comments on reading (olivia hwang)

 The Mysteries of Translation 

I thought the metaphor of the “golden prison” in English was a beautiful way to capture how there is so much to the English language and literature but there are also many limits to it, which is something that I definitely feel whenever translating between English and another language. It was also interesting to read the author’s points on how different translators translate literature differently, which leads to different experiences for the reader. Depending on who is translating, some versions might seem as if they lost the original writer, some have distinct tones/styles, and everyone has their own voice. It made me contemplate what kind of translator I want to grow into while taking this course. 

Found in Translation 

This interview influenced me to reflect on the artistic choices that translators have to consider, such as conveying the specific feeling and spirit of the original text. My perspective on translators changed from someone who not just interprets but can also create art. Similar to “The Mysteries of Translation”, the conversation focuses on the importance of translation not simply being a mechanical process of translating one word to another word between languages, but a means of preserving and conveying as much of the original text as possible. 

How Haruki Murakami’s ‘IQ84’ was Translated into English 

It was really intriguing to get a glimpse into what the routine of someone translating a book looks like- I feel like I understood how much stamina and patience is needed for such a huge project. Like ‘Found in Translation’, this interview mentions that when translating a living author’s text, there is a rare opportunity to receive feedback from them, like how Gabriel preferred one name for a specific character but Murakami actually ended up preferring the other one. Even when you spend a lot of time thinking of the best solution to translate a specific part of the story, the author might like something else more. The question of whether a translation can improve on an original text was also thought-provoking. 

Michael Emmerich 

It’s fascinating to read about how different people perceived Murakami differently based on their cultural backgrounds (East Asian students perceived themes like loneliness and healing while US students found his writing to be “realistic”.) I also thought it was interesting that Japanese readers initially thought that Murakami’s writing was light in the beginning and only later saw him as a serious and complex writer, while in western countries, they perceive him as serious from the beginning. Like some of the other readings, this one highlights that there are differences between translations of the same text depending on the translator. I think it’s cool that there is a growing interest in translators in due to each individual’s creative input and distinct style and they are receiving more recognition.