Wednesday, May 5, 2010

A note on translation with helpful (?) illustrations

Translation is hard. It is always hard trying to capture precisely what someone is saying without using their exact words, and it is rare that you can translate what they are saying with an exact equivalent. It is always hard, but especially hard in language based art or work--lyrics, fiction, essays, philosophy, poetry. Even when there are two "equivalents" that mean the same thing denotatively/according to the dictionary (e.g., English "red" and Spanish "rojo"), their connotations will always be slightly different because of the different cultural contexts.* When there are not exact equivalents, that makes it much more difficult. Some words are even considered "untranslatable" in that the true sense of a word cannot be adequately translated, certainly not without using multiple words and/or engaging in explanation.

For example, the Finnish word/cultural concept "sisu." Often translated into English as "strength," "courage," or "perseverance," sisu is similar to an amalgam of all of these. However, according to my sister (who studied Finnish and studied abroad in Finland) and some Finnish-American sources, sisu is more than that. Sisu is continuing on in the face of adversity and insurmountable odds when you know that you all hope is lost. It is not an isolated moment or action, but rather continuous action aimed at accomplishing one's goals/what must be done. It is a crucial piece of Finnish culture, and one that I cannot fully explain. More detailed explanations are available at http://poski8.tripod.com/SISU/index.html and Wikipedia, as well as a host of other sources.

Beyond untranslatable words, there are countless idioms and phrases that do not translate cross-culturally or -linguistically. Then there are puns, double entendres/meanings, and (for art at least) rhyme, word/sentence structure, syllables, etc, etc. Translating is hard. I believe it is particularly hard to translate poetry because it is an art form made out of words. And unlike fiction, when sometimes it is less the words and more the plot, characters, or ideas, the specific words used are integral to the meaning, mood, and impact of a poem. Different languages tend to have different norms and conventions regarding poetry. For example, in Spanish poetry in which meter, syllable-count, and all of that jazz are relevant, two vowels next to each other become/are counted as one syllable--even if they form part of three words.

For example, simpática y amable would not be the 8 syllables you might think (sim/pá/ti/ca/ y/ a/ma/ble), but rather 6 (sim/pá/ti/ca y a/ma/ble). "-Ca y a-" becomes one syllable that is blended together as you read. Luckily, this particular type of combination does not happen very often. But it makes translating a poem even more difficult if you want to maintain the rhythm of it.

The next post will be about the translation of a specific poem that is an extended play on language, and which does translate to an extent, but is difficult (I would say impossible) to understand if you were to translate every Spanish word into an English one. I think that, in this case, maintaining some of the original language makes for a better and in some ways clearer translation that many English speakers, even those with no Spanish, would probably understand. I will contrast a professional translation with my own, or at least the changes that I would make. Coincidentally, it is a political poem that I will be discussing! :)





*Hell, "red" in one English-speaking context is different from "red" in another, but that is something else and it usually varies less/people familiar with a less standard or commonly accepted connotation would most likely be familiar with the more standard one.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I like your blog,
Kathy D