(no subject)

[impulsereader]

So, I've been translated. I hope Spanish!John in this fic texts at least as effectively as dubbed!French!John communicates to his fellow countrymen.

http://ertal77.livejournal.com/tag/i%20prefer%20to%20text

I'm still not entirely sure about this, but I've recently asked a Brit to Britpick my prose, so that's only a step away from actual translation, right?

Comments

[natsuko1978.livejournal.com]

Congratulations! :D

I am (as you know :D) very keen on people who are not British using Brit-picks in British fandoms. I'm very keen on all writers using alpha/beta-readers and/or editors. I always tried to find someone to check my writing over when I was writing in American fandoms. But checking/editing etc is nothing like translating. You still hold creative control, after all and are free to ignore suggestions. The word order and flow of language is still *yours*.

But while it is very flattering - wonderful in fact, and I'm so pleased for you - that someone likes your work enough to want to translate it, I can see why you might not be sure. Some things don't translate well. I mean look at just how many different English translations there are of the Bible, for one. And some translations put things very differently and end up with different meanings. (e.g. There's one verse in the Bible which some translations put as "through Jesus Christ, who is God over all, be praised forever and ever" and other put as "through Jesus Christ. God, who is over all, be praised forever and ever.")

And I recently read one fic, translated into English from the German. It was called "Ignorance"... but in the title and throughout the fic "ignorance" was used to mean "the state of being ignored or ignoring someone"... which, uh, it doesn't in English. So something rather important was lost in translation.

That said, I'm always grateful for access to good translations of things. :D

[impulsereader.livejournal.com]

No, I know. Believe me, I'm conflicted. The translator, who, if you are reading this ertal77 - please realize that I am simply being completely honest and please do not take offense at any of this, it is not personal in any way - asked my permission and I completely waffled and put off replying either yes or no.

Some time later, the translation was posted, referring readers back to the original - as promised in the original request. I then posted a reply acknowledging that I was aware of the translation, apologizing for not replying to the original request, and hoping that the translator had at least enjoyed the work put in on the job.

A bit later on, ertal77 forwarded some feedback from the Spanish-reading community thanking me for my work. I appreciated that, because one of the issues which had occurred to me was that I enjoy the feedback of my readers, and in the case of a translation I'm not really getting that - the translator is. But then I got some feedback, so I started to feel a bit more all right about the whole thing.

And perhaps I was feeling a little odd last night because apparently French!Dubbed!John doesn't actually say anything about Sherlock being actually dead. ? And I'm not sure if that's a bad translation or a nationalistic spoiler seconds before the English-speaking one.

[ertal77.livejournal.com]

Oooooh... Now I understand your concern. I thought I also wrote you letting you know some CV details... My translations are very attached to the original, I would never take the liberty of changing words or expressions if it's not for adapting them to what a Spanish person of a given culture and social environment would say... They are not "free translations" in any account, only your exact words in other language.

[impulsereader.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you. I'm ever so happy that my concern is understandable. Honestly, I was completely flattered that you enjoyed my story and wanted to make it accessible to others; but right after I thought that - my next thought was, 'but I really spent a lot of time choosing the words I used which make up that story' and I wasn't sure if I wanted to allow someone else to make what would be possibly different choices.

Are you a writer yourself? It might be difficult to relate unless you've spent an entire day re-reading a specific passage to be sure you've got it right...and believe me, I sometimes have to force myself to move on; that's where I've been stuck recently - get on with it already! that bit's fine! finish the story!

I Prefer to Text

[impulsereader.livejournal.com]

I've posted an addendum. I thought I'd let you know in case you wanted to translate it as well.

http://impulsereader.livejournal.com/26928.html