The Writer as Translator

Play Audio (1 hour, 7 min.)

Archive Photo

Four IWP participants share their thoughts on translation.  Agnieska Kolakowska asks if poetry and prose can really be translated and believes the translator must do a lot of filtering much like the reader must while reading.  Erendiz Sayron usually translates only her works and tells of the difficulty of manipulating words to make them just right.  Gérman Carrasco talks about translating poetry and how the translator must get to know the author’s style.  Beatrice Kobow uses the story of the Tower of Babel as metaphor for thinking about translation.  The panel takes questions from the audience.

In: International Writing Program Archive

Authors: Agnieszka Kolakowska , Erendiz Atasü, German Carrasco, Beatrice Kobow

Date Recorded: January 01, 1998

Program: --

Format: discussion

Contributors: Steve Ungar, Daniel Weissbort, Paulene Aspel, and Peter Nazareth

Topics: Differences between the writer and the translator; Chilean translations; the Bible; computer programs; compromises in translation; translation of epic writing; Shakespeare's The Tempest; Virginia Woolf; Chilean translator Felipe Ehrenberg

Note: Date of recording unknown.

Play Audio (1 hour, 7 min.)