In Seidensticker's discusses numerous detail-oriented points in his interview. To me, one of the most interesting points he raises relates to "translator's intuition". When asked how he would train an aspiring translator to improve at naturally "feeling" a language to improve their translations, Seidensticker says that it intuition is a very difficult thing to teach. In my opinion, I would imagine that language intuition comes from voracious reading and writing. Exposure to language is key to becoming accustomed it its nuances.
I also found Sidensticker's discussion of the importance of linguistic rhythm in his own translations. He gives the listener/reader a few examples of poorly translated lines, translated purely with the goal of staying faithful to the original meaning intended by the author. These lines are noticibly out of place and disturb the reader's concentration while reading. In a sense, poor rhythm breaks the life-like illusion of the story. Prior to reading Sidensticker's interview, I had never considered rhythm as a factor in translation.
My impression of Sidensticker is that he pays a great deal of attention to detail, and his goals in the act of translation are multifaceted. In other words, he is not translating with the sole goal of preserving meaning and nuance from Japanese to English and vice versa. He is also considering the value of rhythm, culture, and grammar patterns which affect the way the sentence "feels" to the native reader. His translations seem to be a careful balancing act, trying to preserve as much of the original literature as possible without abandoning any of the crucial factors which impact the work as a whole.
Alexa
Alexa
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