Comments on: Eco Advises http://transubstantiation.wordpress.com/2008/04/20/eco-advises/ ideas on translation... Wed, 27 Aug 2008 23:02:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU hourly 1 By: transubstantiation http://transubstantiation.wordpress.com/2008/04/20/eco-advises/#comment-3130 transubstantiation Wed, 14 May 2008 06:53:40 +0000 http://transubstantiation.wordpress.com/?p=80#comment-3130 Glenn: Where does it leave the translator? The same place you left him/her! This deconstructivist idea is liberating for the translator as it gives him/her (usually her?) the freedom to create anew without the shackles of authorial power. Yes, we can consult with the author but in the end, the task falls to us. Glenn, thank you for your heartening words. Glenn: Where does it leave the translator? The same place you left him/her! This deconstructivist idea is liberating for the translator as it gives him/her (usually her?) the freedom to create anew without the shackles of authorial power. Yes, we can consult with the author but in the end, the task falls to us. Glenn, thank you for your heartening words.

]]> By: Glenn Cain http://transubstantiation.wordpress.com/2008/04/20/eco-advises/#comment-3124 Glenn Cain Tue, 13 May 2008 18:38:48 +0000 http://transubstantiation.wordpress.com/?p=80#comment-3124 I think you're right, that Eco's advising of his translators, to try to bring them closer to the point of view of the <i>initial writer, rather than that of the reader/translator-turned-writer, is important. But Eco must know he is on shaky ground here too, because he has already passed from one side of the mirror -- of language as writer's expression -- to the other, of language as reader's meaning. He can't help, once the book leaves his hands, but see it as a strange or foreign thing, so his advice to translators is still somewhat from the point of view of a reader who creates the book again. Culturally of course, as you mention, he has a great deal to offer, but Blanchot mentions some of these difficulties in his "La litterature et le droit a la mort," stating that the work dissappears for the writer and becomes the work of others. "The reader makes the work; in reading, he creates it." So where does that leave the translator, who doesn't want to translate the book he has created but the book the writer created? Anyway, thanks for the terrific and thoughtful posts! I think you’re right, that Eco’s advising of his translators, to try to bring them closer to the point of view of the initial writer, rather than that of the reader/translator-turned-writer, is important. But Eco must know he is on shaky ground here too, because he has already passed from one side of the mirror — of language as writer’s expression — to the other, of language as reader’s meaning. He can’t help, once the book leaves his hands, but see it as a strange or foreign thing, so his advice to translators is still somewhat from the point of view of a reader who creates the book again. Culturally of course, as you mention, he has a great deal to offer, but Blanchot mentions some of these difficulties in his “La litterature et le droit a la mort,” stating that the work dissappears for the writer and becomes the work of others. “The reader makes the work; in reading, he creates it.”

So where does that leave the translator, who doesn’t want to translate the book he has created but the book the writer created?

Anyway, thanks for the terrific and thoughtful posts!

]]> By: Ania Mulica http://transubstantiation.wordpress.com/2008/04/20/eco-advises/#comment-3115 Ania Mulica Mon, 12 May 2008 14:20:02 +0000 http://transubstantiation.wordpress.com/?p=80#comment-3115 The English language. The English language.

]]> By: transubstantiation http://transubstantiation.wordpress.com/2008/04/20/eco-advises/#comment-3103 transubstantiation Sat, 10 May 2008 17:33:36 +0000 http://transubstantiation.wordpress.com/?p=80#comment-3103 Native speakers of which language? Native speakers of which language?

]]> By: Ania Mulica http://transubstantiation.wordpress.com/2008/04/20/eco-advises/#comment-3102 Ania Mulica Sat, 10 May 2008 16:38:19 +0000 http://transubstantiation.wordpress.com/?p=80#comment-3102 The more I stay surrounded with native speakers, the more I realize that the process of translating myself into the second language is not completed, yet. I'm working on it everyday. I knew it before from the books I read, especially after reading Eva Hoffman's "Lost in Translation". And now, I'm staying in Cambodia, where so many misunderstandings come from our language differences and the perception of the language. It's amazing. This sensitivity to the differences are not only important in translating. Teaching is another field. Here, the cultural differences reveal in full. But, that makes all the game more interesting and challenging. The more I stay surrounded with native speakers, the more I realize that the process of translating myself into the second language is not completed, yet. I’m working on it everyday. I knew it before from the books I read, especially after reading Eva Hoffman’s “Lost in Translation”.
And now, I’m staying in Cambodia, where so many misunderstandings come from our language differences and the perception of the language.
It’s amazing.
This sensitivity to the differences are not only important in translating. Teaching is another field. Here, the cultural differences reveal in full. But, that makes all the game more interesting and challenging.

]]> By: transubstantiation http://transubstantiation.wordpress.com/2008/04/20/eco-advises/#comment-3099 transubstantiation Wed, 07 May 2008 17:35:22 +0000 http://transubstantiation.wordpress.com/?p=80#comment-3099 Certainly. In a sense also this is the view take by Derrida - the reader creates a new interpretation of the text. It is not the case does not understand his/her own text but rather the reader creates a >>new<< interpretation for the text. Certainly. In a sense also this is the view take by Derrida - the reader creates a new interpretation of the text. It is not the case does not understand his/her own text but rather the reader creates a >>new<< interpretation for the text.

]]> By: Pan Ditt http://transubstantiation.wordpress.com/2008/04/20/eco-advises/#comment-3098 Pan Ditt Wed, 07 May 2008 17:02:53 +0000 http://transubstantiation.wordpress.com/?p=80#comment-3098 Certainly, but for me semiotic readership implies a separate relationship of the reader with the text, taking over from the place where the (semiotic) author finished. In this sense, the author may not fully understand his/her own text. It is a bit vague argument, but when I compare e.g. Shrek in English and in the famous Polish adaptation, I naturally begin to wonder if consulting the translation with the script author(s) would not deteriorate the outcome... Just thoughts, anyway. Per dictionaries, just for fun a quick check :> : http://www.dict.pl/dict?word=transubstantiation http://www.getionary.pl/search?query=transubstantiation&from=ang_pol&ln=pl http://ling.pl/transubstantiation Certainly, but for me semiotic readership implies a separate relationship of the reader with the text, taking over from the place where the (semiotic) author finished.

In this sense, the author may not fully understand his/her own text. It is a bit vague argument, but when I compare e.g. Shrek in English and in the famous Polish adaptation, I naturally begin to wonder if consulting the translation with the script author(s) would not deteriorate the outcome… Just thoughts, anyway.

Per dictionaries, just for fun a quick check :> :

http://www.dict.pl/dict?word=transubstantiation

http://www.getionary.pl/search?query=transubstantiation&from=ang_pol&ln=pl

http://ling.pl/transubstantiation

]]> By: transubstantiation http://transubstantiation.wordpress.com/2008/04/20/eco-advises/#comment-3093 transubstantiation Wed, 07 May 2008 07:11:26 +0000 http://transubstantiation.wordpress.com/?p=80#comment-3093 Pan Ditt, semiotic reading/authorship is most certainly key. As to Ling.pl, perhaps... Pan Ditt, semiotic reading/authorship is most certainly key.
As to Ling.pl, perhaps…

]]> By: Pan Ditt http://transubstantiation.wordpress.com/2008/04/20/eco-advises/#comment-3091 Pan Ditt Wed, 07 May 2008 02:52:27 +0000 http://transubstantiation.wordpress.com/?p=80#comment-3091 Most interesting! I'd initially incline towards assuming that the author separates him/herself from the text and may not be the best adviser on the subtleties of translation. After all, true poets are really the worst public readers of their works. Still, being a semiotic author (and Eco surely believes that only such are true authors) definitely involves dealing with the cultural context, and this indeed is embedded sort of "behind" the literal words used in the translated text. By the way, why don't you link to ling.pl, while keeping dict and getionary? I know that ling has the annoying amount of ads, but the sheer volume of definitions is astounding - if they worked faster and more reliably, I'd probably switch from pwn... Most interesting! I’d initially incline towards assuming that the author separates him/herself from the text and may not be the best adviser on the subtleties of translation. After all, true poets are really the worst public readers of their works. Still, being a semiotic author (and Eco surely believes that only such are true authors) definitely involves dealing with the cultural context, and this indeed is embedded sort of “behind” the literal words used in the translated text.

By the way, why don’t you link to ling.pl, while keeping dict and getionary? I know that ling has the annoying amount of ads, but the sheer volume of definitions is astounding - if they worked faster and more reliably, I’d probably switch from pwn…

]]> By: transubstantiation http://transubstantiation.wordpress.com/2008/04/20/eco-advises/#comment-3022 transubstantiation Mon, 21 Apr 2008 10:56:20 +0000 http://transubstantiation.wordpress.com/?p=80#comment-3022 Oh dear, so it is. My mistake. It should of course be "elicit". Thank you Tobia. :-) Oh dear, so it is. My mistake. It should of course be “elicit”. Thank you Tobia. :-)

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