Suzanne Jill Levine's essay "On Translating Infante's Inferno" talks about wordplay in translation. She argues it brings life to the original, and chooses to translate works that allow more wordplay, calling herself a "faithfully unfaithful translator." This reminded me of the various translations we've workshopped in class, and how the more creative ones have stayed with me.
I noticed that Robert Bly's stages of translation included some steps that are common in writing. For example, in step 2, he consults with his friends to make sure his translation makes sense and to work out some quirks that he may not have noticed. Bly also groups translation into eight stages, whereas in real life the process might progress in the same steps. For example, some translators might want to consider sound and tone while they are writing their first draft.
- Hanan
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