I have a great subject for my inaugural blog post: I’ve just gotten back from Translate in the Catskills, a weekend of intensive translation workshops organized by Chris Durban with a stellar slate of instructors. While this was primarily an event for Francophone translators, the organizers were aware of their non-Francophone students, and since the subject matter really was translation itself I got a tremendous amount out of it.
Imagine being challenged to turn tired literal translations into sparkling prose, or to transform a choppy text into a piece that flows. Imagine sharing fascinating conversations with other translators and hearing terrific tips for achieving and maintaining the level of quality that top clients are looking for.
While we spent a lot of time on business and government prose (which can in fact sparkle — who knew?), we also got to learn more about the challenges of literary translation. I spent a wonderful evening hearing Ros Schwartz share her experiences translating mysteries and other types of literature.
I made some new friends and came back with lots of new ideas, an enormous bagful of translation books
from InTrans Book Service, and a firm resolve to be the best writer and translator I can be.
Jättefin blog, Alice. You are an inspiration!