J. Carpenter Readings (Sloane)

     I loved learning about Juliet Winters Carpenter's translation process when she worked in tandem with Minae Mizumura. It seems she was really grateful to have Mizumura right there with her to confide in and ensure that each sentence was coming out how Mizumura originally intended it to. When Carpenter provided the varying drafts of the translation with the bit about the "shards of moonlight, glittering on the asphalt parking lot," I could really appreciate how much more vivid the imagery became due to Mizumura's request for a bigger focus on the moonlight compared to earlier translated versions. Carpenter was lucky to be able to ask Mizumura directly about such things, but in the case that you can't consult with the author, I think it's vital to anticipate the intentions behind their work and try to guess what they wish to highlight in each particular section. To do so, reading the original in its entirety before beginning seems like a good way to establish a solid framework for your writing. I think this is part of what Carpenter was getting at when she emphasized the importance of knowing the work you're translating thoroughly. It'd be a shame to write a character, writing their dialogue, movements, and attitude to be one way only to find out some detail later on that completely unravels what you originally crafted. Worse yet, if you don't understand the author's voice or opinions about their own writing, you risk mischaracterizing key themes or statements they had wished to communicate in the first place. I see why Carpenter's major advice to translators is "just keep learning"-- about Japanese, about the author, and about the subject matter.