The first reading assigned for today, Jumping into the Pond, gave me more insight into translators' thought processes during translation. A particular anecdote I found interesting talked about the problems Carpenter faced when translating the title to a Japanese novel (なぜ生きる). Directly translating this title to English could result in "Why Live", which, according to Carpenter, "gives the exact opposite of the message the book is trying to convey". Understanding the context surrounding sentences in a book is crucial to writing a good translation. Before having read this article, I never considered how much background information a translator would need to acquire before even translating the title of a new project. Being familiar with a new project inside and out is crucial to maintaining nuance throughout a translation in the way the author intended.
The second reading, an interview with Carpenter, taught me about the day-to-day life of a translator. I have a serious interest in continuing studying translation and pursuing it after I graduate, so this insight was incredibly valuable to me. Carpenter spoke about how she needed to gather information from outside sources. She said that a translator can never be expected to be familiar with the specifics of every topic, and as such outside input is crucial. Beyond this, I found the section on Carpenter's daily interactions with Mizumura in Japan while she was working on a translation. Working closely with the author made the translation experience extremely valuable for Carpenter, as she had the chance to get live feedback on her translations. For me, reading about Carpenter's experiences working as a translator painted a clearer picture in my mind about the realities of translation work.
Alexa
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