Hibbett and Nathan comments

 Hibbett 

offered a great detailed background of the writers they work with, and brings up some interesting points that must be considered when working with publishing companies and cultural differences between the country of origin and the one to which it is being translated. I was intrigued by the trio of ero, guro, nansensu, which I had not heard of but is an example of the difference in what is considered appropriate to publish in different countries. Hibbett apparently approached some racy scenes in The Key with direct translation, and left it up to the editors to censor anything, which there didn't end up being much to edit. Another example would be the Manji title which has far more sinister connotations as the swastika in Western countries. They also mention some of the Japanese gendered writing style points that are hard to relay in English. I like how they always looked to other translators or previous work to inform their decisions in translating, taking ideas from experts doesn't seem like a bad idea. I also agreed with the rule they considered, which is that translators should only translate into their native language. I think it would be extremely difficult to produce a natural sounding translation without a complete grasp of the language. 

Nathan

As I have read a few of these essays on translation, I'm definitely starting to pick up on the common issues that seem to trouble all translators. For example Nathan brings up the question of faithfulness to the text, and compares the stances of numerous historical translators, for which the opinions really can vary. This shows me that there isn't a right answer nor will there ever be, because it's simply up to personal preference. Another common part of all these essays are the abundance of metaphors translators use to try to explain their struggles, which I all find quite entertaining. Nathan's example of the shards making up a larger vessel was an especially unique take. It was equally interesting to hear about Oe's unique blended writing style, which I'm curious to read more of if I get the chance in the future. 

-Joanne