THE EIGHT STAGES OF TRANSLATION Robert Bly
In Robert Bly’s eight stages of translation essay, I found the third stage to particularly resonate with how I am currently thinking about the translation process. He writes, “we return to our literal version and see where it lost the meanings just found. We redo the original and try to get it into English this time.” This notion of meaning being understood through an iterative process is comforting in lessening the weight of having to instantly understand a piece when translating. I think this is something I’ve struggled with in regard to some of our earlier translation exercises. Feeling as though I must wholly comprehend the purpose and intention of a piece before approaching it is potentially stifling. Therefore, reading Bly’s breakdown of stages, and the meaning that surfaces through this process, was illuminating. I also found stage five particularly interesting in tone. This is something I find myself scrutinising over during the exercises. So when Bly said, “The younger we are, the easier it is to make mistakes in tone”, I felt a lot better. Bly closes this section with talking about recognising the balance of the original, training the eye to notice the slight variations between “high and low, dark and light”. I really like this sentiment.
Translation As (Sub) Version: On Translating Infante's Inferno by Levine
In a section where Suzanne Jill Levine speaks about alliteration, I found myself particularly struck by the line: “In poetry, feeling is the meaning.” Levine continues to note how Infante’s Inferno is about such alliteration and the sensual ability it holds to make the reader “conscious of an unconscious tendency to use language as music”, it seems clear that this must be an aspect that the translator must maintain in their approach. Again, this got me thinking about how important it is for a translator to be able to recognise or feel what makes a poem/text unique or special. There must be a hierarchy of prioritisations, which is dynamic and malleable to what the translation requires. Though I appreciated the academic approach, I will note that a fair portion of Levine’s essay I found rather hard to follow.
19 ways of Looking at Wang Wei
I thoroughly enjoyed this read. It was such an informative and fun piece. While Eliot Weinberger has the habit of being excessively critical (and maybe, at times, a bit cruel), the discernment in which he conducts his reviews is earnest, passionate, and backed by extensive knowledge. There is a section where Weinberger talks about the ego of a translator, and the tendency to feel the need to “improve” a poem. I found this very compelling. However, I can sympathise with the translator / writer here. Moreover, when some translators make the statement that the best translation of a poem is by a poet, it is understandable that the poet feels the urge to insert themselves. It is a natural desire to bring oneself to the table, to enter into the conversation. However, I do agree with Weinberger in his sentiment that the ego of a translator should be as hidden as possible. I particularly enjoyed his note on translation number eight, by Chang Yin-Nan, where he said that “it never occurs to Chang and Walmsley that Wang could have written the equivalent of cast motley patterns on the jade-green mosses had he wanted to. He didn’t.” This was such a great line, which also acted as somewhat of a revelation for me. Of course the poet had considered my alterations!
No comments:
Post a Comment