Being able to submit a post incredibly late is not without it's merits; it gives you ample time to read through your classmates posts. While many of the posts (very rightfully) elaborate on the extraordinary lengths Cathy Hirano goes through to properly and fully introduce a largely unaware audience to the many implications that juku has on both the story and on Japanese society as a whole, to me it is not quite as impactful as the idea of arrogance, and how important it is to her as a translator.
The idea of being arrogant as a trait in any translator is no doubt one that is alien to most, myself of a year or so ago included. Doubtless it is rare that any person would take an interest in translation because they feel themselves above the texts or languages that they work from. Nonetheless, I feel that something must drive a translator, especially working from Japanese into English, that allows them to make difficult decisions, difficult especially when you need to mangle a perfectly fine, or beautiful even, sentence into English in order to deliver it to an audience. The idea of that alone, of having to leave something out or put unnecessary words in the authors mouth, is a daunting one, and while many are loathe to do so, eventually such a scenario appears. Something must change, some compromise must be made, and something must be behind your decision. Few things, in my experience as a translator, and in general, are as awful as second guessing yourself. Like Cathy Hirano, what helps me make difficult decisions, and find the gumption to submit a post 2 days late, is a necessary arrogance.
Steven
PS: I don't know if this will actually publish, or if I'm in the right place. Also, I'm using the wrong email.
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