After All, No Choice is Simple, Even One That Seems Simple

Lydia Davis’s article on translating Proust delves into the emotional and theoretical journey translators experience. Despite the shared goal of translating Proust faithfully, each translator's approach is unique.

 

Davis’s strategy is particularly fascinating. She mentions, “When I approach a translation I don’t generally read the book first, I translate more or less ‘blind,’ looking only a page or two ahead, sometimes not even that.” This approach contrasts sharply with my own. As an aspiring translator, I always read and analyze the source text thoroughly before translating. Davis’s method made me question my own, but ultimately, I realized that every translator has their own comfort zone and approach.

 

Davis explains, “Once I read something, it’s very hard for me to get it out of my head. I did not want to absorb the tone, rhythm, diction, of Moncrieff before establishing my own.” For me, understanding the source text deeply and building a vocabulary database is essential to feel prepared and confident. Interestingly, Davis admits that during her second draft, she began to read about Proust’s life and style, and checked her work against other translations. This shift in strategy highlights that translation needs and strategies can vary depending on the text. Another point that was ordinary but still, gripping: Sometimes Moncrieff had a closer, more literal version of a phrase, one that I had thought of and rejected as too literal, and when I read it in print I saw that it worked and restored it. This happens to me often, reminding me that simplicity can sometimes be the best choice.

 

Another early question that haunted me was whether a new translation was needed at all. 

 

The purpose of the translation defines the translator’s motivation. Davis sometimes felt lost while translating Proust. Her strategy for overcoming this was to stay as close as possible to the original author’s choices rather than improving him. ‘’We as translators should not presume to have understood everything he was trying to do; by presenting his text as he presented it, to the extent possible, we offer Anglophone readers the chance to read and interpret without our meddling.’’

 

Davis used the etymologies of English words to get to the heart of them, aiming to preserve Proust’s style and strangeness while conveying his message to English readers. This approach may not work for every translation, but it makes sense for Proust. By translating literally, or translating according to the roots, and paying attention to the minor, hidden details, we can maintain the essence of the original text.

 

Ece Celikkol