"Translators Struggle to Prove Their Academic Bona Fides"

[Paul B. Gallagher]

Robert Chandler wrote:

> I had meant to reply to the following point too: 'He adds a qualifier
> that goes beyond institutional pragmatism: "Although I think
> translation is important and valid, it's worth noting that
> translation can take people away from criticism and theoretical
> thinking of an original sort. My chair was also telling me, Finish
> the book, don't lose sight of that." When you're translating, you
> already have a text to work with, "whereas writing your own book can
> often be more taxing, since you don't know where it needs to go." '
> 
> This assumption is seriously mistaken.  One does not always know
> where a translation NEEDS TO GO!  I certainly felt very lost indeed
> when I was first struggling, on my own and many years ago, to
> translate Platonov.

You may well have been lost as many beginners are, but you always had 
the option of reading ahead for clues to the author's intent. The same 
is not true for an original work of your own, where you haven't made up 
your mind yet.

-- 
War doesn't determine who's right, just who's left.
--
Paul B. Gallagher
pbg translations, inc.
"Russian Translations That Read Like Originals"
http://pbg-translations.com

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