yndigo

I think my translator is unfaithful

I wrote this article for Yndigo’s blog in my native French language and asked her/him to pursue the translation of it into English for posting, but my gut tells me she/he took some liberties. Like Pevear and Volokhonsky’s recent translation of War and Peace, I wanted to use the word “wept” several times in explaining how hard it is to come up with an original blog post, but he/she insisted that wouldn’t look right in war or in peace. I also wanted to misspell “Cheator” in the title and you can see who won that battle.

Naturally, my translator is a native English writer, and I don’t (or do not) argue with the fact that I am not. Where we differ is his or her use of “translator’s license” to give my post a more “native English feel” to it. I wept when she/he told me that! My writing shouldn’t have a native English feel to it, it should feel like French, sacred blue! It would benefit mankind if translated works such as Tolstoy, Dickens, or my web post sent readers back to the original or back to language class so that they could read in the original language. What a tragedy if a translator’s liberties sent the audience to Google the translator’s other writings. The translator is supposed to be transparent, my God!

Fortunately, I am still living and can check back to read this post after the translator has submitted it but before he/she is paid. But what about works of deceased authors? Who will stand guardian of their true and authentic meanings? Perhaps in the near future, we’ll all be so grateful that anyone reads anymore. We won’t have time to regret translators who take liberties. Or time to [cry softly yet uncontrollably].

Very cordially,
J.-M.C.