The art of fiction translation

You love books and languages, and you think that might be a career path for you? You’re right!

So, if I speak two languages, I can translate novels for a living?

The short answer is, all you technically need, is to be able to read and write proficiently in two different languages easily and have a passion for fiction. But as always, the short answer doesn’t really tell you all that much.

The long answer is that a lot of work, research and experience goes into producing a fictional translation that does justice to the original novel.

Authors work hard developing their stories just right, from plot development to building their characters and setting the scene, and not everyone has the talent to get it right. It is the same with translation.

· Don’t overestimate your skills: Not to put a damper on it but speaking two languages makes you no more qualified to become a translator than two functioning hands make you a piano player.

Language, and fiction in particular, is about so much more than words. You need to know both your source and your target language’s culture as well. You need to know when an expression is ironic, what words might be derogatory, you need to know how to swear and how to flirt, and that’s not something google translate can teach you.

Immerse yourself in that language, pick up those colloquial expressions, the funny sayings and abbreviations that are not in any dictionary. And write them down!

These will give your translation that edge, where readers will recognize themselves, it will help them relate to the characters and become invested in the story.

· Consider trying proofreading first: To get a feel for how you’d do it differently. Proofreading is a great way to read a translation and its original side by side and to find things that, as a reader, bother you. It’s also a great way to practice recognizing things like literal translations and awkward phrasings in your own translation. The danger with speaking and working in two languages you are fluent in is, that you might not recognize when something sounds wrong, because you know what it should sound like in your source language. Our brain is funny like that, it thinks: Well, I know what you mean, so I’ll skip over this mistake.

I’ve got the skill, how do I get started?

· Think about what you like to read: Fiction is all about passion. You will struggle to deliver a decent translation of a story you don’t enjoy. If you can’t relate to it, if you find it boring or upsetting, it’s not for you. And that’s ok. Don’t feel you have to be able to do it all because you’re a translator, find the things that get you excited and commit to that genre.

· Get creative: Once you know what genre/s you enjoy working on, dive in and start reading to get a feel for them. Talk to people. Are you translating an end-of-the-world dystopian novel? Have a browse through prepper websites in your target language, find out what terminology they use, which concepts get translated, and which are used in their original language.

Chances are, your readers know, and there is nothing more off-putting than reading a novel and finding that the terminology is wrong or awkward.

· Where do I find work? It can be a bit daunting looking around and trying to find a novel to translate. Do you get in touch with the author or a publisher? How do you go about getting paid to do translation?

This is where publishing companies like Relay come in. With a busy publishing calendar, they always have translation work available and if they are smart and know their business, they want to keep you hardworking translators on their books.

So, build up your resume — spread the word with friends and family that you’re seeking translation jobs and apply for jobs through online job boards and freelance sites. If you’re unsure about your skills, start with some proofreading jobs, or offer to do a free trial of a few pages. If anyone asks for a free novel translation as a sample, or expects you to do it for free “to build your portfolio”, step away. They are using you!

A few pages are enough to show off your skills and also for you to see whether the novel suits you. Be confident in your skills and thorough in your work and they will soon recognize you for the gem you are.

And you will soon see whether working with them suits you. Personally, I found that working with Relay also means having a great, supportive and friendly team at hand and that is worth a lot in this industry.

I’m ready to start on a novel, what should I keep in mind?

· One of the most important things to keep in mind is: know your audience.
This goes hand in hand with knowing your target culture, but it’s more specific. What age are your readers? What can they relate to? What do they know about the culture of the target language?

Readers of crime stories or thrillers might not mind a few English phrases and you can leave some words in your translation to give it a certain local flair — this works in particular for novels that are regionally distinct — think Southern expressions like “Darlin’”, “Ma’am”, or words from other English-speaking countries, like the Aussie “Arvo” or “Barbie”.

These can give your translation an edge, a taste of that language. Even if the reader doesn’t speak English, they can usually deduce from the context what is meant. Young adults on the other hand might be put off by reading words they haven’t come across and might find it easier to read a suitable translation, or even a word or two of explanation, for a potentially foreign concept.

· Look it up: Being a translator doesn’t mean you know every word of your target and your source language by heart. It means that sometimes, you know the word that pops into your head is a faithful translation, but it doesn’t fit in your context.
It means knowing, that there is a better word out there and looking it up. Sometimes it’s on the tip of your tongue, but it won’t come to you — so mark it with a comment to recheck later. Be honest with yourself and don’t settle. Your readers will thank you.

If you are really stuck, leave a comment for your proofreader. They might have a good idea and it’s never a bad thing to admit that you can’t come up with the right expression.

The same goes for the source text: Unsure what the author is trying to say? You’re not sure whether these people would be formal with one another or not?
Ask! Remember, the author wants you to think and spend time on getting it right, so there is no harm in getting in touch with them and asking questions.

· Translate the image: This is probably the single most important thing I have been told while studying to become a translator.

We’ve all read a book that had this literal translation, which in the original sounds elegant or witty or funny as hell, but in the translation, it comes across as awkward, empty words.

Translations are all about words, but these words create images, and that is what your reader wants and what the author is trying to create.

You might wonder: Does that mean deviating from the script?

That’s where the art comes in. There are hundreds of websites out there who offer Artificial Intelligence translation and that is exactly what they do — they follow the script to a “t”. But you are better than that! You can see what the author wants to create, you know the characters and you get the mood as you read. You can decide which word will convey this feeling in your target language. This is what translation is all about, capturing the mood, the image that the words create and transport this image into a different language. That’s what your readers are looking for and that’s what makes translation an art that no computer program will ever be able to replace.

Happy writing!