject than tv.

-Finally, people tend to think it is a ridiculous, non-serious field and they mock me for choosing such a “simple” topic. It seems to me essential that we understand what ideas are behind children’s literature and how they affect the next generation. How could this possibly be unimportant?

In the next post, I will offer some links on children’s literature.

Translation as a Profession

I am always quite excited when it seems that more attention is paid to translation and to translators. Our profession needs more understanding and recognition. And it needs more talented people. I encourage people to learn more about translation. But sometimes I wonder about some of the people who join the field, or who attempt to join it, or who show interest in it.

I get many emails asking for advice about how to become a translator. In the past year or so, perhaps along with the economic crisis, I’ve been disturbed to see an increase to the number of messages I get where people tell me that they need a job and think their language skills are pretty good, or that they’ve lived in a certain country and believe they could translate that country’s literature, or that they really would rather do something else, but this is a good option because they could do it from home, in between taking their kids to school, and so on.

Translation is not an easy profession. It’s a satisfying and thrilling and stimulating one, in my opinion, but it isn’t right for everyone. Nor is everyone right for translation. It is not a job to do because you happen to know a particular language sort of well. It’s not a field you can just break into by deciding that it’s the best option. It’s not something you can do while waiting for something better to come along, or even while waiting for your kids at their sports events or dance classes. It’s a profession, which means translators must be professional. Ideally, they’d also be passionate.

So if you are unsure about translation as a career and you think it is a fast and simple way of earning money, let me assure you that you are wrong. It isn’t and you’d be better off picking another job. However, if you are truly linguistically talented and knowledgeable about languages and cultures, this might be the right career for you.

Dryden Translation Competition

You might want to submit work for the Dryden Competition, which is run by the British Comparative Literature Association and administered here at the University of East Anglia, in part by yours truly. You can find more details on the BCLA site or on the Dryden's Facebook page.

Books on Language

Last year, Brave New Words had our first giveaway. As part of this, we asked readers for suggestions for books on language. Here is the compiled book list:

Maya wrote: There was a classic book on language called The Mother Tongue. It must be out of print by now, but it was what started my passion for language and its history, way back in the early seventies.

Pennifer suggested: How about Horace Lunt's "Old Church Slavonic Grammar" one of my bibles when I took an OCS graduate seminar back in the day?

From Debs: I recommend David Crystal's "Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language". Covering everything from gender issues to regional variations, this gold mine of information is a definite asset on anyone's bookshelf.

S. Borei wrote: With a library full of books on language with some dating back to the early 1700s it is no easy task to choose just one or even two. So instead of picking an out-and-out reference work, let me recommend one that has given me both insights and pleasure - the latter a somewhat rare commodity for someone who struggles constantly with language. So for that then, I recommend Karen Elizabeth Gordon's "The Deluxe Transvestite Vampire – the ultimate handbook of grammar for the innocent, the eager and the doomed." It's a wondrous window on the winsome, winning ways of words.

Susan King recommended: I grew up in a house filled with books. I don't remember the exact title but I loved browsing through Menken's American Language when I was in Junior High. I didn't understand much of it, but it was fun.

Jaax suggested: My bible for paper-writing: The Little, Brown Handbook by H. Ramsey Fowler and Jane E. Aaron.

Nina wrote: _In the Land of Invented Languages_ by Akira Okrent discusses non-naturally occuring languages like Esperanto, Klingon, Bliss Symbols (an early communication system for people with disabilities who are nonverbal. This is perhaps an unconventional choice, but I read it some time ago, and found it interesting.

A. Argandona recommended: I recently bought in France 'Le Pourquoi des Choses' by Anne Pouget. It is a very entertaining read about word origins, expressions and curiosities.

From Liz Nutting: One of my favorites is Sin and Syntax, by Constance Hale. She gives the grammar and syntax rules--then tells you how to break them for more effective prose!

From Luella Goodman: I still think "Eats, Roots and Leaves" by Lynne Truss is a winner in terms of presenting idiosyncracies of English punctuation in an entertaining read that appeals to both professional and lay linguists. Its tongue-in-cheek style dares any wannabe writer to flex their punctuation muscles!

Stephen wrote: Words and Rules: The Ingredients of Language by Steven Pinker. Steven Pinker examines a rather narrow topic (irregular and regular verbs) and the cognitive processes behind these verbs. In it, Pinker explores how language is stored, produced, learned, etc. The book is more technical than his more famous work, The Language Instinct, but for anyone who wants to understand regular and irregular verbs and the many language oddities that come along with these verbs, it is a wonderful read. It will teach you more about language processes than almost any other mainstream book on the market.

Ben Boblis recommended: I love Native Tongues by Charles Berlitz. I can read it over and over and always find something new and interesting. It has a little bit about a lot. :)

Lauren Redman wrote: I'd like to recommend a fairly new book titled 'The Secret Life of Words' by Henry Hitchings. It's about the 'promiscuous' English language and how it came to have so many words - and synonyms - from over 350 other languages! It's entertainingly written and includes a bit of history too. Lots of interesting tidbits to drop into the dinner conversation!

Mehregan suggested: Halliday's An Introduction to Functional Grammar is a quite fruitful book. It is the basis of My M.A. thesis. I found wonderful notions about different languages especially English. I am not an English native speaker but this book took me to the depth of English.

From Prof Adam: I would recommend Bill Bryson'a book, "mother tongue" as it is a truly fascinating book about the Development and history of the English Language. I would also recommend "Troublesome Words" by the same author as it highlights interesting uses and misuses of modern English.