Translating is a difficult and grueling process; I can barely translate a few sentences for my Japanese homework, so I can't imagine how hard it is to translate an entire book. However, as someone who loves learning languages, I wonder how close we can get to an accurate translation. I think about this especially in the context of poetry, which usually works a lot with metaphors, specific word choices, word play, etc.
In writing this I realized I'm curious as to how translation works in the publishing industry. There are rights to the book, but who ultimately ends up translating it? And again, how?
Anyway, for fun, here are some of my favorite words that aren't perfectly translatable from some languages I (kind of) know:
insortable - French for, someone you can't take out in public. Like, you can't take them anywhere, because they're annoying, embarrassing, etc. (I'm looking at you, Tess).
さすが (sasuga) - this is usually used as an exclamation like "wonderful" or "great" but it's not quite that. "Sasuga" is used when someone who you expected to do well, does well. It's almost like "as expected (of them)". So, if you hear the smartest kid in class did well on a test, you could say "さすが".
ねこじた (nekojita) - this literally translates to "cat's tongue" but it's basically used with people who have an inability to eat/drink hot food. Someone with a sensitive tongue.
つんどく (tsundoku) - this one is relevant to all of us, probably. It's a noun/verb that means "to pile up books and not read them". It comes from, つもる (tsumoru), "to pile up", and どくしょ (dokusho), "reading".
つんどく (tsundoku) - this one is relevant to all of us, probably. It's a noun/verb that means "to pile up books and not read them". It comes from, つもる (tsumoru), "to pile up", and どくしょ (dokusho), "reading".
くうきよめない (kuukiyomenai) - this one is great. It literally translates to "can't read the air". It's basically used for someone who can't read the atmosphere/mood. It's shortened to "KY" in text slang.
Kilig - this is one of my favorite Tagalog words, but it's most commonly translated as "butterflies in your stomach". This is mostly correct, but I like to think of it like so cute you want to scream? Or like, you can't stop smiling? You know when those two characters who have spent the entire book going around in circles finally get together and you're overjoyed? Yeah, that.
Gigil - again, Tagalog, also related to reacting to cute things. Basically, something is so cute you have an uncontrollable urge to squeeze it or grit your teeth or something. Usually used in reference to cute babies.
Tampo - to ignore someone because they hurt you, but in a non-serious, sulky way. Like being mildly, cutely angry. Usually translated to being sulky (but sungit is closer to "sulky" than tampo).
Mia, I love this. I'd known of tsundoku (natch), but not the other ones. I particularly like "insortable".
ReplyDeleteAs for your question, yes, translation is a whole thing. There are some relatively well-known translators: Natasha Wimmer from Spanish; Clare Cavanaugh has translated so many of the great Polish poets, and the husband and wife team of Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky has made a small fortune translating the Russians (their Anna Karenina was the version Oprah chose for her book club). But it's mostly a thankless job, I think. And many translators have written about some of the very things you're describing. I'll try to find some links,.