Thoughts about translation

[garonne]

(This was written with voice dictation software, so please excuse any weird capitalisation or punctuation.)

Make_believe_world recently posted a Russian translation of one of my fics, which has also been translated into Polish. (which I think is really cool, and here are the links: Russian, Polish though I don't know if there is anyone on my f-

Comments

[mrua7]

Are you friends with open_channel_d. She's Russian and can look at the translation for you. There's also inji, though she hasn't been around on LJ very much as of late.

Yes translating your work into another language can be a daunting task, and you're right, what wonks in one language might not work well in another. I speak Irish, though my fluency has had issues since I had my stroke a few years ago. I used to teach it and it was always a trial, trying to get across to English speaking students how some things could not be exactly translated, especially when it comes to idioms and colloquialisms.

[garonne]

Thanks for the tip about open_channel_d :) In fact I can read Russian myself, after a fashion, but what I can't read is Polish!

Oh, I didn't know there were many people studying Irish in the US. That's cool! Is it a popoluar language to study?

[mrua7]

Thousands of people studying Irish in the NY/NJ area alone. There's Irish speaking communities and impromptu schools all across the US and in Canada as well.

The Irish language movement was started here in the US many years ago by a native speaker from Co. Armagh. Her name was Ethel Brogan. She would get people together to speak Irish so they wouldn't lose it and eventually they invited people to come learn at these weekend retreats. Lovely woman, but sadly she's since passed away. She was honored but the Taoiseach, the Irish government and the US government for her work with preserving and promoting the language.

Her work is carried on by the faithful. Irish language teachers now visit here to help instruct teachers to continue teaching the language. It's amazing that all this happened because of Ethel Brogan,

[garonne]

That's really interesting. I had no idea. I knew Irish-speaking people who emigrated in the 19th century often quickly switched to English when making their new life in the US, but not what happened after that. That's cool that that lady had such a huge and positive influence.

[okapi1895]

Very cool that you're finding your dictation software helpful, BTW.

I loved the fic and I agree that 'Le cambrioleur de Clerkenwell' does sound much nicer.

I've only had one fic translated (into Russian, my BBC Sherlock's coat/Doctor Strange's cloak fic), but when the translator asked, I was overjoyed. It is one of those milestones in ficcing. When I see all those rec lists (which I'm never on), I can comfort myself that at least someone liked something enough to translate it.

Interesting that you wrote it for podficcing. I've never listened to a podfic, but I suppose if I got into radio plays and similar, there might be appeal.

All respect for ficcing in another language. I'm amazed at people that can do that.

[garonne]

Yeah, I was super flattered to think somebody would go to all that trouble with a fic I wrote!

coat/cloak
Oh, that's that gorgeous art you posted recently, right?

Interesting that you wrote it for podficcing.
It was written as part of thepod_together challenge, where podficcers and writers team up to produce a podfic. I've done it several times and it's always been great fun. Some groups make radio plays too. I am sadly completely rubbish at making podfic myself, but I love listening to it.

If you're curious, you can find a whole load of podfics in different fandoms at the audiofic archive: http://www.audiofic.jinjurly.com

[okapi1895]

Yes, that's the one. I think because it crosses over with MCU, it had a wider appeal.

Guess what? I was so chuffed that they didn't kill Mycroft at the end BBC Season 4 that I am...wait for it...BAKING MY OWN GINGER NUTS!

HAHAHA! Or I will if I can survive laughing at myself.

I got the recipe from the BBC website and found golden syrup from the UK at the grocery store here. Stay tuned for photos!

[garonne]

Hehe!

Also, you found golden syrup! I've tried to make them without it (it's not so easy to find golden syrup outside the UK) but it just doesn't work.

I didn't know Mycroft was rumoured to be in danger - glad he wasn't killed off. I don't really follow BBC Sherlock, but Mycroft was my favourite in the episodes I've seen.

[thesmallhobbit]

I can see how translation, although conveying most of the story is bound to lose some of the nuances, and also possibly the rhythms of speech.

Anyone who can write in more than one language has all my admiration.

[garonne]

I suppose the more unique a writer's style, the less well it translates. I mean, I can't imagine reading PG Wodehouse in translation, for instance!

[spikesgirl58]

I'm just a little envious. What a tremendous skill. I do a lot of proofing for The Boy, who, after twenty years in this country, still struggles with his English. My hat is off to anyone who undertakes such a task.

[garonne]

I can't take any credit for being able to speak French! I just learnt it the way I learnt English :) I also have a great beta-reader. Yes indeed, I have enormous admiration for those fandom friends of ours who write such wonderful in fic in English, in some cases despite never having lived in an English-speaking country. Not to mention all the translators!

[spikesgirl58]

I wish I could say that. My French is basic at best. My hat is still off to you!

[ringlat]

i translate a LOT. the problem i always have is "should i translate it 100% accurately, word-for-word, or make it seem smoother as if it were originally written in the other language?"

for example, people really tend to repeat themselves in english a lot. like, i already know they're going into a hotel, so i already know it's a "hotel" room. when it's my own work i'd just skip that second "hotel", but as soon as it's someone else's i get really conflicted...

if i find stuff i can fix while translating my own stuff, i just go back and edit the english/original as well ;D

i write in esperanto which is pretty much guarenteed to never have any fellow speakers in the fandom, but i have fun writing stuff i can *only* write in esperanto, words and phrases and things. also i think if i write enough fics eventually someone will find them and write their own.

[garonne]

Aha! That's exactly what I was curious about - things like the hotel room example you mention. I guess you are allowed a tiny bit of leeway with the original author's words...

Actually I was thinking of you when I wrote this post!

stuff I can only write in esperanto
Oh, I wish I could remember my esperanto! I remember that was one of the coolest things about the language, the way you can make up new words when necessary and remain completely within the grammar of the language.

[ringlat]

haha well my twitter is dual english and esperanto most of the time, if you want to follow me maybe some of it will come back ;D

some stuff is so much easier to say in esperanto and other stuff is just impossible. so when it's easier to say at least, i go, wait - i could say this in 2 words instead of a full sentence like what the english had. but do i have the right to, as a translator....? my wife always says to translate the "meaning" and not the "words", but i dunno...