Thu 5 Nov 2009
Oh lala
Posted by Charlotte under Musings
[8] Comments
Just as I was going to start redacting the note I’ve been meaning to write for a few days on Proust Du Côté de chez Swann (Swann’s Way), I got my first paid translation job! It was poorly paid and a rush job if there ever was one, but it was also a fun and easy subject (tourism in the New York area) and most of all — it was my first “official” paid translation. So tonight is still not the night I will be writing about my recent readings, but I hope to have some time tomorrow morning.
I also want to talk, albeit probably briefly, about The Tanslator’s Revenge. I am now reading through Molière’s Le Malade imaginaire and Hugo’s Last Day of a Condemned Man, as I landed a French substitute teacher gig and will be teaching these texts next week. After that, I don’t know if I will continue with more Proust or if I will be unable to resist Hélène Berr’s journal, which was part of my recent book arrival. Proust is the reasonable choice, and I very much enjoyed Swann’s Way, but Hélène’s book is calling to me. Decisions decisions!
Congratulations on the translation – that is wonderful! My first paid translation was a similar thing – badly paid, and a rush but atleast a fun topic (a music review).
I look forward to your next reviews, too!
I took four years of Latin, two of Spanish, two of German and one of Russian and all I can speak is English! I have always been impressed by bi-lingual folk. It’s something I’d love to be proficient at – along with playing the violin and singing opera. Alas. Looking forward to hearing about your latest readings (posted in English I hope)!
Congrats on the translating gig!
Merci merci pour les congrats — Grad, don’t worry, my main goal when starting this blog was to practice my hand at writing in English… I have not learned as many languages as you, though! I did a little Latin and a little German (both quite forgotten, though apparently I will need to bring the Latin back from the dead for school), but tackling a whole new alphabet sounded too daunting!
Verbivore, I thought you worked on literary translation? Are you doing a bit of everything? I’d be curious to know more about it.
Hi again – actually, I do both. Since literary translation pays horribly, I’ve been doing commercial translations for about three years now. I enjoy the commercial work I do (which ranges from scientific to marketing) for the variety in it, although my heart is in the literary stuff. Are you hoping to do more translation? I know you are going back to school, will translation figure at all in your studies?
I hope so! My goal is to go back for Comparative Literature, specifically because some of these programs include literary translation. Right now, with the licence de lettres, that’s not within the scope, but I’m still completely fascinated by the subject. It’s part of the amorphous mass of “literary things I’d like to explore”, but it might be a crush or something more serious, only time will tell.
Funny, I started writing a post on Vengeance du Traducteur yesterday, and ended up talking about nothing but translation in it. I’ll probably finish and post it soon.
As for hoping to do more translation, yes, absolutely. I’ve been trying to find some kind of part time job for 6 months, and I’ve had horrible luck at it, partly I think because my heart was not in it, and partly because people took one look at my resume and thought to themselves (or told me openly) that there was no way I was staying with them long-term, coming from a 6-figure high-powered marketing job. The fact that it was my choice didn’t seem to matter, I guess “time to read and work” over money is not seen as a sustainable choice. I’ve been doing volunteer translation for these past 6 months and really enjoyed myself, but I never connected the dots until two weeks ago: it suddenly hit me that I was being stupid and should just work for myself at something I enjoy and can “take with me” when we move next, which will definitely happen when I go back to school in the US instead of remotely.
Maybe I should have sent you an email, because I am curious to know more about how you started and how you feel about it now, and this might not be the best place for a discussion. What do you think?
Charlotte, I’ve forgotten all the languages I took except I retained a smattering of Latin. Not useful, but it’s good for showing off at parties.
Oh absolutely, send me an email when you get a chance. I love talking translation and I’m also curious to hear about your going back to school experience. You’ll be getting your degree at Paris III, but while you are still in the states? Is it a distance learning course? I’m interested in how that works for my own reasons!