Juliet Winters Carpenter Readings – Cheryl

My lasting impression from both of these readings was what a truly gruelling process translation can be. Even for what would seem to be a fairly simple children's book on a famous musician required so much thought (onomatopoeia being notoriously tricky) and when it came to translating a complex novel which draws deeply from different literary traditions, dedicating three years of intensive discussion is at this point unimaginable to me (as much as I enjoy it, even brainstorming translations for an hour would be enough to put me out of commission for the rest of the day).

Apart from the time and effort Carpenter takes in bouncing ideas with the author or mulling over options on her own, it also struck me how much she seeks out expertise in her translation process. Whether it's having her musically-trained brother look over her translation of a book on Mozart, or picking up a phrase from a roommate's brother, or seeking guidance on the intricacies of camera equipment—she often seeks a second opinion and isn't ashamed to consult with others who may be more well-acquainted with the subject matter.

This, however, brings to mind the ever-present issue of attribution or credit in a creative process that involve so many individuals and so many opinions. For example, in the case of "A True Novel" where Carpenter worked closely with Mizumura and Shaw, would it not be accurate to say the book was translated by all three of them? Or is it the case that as the "main" translator with the authority to make the "final call", she is the one who gets to have her name at the bottom of the cover? 

Finally, just as a side-note, I liked what she said about language-learning:

"I did wonder whether I would ever know enough Japanese. What you have to know is limitless. Now my students ask me, how do you learn a language? All I can say is that you just don’t stop learning."

I often felt (or feel) like my Japanese isn't good enough to translate, but I've come to the point where this resonates with me a lot—being a translator is really about being willing to learn as you go.