Saturday, September 14, 2019
"Orchestrating Translation" Discussion Questions
1. Why do you think it was so important for Japanese literature to be translated into English first (as opposed to other languages)? Why is it believed that English translations are indispensable to "succeed on the international scene"?
2. How do you think the image of Murakami changed in Japan (or did it change?) after his international success?
3. What are the benefits of indirect translation?
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Comments from Christof:
ReplyDelete1. I think it was important because it allowed English to act as a proving ground for the work. If the title succeeded in the English market, then other language markets might become interested in translating it. It's also important because it makes it easier to translate to other languages because English is such a lingua franca.
2. I assume it would have helped marketing by showing off his international appeal, which would help him have a more international image, but I don't actually know how his image changed.
3. The primary benefit of indirect translation is the lesser cost. It's a lot easier to find English language translation pairs than it is to find translator translation pairs for Japanese. Additionally, it can be a lot cheaper because the work will be easier to translate from a Romance language to another Romance language after someone initially translates from Japanese to a Romance language, for example.
1. Since English is the most prominent global language, meaning that people in countries all over the world can understand it, it gives the literature the largest initial reach as possible. If the book becomes popular in English, then more people from different counties will want to translate it into their own language.
ReplyDelete2. After his international success, Murakami probably became a more famous and well-known writer since his work was enjoyed not only in Japan, but across the globe. Because of his close ties to English translation and interest in Western culture, people probably associated him more with West as well.
3. Since English is a more prominently known language throughout the world than any other language, it is easier to use English as a base language for translations from, for example, Japanese to Spanish. It is easier to find a translator for English to Spanish rather than Japanese to Spanish since people who speak these two specific languages are harder to find.
1. I think its important for Japanese language to be translated in English first because its a language that many people learn to speak beyond the United States. And English translations are likely to be indispensable to succeeded in the international scene because they can accessible to people living in different countries and if it succeeds in the English speaking market it would give more incentives to translate the text into other languages. Also translation rights could not be obtained unless their was already an existing contract for an English translation for Murakami's text added to this impression.
ReplyDelete2. I believe that international success did change Murakami's image in Japan as it would show that his appeal extends beyond the confides of Japan and his success with international readers could show that his novels have more depth to them, as native speakers from other languages wanted to translate his work into their language. Which could appeal to the average Japanese reader.
3. The benefits of indirect translation is that another country may not have individuals that know how to translate texts directly from Japanese to their native language. Since English is more common than it would allow people to translate the text into their native language. Which allows the novels of different languages be introduced to new readers.
Found in Translation comment:
ReplyDeleteJay Rubin has a point that the translated versions can never be the original ones which I completely agree with. Because no matter how hard the translators try to stay close to the author’s tone they are never Murakami himself. Moreover, even if Murakami himself is translating his own work it might still be impossible for his English version to sound exactly the same as the Japanese one. Languages are translatable but some cultural barriers lying in between are almost impossible to be translated such as humor as both Jay Rubin and J. Philip Gabriel mentioned in the interview. Thus, I couldn’t agree more with Jay Rubin that maybe learning the language is the best way for reading literatures. But we all know that is impossible for everyone to learn every single language in the world so thankfully we have translators like Jay Rubin and J. Philip Gabriel who make our lives much easier in the literature world.
Interview with Phil Gabriel comment:
It’s so interesting to see that professional translators have different language approaches on the same book. Philip Gabriel compared himself to Jay and Alfred and he acknowledged the differences. I guess they all have their own “Murakami” living inside of them. In the end, translators are also readers of the book. It’s hard to not have personally feelings and thoughts after thoroughly reading a text that is so powerful. So maybe beside styles in wording, all other differences in translation when they are working on Murakami’s books are sometimes due to the various understandings of the books along with Japanese culture among these translators.
Answering Mina’s questions about Orchestrating Translation:
1. English is the most studied language in the world than other ones. So having English version published opens the door for Murakami from Japan to the international stage. Also, (just my own guessing) since Murakami himself is so fluent in English maybe it’s safe for translator of other languages to assume that the English version verified by Murakami is another quality approved version other than the Japanese version, which probably means “when in doubt, refer to the English version to double check for accuracy.”
2. I think the international success brought Murakami fame in Japan. He was already a good writer domestically but international recognition might make Japanese readers and critiques re-think of him, for example, “I knew he’s good but I didn't know he’s THAT good” or “I didn’t like his book and I thought that was a “he problem” but since everyone else in the world likes him maybe it’s a me problem?”
3. Indirect translation sometimes smoothen the cultural barriers between languages. When it comes to jokes and puns, direct translation might just spoil the best part but indirect translation would be able to pass the message in a more understandable and reasonable way.
1.My first thought is that because English is increasingly considered to be a "common tongue" of the world, translators, and it seems Murakami himself, might be of the opinion that it is simply logical to translate first to English. Even in places where English remains seldom spoken, English idioms are often somewhat known, and bits and pieces of the language are ever more disseminated, if in fractal form. Therefore, perhaps it is thought that even to non-English speakers, an indirect translation from English will be more accessible to readers than one translated directly from, in this case, Japanese.
ReplyDelete2.I have not really read Murakami yet, so I don't think I can really answer here, although I wonder whether his international success has made him tailor his style more to foreign tastes, if still through Japanese.
3.Again, English is more known and accessible throughout the world, so indirect translation from English may often be a much less time-consuming than going directly from Japanese.
1. It was important for Japanese literature to be translated into English first because English is a global language in the sense that it is used as a common language in many international settings. In addition, it is one of the most commonly used languages, so translation to English has the potential to vastly expand readership.
ReplyDelete2. It seems as if Murakami was not seen as a serious writer in Japan prior to his translation into English.
3. The primary benefit seems to be reduced cost as the market of English language translators is much more saturated than say Japanese to Swedish. In addition, especially for Romance languages, English is a much more accessible language to translate.