View Full Version : The Rocky Three Percent
On his blog, Helsinki-based translator Owen Witesman has an essay called The Rocky Road to a Good Translation (http://www.suomitranslation.com/?p=1361) - a shorter version of this appeared in Books from Finland (http://www.booksfromfinland.fi/2010/11/on-the-rocky-road-to-a-good-translation), but here Owen really goes to town on the whole issue of translations and their place in contemporary Anglo-American literature:
Literature in translation can and does compete with native literature, even in demanding markets. I don’t expect to see any “breakthrough” that permanently changes the 3 % figure cited above, but that doesn’t mean translated literature has failed to find a readership. It just means that there is a lot of competition and that every book succeeds or fails on its merits, not on the reputation of the overall field. Whatever momentum one big hit may create is likely to be short-lived. Yes, there are aspects of the book trade that make breaking in difficult, but every new author faces these challenges. Perhaps the greatest disservice any of us involved in translation can do is to adopt a sort exceptionalist attitude, as if the success of a book or author in Finland (or wherever) should give the book a free pass from all of the normal requirements for finding a publisher and an audience. Hype will only get you so far.
Okay, so I read the Witesman piece and must say I disagree with or dislike almost all of it. Most of it, I guess, just seems wrongheaded (for one thing, Witesman seems far too eager to let publishers off the hook for their failure to bring out more translations and translations of better books; he seems even to suggest that if we translators just did another round of proofreading we wouldn't have the problems we do!). Worse, the piece is a bit sloppy, sloppiness I would be willing to forgive if there were any evidence--there wasn't--of wit or verve.
Here is another excerpt:
To my mind, reading in his own language should be a literary translator’s primary professional development activity. And when I say read, I don’t just mean read, I mean read and pay attention. The basic mechanics of fluent expression are surprisingly easy to lose one’s grasp on, especially when constantly immersed in a foreign set of mechanics. Remember the comma splices—Finnish uses comma’s differently than English, and translators forget.I agree, of course, that a translator should read a lot in his native language, maybe even that he should make of it, as Witesman puts, his "primary professional development activity." But who in God's name writes such phrases as "primary professional development activity" with a straight face? Then there are the somewhat suspect assertions, such as that it is common for Finnish writers to write sentences in which every other word begins with the same letter. Really? Are they all taking leaves out of Georges Perec's books up there in Finland?
Witesman's piece is perhaps also of little interest to me because when I translate I am not usually drawn to poetic prose; much of his piece, in fact, is predicated on the assumption that literary prose is always poetic or artistic prose. I usually distrust prose writers who try to write poetically. I'm not a great fan of so-called genre writing, and I've never translated any, but I do like functional prose, prose that doesn't call attention to itself. Witesman suggests that any work written in such a style is not literary work. But I keep in mind what Primo Levi said about writing If This Is a Man: any lengthy considerations about style would be absurd.
It's unclear, more broadly, who Witesman thinks his audience is. What translator doesn't already know, for example, that one translates only into one's native language? It seems more likely that his is a slightly veiled critique of Finnish publishers or of the agency that promotes Finnish literature abroad.
I know I said Witesman's piece wasn't witty, but I must admit I did chuckle a bit when he said he "liked" his wife and his Church more than he liked books. I immediately pictured a Latter-Day Saint, a worthy heir to Joseph Smith, the founding dragoman of the Faith, he who, with the aid of a seer stone (how can I get one of those?), translated into English, from a language known as reformed Egyptian, the Golden Plates (the place of concealment of which Smith was led to by an angel), on which was engraved what is now known as the Book of Mormon.
I immediately pictured a Latter-Day Saint, a worthy heir to Joseph Smith, the founding dragoman of the Faith, he who, with the aid of a seer stone (how can I get one of those?translated into English, from a language known as reformed Egyptian, the Golden Plates (the place of concealment of which Smith was led to by an angel), on which was engraved what is now known as the Book of Mormon.
A most perceptive comment, Bubba - I believe that Mr. Witesman is indeed a member of the Church of Mormon.
A most perceptive comment, Bubba - I believe that Mr. Witesman is indeed a member of the Church of Mormon.
It wasn't so perceptive, DWM. If, like me, you're not unwilling to engage in a little stereotyping, it's almost an obvious conclusion. The Americans more likely to bring up their churches in articles having nothing to do with churchgoing are fundamentalist Protestants from the South, who rarely speak foreign languages, or Mormons, who, as a result of their missionary work, often do speak a foreign language. In fact, I read somewhere that there is a larger percentage of bilinguals in Utah than in any other state in the US. I sometimes even get the impression that any foreign-language speaker in the US who is not himself an immigrant--or whose parents are not immigrants--is, as likely as not, a Mormon! In addition--and I'm not sure why this is--people of the Mormon faith seem much less likely than Americans of other faiths to stop practicing their religion as they move into the academic or literary ranks. Compare to fundamentalist Protestants, for example, whose moves into intellectual or artistic work are almost invariably accompanied by "conversions" to Methodism or to even more discreet denominations.
Thanks for that, Bubba. It's fascinating to read about the social backgound of Mormonism, which is really an unknown quantity in Europe (except for the thing about the wives). I know that the people at the Finnish literary agencies and publishers in Helsinki are highly intrigued to have a Mormon in their midst!
Owen is a good translator of Finnish, by the way, even if one doesn't necessarily share all his views of the world and of books.
Thank-you DWM for introducing us to the Finnish angle on the Church of Mormon. I didn't know this fact about Witeman either till you told us. But it does explain why the piece gave the impression of having been written by a salesman of sorts. I really object to someone who is supposed to be an honest Christian starting his piece with a downright lie: I don't read translations. And then admitting as part of the trick that well, erm, I do read translations actually. What a con man. It is, furthermore, also a lie because if he's a Mormon he must have read the Bible which is, erm, a translation. I'm sure he's a good translator, but I can't imagine him translating the likes of Sofi Oksanen with her lesbianism (sorry, bisexuality) and bulimia.
I still remember how I made the mistake of letting in a couple of young American Mormons into my flat in Hämeenlinna, a small Finnish provincial town, in about 1977. They were nice to start with, then tried to get their oddly sectarian Christian claws into you. It was nice to speak to people with the same mother-tongue as myself. But I soon tired of the not-so-hidden agenda.
I am myself a Christian of the mainstream sort, but all those disappearing tablets are nothing for me. Even back in the 1970s, the Mormons learnt Finnish very well, as they had to go door to door to convert (aka brainwash) people who probably spoke no other language but Finnish. So I share Bubba's jadedly sarcastic view of Joseph Smithism. The Mormons have been around in Finland for literally decades.
As for Henning Mankell, seeing his name is like a red rag to a bull with me. That hypocritical Communist (of the Maoist variety, as I believe) is now a millionaire and goes around the world with his goody-goody projects. How on Earth can a Mormon praise him? And I have it on good authority that translations of Mankell into English have been thoroughly edited. Although how much of the original feeling and texture has disappeared I do not know.
I myself do like poetic prose in moderation. But it can become cloying, as any cult does, if it is plugged mercilessly by publishers.
Finally, does DWM know what Owen Witesman has translated into English? I've seen his name in Books From Finland, but I'm sure he must have translated novels and poetry as well as review articles.
P.S. to my previous spiel. I thought I'd test the following assertion:
Then there are the somewhat suspect assertions, such as that it is common for Finnish writers to write sentences in which every other word begins with the same letter. Really?
I too thought it a bit nutty, but literally the first text, in an article in the publication Ruotsin Suomalainen, a weekly for Finns in Sweden, was this:
Kungälv. Kun keskiaikaista Karebyn kirkkoa Kungälvissa alettiin korjata kaksi vuotta sitten, ei osattu aavista kuinka mittavaksi työ muodustuisi.
I've still got to look up a couple of words, but there were an awful lot of initial "k"s there. Obviously, the coincidental fact that the Swedish town of Kungälv and its suburb Kareby begin with the letter "k" helps the illusion.
Another half-sentence, further on:
Kun Kungälvissä sijaitsevan Karebyn kivikirkon tornia kunnostettiin, ...
But this illusion of k-ism in Finnish is caused by the fact that the words for stone, Middle Ages, church, restore, how, repair, two, plus the Swedish place names all start with the same letter. The article is about the restoration of a church fairly near Gothenburg by a Finn. So this is not deliberate alliteration.
Finally, does DWM know what Owen Witesman has translated into English? I've seen his name in Books From Finland, but I'm sure he must have translated novels and poetry as well as review articles.
There's a list of Owen's Finnish translations on his blog (http://www.suomitranslation.com/).
Among other things, he has two translations coming out this year: Kari Hotakainen's novel (http://nordicvoices.blogspot.com/2011/01/human-lot.html) Ihmisen osa / The Human Lot will be published by Christopher MacLehose/Quercus, and Norvik Press will publish the translation of the Finnish classic (http://www.suomitranslation.com/?tag=classic-finnish-literature) Rautatie / Railway by Juhani Aho.
With all this talk about Owen and Finnish translation, I feel it would be nice if he could come onto WLF and discuss these issues with us, but I'm not sure if he has registered as a member. I believe Lola Rogers used to post to WLF at one time, though.
Thank-you DWM for details of the Witesman blog. He's obviously a very conscientious translator. I shall look through his website,which is quite big. He can post here, as Lola has done on one of the Oksanen threads, but he would first have to know that there are people on this WLF forum that are interested in Finnish literature.
Have you heard much from Norvik lately since it moved to UCL? Last time I looked their website didn't really say anything new. As you will have attended the SELTA meeting recently, you may know more.
As far as I know (from Finnish colleagues) Neil Smith has now left his editorial positions at Norvik Press and Swedish Book Review, and is concentrating on full-time translation from Swedish. But I don't know who has replaced him at Norvik.
The Norvik Press website (http://www.norvikpress.com/) is still up and running, and the 2011 publishing schedule appears to be intact.
I didn't attend the last SELTA meeting by the way - somehow the organization has changed in ways that I don't really find congenial any more. But as a long time SELTA member, I hope that, too, will change, of course.
DWM, on that particular Norvik website that you have guided us to, I can't find anything about forthcoming books. It comes to a halt in 2009. Is there perhaps a parallel or other Norvik website? I believe that Neil is no longer running it. Have you had any contact with "new" Norvik or Neil lately, as he once mooted the translation of the five-volume Tammsaare suite, but I have heard nothing recently from anyone, although I was chalked up to be one of the translators.
I didn't attend the SELTA meeting either, as I am living in one of the two countries where they actually write books in Swedish, and I have a lot of catching up to do. It is rumoured that people write things in Swedish that are not bestseller crime novels, but you have to go undercover to find out, as this is regarded as a state secret. The state wants to plug Mankell-Larsson-Nesser-Marklund-Guillou for all they are worth. Even though the last of these five gorgeous millionaire Communists is still discussed in terms of maybe having once had dodgy links. But his thrillers sell, and that is all the publishers care about.
I don't think there's a parallel or alternative Norvik site - that's the only one I know of. My remark about the publishing schedule being intact was based mainly on the assurance of a Finland-based colleague who is fairly au fait with the publishing scene that Owen Witesman's translation of Rautatie would be appearing this year...
I hope your catching-up is enjoyable - I personally find reading books a lot more fun than attending SELTA meetings.
Thanks DWM, I'll have to write to the new Norvik and find out what they're intending publishing. I too had heard rumours that Neil was doing full-time translation. But I've not been in touch with him for a while. I thought that people in England would know more. But I'm not sure what the policy is at new Norvik. As their website is a little out of date, it is hard to know, unless you have personal contacts
It's a good thing that the Finns are adopting a dual approach to the promotion of their literature. If Owen Witesman's Aho comes out soon, this could start a trend for Finnish classics, whilst, of course, various Finnish publishers surely also do translateable contemporary stuff. I don't feel that Finland is as typecast as Sweden is with its crime novelist money obsession as their main sales promotion focus. If there's any focus, it is Oksanen and Paasilinna. And the latter has now come to a permanent halt, so there is room for new names. Maybe Hotakainen will fill the gap.
I'm eagerly awaiting the time when Sweden too realises that the game is up, and starts a trend of promoting (and getting translated) what I would term "real literature". I am disappointed that Sweden does not promote a wider range of novelists and poets. Finland and Norway are maybe further ahead, in the same way as the Yanks are beating the Brits when it comes to showing a genuine interest in translated novels from Scandinavia (I include Finland for convenience) of a non-crime nature and indeed from the rest of Europe.
Thanks DWM
"David" will also do, by the way - no need to stand upon formalities. :)
I shall not be calling you "David" on this forum till you come out and admit to who you are publicly. Harry, another Scandinavianist, signs his posting thus. But until a poster himself or herself reveals his identity definitively, not by allusion, I feel it safer not to reveal identities. Many people here, as you have suggested somewhere, hide in the shadows of (quasi-) anonymity. Until the owner of the soubriquet owns up, I think it better not to get too pally in public. Otherwise you create a clique within a clique, an in-crowd of those who are on first-name terms. This tends to destroy the inclusiveness of a forum such as this one.
Incidentally, I now have a copy of Lola Rogers' translation of Puhdistus, which I'm readng and so far enjoying. I'll post some further reflections on the book later in this thread.
David
With regard to David versus DWM, I agree that some of us have admitted who we are, while others make every attempt to stifle any clue to their real identity. (One of these is the Reich-Ranicki of the Yard, wherein a clue to his real name.) Personally, after starting out as Haversham on another literary chatsite, then being told that my soubriqet was a miss and that it should have been Havisham, I have abandoned all pretence of mysterious cloak-enveloped anonymity, as I want to get on with discussing things. But as I mentioned before, I felt that as we use various nicknames and so on here, it just seems a matter of courtesy to stick to them, otherwise you get a kind of "them and us" feeling, when those in the know start being pally with one another, to the exclusion of others.
I'm still at roughly the halfway stage with Baby Jane. Hope you continue to enjoy Purge, as I will be reading that soon too. Looking forward to your reflections.
Glad you've finally told us your avatar's Annensky. I thought for a long time that it was Robert Louis Stevenson.
I read the novel (Purge) through from beginning to end. It's a remarkable work - restless, vivid, articulate, emotional, violent, political - and I don't think there is anything quite like it in the rest of world literature. The only book remotely akin to it that I've come across before is a strange Estonian novel (http://nordicvoices.blogspot.com/2009/03/standing-trams.html) from 2004, which has a similar graphic reconstruction of Soviet reality. I think Sofi Oksanen's work does require a knowledge of Estonian and Soviet history if the reader is to understand the thinking, motivation and actions of the characters. One solitary niggling doubt I have is that while the book amounts to an extraordinary tribute to the Estonian people and their survival of decades of Soviet occupation, the characters themselves don't come across as very likeable human beings - but I believe that may be deliberate on the author's part. It's good to see Paul-Eerik Rummo's poetry quoted in the opening of each section.
Yes, I'd quite forgotten that excerpt that you translated with Tiina Randviir and my own comment (with mention of the Elo Viiding story). Reg has gone on to greater things, as I believe.
I have never seen that novel, even in Estonian. Has the whole of been translated, do you know? Are you intending doing so? Do you anything about Riina Muljar? I can't say that the name rings a bell, but perhaps I'm a bit out of things over in Estonia. Or is it a pseudonym? Is Tiina writing novels on the quiet?
The problem with any novel by an Estonian, or especially about Estonia and its past, is both that many people have never even heard of the country, and secondly that Russia is still pumping out propaganda about how the Balts are crypto-fascists and about the anti-Semitism and SS past of the three countries. If I wrote that the following photo was a picture of how Lenin was welcomed with open arms by the Estonian population in 1940, and that this was him unveiling a statue to the democratic liberation of Estonia from fascism, who would not believe me? (The fact that Lenin died in 1924 is neither here nor there, as many people have been trained to believe what they want to believe.)
http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:pAcyRa1SOX8DbM:http://static.epl.ee/pildid/2009/normal/153736.jpg (http://static.epl.ee/pildid/2009/normal/153736.jpg)
But seriously, I personally believe in novels that are set somewhere in our world and do not necessarily float in a kind of Transatlantic miasma of limbosity. I would rather translate a book where you have to know the background of the country, than one which is rootless. You can always write an introduction (or afterword) explaining the background. There will always be obstinate readers that want a novel to stand on its own two feet and will not read it if any geographical, social or political background is required, and spurn all notes and explanations. But then they shouldn't read George Eliot either. As 19th century debates and disputes, especially ones involving the Church, are not our own.
Tiina made a rough draft translation, and then Roman Muljar (Riina's husband) gave it to me together with a copy of the original Estonian manuscript and a request to edit the English text, which the draft did need, I must say. He also wanted me to find a publisher for it, but my agenting skills are definitely below par, I'm afraid. Gary Pulsifer saw the edited version, and was interested, but never got back to me.
No, the novel (Estonian original) hasn't been published anywhere as far as I know, and I don't think Riina has written anything else for possible publication. At the time of Roman's emails to me, Riina was living in Canada, I believe - and indeed at least half of the action in the novel is set there, the rest being set in 1970s Estonia. It would make quite a decent movie, perhaps. If Donnersmarck's The Lives of Others can make it with Anglo-American audiences, then surely movies based on books like Purge or Thirst and Longing could also hope for some success.
The whole novel has been translated, yes.
I wonder where Tiina is nowadays? I haven't heard from Roman Muljar since 2005 or thereabouts. I think he may be living in Tallinn.
P.S. Whenever I see a photo of JB, I tend to close my eyes. Probably that's the wrong reaction, but I just can't help it.
Glad you've finally told us your avatar's Annensky. I thought for a long time that it was Robert Louis Stevenson.
Then you have obviously never seen a photo of poor consumptive old RLS. David's avatar is handsome enough to provoke a whistle of admiration from Liam. Here's a piece about RLS from today's Edinburgh Evening News -
http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/topstories/Robert-Louis-Stevenson-may-have.6690596.jp
Harry
poor consumptive old RLS
Another irony, Harry, is that while Stevenson died a relatively young man at 44, Annensky - roughly his contemporary - soldiered on for almost another decade of life, dying of heart trouble in 1909.
Comrade (#22), you must always be alert to what Estonians and Yestonians did during the epoch that Russia liberated them from the fascists, a time that some people think is a thing of the past. I cannot find out much about Riina Muljar or Roman Muljar. The former seems to appear on Finnish dating sites for older ladies. He may have moved to Germany. Who are these people?
As for avatars, mine looks positively seedy in the photo I've posted up. But he did write interesting diaries and plays.
As for RLS, I imagined that DWM's avatar was something like these, but with shorter hair:
http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:E8ie4HJRkiFsWM:http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq291/whaskins/robert-louis-stevenson-1.jpg (http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq291/whaskins/robert-louis-stevenson-1.jpg)
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Books/Pix/pictures/2010/8/16/1281968842737/Robert-Louis-Stevenson-006.jpg
But I have to admit that I never found a photo of RLS as dandyish as Annensky is in DWM's avatar.
Liam will himself have to reveal whether he fancies blokes with tashes. The sort-of RAF cheekie chappie look. (No, Mirabell, I'm not talking about the Red Brigades.)
Comrade (#22), you must always be alert to what Estonians and Yestonians did during the epoch that Russia liberated them from the fascists, a time that some people think is a thing of the past.
Eric, I find this a bit obscure - please elaborate?
I cannot find out much about Riina Muljar or Roman Muljar. The former seems to appear on Finnish dating sites for older ladies. He may have moved to Germany. Who are these people?
Somehow I don't think it's the same Riina Muljar. Also, I don't think that Roman is in Germany any more - at least, his social networking details seem to indicate that he's in Tallinn, though since I cancelled my Facebook account I'm unable to check this.
As for avatars, mine looks positively seedy in the photo I've posted up. But he did write interesting diaries and plays.
I know who he is, but would you like to specify the identity of the author, and why you chose him as your avatar?
As for RLS, I imagined that DWM's avatar was something like these
David, Eric, David. Or I shall start calling you Comrade Dickens. :)
195194197
196
Some more pictures of Innokenty Annensky.
Another irony, Harry, is that while Stevenson died a relatively young man at 44, Annensky - roughly his contemporary - soldiered on for almost another decade of life, dying of heart trouble in 1909.
I knew Stevenson died young, and was using "old" in an affectionate way, as in "poor old boy".
As a youth, and a reluctant apprentice to his father Thomas, the famous engineer, he spent a few months in my home village in Fife observing the engineering works on the harbour. The local people are ever so proud of this, and put up a commemorative plaque on the house he stayed in. So I was highly amused to find that in one of his letters to his mother in Edinburgh he wrote "I am utterly sick of this grey, grim, sea-beaten hole!"
Harry
DWM #26: I'm not trying to be wilfully obscure, I just wondered who the Muljars are, and when and where you met them. I always like to know why people remained virtually unknown until 1991. There's also an Estonian author who has written a couple of books now in Dutch in the Netherlands, but before 1991 she was unknown, even in Estonia. My question is how do such people arise so mysteriously, so suddenly?
I looked on the internet and found both a Riina and a Roman. But which of the entries there refers to the ones you know, I do not know.
My avatar is because at university the postgrads with whom I used to sit in the lounge bar on campus, and who were all into Trakl and Musil at the time, had no time for this upstart undergrad who claimed to be reading some obscure East European, though not in the original but in English and French. One of them mocked me by calling me by the forename of the author. So I thought I'd get my own back on Stephen Giles, now Professor of Literature at the University of Nottingham. Hence the scruffy picture of my betrilbied avatar.
what Estonians and Yestonians did during the epoch that Russia liberated them from the fascists
I think perhaps Yestonians (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yestonians) needs explaining to the non-specialists here. I see what you're saying, but some forum members might not get the allusion.
"I am utterly sick of this grey, grim, sea-beaten hole!"
He also described Saranac Lake, N.Y, where he lived for some time, as "a form of Arctic St. Andrews".
The term "Yestonians" may need explaining. Though I imagine the CIA lurkers on this website already know.
But far be it for me to monopolise explanation about Estonia. That would be like the now-famous Matt Lucas sketch about "the only gay in the village". I do not, analogously, need to become "the only Estofreak in the village", when it comes to little Estonia.
Your turn, Comrade, to explain what a Yestonian is. I've been hypnotised by the manic stare of Geoffrey Hill on another thread and am out of action for this afternoon. By the time I return this evening, all will be explained, I am sure.
The term "Yestonians" may need explaining.
The explanatory link is in my post (0:5:51 yesterday),
Comrade, the explanation is certainly there on the Wiki webpage that you refer us to. But have you not noticed that the Wiki article uses words such as "derogatory" and "derides", but does not tackle the humorous dimension, and the language usage of a people under occupation? Unless you click on the link, the article is also too lazy to explain to outsiders who Mart Laar is. (Your turn, Comrade.)
If you add the pertinent figures for Communist influence together, you reach the conclusion that 73% of the Communist Party of Estonia was to all intents and purposes Russian, back in 1946, two years aftter the re-occupation of Estonia by the Soviets. The fact that the Russians had carted the whole Estonian government and members of parliament off to Siberia in 1940 and shot many of them in 1942 is airbrushed away.
I like the Wiki, but it can be used to create nodes of disinformation.
As a youth, and a reluctant apprentice to his father Thomas, the famous engineer, he spent a few months in my home village in Fife observing the engineering works on the harbour. The local people are ever so proud of this, and put up a commemorative plaque on the house he stayed in. So I was highly amused to find that in one of his letters to his mother in Edinburgh he wrote "I am utterly sick of this grey, grim, sea-beaten hole!"
This was Anstruther, I believe, Harry? How nice that you were born there - I have memories of Anstruther from the early 1950s when I was 5 or 6 years old, and my family used to visit from Crail. That was usually in the summer, though, and it didn't seem particularly grey or sea-beaten then (though I remember that there was an open-air swimming pool on the seafront, and that was decidedly chilly).
If we return to the original figure of three percent, which I believe to be the percentage of total publications in the USA and UK that are translations, I very often wonder what authors, translators, publishers, reviewers, critics, translation centres, national literature promotion agencies, literary agents, and so on can do in concrete terms to nudge the figure up a bit.
Any suggestions?
If we return to the original figure of three percent, which I believe to be the percentage of total publications in the USA and UK that are translations, I very often wonder what authors, translators, publishers, reviewers, critics, translation centres, national literature promotion agencies, literary agents, and so on can do in concrete terms to nudge the figure up a bit.
Any suggestions?
Since Eric asks... Nobody seems to be doing all that well, as I saw on the Three Percent site that the number of literary books translated into English in 2010 fell by 15 or 20% from 2009. They will soon have to rename their site Two and a Half Percent.
I don't really see what authors can be expected to do to nudge the figures up; translators, on the other hand, may have to be more willing to acquire target-language rights and publish their work themselves. Publishers bring out too much work--in translation or not--simply because they think, often erroneously, that it will sell, not because they like it. If they published work (including work in translation) they liked, they would probably find, surprise, surprise, that readers liked it, too (and, most important, would be willing to buy it). English-language publishers, who may not read a word of a foreign language, seem to acquire a lot of translation rights at meetings in Frankfurt, from agents, from the foreign-rights managers at source-language publishers. But translators, who usually come by their interest in source-language work more honestly than any of these other hucksters, who are more likely to misrepresent it, are often left out of this process. Publishers can go out drinking with their counterparts in Frankfurt if they want to, but it's the translators they should be listening to. They would make fewer mistakes that way.
Speaking of mistakes, I noticed that in 2011 the US publisher Norton will be bringing out a US edition of Siberian Education, which has been criticized here and there on the forum. Now, Norton is not huge, but it is fairly big, maybe even one of the two biggest independent publishers (not held by a publicly traded corporation) in the US. I would be surprised if Norton will be publishing another book translated from Italian (or maybe even from any other Romance language) in 2011. And what does it choose for its annual translation? Siberian Education! So what can be expected of the corporate publishers if even independents like Norton would sooner publish translations of books "written" by macho tattoo artists than of serious work?
I am familiar with the literature promotion agencies in Romance-language countries; for the most part, they don't pay target-language translators directly (from what I gather, such agencies in Scandinavia and elsewhere in Northern Europe may well subsidize directly the work of target-language translators). The French, Spanish, and Italian funds reimburse the target-language publisher for some or most of the cost of the translation. What I wonder is if these payments don't take place too far downstream. A project can get caught in an eddy and sink well before it ever comes to making a payment to a translator; the money, though available, may never be disbursed. Might it not be more effective for these funds to subsidize the cost not of the translation but of the acquisition of rights? Rights are usually acquired early in the process, and once they are acquired the publisher would have an incentive to get the book out; there would be less chance of the project's running aground. The subsidies could perhaps go to any translators interested in acquiring the rights, too. It would be nice, I suppose, if these promotion agencies subsidized the costs of both translations and rights acquisition, but with budgets being cut everywhere, that's probably unrealistic. But these are minor points (as are, I think, the sometimes questionable choices made by national promotion agencies; they may, for example, push writers from one particular time period but not from another). The onus is really on publishers (and perhaps most of all on the university presses, only a small handful of which are consistent publishers of translated literature) in the US and the UK.
As far I can make out, mainly from a North European/Scandinavian perspective, part of the problem is caused by UK and US publishers who accept grants from foreign funding agencies to cover the cost of translation - surely among the most expensive items on the target-language publisher's bill - and who even pay the translator, at least in part, but then for one reason or another subsequently fail to publish the book. This has happened in quite a number of instances that I know of. It really riles the funding agencies, of course, and makes them less keen to subsidize such publishers in future. I'm not sure there's a lot that translators can do about this, however, for it seems to be a privilege that some publishers - mainly the ones who specialize in translations - reserve for themselves, relying on their own exclusivity and specialization as a form of pressure (i.e. the state funding agencies won't turn them down next time, as there are so few publishers willing to publish translations in the first place). There seems to be less likelihood of this scenario arising in the UK, at least, when the Arts Council (ACE) or its Scottish equivalent are co-involved in the funding.
Most of the Nordic funding agencies now only pay translators directly in the case of sample translations. For a full translation grant to cover an entire work, the translator must have a signed contract with the target-language publisher.
Thank-you, Bubba and David.
I agree with Bubba that English-language publishers appear to buy the foreign rights to an odd sprinkling of books. Whether this is because they genuinely think the book will sell, or whether they want to stymie their rivals with a "dog in the manger" tactic, I do not know. But there appears to be an acquisitive greed at play to cover all eventualities.
Translators could do a lot more if the translators' sections of the national writers' unions were more active and promoted translators not only as the people who translate the books, but as people who know the source-language and target-language countries from the point of view of tastes and what might sell and be read.
Information about what does get published should also be up-to-date and accurate. I read, in Estonian translation (!) the Larry Rohter article, originally published in the New York Times in early December, which mentions some of the smaller American publishing houses, such as Dalkey and Open Letter Books. Rohter also mentions online efforts such as Words Without Borders, Amazon Crossing, and one or two other things. As Rohter points out, people in the United States are busy translating and publishing books translated from Romanian, Hebrew, Catalan, i.e. not the usual suspects which are the larger languages. This is encouraging.
As for filthy lucre, I find that the Estonian system works well. This means that the translator applies directly to the Estonian national translation fund for his or her fee. This means you, as a translator, don't have to go cap-in-hand to the publisher and accept what they deign to give you. Some other countries, especially Scandinavian ones, will sometimes also subsidise costs incurred by the publishing house.
Given the fact that there are only about one million native-speakers of Estonian on this Earth, I find it rather ironic that I am now translating my eighth (8th) book-length work from that language - I mean for publication, not for desk drawer. The first one I translated was published back in 1995: Jaan Kross' "The Conspiracy and Other Stories". Seven of the eight have been published or contracted since 2003. I do not have masses of influential friends in publishing, national literary promotion, and so on. But if you have a reasonably sound judgment as to what a particular publisher wants, you can get translations published.
You may think that Estonia is an obscure part of the world. Nor are the target-language publishing houses in question huge. But I feel that Harvill and Dedalus (UK) and Dalkey and Northwestern (USA) are decent publishing houses, ones which are not only out to make profits, but enjoy the promotion of literature, some in translation. One of the eight that I translated, Friedebert Tuglas' "The Poet and the Idiot and Other Stories" was published by the CEU Press in Budapest (in English, of course). I'm not sure that they have promoted the sales of the book very much. Three of the eight are forthcoming, one called "The Dedalus Book of Estonian Literature" with Dedalus, UK.
I don't feel that things are drying up. It just needs communication and coordination to give translations a kick-start in the English-speaking world.
This was Anstruther, I believe, Harry? How nice that you were born there - I have memories of Anstruther from the early 1950s when I was 5 or 6 years old, and my family used to visit from Crail. That was usually in the summer, though, and it didn't seem particularly grey or sea-beaten then (though I remember that there was an open-air swimming pool on the seafront, and that was decidedly chilly).
Just spotted this. At the risk of baffling our fellow littérateurs with names even worse than Estonian ones, I was born in Crail and brought up 4 miles to the east in Cellardyke, the former fishing-village which is now the east end of Anstruther, although I get crucified by local patriots for saying so.
Harry
Yes, it was Cellardyke Bathing Pool (http://www.nothingtoseehere.net/2008/05/cellardyke_bathing_pool_fife.html).
Come on, let's get back to the subject of this thread. You could maybe start a new one for people born in Scotland.
My point is, why can't translators get off their arses and get things published? It doesn't require endless effort to hawk your ideas or manuscripts. Why is it so difficult? But why, also, are British publishers so indifferent to European literature, while the Yanks are slowly becoming aware of it?
Why are British cultural institutions so vaccinated against the germ of Europe?
Come on, let's get back to the subject of this thread. You could maybe start a new one for people born in Scotland.
My point is, why can't translators get off their arses and get things published? It doesn't require endless effort to hawk your ideas or manuscripts. Why is it so difficult? But why, also, are British publishers so indifferent to European literature, while the Yanks are slowly becoming aware of it?
Why are British cultural institutions so vaccinated against the germ of Europe?
Some years ago when Per Wästberg commissioned me to translate extracts from his new quartet of novels set partly in Africa, I took it on myself - without his asking me - to hawk them round some likely publishers. I mean British publishers of good standing who published literary fiction. I was lucky if I got as much as a one-line rejection. The owner of one very well-known firm which bears his name sent me a handwritten rejection that was barely legible or coherent. It looked as if he had been drunk when he wrote it.
'Tain't easy.
Harry
Hi, all. Sorry, but I didn't know about this conversation until now. Would have posted earlier otherwise.
It’s the “Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” or “LDS Church”. “Mormon church” is just a nickname. It isn’t offensive (at least anymore), so no worries. Most of your observations about the church are more or less correct. I’d be happy to respond to any direct questions in that regard, although I like to think it doesn’t have a whole lot to do with my work.
Yes, there are plenty of people who haven’t figured out that translators should translate into their native language. Yes, it’s ridiculous that this is the case. At least two Finnish literary translations were published last year where the translator was not a native English speaker. Both totally bombed, unsurprisingly. Bad news for our business.
I won’t rehash the essay. It was emotionally charged for me, and yeah, there are plenty of things that could have been said differently. I hoped it would be funny, but I’m obviously not a professional comic...
I’ll just add one bit of background to tell you where I was coming from. This is an honest admission, so please don’t tell me how wrong I am. It’s just how I feel, and maybe I’ll feel differently in the future.
My first thought when I read an enjoyable translation is, "I wonder what editor made this good." (An exaggeration, of course. I thought this once specifically, but it keeps nagging at me. Sorry to anyone disappointed in me for not making every word I write be the absolute truth...)
That's totally unfair to the many really excellent translators out there, and I hate that I think it. It’s illogical and prejudiced. I need my editors too. But just like similar things any other jaded professional might say, it’s based on what I’ve seen (and continue to see), a magnification of experiences that aren’t really the norm, but still loom large. I don’t really want to say much more than that—Finnish translation is a very small community. I wrote the essay as if it were a general commentary, but ultimately I wrote it for myself and the exhortations in it are meant first and foremost for me.
If anyone still has specific questions or issues they would like to discuss from the essay, I’d be happy to respond, assuming we can keep it light.
I’ll post another message in a minute about some of the other practical questions raised about Norvik etc.
Maybe this has already been covered sufficiently, but here is a snippet from an email from Neil, who is happily spending his time translating Swedish crime fiction these days:
Norvik Press will now be based entirely within the Department of Scandinavian Studies at University College London, where it will be managed by four directors:
- Dr Claire Thomson (Head of Department; Danish specialism)
- Professor Janet Garton (co-founder of the Press; Norwegian specialism)
- Professor Helena Forsås-Scott (Swedish specialism)
- Dr Sarah Death (editor of Swedish Book Review; Swedish specialism)
The generic email address - norvik.press@ucl.ac.uk - will also be active again shortly, once the post of office manager has been filled.
On other fronts, I know that The Other Press in the US bought the rights to both of Riikka Pulkinen's books. Ilkka Remes commissioned a translation of one of his adult novels to try to pitch to publishers, and the second in his Luke Barron series will be published by Andersen later this year. The first book hasn't gotten much reception and was translated anonymously. I delivered The Human Lot two months ago, and MacLehose is working on copy editing it. That crucible was one of the main proximate causes of the essay (plus a long summer of translating and editing and then going to Frankfurt for the book circus). I'm still editing my Aho translation. It was supposed to be done months ago, but Norvik has pushed back all of their publication dates, so they told me to take my time. In the mean time I translated Leena Lehtolainen's most recent Maria Kallio detective novel, which is currently being offered to publishers. Next up for me is a sort of memoir/novel, The Call of the Sagas, by a sailor, Pekka Piri (he's self-publishing it), a book of children's poetry, and then most likely another crime novel (contract still being negotiated). David Hackston recently had his translation of Johanna Sinisalo's Birdbrain published--really looking forward to getting my hands on that one. David H. has other projects ongoing as well.
All of the Finnish literary translators I have regular contact with have work and to spare, although there are frequent rumblings about remuneration, contract terms (what's a 'royalty'? says the publisher), and editorial processes (mainly the lack thereof).
OK Owen, it's a truce. I did find those Mormons in Hämeenlinna a bit pushy back in 1977, but as you say, religion doesn't affect our work as translators. I'm a Christian but I don't insist that everyone I chat with about literary translation is.
Anyway, as I wasn't saying but you were, people should always translate into their mother tongue when it comes to literature. Even translating for the Americans, something I'm doing now, entails a small element of risk for a Brit like me. One problem is that people from smaller countries learn English to a high standard and then naively believe that you can then bridge what they think is a small gap to fully idiomatic English at native speaker level.
Owing to some recent e-mail correspondence, I am fully aware of the Norvik situation. Good luck to Neil with his crime novels. I have also worked with Christopher MacLehose. Thanks to him, my first Estonian translation, back in 1995, was published with Harvill: "The Conspiracy and Other Stories" by Jaan Kross.
On the contracts and remuneration front, people are beginning to wake up now the digitalisation factor has come into play. The basic problem is that once you have published something on the internet, anyone can steal it, alter it, etc., and you don't get the credit for your work, or the money. This problem has to be addressed. On the one hand, we all want to see our work published, whether on paper or online. On the other, we don't want to be ripped off by greedy middlemen who produce nothing themselves but cream off the profits.
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