We would like to believe that once we finish a translation we will never think about it again. However, we know that’s not the case. Seldom is a translator fully satisfied with his/her work. And so, like Sisyphus, we are condemned to pushing that rock, which is language, up the hill, again and again.
When translating, there’s always going to be a way to make the text better, to touch it up; there’s always another way of saying it. We choose words and construct sentences already knowing that there are other options. What’s more, since language isn’t static, what’s been translated will have to be translated again at some future time because, just like people, translations grow old and beg to be renewed every so often.
For example, if we take a look at the beginning of Shakespeare’s Richard III in Spanish, we’ll see the differences between the different translations. In 1951, Luis Astrana Marín published the following translation: “Ya el invierno de nuestra desventura se ha transformado en un glorioso estío por este sol de York, y todas las nubes que pesaban sobre nuestra casa yacen sepultas en las hondas entrañas del Océano.” On the other hand, Pedro Mairal translated the same passage as follows (and using verse): “Ahora ya el invierno de nuestra mala suerte/Se convirtió en verano por este sol de York/Y toda la tormenta que amenazó la casa/Se hundió en la entraña oscura del océano.” Let’s take a look at one more example, (though there is a great number of other versions still). Andrés Bello renders it thus: “Ya el invierno de nuestra desgracia se ha convertido en un glorioso estío por este sol de York, y todas las nubes que pesaban sobre nuestra casa yacen sepultas en las hondas entrañas del mar.”
Translating often presents itself as an open invitation to a never-ending endeavor; that said, and though it may strike us as a daunting task, it isn’t really. Instead, it is an infinite celebration of language, a constant remaking of the world and of language itself. At Trusted Translations, we strive for renewal on a daily basis, so don’t hesitate to consult us if you need to translate from scratch, edit or “update” a finished translation.
To read the original Spanish post go to La traducción eterna
