At the moment I'm working on a subtitle translation of Pintér Béla's forthcoming drama A soha vissza nem térő ("that which never returns"; title translation yet to be finalized). Translating drama represents a specific challenge for the translator, as where poetry, prose, and novels are written chiefly for reading (at least nowadays people read them in silence more often than they read them out loud), drama is a dynamic audio-visual experience (lighting, stage props, sound effects etc.) in which the actors make a significant contribution. The success of a theatre production often depends on the play's performance in a particular place at a particular point in time, and the audience is also familiar with the play's socio-historical environment. Thus, the language and culture of the "here and now" interacts with and reflects on the language and culture of the past, and this affects every element, from the production to the performance of the play. It is for this reason that theatre plays are so often adapted, to enhance the "performability" of a work and disregard the alterity of the source culture.
For a translator, this problem of context and culturally-specific content is compounded by the fact that there are no annotations in a stage play - the "here and now" effect of the drama may easily lose its effect (think about explaining jokes to foreigners; sometimes the joke works, sometimes it falls flat on its face). Uttered words cannot be deleted, and "undoing" a statement is only possible through the addition of yet more words...
The title of Béla's play is particularly apt in this respect; it literally translates as "that which is never to return again". More on this subject later...
Dear Sir, Congratulations on an informative and interesting blog page...a lot of information on several fascinating topics in a small space. As a student of translation and related subjects I look forward to more.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Perry Smith
Dear Perry,
ReplyDeleteAre you the famous Perry Smith(e), well-known in Eastern Europe for his anti-health cookbooks? I once remember browsing a "guide to unhealthy eating" that contained information about hairy Hungarian pigs (known as "mangalica") that are bred for their superior fat yield. Then there was the sumptuously illustrated "the art and joy of sausage making". Do let me know, I am a big fan. P
Dear Philip,
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for your kind comments. What a small world! As a matter of fact I am Perry Smythe; my agent advised me to adjust to "Smith" as he felt it would appeal to a wider, contemporary audience. There was also the matter of some unfortunately prejudiced and unfavourable publicity associated with my, sadly now out of print, cookbooks. A new start was in order, and that is in fact what I am doing now. I have begun studying Hungarian in order to further my researches into Mangalica in particular and the Hungarian diet in general. You know, it is most comforting to realise that there are many out there who do not swallow the present hype about "healthy food", vitamins, and so on. I was heartened by the favourable response to a paper I read at Glasgow University almost exactly a year ago, in November 2007, entitled "Suet dumplings: their role in human happiness". Fortified by such support, I decided to re-write two of my defunct books for a 21st century audience ("Vitamin Free: The New Jerusalem"; and "The Lard of Avon", though I will need to think about that rather dated title as it drew such ire from the Bardophile community)...and here I am, doing the necessary groundwork in a country I have long regarded as a Mecca for those true disciples who understand good, real, food.
If I may presume, may I be permitted to keep you posted on my progress? I would of course deeply appreciate any suggestions you may have, with your profound understanding of things Hungarian. Thank you so much, again, for your interest.
Yours truly, Perry.