The International Booker Prize may give English translation in India its moment in the sun - The Hindu - Translation

A literary campaign, #translatorsonthecover, started on International Translation Day (September 30) last year. It was a demand by American translator Jennifer Croft (who shared the 2018 Man Booker International Prize with Olga Tokarczuk for her translation of Tokarczuk’s novel,  Flights) and British novelist Mark Haddon to have the translator’s name alongside the author’s on book covers. The petition, which has more than 2,500 signatures till date, stated its purpose simply: “For too long, we’ve taken translators for granted. It is thanks to translators that we have access to world literatures past and present... They should be properly recognised, celebrated and rewarded for this.”

Following the worldwide call, Pan Macmillan announced in October 2021 that translators will be acknowledged on the book cover. Some responses weren’t so positive: Adam Freudenheim, publisher and managing director of Pushkin Press, went on record saying that some works are co-translated, “and including them all on the front cover could make it look messy”. Unsurprisingly, the cover of Pushkin Press’s  At Night All Blood is Black (by David Diop), which won the 2021 International Booker Prize, doesn’t mention the translator, Anna Moschovakis. So while things might be looking up, translators still have a long fight ahead of them.

Snazzy covers

In India, English translation is undergoing a renaissance. Gone are the days when translated books meant dull-looking volumes littered with typos. Now they have snazzy covers, which usually announce the translator’s name loudly. Mini Krishnan, Co ordinating Editor, Tamil Nadu Textbook & Educational Services Corporation, says, “Earlier, translation was voluntary and a translator went from door to door lugging typescripts. They were overwhelmingly retired teachers of English Literature. Over the last 20 years or so, seeing a ‘business opportunity’ in the thousands who emerge with higher education degrees equipped with only English, publishers have become pro-active in commissioning and locating translators, seeking advice from regional language bodies and assembling lists for the home market.”

Translated literature is not only getting global recognition (such as Geetanjali Shree’s  Tomb of Sand, translated by Daisy Rockwell, competing for this year’s International Booker Prize to be announced on May 26) but also national acclaim, with awards like the JCB Prize for Literature rewarding both translators and authors.

Moutushi Mukherjee, Commissioning Editor, Penguin Press, Penguin Random House (PRH) India, says, “We live in a multilingual society, and at PRH we celebrate that rich diversity in language, dialect, and culture by making a deliberate effort to give literature from local languages the recognition and space they deserve. Translations is one of the best ways to play that out. Globally, of course, the translation market has grown exponentially to keep pace with immigration and growing engagement with local markets. And there is more and more room for South Asian literature to expand into the rest of the world because we have compelling stories to tell.” While we still haven’t reached that stage where the translator is almost as famous as the author — Ann Goldstein (translator of Elena Ferrante) or Philip Gabriel (translator of Haruki Murakami), for instance — some translators like Arunava Sinha (for Bengali) and N. Kalyan Raman (for Tamil) are well on their way there.

Can a living be made of translations now? Sinha answers with a big ‘no’ . He says, “There are no fixed rates for translators. It’s not a better paid job now than before unless that book you are translating has really good commercial prospect. Otherwise, the translator’s remuneration is just a function of the advance the novel will fetch and fiction, in any case, starts off with smaller ambitions.” Most translators hold day jobs as journalists, academics or writers, waiting for the day when translation will be recognised as a well-paying, full-time profession.

The lack of adequate remuneration might be one of the reasons why a huge body of  bhasha literature still remains untranslated. According to both Sinha and Krishnan, Telugu and Odia are two of the most neglected languages in spite of having a rich body of works. But recently, we have had a few good translations from Telugu and Odia as also from other less-represented languages like Gujarati or Konkani.  The Wait and Other Stories by the 2022 Jnanpith Award winner Damodar Mauzo, translated from the Konkani by Xavier Cota, releases from PRH in June.

Translators also take up a project for the love of the language they are translating or as a tribute to the author. Author Nisha Susan, who recently translated K.R. Meera’s Malayalam novel,  Qabar, into English, says, “I think of it as a privilege — to share my enthusiasm for a book I admire with a new audience. That is a reward.”

ALSO READ: 12 Indian translators discuss their forthcoming works

Mini Kapoor reviews Geetanjali Shree’s ‘Tomb of Sand’, trs Daisy Rockwell

Breaking the wall: Translation as a form of political activism

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Matthew McConaughey believes a word should be removed from dictionary - NBC4 WCMH-TV - Dictionary

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Matthew McConaughey believes a word should be removed from dictionary  NBC4 WCMH-TV

8 Great Novellas in Translation - Book Riot - Translation

If you’re looking to read more books from around the world, beginning with novellas in translation makes a lot of sense. For reasons I don’t fully understand, a lot of the fiction that gets translated into English is novella length. It may be that the novella is a more dominant form in other countries than it is in the U.S., or it may be that shorter books are easier to translate and therefore easier to publish. Either way, there are many wonderful novellas in translation to choose from.

Personally, I love reading novellas: they are long enough to create the feeling of immersion in a story, but not so long that I, as a slow reader, feel bogged down. They are also a great way to try out new authors and styles without a major investment of time. If you like what you find, you can search out other books by that author or in that style.

Also, if you fall in love with a particular novella in translation, you can seek out other work from that country or region. The books in the list below come from Mexico, Palestine, Japan, Argentina, Switzerland, France, Colombia, and South Korea. Reading one of these might inspire you to learn more about the literary culture and traditions of that place.

You might also find a new favorite author. I have read and loved the books in this list and have gone on to seek out other work by these writers. You might have the same experience!

The Taiga Syndrome by Cristina Rivera Garza, Translated by Suzanne Levine and Aviva Kana

This novella mixes fairytales, detective fiction, travel writing, and theories of translation in a wild, eerily strange ride of a reading experience. An ex-detective gets tapped for a mission to find a lost couple. To complete her mission, she travels into the far north with a translator. As the two of them wander further into the forest, what they discover gets stranger and stranger. This is a great book for those who like strange reads that keep you on your toes and give you plenty of food for thought.

Minor Detail by Adania Shibli, Translated by Elisabeth Jaquette

The first part of this novella is set in 1949. It tells the story of an Israeli officer who leads a group of soldiers on a mission to find and capture Palestinians in the Negev Desert. They capture and then brutalize and kill a Palestinian teenager. The second part describes a woman in Ramallah in the present day who becomes obsessed with this murder and begins to research it. The subject matter is dark and difficult, so be prepared for that. The book looks closely at violence, memory, and how the past shapes the present. Its two halves mirror each other in fascinating ways as well.

Territory of Light by Yuko Tsushima, Translated by Geraldine Harcourt

This novella tells the story of a woman in Tokyo setting up life in a new apartment with her 3-year-old daughter. She and her husband have recently separated. In a series of vignettes, Tsushima charts this woman’s high and low points. She feels isolated and exhausted, but also exhilarated with her new freedom. Mother and daughter bask in their apartment’s abundant light, but also struggle with adapting to change and meeting new challenges. The book is beautiful and meditative and also a sharp portrayal of what it takes to survive as a single mother in a world that offers mostly disapproval.

The Wind That Lays Waste by Selva Almada, Translated by Chris Andrews

Two people, a preacher and his teenage daughter, find themselves stranded after their car breaks down. They are on a rural road in Argentina, and they get a ride to a mechanic who lives with a teenage boy. The Wind That Lays Waste tells about these four characters’ interactions throughout one day as the travelers wait for their car, and it also fills in their backstories. The characters spend a lot of time talking about God and religion, sharing ideas and experiences as a storm threatens on the horizon. It’s a beautiful novel that encourages thinking about matters of faith and meaning.

Sweet Days of Discipline by Fleur Jaeggy, Translated by Tim Parks

This novella from 1989 takes place in a Swiss boarding school. The 14-year-old protagonist finds herself fascinated by a new student on the scene, Fréderique. Friendships and alliances shift as Fréderique settles in. The book describes daily life at the school and the twists and turns of gossip and judgments. It’s a seemingly quiet story, but darkness is never far away. The novella is an unsettling exploration of the images the students project onto the world and the reality that lurks underneath.

That Time of Year by Marie NDiaye, Translated by Jordan Stump

In this 1994 novella, Herman and his family overstay their summer vacation in the French countryside by one day. This shouldn’t be a big deal, but it is: the world they knew on August 31st is utterly transformed on September 1st. The weather turns rainy and cold and then Herman can’t find his wife and child. He heads into the village to search for them, but no one has answers and no one seems concerned. The villagers ignore him and officials can’t or won’t help. The story keeps getting more and more surreal. Fans of literary horror will particularly love this one.

The Bitch by Pilar Quintana, Translated by Lisa Dillman

This novella tells the story of Damaris, a woman in her 40s who adopts a puppy to ease her loneliness and unhappiness with her husband. She thinks of the puppy as a substitute for the children she was never able to have. As the puppy grows and becomes aware of the wider world, however, it runs away, and its relationship with Damaris is never the same. The novella beautifully captures the eerie, wild coast of Colombia, which is near both the jungle and the ocean. Damaris’s combination of longing and hope is moving. Be prepared for scenes of animal cruelty if you pick this one up.

b, Book, and Me by Kim Sagwa, Translated by Sunhee Jeong

This novella tells the story of two best friends, Rang and b, left alone by their parents and ignored by their teachers. They are teenagers living in a South Korean city who struggle with poverty, loneliness, and bullying. Together, they dream of escape. But then Rang unintentionally betrays b by writing about her dying sister, and their friendship falls apart. We follow their stories as they work their way back toward each other. The novella captures how dark life can be for teenagers and how difficult it can be for them to find their way forward.

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After reading this list of novellas in translation, you might be inspired to find even more books to check out. Book Riot has you covered! You can read this list of books in translation from 2022 and this list of 2021 translations. We also have a list of 50 must-read short books in translation. You can check out our translation archives as well.

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Believe it or not: Matthew McConaughey wants ‘unbelievable’ removed from the dictionary - WSOC Charlotte - Dictionary

Matthew McConaughey – What you need to know Matthew McConaughey – What you need to know

Whether you believe him or not, Matthew McConaughey says he’s serious about his dislike of the word “unbelievable.”

>> Read more trending news

“It’s my least favorite word,” McConaughey said in a video posted to Twitter. “I think we should wipe it out of the dictionary. …It happens every single day. We shouldn’t think that the most beautiful sunset or that the greatest play or the greatest love of our life or the greatest moment of euphoria is ‘unbelievable.’ Believe it! It’s happening.”

But not just in the positive sense, McConaughey extends his belief to tragedy and natural disasters as well, saying, “It’s part of life too. Believe it. We see it happen every day. So, ‘unbelievable,’ I don’t buy. Awesome. Horrible. Incredible. I believe those. That’s a good way to explain things. But ‘unbelievable?’ Nah. It just happened. Believe it.”

Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines “unbelievable” as “too improbable for belief” and also “of such a superlative degree as to be hard to believe.”

Merriam-Webster responded to McConaughey’s tweet with its own, saying simply, “no.”

This is not the first time the actor has expressed contempt for the word. During his commencement address at the University of Houston in 2015, McConaughey made the same point, KXAN reported.

©2022 Cox Media Group

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Believe it or not: Matthew McConaughey wants ‘unbelievable’ removed from the dictionary - WSOC Charlotte - Dictionary

Matthew McConaughey – What you need to know Matthew McConaughey – What you need to know

Whether you believe him or not, Matthew McConaughey says he’s serious about his dislike of the word “unbelievable.”

>> Read more trending news

“It’s my least favorite word,” McConaughey said in a video posted to Twitter. “I think we should wipe it out of the dictionary. …It happens every single day. We shouldn’t think that the most beautiful sunset or that the greatest play or the greatest love of our life or the greatest moment of euphoria is ‘unbelievable.’ Believe it! It’s happening.”

But not just in the positive sense, McConaughey extends his belief to tragedy and natural disasters as well, saying, “It’s part of life too. Believe it. We see it happen every day. So, ‘unbelievable,’ I don’t buy. Awesome. Horrible. Incredible. I believe those. That’s a good way to explain things. But ‘unbelievable?’ Nah. It just happened. Believe it.”

Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines “unbelievable” as “too improbable for belief” and also “of such a superlative degree as to be hard to believe.”

Merriam-Webster responded to McConaughey’s tweet with its own, saying simply, “no.”

This is not the first time the actor has expressed contempt for the word. During his commencement address at the University of Houston in 2015, McConaughey made the same point, KXAN reported.

©2022 Cox Media Group

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Translation Center's Trailblazing Efforts to Improve Language Access Services in Schools - UMass News and Media Relations - Translation

In early May, the Translation Center’s assistant director Lara Matta hosted celebrations to honor 75 bilingual school staff who completed two different workshop series to improve language access services in schools. Thanks to the support of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), this opportunity was made available to staff from 26 districts, representing 16 languages: Arabic, Cantonese, Cape Verdean, English, French, Haitian Creole, Khmer, Kiche, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Twi and Vietnamese.

Image

Participants from the Interpreting for Special Education Workshop Series celebrate receipt of their certificates with assistant director Lara Matta, graduate students Irina Lifszyc and Aitor Bouso Gavin, and workshop leader Laurence Ibrahim Aibo.

In the Interpreter and Translator in Education Workshop Series (WS1), participants learn about the standards and procedures of interpreting and translation in addition to the larger context of language access in schools. The Translation Center awarded 54 certificates of completion. Another certificate celebration honored 21 participants who completed the Interpreting for Special Education Workshop Series (ISE), which prepares bilingual school staff to interpret in special education settings.

The May celebrations continue the Translation Center’s previous work with bilingual school staff. In March, the Translation Center awarded certificates of completion to 45 WS1 participants and 20 ISE participants from 23 districts, representing eight languages. During the event, the invited speaker Jennifer Love, Supervisor of Language Access and Engagement for Prince George’s County Public Schools, reminded the group to “..., continue to be a visionary, in the same spirit in which you were drawn to this program …, it is not enough to know that you’re going somewhere, but always keep in the forefront– what will you do when you get there?”

The workshops are led by faculty and language access professionals. The Translation Center hires graduate students to support workshop leaders and participants offering them practical experience in one of the wealthiest and fastest-growing industries in the world. Their participation also gives them exposure to non-academic career paths, a noteworthy experience given the lack of academic departments of translation and interpretation at U.S. universities. Staff and language experts from the deep roster of translators and interpreters at the Translation Center also support the workshops.

Regina Galasso, director of the Translation Center and associate professor in the Spanish and Portuguese Studies Program, is the designer of the structure of the workshop series in consultation with DESE, school staff, and individuals with experience leading language access services in schools. Her vision is inspired by the plurality of the workshop participants, who come together from different districts, positions, languages, backgrounds, and experiences. In most cases, each workshop in a series has a different leader to highlight the range of execution and articulation of translation and interpretation, thus inviting participants to build confidence to bring their own style to the practice while upholding professional standards and ethics. She also insists on the use of the term workshop to honor the participants’ contributions since many have already been providing these language services with little formal training. There is currently no certification for school interpreters as there is for medical and legal interpreters.  

Galasso is grateful to Stephen Zrike, who first approached the Translation Center in 2018 while receiver/superintendent of Holyoke Public Schools, to develop a series for the district. Zrike continues to dialogue with Galasso about initiatives to improve language access in schools as the current superintendent of Salem Public Schools.

To date, the Translation Center has awarded certificates to about 400 individuals who participated in DESE-sponsored or district-specific workshop series and looks forward to future collaborations with schools near and far. Since not every school district is the same, the Translation Center works to understand each district’s profile when designing a workshop series. The workshops are one example of the language access support services that the Translation Center offers to schools.

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Google's New Glasses Can Translate Speech in Real Time - IoT World Today - Translation

The latest offering from Google’s parent company Alphabet comes 10 years after its first eyewear product

Google has unveiled a new product at its I/O developer conference this month; a level up from its Google Glass automated eyewear that was launched a decade ago. Instead of acting like a wearable computer, Alphabet Inc’s new augmented reality (AR) glasses can automatically translate speech in real time. 

Harnessing Google Translate, the glasses can listen to speech in different languages, or detect American Sign Language, and project a translation in front of a user’s eyes – like real-time subtitling. Not only could this be applied to people wishing to speak to someone from another country, but it could also prove a valuable tool to deaf or hard-of-hearing users in cases where they do not or cannot wear hearing aids. 

While the glasses remain in the prototype phase, and the company hasn’t provided any information on when it may be ready for commercialization, it is nonetheless expected to provide an indication of where the AR device market is heading. 

Alphabet’s first foray into Google glasses encountered some backlash, with the integrated camera causing privacy concerns and the high price causing some consumers to balk. Details on the new translation glasses remain sparse, and it is unclear how the company has changed its approach since its first automated glasses product, though in design alone they mark a departure; shifting from a more sci-fi look to traditional glasses.

The new device was one of many products unveiled by Alphabet at the conference, all of which reportedly have the intention of more holistically connecting Google services with real-world activities using AI. 

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