Carpenter Readings - Aaron

 I thought the first Carpenter article was very much relevant to what we discussed in class - taking a phrase and translating it not necessarily word by word but conveying the meaning of a phrase while also in a playful way that appeals to the "local audience." An example that stands out to me is the geisha scenario where it says お茶をひかずに辞書を引くってわけか, and how it was translated into "you wait for the thumbs up or you thumb through your dictionary while you wait." It gives a playful tone to the text while also conveying the original idea, instead of just saying "they would do their homework while they waited for someone's approval." 

Similarly, in the interview with Carpenter, several frequent topics are involving collaboration during the translation process as well as preserving the cultural specificity of a text while making it accessible to a global audience. I think that it is beneficial for a translator to work with the author, as they can receive continuous feedback throughout the process and continue to improve on it. Furthermore, utilizing similar cultural references from other cultures such as the Ieyasu vs Buddha example that was brought up in class gives the text the same feeling while also making it "readable" for readers of different backgrounds and origins. Carpenter then brings up the translator/ interpreter's duty in translating the text, in that they have a duty to decide which nuances of the text to specify or explain more, and which ones to leave ambiguous. Although this is a great process to possibly make the text more "mass appealing" once again, it is important to not overdo the process and overshadow the original author's intent.