English Translation Ms.

Rula Baalabaki

Theories of Translation Theorist Edith Grossman

Done by: Alameddine Mohamad Hisham Houri Shawkat Toutonji Amer

I. About the theorist:

Name: Edith Grossman Date of Birth: March 22, 1936 Education: B.A. and M.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, Ph.D. from New York University Works: She is a renowned American Spanish-to-English translator. She translated Latin American fiction. She translated the works of Mario Vargas Llosa, Gabriel Marquez, Mayra Montero, Augusto Monterrosso, among other well-known authors. One her best works is translating Don Quixote of the author Miguel de Cervantes. Some of her remarkable works: Don Quixote, Ecco/Harper Collins, 2003. Love in the Time of Cholera, Knopf, 1988. In the Palm of Darkness, Harper Collins, 1997. Death in the Andes, Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1996.

II. Ideas of translation:

Theory: "Translators should be writers themselves"
According to Grossman, the grand ambition of professional translators is to "write in language B a work of literature originally composed in language A, hoping that readers of the second language will perceive the text, emotionally and artistically, in a manner that parallels and corresponds to the esthetic experience of its first readers". This is to transform language A into language B while maintaining the color, energy and life of the original. In a sense, Grossman points out that translation should not be constrained by a literal approach; however equivalence is certainly to be met. This is clear when she says, "Fidelity is surely our highest aim, but a translation is not made with tracing paper." The main aim of translating is to let readers of the second language relive the same atmosphere as the readers of the original text. In other words, Grossman proposes a faithful but balanced approach, faithful to the context and emotional influence yet balanced in the style of writing.

The pre-requisites for translating are: 1. Develop a keen sense of style in both languages. 2. Hone and expand critical awareness of: a) the emotional impact of words b) the social aura that surrounds them c) the setting and mood that informs them d) the atmosphere they create 3. Sharpen and elaborate their perception of the connotations and implications behind basic denotative meaning in a process not dissimilar to the efforts writers make to increase their familiarity with and competence in a given literary idiom. (Why Translation Matters, p.7-8)

The process of translating includes what follows: 1. Endeavour to hear the first version of the work as profoundly and completely as possible. 2. Struggle to discover the _____ in vocabulary and phrasing . a) linguistic charge b) structural rhythms c) subtle implications d) complexities of meaning and suggestion e) ambient, cultural inferences and conclusions (Why Translation Matters, p.9) Among the many fears involved in translation, one of Grossman's major fears resided in herself just before attempting to translate Don Quixote. She asked herself if she could maintain the story's imagery in a balanced and equivalent language. The answer she gives in an interview is: "I think that solutions to the most interesting problems in translation ultimately depend on the
translator's intuition. For example, if part of the meaning is likely to disappear in the translation, there are times when I prefer to add a few words that may not exist in the original in order to convey the full idea." "Use comparable, not identical, characteristics, vagaries, quirks, and stylistic peculiarities in the second language."

On translation of poetry: Edith believes that although poetry and prose share certain features, poetry has its special constraints. They both utilize language to produce "emotional resonance, conceptual engagement, rhythmic pattern, esthetic tension, and sheer gorgeousness of expression." The constraints on poetry mainly include "rhythm, meter, thyme, stanzaic structure, and line length." Grossman, however, says the most important is rhythm since all poets use rhythmic stresses to construct the esthetic essence of their poems. Therefore, translators should be aware

III. Terminology (From "Why Translation Matters")

1) The experience is symbiotic (p.82) Symbiotic: The process of translation is symbiotic in the same sense as plants and fungi may be symbiotic. Symbiosis in biology may be when plants supply shelter for fungi, and fungi supply nutrients for plants, so it is a mutual relationship. In translation, this mutuality is in the harmony of thoughts established by the translator and the ability to relive the writer's thoughts and feelings to be able to recreate them for the reader of the translated text. 2) Poetry and prose both presuppose in the original writing and exquisitely thoughtful use of language to create the many effects that the literary arts are capable of: emotional resonance1, conceptual engagement2, rhythmic pattern3, esthetic tension4, and sheer gorgeousness of expression. (p.93) 1. Emotional resonance: It is some form of agreement or sympathy between the emotions that the author is expressing and those of the readers. The sympathy is so strong that the actual emotions of the writer resonate in - influence each inch of - the readers. 2. Conceptual engagement: It is the full understanding of the words and their background implications. It allows readers to delve into the mind of the author and avoid not one single detail he/she points at. It also allows for emotional resonance to occur. 3. Rhythmic pattern: It pertains to the word choice resulting in the flow of the written text, and it is especially found in poetry. For example, the writer might repetitively use a certain phrase or a certain word which creates a certain rhythm (as the word certain was used in this sentence). Rhythms can be used to satisfy cultural or esthetic features the writer wants to include in his writing. 4. Esthetic tension: It is the artistic lingering impact of imagery drawn by the writer's description of feelings and moods in prose and poetry.