Damion Searls, an acclaimed translator, shared insights on the translation process during a recent lecture at Harvard. He emphasized that translation should be viewed as a dialogue with the text rather than a mere choice of words, akin to how a reader visualizes characters in literature. By discussing his experiences and philosophy outlined in his upcoming book, he highlighted the intricacies of translating works from various languages, arguing there is no perfect translation, just personal interpretations that convey the essence of the original text. His approach blends reading and writing as essential elements of translation.
When someone asks Damion Searls how he "chooses" words for a translation, he likens it to asking a reader how they "choose" what Mr. Darcy looks like when reading "Pride and Prejudice." Neither is so much a choice, he says, but a response shaped by the text.
This is why there are no perfect translations or 'right' or 'wrong' translations, just like there's no wrong way that Mr. Darcy looks.
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