Interlingua 1 - The Translation Issue

INTERLINGUA

ISSUE ONE THE TRANSLATION ISSUE

WELCOME

AUTUMN TERM 2020

Welcome to the inaugural number of the University College School Modern Languages journal, Interlingua.

It is the intention of the journal to provide a forum on a termly basis for all aspects of language learning, and a space in which pupils from Entry to Sixth can showcase any aspect of their engagement with the languages taught in the Department - French, Spanish, German, Italian and Mandarin, or any language they speak at home.

Interlingua will feature written production and reviews by pupils, interviews of Old Gowers who have excelled in languages, alongside reviews of the latest ICT platforms and language learning skills. The first number on translation has been inspired by pupils' participation in the recent Anthea Bell, Queen's College, Oxford Translation Prize practice, and explores the intricacies of literature in translation from a range of canonical literature. We hope that you will enjoy it.

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INTERLINGUA, AUTUMN TERM, 2020

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? UCS LINGUISTS

Daniel Amir Leaver, 2013 For the first number of Interlingua, we are delighted to profile one of University College School's most brilliant and accomplished linguists of recent times, Daniel Amir. Daniel attended UCS Senior School between 2006 and 2013 and studied German, Spanish, English and History at A level, subsequently securing a place at Wadham College, Oxford to study Persian, Hindi and Urdu. Daniel is currently a Wolfson Scholar, at Pembroke College, Oxford studying for a D.Phil in Iranian-Jewish History.

HLL: Daniel, thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us about your past language learning experiences – but firstly, we’d like to know a little more about your current research.

DA: Thanks a lot for having me in mind! My research is on texts written by Jews in Iran in the twentieth century. My plan is to look at how Iranian Jews related to Iranian national identity, Zionism and the wider Jewish world in the period and how this changed over time. Historical writing on Iranian Jews has often left out socialist and anti-imperialist thinkers in the community, and I’m particularly excited to take a fresh look at their ideas.

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INTERLINGUA, AUTUMN TERM, 2020

HLL: How did your love of languages begin?

DA: I think a lot of it has to do with growing up around people who were multilingual. My mum’s family speak a variety of Neo-Aramaic, my dad is a Yiddish speaker, and I grew up in Israel speaking Hebrew. Learning languages seemed like a way of touching something that was very personal to people and fitting in in strange places. As someone who moved to the UK as a child, that last element was especially important to me.

More than anything, I think there’s always an element of acting when you use a new language and stepping into these different selves is a lot of fun.

HLL: What inspired you to undertake Persian abinitio, and what were the particular challenges you faced?

DA: It was a hobby that spiralled out of control.

While I was doing my GCSEs I took an interest in pre-modern Persian poetry after coming across some in a history book. Before I knew it, I had learned the alphabet and applied to do the degree! I wanted something totally different from what I’d done at school, and a bit of a fresh start.

To begin with, it was tough not to have the level of specialisation that you expect to get at university. Language learning can often feel infantilising at a time when you want to be treated more maturely. But the learning curve was very steep, and I reckon my cohort was around A-Level standard within 6-8 months.

Having to approach the language from scratch also pushed me to work harder and develop interests independently within Persian. The learning process, which was focused on grammar and translation, was very different to language learning at school, and I think it ultimately made me a better linguist.

HLL: What connections were you able to make between European language learning and the acquisition of Persian?

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INTERLINGUA, AUTUMN TERM, 2020

DA: Language learning is a skill like any other, and even if you’re picking up a language that’s very different from what you’re used to, experience with formal grammar and learning techniques inevitably serve you well. Persian is an Indo-European language, so I used some grammatical overlaps to my advantage. The use of the subjunctive in Spanish, for instance, is not unlike what you have in Persian, which made things easier to grasp. UCS also ingrained in me a great work ethic when it came to vocab (I still wake up in a cold sweat sometimes thinking I’ve forgotten to revise for Mr. Underwood’s vocab league). I reckon I had to commit around 2,500 words to memory in my first year and already having that rhythm in my mind was a huge asset.

HLL: Tell us about the cultural and literary aspects of your undergraduate course.

DA: My course gave us a fairly broad survey of Middle Eastern and Iranian culture and history.

For my main subject courses in Persian I had the chance to study pre-modern mystical and lyric verse, modern women’s writing and submitted my dissertation on the dialect and poetry of Jews in pre-modern Iran. My language classes also incorporated films, music, pop culture and contemporary political and philosophical texts, so there was a great deal of variety and space for us to pursue ideas that interested us. In my subsidiary course studying Hindi and Urdu we looked the development of the short story in India in the run up to Partition as well as some classics of nineteenth century Urdu poetry.

Dealing with so much material from different contexts outside of a European bubble certainly kept me on my toes!

HLL: How important is cultural knowledge in language acquisition and how does it benefit study?

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INTERLINGUA, AUTUMN TERM, 2020

DA: In the classroom it can be easy to fall into the trap of seeing language as a kind of formulaic arrangement of words and rules, but cultural knowledge is the key to understanding meaning and discourse. Working at the BBC looking at Iranian media and politics really drummed this into me. Words and expressions carry a weight with them that need to be unpacked in context, and cultural knowledge, the environment and the history of the use of language you are studying, are absolutely essential if you want to have this firm hold on it. This is true whether you’re interested in history or literature or art – language runs through these things as a system of signs, symbols and associations.

HLL: Our current Transitus and Remove Modern Languages pupils recently took part in the Anthea Bell, Queen’s College Oxford, Translation Competition practice where they explored the complexities of the translation process through a variety of poetic texts – Baudelaire, García Lorca and Goethe. What do you think are the main challenges of translation?

DA: A good translation, to my mind, has to be able to stand on its own beside the original.

Especially with poetry. It is impossible to replicate every nuance of the source text and trying to do this means you could end up with something clunky and unreadable. On the other hand, you need to reflect accurately as much of the material as possible without straying too far from the original’s meaning. And all of this has to be done while keeping the product within a recognisable idiom in the target language. Another challenge is not getting carried away: you can often find yourself so enjoying the process that you insert too much of yourself into a translation. On a positive note, there is an immense pleasure in finding the correct word or phrase and instinctively knowing that it’s the right fit. All of this makes literary translation in particular an activity can be deeply frustrating and rewarding in equal measure.

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INTERLINGUA, AUTUMN TERM, 2020

GREAT THOUGHT IN TRANSLATION

Italo Calvino, Il barone rampante Se alzi un muro, pensa a cosa lasci fuori If you build a wall, think of what you leave outside Antoine Saint-Exupéry Le Petit Prince René Descartes Je pense, donc je suis Cogito, ergo sum I think, therefore I am

Voici mon secret. Il est très simple: on ne voit bien qu'avec le coeur. L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: it is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye

Lope de Vega, Fuenteovejuna ¿Quién lo hizo? Fuenteovejuna lo hizo Who did it? Fuenteovejuna did it Primo Levi, Se questo é un uomo Se comprendere é impossibile, conoscere é necessario If understanding is impossible, knowing is imperative Albert Camus, L'étranger Aujourd h'ui maman est morte. Ou peut-être hier, je ne sais pas Maman died today. Or maybe yesterday, I don't know

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INTERLINGUA, AUTUMN TERM, 2020

GREAT THOUGHT IN TRANSLATION

Gabriel García Márquez, Cien años de soledad Muchos años después, frente al pelotón de fusilamiento, el coronel Aureliano Buendía había de recordar aquel día remoto en que su padre lo llevó a conocer el hielo.

Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice.

Jean-Paul Sartre, Huis clos L'enfer, c'est les autres Hell is other people

Dante Alighieri, Inferno, Canto I Nel mezzo del cammin di nostra vita mi ritrovai per una selva oscura ché la dirrita via era smarrita When I had journeyed half of our life's way I found myself within a shadowed forest, for I had lost the path that does not stray.

Miguel de Cervantes, El Quijote

En un lugar de la Mancha, de cuyo nombre no quiero acordarme, no hace mucho tiempo que vivía un hidalgo In a village in La Mancha, whose name I do not wish to remember, there lived a little while ago one of those gentlemen-knights

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INTERLINGUA, AUTUMN TERM, 2020

GREAT THOUGHT IN TRANSLATION

Marcel Proust, A la recherche du temps perdu Si un peu de rêve est dangereux, ce qui en guérit, ce n’est pas moins de rêve, mais plus de rêve, mais tout le rêve If a little dreaming is dangerous, the cure for it is not to dream less, but to dream more, to dream all the time Federico García Lorca, 'Romance sonámbulo' Verde, que te quiero verde IGreen, oh how I love you green

Baudelaire, ‘L’albatros' Le Poète est semblable au prince des nuées Qui hante la tempête et se rit de l'archer The Poet is like this monarch of the clouds, Familiar of storms, of stars, and of all high things

Ernesto Sábato, El túnel Bastará decir que soy Juan Pablo Castel, el pintor que mató a María Iribarne; supongo que el proceso está en el recuerdo de todos y que no se necesitan mayores explicaciones sobre mi persona It should be sufficient to say that I am Juan Pablo Castel, the painter who killed Maria Iribarne. I imagine that the trial is still in everyone’s mind and that no further information about me is necessary 8

INTERLINGUA, AUTUMN TERM, 2020

DANTE IN TRANSLATION

In 1919, the Italian architect Mario Palanti was commissioned by a wealthy compatriot, Luis Barolo, who had arrived in Argentina in 1890 - para hacer la AmĂŠrica (to make his fortune) - to build what would be the tallest building in Latin America. However, the twenty-two story Palacio Barolo had to be more than a skyscraper - it was to be designed in accordance with the cosmology of Dante Alighieri's Divina Commedia, and divided into Inferno (Hell), Purgatorio (Purgatory) and Paradiso (Heaven). Each canto of floors represents a step towards the faro or lighthouse at the very top of the building, which represents the nine choirs of angels. The lighthouse was designed to coincide with the Southern Cross on July 9, Argentine Independence Day. The central dome in the entrance hall contains nine vaulted archways which represent the nine circles of Inferno. In 1928, a matching building - the Palacio Salvo was built to a similar plan in Montevideo, intending to be two beams of welcome across the RĂ­o de la Plata - the New World Pillars of Hercules - to herald the entrance to a brave new world of prosperity and adventure.

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INTERLINGUA, AUTUMN TERM, 2020

UCS ARGENTINA TRIP BUENOS AIRES, 26TH OCTOBER, 2019

It is impossible to enter the Palacio Barolo without sensing the work of a creator at hand; for me, this was less a divine creator (as in the work of Dante) than an architect, the sense of the building as one grand idea. And it was certainly grand. The twenty-two floors feature impressively ornate marble and stonework, coloured floor mosaics, and on the ground floor inferno - even sculptures of hellish monsters. Such lavish construction was a poignant reminder of Argentina's incredible former wealth and European-influenced extravagance. Visiting the Palacio Barolo was also a profoundly literary experience. I felt myself analysing the building as if it were an architectural text, attempting to decipher its Latin inscriptions, masonic symbols, and cryptic depictions of religious cosmology. Every aspect of the building’s design, each cornice and balustrade, could be peeled back to reveal layer after layer of new allegorical meaning. However, all such bookish analysis left my mind immediately upon reaching the heights of the building’s balcony and lighthouse. The awe-inspiring 360 degree views of the city returned the building to the modern world, located it in the reality of Buenos Aires’ sprawling urban expanse. The Palacio Barolo, then, is a building which tells several stories, not only that of Dante's ‘Divine Comedy’, but also the history of a city and a nation as they were in a bygone era, while echoing, more broadly, the age-old tale of human creation and inspiration.

Old Gower, Bora Tosun-Stone Magdalen College, Oxford 10

INTERLINGUA, AUTUMN TERM, 2020

UCS LANGUAGES AT HOME!

UCS pupils also speak a variety of different languages at home. This brings not just great cultural richness, but excellent transferable skills when it comes to picking up a third or fourth language in the classroom. We asked a range of pupils about their language skills and background and, in particular, if there were any words which defy translation into English! Here a selection of responses.

At home, I speak Cantonese fluently with my family. I have grown up with my grandparents in London but they cannot speak any English so that means that I have to act as the translator most of the time.

However, I cannot read or write the language, leading to me trying to learn Mandarin. Translating slang and idioms can be hard. Also there are words which don't translate in English which can be a bit confusing. For example means 'nonsense' but literally translates to 'blowing ox'.

When I speak Cantonese, I think in Cantonese and vice versa. Sometimes when describing foods, I will be unable to describe the food in English, but fully capable of that in Cantonese which can be a frustrating feeling.

My character does become a bit more crass when I speak Cantonese as my grandparents come from an agricultural background, leading to me speaking in slang and using not so orthodox language. Moreover, Cantonese just seems to be a louder and less polite language then English in general.

Lower Remove Mandarin

吹⽜

Aidan Miao I have been speaking Hindi for two years and have been taking lessons on Zoom. I first wanted to learn Hindi when I went to India for Christmas 2018. I thought how amazing it would be if I could speak to all these people! I hardly ever speak the language though, as I am still learning it however advanced I may be. Being a South Asian language the Hindi (Devanagri) script is similar to Arabic, English and Sindhi. I like that the language is smooth and the letters are very artistic it also incorporates plenty of onomatopoeia.

Such as kihoon, kihoon. िक ँ , िक ँ (the sound for a wing flap) my favourite two words from the language are िक ँ , िक ँ and ghoom , ghoom घअुम , घअुम as they are both fantastic onomatopoeia.

Entry French Sushant Pritam 11

INTERLINGUA, AUTUMN TERM, 2020

UCS LANGUAGES AT HOME!

I speak Hebrew at home. I am practically fluent speaking but cannot write or read. I used to be able to read and write but have forgotten because I hadn’t done either in years. I think in English as it is my first language and I use it far more often than Hebrew. Sometimes I will reply in Hebrew even if somebody is talking to me in English. That is usually the extent of mixing up the two languages. I usually manage to keep the two separate. I am usually speaking to relatives or people in Israel so speak differently from how I speak to people in London like my friends or teachers. I am mainly just more casual in English because of who I am with. I would only choose to speak in Hebrew with my parents or in Israel because that is their first language usually and is Remove French easier for them.

Adam Stern I have been speaking Hebrew for four years. I first learnt it when I went to Cheder, (Jewish Sunday school) in Year 1. I don’t actually speak Hebrew but I have learnt how to read it, as the Jewish bible is written in Hebrew. I have learnt how to read it for my Bar Mitzvah, which is where a boy or girl officially becomes an adult. The language most similar to Hebrew is Arabic. What I like about the Hebrew is how the language is so different from other languages, and how it has completely different alphabets. My three favourite words in the language are ‫( שלום‬pronounced ‘shalom’), meaning ‘hello’ and ‘peace’, ‫( שתוק‬pronounced ‘shetok’) which means ‘shut up’ and ‫( ִאידיוֹט‬pronounced in the same way), which means ‘idiot’. I like ‫ ִאידיוֹט‬and ‫ שתוק‬because you can mutter them under your breath, without people knowing what you’re saying.

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Entry French Rafi Chapper

INTERLINGUA, AUTUMN TERM, 2020

UCS LANGUAGES AT HOME!

From time to time even someone who is fluent can get caught out when translating a word from French to English, for example once in a French lesson I used the term Je ne sais quoi and one of my friends asked me what it means, funnily enough “Je ne sais quoi” is untranslatable and can't be translated into English; these types of phrases can really be seen as hard to understand and problematic for people who are fluent in French. Overall I feel privileged to be fluent in another language apart Remove French from English, and that it will give me many advantages later on in life.

Jamie Absehera-Cohen I am fluent in both Russian and English, I was born in Russia and moved to England when I was about 5 so I know both languages to a native speaker's linguistic standard. Although I never went to Russian school, I maintained my Russian grammar through once a week lessons and speaking at home and due to that I can write in Russian (both cursive and regular). The language I think changes depending on the environment I am in, when I am at home I think in Russian but if I am holding an English conversation or am thinking in numbers I will subconsciously switch to English. I prefer to speak Russian at home because it feels a lot more natural to communicate with my parents in our native dialect.The Russian language holds many words that can’t be defined with one english word. The word расстроенный - rastroenniy - literally means un-tuned, but is often translated as sad, but it's difficult to cover all of the underlying connotations of that word with the simplicity of a word like “sad”. Russian literature is often associated with depression and tragedy due to writers such as Lermonotov and Gogol who wrote comedy, but always had a deeper underlying message in their work and, of course, the infamous suicidal poets such as Sergei Esenin. With this background there's no wonder the Russian language has developed many abstract adjectives such as this one. The origin of this word stems from the sound that a loosened and untuned string instrument produces, this definition can be attributed to some of the most famous composers and their styles. A quick search of Russian Classical Music will lead you to lots of minor keys and foreboding pieces of music with a few exceptions of composers such as Tchaikovsky that produced music for theatre.

Lower Remove Spanish 13 INTERLINGUA, AUTUMN TERM 2020 Bogdan Maslovskiy

UCS LANGUAGES AT HOME!

I have been speaking Polish for at least most of my life so roughly 10 years. I learnt the language at first with my mum (who is Polish) and then I got a tutor to learn Polish a bit more. I speak Polish with my mum and all of the people who are on my Mum’s side of the family.

Mostly I speak Polish when I go to Poland. Slovak is very similar to Polish but Russian is also kind of similar.

I like that I can speak to my family when I speak the language, and also that I can learn hard accents. In Polish the language is very strict because you have to say the word just how it is said so if you pronounce the word wrong noone will understand you. My favourite words is chrzÄ…szcz. This means beatle and you pronounce it like shonshch. I like that word because it is a tongue twister, also my favorite word is zimorodek means kingfisher. That is my favorite animal. It is hard to explain how to pronounce it.

Entry French Alfie English At home my parents speak to me in Italian most of the time. I'll respond in English as I have a more extensive English vocabulary. However, if it is a general conversation and not just a single question for example, when we're eating dinner the conversation is generally in Italian. I became fluent in Italian prior to English, seeing as I spent lots of my early years in Italy and, last year I got a grade 9 in my Italian GCSE. I dream and think in English nevertheless, when I spent elongated periods of time in Italy for example, last summer in July and August, I started to think and dream in Italian as I had become so accustomed to speaking it. Being a very expressive and passionate language there are lots of sayings in Italian relating to emotion which we don't have in England. My favourite Italian proverb is probably Ridi bene che io rido ultimo meaning, take your opportunity to laugh at me now because at the end of all this I'll be laughing at you. When speaking Italian I tend to get more excited and speak louder I'm also a lot more expressive with my body language whereas, when I'm speaking English my facial emotion and body language is far more rigid. When with people who speak both Italian and English I really don't mind what language I'm speaking I just tend to speak whichever language they prefer.

Some Italian words just don't have an English translation, for example, prego which you say after someone thanks you.

Upper Remove Spanish Martino Coscelli 14

INTERLINGUA, AUTUMN TERM, 2020

UCS LANGUAGES AT HOME!

At home I mostly speak English, however I do occasionally speak Turkish with my mother. I also am aiming to be able to speak Greek to my dad at home. I am not fluent in Turkish and I am still learning, however I know enough to have a basic conversation. I learn this by listening to different radio stations and practise it by speaking with my mum and on holidays with my family. I usually think in English as it is the language I am most fluent in. Despite this, if I am talking in a different language I usually also think in it. Currently I don’t speak Greek however I am learning Gratin as a foundation for Greek and will continue to learn it. I asked my dad for some words in Greek which don't translate to a single English word, some examples are: Φιλοτιμος - ‘someone who is friends with honesty / loves honesty” Μερακκι - 'Tendency to be good at something’ Κεφι - ‘(someone) is in a good mood (about something)’.

Lower Remove Spanish Adonis Apostolou

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INTERLINGUA, AUTUMN TERM, 2020

UCS LANGUAGES AT HOME!

At home I speak a mixture or Farsi (Persian) and English, often finding myself switching mid-sentence and fusing the languages together when speaking to my friends and family. I am fluent in this language. I did GCSE Persian two years ago and I am doing A-Level this year. Having been born here my primary language is English, I’d definitely say I think in English. I mostly speak Farsi when speaking to my Persian relatives especially my grandparents and relatives in Iran as their english isn’t very strong. One of the difficult aspects of reading, writing and speaking in Farsi is that there is a different spoken language and a written language. The spoken language is informal and the written language is formal. This makes writing and reading especially difficult even more if you have grown up in a household using the speaking dialect. After doing much reading and writing for my GCSE I have found that I speak in a much more formal way and find myself occasionally speaking in the written language. In the language of Farsi there are a multitude of phrases which would make no sense in English. Examples of these would be words like ghorboonet beram, jigareto bokhoram, fadat besham, jigar tala, all of which are phrases used to express love for someone would make no sense when translated, translating as “I would die for you” and “I will eat your liver” and “my golden liver”.

There is also something in Persian culture known as Tarof. This is where someone either profusely insists on doing something for someone, or someone rejecting an offer even though they want to take it as a sign of respect. I’ve seen my dad go back and forth with someone for about a minute about who should go through a door first, both parties insisting on letting the other person past first. There are a number of different dialects of the language varying from city to city, each with their unique phrases and unique accents. Each city of Iran has also been given a characteristic/stereotype for its people, often the root of many jokes e.g. (Shiraz - lazy, Isfahan - stingy, Tehran - laid back). For example there is a joke I usually do when we have guests around known as what I like to call Tarof Isfahani where i go around offering the guests fruit or something such as Gaz (Persian nougat ) but instead of saying “would you like some” I would say “you wouldn’t want any would you?” There are a lot of cultural phrases and phrases with religious connotations in the language, integrated into the language.

Upper Remove Spanish Arian Abootalebi 16

INTERLINGUA, AUTUMN TERM, 2020

ANTHEA BELL TRANSLATION PRIZE

'All my professional life, I have felt that translators are in the business of spinning an illusion: the illusion that the reader is reading not a translation, but the real thing�

Anthea Bell'

This term, pupils in the Remove, Transitus and Sixth undertook competition practice for the new Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators, established by the Queen’s College, Oxford Translation Exchange, and due to take place in Spring, 2021. The competition is inspired by the life and work of the renowned literary translator, Anthea Bell OBE, who translated a diverse range of literary texts, including Le Petit Nicolas, Asterix, Freud and Franz Kafka.

Pupils quickly appreciated the intricate process involved in crafting a seamless translation to Englisheven with a relatively simple lexis and syntax - whilst maintaining a sense of the original. The very best translations managed to retain a essence of the original through a nuanced and sustained examination of the source text. The skills of close textual analysis and grammatical knowledge were very much at the forefront of the process, and pupils relished the challenge. They quickly learned that it takes a deeper cultural understanding of the intricacies of a poetic text to convey the original meaning successfully and elicit the same emotions in the reader. This cannot be achieved through a literal translation alone, but requires the translator to become a creative writer as well as a reader.

Though we received a multitude of excellent entries, the winning pupils for French, German and Spanish impressed with their innovative attempts to bring the English translation to life.

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WINNING TRANSLATIONS REMOVE

Remove Spanish William Nesbitt

Gloria Fuertes, 'El gallo despertador' (Spain, 1917-1998)

Kikirikí, estoy aquí, decía el gallo Colibrí.

Cock-a-doodle-do I am present to you Said the rooster As the light breeze blew.

El gallo Colibrí era pelirrojo, y era su traje de hermoso plumaje.

This rooster had red hair And his suit of feathers Made him the lion's heir.

Kikirikí.

Levántate campesino, que ya está el sol de camino.

Cock-a-doodle-do Arise, I say to you, Because the sun is already Showing its gold amidst the blue.

Remove French Paul Opie Ah! Quelle dommage!

La lune fond.

Il n'est plus rond Son gai visage.

Quelle souris En maraudage La prend, la nuit Pour un fromage ?

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Maurice Carême, 'La lune' (Belgium, 1899-1978)

Ah! That’s not ace!

The moon fondue.

No rounder than me or you, His joyful face.

What mouse Stealing from the house.

Mistakes it in, the dark For some cheese?

Hark!

Ah!

INTERLINGUA, AUTUMN TERM, 2020

WINNING TRANSLATIONS REMOVE

Remove Spanish William Abbott

García Lorca, ''Cancioncilla del primer beso (Spain, 1898-1936)

En la mañana verde, quería ser corazón.

Corazón.

In the green morning, I wanted to be loved.

Loved.

Y en la tarde madura quería ser ruiseñor.

Ruiseñor.

And in the ripe afternoonI wanted to be a bird of the night.

A bird of the night.

Alma, ponte color de naranja.

Alma, ponte color de amor

Oh my soul, turn the colour orange.

My soul, turn the colour of love.

En la mañana viva, yo quería ser yo.

Corazón.

In the joyous morning, I wanted to be me.

Loved.

Y en la tarde caída quería ser mi voz.

Ruiseñor.

And in the embers of the afternoon I wanted to be my voice.

A bird of the night.

¡Alma, ponte color naranja! ¡Alma, ponte color de amor!

Oh my soul, Turn the colour orange!

My soul, turn the colour of love!

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INTERLINGUA, AUTUMN TERM, 2020

WINNING TRANSLATIONS REMOVE

Remove German Tristan Jenkins

Wolfgang Fels, 'Einsame Stille - Salzburg' (2013)

Einsam, still, allein, verlassen, ringsum Glanz barocker Pracht, endlich frei von Menschenmassen hellt ein Tag sich aus der Nacht.

Lonely, still, alone, abandoned, all around the shine of Baroque splendour, finally free from crowds of people, daylight shines out of the night.

Größe birgt die fromme Stille, doch empfindet manches Herz Leid im Schatten der Gefühle: Seichte Kunst küsst den Kommerz.

The solemn quietness hides greatness, yet some heart feels suffering in the shadow of feelings: shallow art kisses commerce!

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WINNING TRANSLATIONS TRANSITUS

Transitus Spanish Alexander Evers

Ernesto Sábato, Antes del Fin (Argentina, 1911-2011)

Camino por la Costanera Sur contemplando el portentoso río que, en el crepúsculo del siglo pasado, cruzaron miles de españoles, italianos, judíos, polacos, albaneses, rusos, alemanes, corridos por el hambre y la miseria. Los grandes visionarios que entonces gobernaban el país, ofrecieron esa metáfora de la nada que es nuestra pampa a ‘todos los hombres de buena voluntad’, necesitados de un hogar, de un suelo en que arraigarse, dado que es imposible vivir sin patria, o Matria, como prefería decir Unamuno, ya que es la madre el verdadero fundamento de la existencia. Pero en su mayoría, esos hombres encontraron otro tipo de pobreza, causada por la soledad y la nostalgia, porque mientras el barco se alejaba del Puerto, con el rostro surcado por lágrimas, veían cómo sus madres, hijos, hermanos, se devanecían hacia la muerte, ya que nunca los volverían a ver. De ese irremediable desconsuelo nació la más extraña canción que ha existido, el tango. Una vez el genial Enrique Santos Discépolo, su máximo creador, lo definió como un pensamiento triste que se baila. Artistas sin pretensiones, con los instrumentos que les venían a mano, algún violín, una flauta, una guitarra, escribieron una parte fundamental de nuestra historia sin saberlo.

Strolling along a long riverbank pathway I contemplated the magnificent river which, in the twilight of the past century, had been crossed by thousands of Spaniards, Italians, Jews, Poles, Albanians, Russians, Germans, moved by hunger and distress. The great visionaries who governed the country back then, presented this metaphor about the nothingness that is our fertile plains ‘All men of good faith’, needy of a home, and of soil on which one can set roots, attest that it is impossible to live without a fatherland, or a homeland, as Unamuno eloquently characterised, for it is our mother who is the fundamental truth of our existence. But for the most part, these men found another form of poverty, brought about by solitude and nostalgia, because in spite of the ship moving away from the port, with a river of tears welling, watching how their mothers, fathers, children and brothers, were fading towards death, now that they would never return to their gaze. Rising from the ashes of this inconsolable grief was the most remarkable song that has ever existed, The Tango. Once the great Enrique Santos Discépolo, its most influential founder, defined it as a sad feeling to which we dance to. Artists without hopes, with the instruments that came to hand, perhaps a violin, a flute, a guitar, composed a fundamental part of our heritage without realising.

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WINNING TRANSLATIONS TRANSITUS

On the Issues of Translation

'It was challenging to translate as accurately as possible but to also convey the message that the writer was trying to convey, as meaning is usually lost in literal translations.I started by reading the text as a whole, and then focused on each sentence individually. 'De buena voluntad' was difficult to translate, as it is an idiomatic phrase, and so it was tricóżľ’ finding an English equivalent, as it literally meant 'of good will. I could tell that this period in Argentinian history was very significant culturally, and so I tried to use as much vivid language as possible to emphasise the importance of the creation of the Tango'.

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Transitus Spanish Alexander Evers

INTERLINGUA, AUTUMN TERM, 2020

WINNING TRANSLATIONS TRANSITUS

Transitus French Oliver Sykes

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Paul Éluard, 'Liberté' (France, 1895-1952)

Sur les images dorées Sur les armes des guerriers Sur la couronne des rois J’écris ton nom

On the golden pictures On the arms of the warriors On the very crown of the king I write your name

Sur les champs sur l’horizon Sur les ailes des oiseaux Et sur le moulin des ombres J’écris ton nom

On the foreseeable future On the wings of birds And on the flickering shadows I write your name

Sur les sentiers éveillés Sur les routes déployées Sur les places qui débordent J’écris ton nom

On the accepted ways On the possible paths one could take On the overcrowded squares I write your name

Sur toute chair accordée Sur le front de mes amis Sur chaque main qui se tend J’écris ton nom

On all God-given flesh On the brow of my friends On each helping hand I write your name

Sur la santé revenue Sur le risque disparu Sur l’espoir sans souvenir J’écris ton nom

On the returning health On the vanished danger On hope without memories of the past I write your name

INTERLINGUA, AUTUMN TERM, 2020

WINNING TRANSLATIONS TRANSITUS

Transitus German Julian Van-Eeten

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Goethe, 'Willkommen und Abschied' (Germany, 1749-1832)

Es schlug mein Herz, Geschwind, zu Pferde!

Und fort, wild wie ein Held zur Schlacht.

Der Abend wiegte schon die Erde, Und an den Bergen hing die Nacht.

My heart beat fast, like a horse!

Away,Wild like a hero in-fight.

The evening lulled the earth today, And the mountainside clung to the night.

Ich sah dich, und die milde Freude Floß aus dem süßen Blick auf mich; Ganz war mein Herz an deiner Seite, Und jeder Atemzug für dich.

I saw you - the gentle joy and pride, That flowed from my sweet vision; My heart forever is by your side, Every breath of air: my provision.

Du gingst, ich stund und sah zur Erden Und sah dir nach mit nassem Blick: Und doch, welch Glück, geliebt zu werden!

Und lieben, Götter, welch ein Glück!

You left, I stayed and stared to the ground, With teary eyes, stood watching: And yet, what luck, for love I have found!

To love you, by God, is my fortune!

INTERLINGUA, AUTUMN TERM, 2020

WINNING TRANSLATIONS TRANSITUS

French Translation Commendation at the Queen’s College Competition - Summer 2020.

'Translation is a truly joyous activity, allowing for a balance between knowledge and discovery, a journey seeking truth, a pause from the harsh reality of a stressful world. It is not only a positive experience, but also one that expands the mind, and moves from the mental state of a fixed mindset, into a growth mindset. Translation is an activity like no other, and I stress that this competition is both an experience and a challenge. The main challenge is to try and convey the meaning of the text, when this is perhaps not too close to the literal translation, as one has to decide how to stylise the writing in order that the author’s intentions are conveyed. I did this in 'La Plague' many times, as it is a beautiful text that required much thought to portray the imagery correctly. Furthermore word order was the biggest issue, as shown in “La concierge était resté quelque temps sur le pas de la porte”, which did not sound correct when literally translated as “stayed for a little while on the doorstep”, therefore I decided to change it slightly to “stayed on the doorstep for a little while”, as this both conveys meaning and has flow. “Mauvais plaisants” was another example as adjectives tend to have a plethora of meanings, thus in this situation I had to choose, instead of the literal translation “bad jokers”, I went for the more used term of phrase “practical jokers”, as this makes more sense to an English audience, retaining the relevancy of the text. In terms of competing, I would encourage all french students to take part as it is great for the CV, whilst being useful and interesting. The signup is easy and therefore there is really no reason against it. Not only is it useful, but could set you up for life, languages are sought after, and always will be.

Transitus French Mac Galatis

COMPETITIONS ENTRY FRENCH SPELLING BEE

This year, Shell French pupils are participating in the Foreign Language Translation Bee. This is a national competition in which students have to memorise a combination of 68 nouns and eight verbs in the first person singular and plural forms. Pupils then have one minute to translate as many sentences composed of these verbs and nouns as they can from English into French. In the first round, pupils will only have to translate sentences in the present tense but, in the later rounds of the competition, other tenses are added, meaning that students have to manipulate both personal pronouns and tenses. Following two in-school rounds, successful pupils will progress to a regional and national competition, held in the spring and summer terms respectively. Building on the requirements of the new KS3 curriculum, with its emphasis on translation and grammatical manipulation, the aim of the Translation Bee is for students to practise andimprove a range of skills vital to starting a GCSE course: vocabulary, pronunciation, memory, verb conjugation, tenses and sentence formation. The first round of the completion took place in the penultimate week of the Autumn Term. We caught up with a few members of the Shell and asked them about their experience of preparing for the Translation Bee. Here's what they had to say: I have made my own flashcards at home because, for me, this is more effective than revising online. I practice for around five minutes a day. I think that using flashcards is the best way to revise because it gives you the French, and then you move the card and the English is there, but you translate the word first.

Entry French Will Gordon

I am revising a little bit each day at home and practicing the words on our lists to make sure I am ready for the first round.

The best way to learn is to do it bit by bit so it stays in my mind instead of doing it the day before the competition. I try to practice the words around three times a week and the sentences once a week. I think my vocabulary has expanded as a result of taking part in the competition, as well as my understanding of words.

Baz Timpson To prepare for the Translation Bee I have been practising with my Dad every night. I think that the best way to learn the words is to just to repeat them and write them down. By taking part in the Translation Bee, I think I have developed my pronunciation and learned new vocab.

Entry French Eugenio Coppola

Entry French Zekie Healy 26

INTERLINGUA, AUTUMN TERM, 2020

COMPETITIONS ENTRY FRENCH SPELLING BEE

To prepare for the Translation Bee, I am using the Quizlet which has all the words on it. I am also using the various features and games you can do on Quizlet to learn and practice these words. I also look at the booklet I was given, and get my family to test me.I think the best way to practise for the Translation Bee is using the different features on Quizlet, especially the test option. Another good way is learning it over a period of time and building up your knowledge of the words. It is good to learn over time and not in one short burst, as, this way, the sentences stick in your memory longer.

Want to practice online? Have a look at these applications:

Entry French Ollie Kramer

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THE ROLE OF TRANSLATION IN CANONCIAL A LEVEL LITERARY TEXTS

The work of Federico García Lorca, Spanish poet and playwright, features in all A level and Pre-U Cultural Topic syllabuses in the UK, through the study of either his dramatic or poetic texts. Lorca remains a perennial favourite, due in part to the essential linguistic accessibility and richness of his work to Sixth Form pupils, and also to the universality and contemporary appeal of the themes he explores. The texts provide a rich seam of historical, social and literary issues for the pupils to mine, with gender politics being one of the most popular aspects.

Sixth Form pupils are able to fine-tune their literary skills through close textual analysis of the target language - a process which is much facilitated by the translation of key extracts which requires a meticulous and nuanced approach to individual words, and a determination to communicate the cultural and symbolic meaning of the source language. Our Spanish Pre-U cohort has been working on two key passages - we hope that you enjoy their translations.

¡Qué vidrios se me clavan en la lengua!

Porque yo quise olvidar y puse un muro de piedra entre tu casa y la mía.

Es verdad. ¿No lo recuerdas?

Y cuando te vi de lejos me eché en los ojos arena.

Pero montaba a caballo y el caballo iba a tu puerta.

Con alfileres de plata mi sangre se puso negra, Y el sueño me fue llenando las carnes de mala hierba.

Que yo no tengo la culpa, que la culpa es de la tierra y de ese olor que te sale de los pechos y las trenzas.

Sixth Spanish 28 Rudhi Spoor

What daggers pierce my tongue! because I hoped to forget And place a stone wall between our houses It’s true. Don’t you recall?

And when I saw you from afar I threw sand in my eyes But I mounted my horse Which led me to your doorstep With silver spikes My blood turned black And the dream fulfilled me My flesh began to decay I am not the culprit For it is the land’s wrongdoing And that aroma that you exude From your breasts and braids INTERLINGUA, AUTUMN TERM, 2020

THE PROBLEMS OF TRANSLATING LORCA'S BODAS DE SANGRE

'A translation of this type is extremely challenging due to the plethora of possible interpretations of almost every word. Due to its poetic nature, the text is figurative and thus can have various meanings that will be deciphered differently by everyone. The first challenge came in the opening line; the word ‘vidrios’ literally translates to glasses but after some contextualisation I realised that Lorca is referring to something that would ‘pierce’ the tongue of Leonardo and thus I elected to use the word daggers (after considering shards). A recognition of literary licence is important for translations of this type due to it being a personal task. It is often hard to stray away from the rigid and literal meanings of the words in the source language and instead take these words and consider their connotations in order to transfer the meaning'.

Sixth Spanish Luka Ivanovic

'The challenge of translating from the source language was particularly difficult as the metaphorical message still has to be conveyed. Yet this is helped by understanding the context of the play. Especially translating “las carnes de mala hierba” where the religious connotations of martyrdom have to be

unpacked into the target language. Here I used “fallen” to highlight the sacrifice made by Leonardo for the love he desires. Another difficult phrase was “ese olor que te sale” because the literal English translation had to be manipulated to create a more poetic translation and communicate the intensity of Leonardo’s love for the novia which the simple literal English translation would have been too simplistic to achieve'.

Sixth Spanish Sara Bonakdar 29

INTERLINGUA, AUTUMN TERM, 2020

BOOK REVIEWS

The publication in 2019 of Karina Sainz Borgo’s novel, La hija de la española has been described as an ‘urgent literary phenomenon’ and ‘el próximo bombazo literario’. It is a gripping and intense account of a young woman who struggles for survival after the death of her mother in a contemporary Caracas decimated by violence and death. The key themes of intimidation and exile are hinted at in Sainz Borgo’s opening epigraph from Borges in this, her debut novel - 'Me legaron valor.No fui valiente' ('They willed me bravery. I was not brave'). The prose is infused with an immediacy and visceral brutality where the struggle for physical survival and the immediacy of death are commonplace. The magnificent objectivity of the opening line – 'enterramos a mi madre con sus cosas' ('we buried my mother with her things'), announces an economy of expression akin to Camus and Hemingway, and continues in the chilling, dystopic descriptions of a failed state. The lines between journalism and fiction blur, for as Sainz Borgo states, ‘Journalism is literature. I don’t separate them. I do as much with journalistic prose as with fiction’.

Sainz Borgo continues as a journalist in Madrid and is a prominent member of the Venezuelan political diaspora in Spain. This is essential reading for anyone interested in contemporary Latin American politics, or in notions of identity and exile. The sheer power and magnificence of the prose has been superbly translated into English by Elizabeth Bryer, ‘I boarded the plane. Caracas shone inviting and terrible at the same time, the hot nest of an animal that was still looking at me in the darkness with its fierce snake eyes’.

You’ll read this novel in a day!

Helen Laurenson

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BOOK REVIEWS

A cat that wishes to fly is an interesting Chinese fairy tale. The story tells of an arrogant and boastful cat. It relies on its ability to catch 13 mice and is both self-righteous and defiant. The author magnified the shortcomings that can be found amongst many human people in this cat.

This cat does not communicate with other animals and is not gifted in its ability to get along with other animals. This cat will only tolerate positive praise with unacceptance towards criticism. This cat is also lazy and unwilling to do any housework. In the end, whilst trying to keep up a facade and a dream, the cat fell to his injury whilst trying to compete in flying with a sparrow. On the surface, the author is simply writing the story of a cat. However, the image of this cat coincides with the unique characteristics of the ‘only child’ in China. Due to there being only one child, it is seen to be that many Chinese parents spoil their children by spending excessive energy and financial resources on one child. There are many children who are very capable and educated by the elite class in China. However, one would argue that they have been relatively alone since birth, with no siblings or playmates, thus developing poor social communication skills and high self-esteems. When entering society, they often encounter various obstacles. From another perspective, with the addition of personifying traits of a child to a cat (and being a new cat-owner myself), I personally find this quite the adorable story.

Whose childhood didn’t have a dream with far-reaching ambitions? I do not find this to be a bad thing! As long as we know how to use the tools in front of us, think diligently, and take every step-in order to reach our dream in a down to earth manner, we may be able to realize some of these illusions one day. Humans too have long wanted to fly, so we invested in the airplane. Today, we can even frequent to space! So, in many regards, we must dare to think and do!

Tiffany Wu

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BOOK REVIEWS

Amid the words of condolence she receives on the death of her mother, Camille discovers a strange letter sent by an unknown sender. Believing it to be a mistake, she disregrads it, but in the following weeks every Tuesday, a new letter arrives, weaving a strand of two impossible loves, of four broken destinies. Little by little, Camille this correspondence reveals a terrible secret that both concerns and involves her. A diabolical machination set against the backdrop of World War II, this novel combines historical narrative and psychological suspense in a relentless scenario. The book reveals two versions of the same story... "the truth, each one his." And the characters who seemed obnoxious to us in the first part are illuminated by new revelations in the second part. And vice versa. The audio version available through Audible (the book is read by Sara Forestier, Carole Bouquet, Jacques Weber and Hélène Grémillon herself) is excellent, literally transporting the reader into the narrative. The book received five literary awards and was translated into eighteen languages. A well deserved success in my opinion.

Clémentine Rancon

A la mort de sa mère, Camille reçoit une série de lettres d'un expéditeur, Louis, qui lui est parfaitement inconnu. D'un message à l'autre, Louis lui raconte une histoire qui se situe pendant la guerre de 1940 et qui met en scène des personnages qui s'aiment, s'affrontent et se déchirent. Peu à peu, elle comprend qu'elle est le principal et innocent enjeu de ce récit dramatique.

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PUPIL FILM REVIEWS & RECOMMENDATIONS

Die Welle wurde 2008 gefilmt und es handelt von einer Klasse in Deutschland, die über Anarchie lernt.In einem von diesen Stunden wurden die Schüler über Nazi Deutschland gefragt, und ob so etwas wieder passieren könnte. Die ganze Klasse hat übereinstimmend nein gesagt. Um dies zu beantworten hat der Lehrer ein Experiment angefangen, ein Experiment, das schnell zeigen würde, wie anfällig Menschen für faschistische Ansichten sind, selbst nach den Ereignissen in den 1930er und 40er Jahren.Die Welle basiert auf eine echte Geschichte, etwas so ähnliches ist in Kalifornien 1967 passiert. Dieser Film zeigt uns, dass es egal ist, wie viele Leute etwas verfolgen und daran teilnehmen, man sollte sich immer fragen, ob es richtig ist oder nicht. Wenn man das nicht macht, ist man für die möglichen Folgen genauso verantwortlich, wie die die aktiv mitmachen.

Transitus German Oskar Khan ‘La Vita è Bella’ è una tragicommedia italiana del 1997 ed è stata diretta da Roberto Benigni, che recita anche nel film. Roberto Benigni interpreta il ruolo di Guido Orefice, un proprietario di una libreria italoebreo che cerca di proteggere il figlio Giosuè dagli orrori della guerra attraverso l'uso della commedia e della narrazione poiché sono entrambi rinchiusi in un campo di concentramento nazista. Il film è stato ispirato dal libro In the end, I beat Hitler, di Rubino Romeo Salmonì. La storia segue anche vagamente i personaggi della madre e dello zio di Giosuè mentre vengono entrambi messi nel campo di concentramento. Il film può essere acquistato su Amazon Prime o Youtube ed è un film PG ma va notato che è uno strappalacrime perché l'argomento è intenso e difficile nonostante l'umorismo.

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Transitus Spanish Anjali Cheung

INTERLINGUA, AUTUMN TERM, 2020

PUPIL FILM REVIEWS & RECOMMENDATIONS

Relatos salvajes is a 2014 Argentinian black comedy directed by Damián Szifron, featuring six hilariously entertaining short stories that are all based around the key concept of revenge, and set in or around Buenos Aires. The film was produced by Pedro Almodóvar's El Deseo production company, and features famous Argentinian actors, such as Ricardo Darín and Leonardo Sbaraglia. The overriding themes of these shorts that are particularly striking are the devastating, satirical points all based on current day issues such as: corruption, class warfare, and the classic Latin American binary of civilización v barbarie, and these themes are interpreted visually to build character and ignite conflict. Another noticeable aspect that is ubiquitous in all of these stories is that there is no slow, ponderous buildup as is seen in so many movies nowadays, but rather the action is there from the get-go and this is prevalent in Story Three ‘El más fuerte’ - one of the most dramatic of the six stories. I thoroughly recommend this film (it's on Amazon Prime!)

If you are looking to watch a French show that is easy to follow and hilarious, Call my Agent is for you. The plot revolves around Andrea, Mathias, Gabriel, and Arlette, agents at the talent agency ASK (Agence Samuel Kerr). They expertly combine business and pleasure, but from time to time their private and professional lives come into conflict with one another. While struggling to keep their talent agency afloat which has been rocked by the unexpected death of its creator, the four agents take us through the wild world of celebrities, where laughter, emotion, crime and tears constantly overlap. The show has been running for four, sixepisode seasons on Netflix and it has now finished making new seasons. It is fantastic for picking up French phrases that you can use on the streets of Paris and is all in all just an enjoyable watch. Having watched the first season of Call my Agent with French subtitles, I learnt so many words which were then employable in my French GCSE mocks and A-Level speaking exams. Due to the comedic and relaxed nature of the show, I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to improve their French and binge watch something on Netflix.

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Transitus Spanish Josh Imber

Transitus Spanish Nicky Helfgott

INTERLINGUA, AUTUMN TERM, 2020

PORTFOLIO 'CODE-BREAKING: LEARNING A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE'

Code-breaking: Learning a Different Language Rosie Selby At age 13, having chosen Russian as my second (ab-initio) foreign language, I felt in equal parts thrill and dread in the face of the unknown characters that make up the Cyrillic alphabet. In those first few weeks, as my friends in surrounding classrooms dove into reading long phrases in Spanish, Italian and German, I felt like I was back in primary school. In my Russian lessons I couldn’t read or write and was having to learn from scratch the relationship between sounds and shapes on a page. I have a vivid memory of the five painful minutes it took me to write the word “hello”. I wondered if I’d made the wrong choice. However, it was this very barrier that was a large part of the appeal of Russian for me. I had the feeling that behind the alien letters, beyond the stereotypes of the Russia (and Russians) we see in Bond films, lay a world that could be known and enjoyed just as much as France, Italy or Spain. I’m pleased to say that’s exactly what I discovered. A world I delighted in all the more, perhaps, because of the seemingly greater challenge it was to get in. I say seemingly because, although learning the alphabet was a challenge, I don’t believe it’s as much of a hindrance as we might think.

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PORTFOLIO

Saints Cyril & Methodius

There’s much to be gained from having to learn a new alphabet for another language.

Fundamentally, not being able to read the language means that you learn the sounds on that language’s terms. I did not then encounter the issues we encounter in languages written in the Latin alphabet, by which our brain naturally reads a word as an English speaker and we almost have to unlearn and relearn how to read. I see this every day as a French teacher when pupils continue to pronounce “j’ai” to rhyme with “eye” or the “in” of “intéressant” as English “in” rather than the nasal French pronunciation. Similarly, learning a new alphabet opens up your mind to the idea that there are different ways to communicate the same thing. One feels less tied to the idea of literal, word for word, translation when the words themselves already look so different. My experience of learning Russian transformed my linguistic skills. Where I had navigated French with a combination of familiarity and intuition based on my understanding of how French related to my own language, I began to tackle Russian with a far more logical, almost tactical approach. The challenge and real fun of the alphabet was that it’s like breaking a code, and once you have, the hidden meaning is clear. I soon found that Russian grammar and often word formation were similar codes that could be cracked using the keys of understanding case usage or breaking down words into stems, prefixes, infixes and suffixes to work out the meaning. Not to mention that reassuringly for learners, once you’ve broken the code and learned the alphabet, you discover that much of Russian is familiar to a speaker of another European language. Cyrillic hides numerous borrowings from French, German and of course English. Learning Cyrillic has opened up more than just Russian; I could now read (if not always understand) more than fifty languages that use it either exclusively or as one of their scripts. If I were to travel to the Baltic States, or to certain parts of Eastern Europe, I would be able to access the language in a way that would be impossible if I did not understand the Cyrillic alphabet.

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PORTFOLIO 'CODE-BREAKING: LEARNING A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE'

Cyrillic hides numerous borrowings from French, German and of course English. Learning Cyrillic has opened up more than just Russian; I could now read (if not always understand) more than fifty languages that use it either exclusively or as one of their scripts. If I were to travel to the Baltic States, or to certain parts of Eastern Europe, I would be able to access the language in a way that would be impossible if I did not understand the Cyrillic alphabet. Cyrillic was also a huge help when I learned the Greek alphabet, as the latter was taken as the basis for the creation of the script for Slavic languages by the missionaries Methodius and the eponymous Cyril in the 9th century. Arguably all language is fundamentally code – sounds and shapes on pages representing meaning. The more a language differs from the code of your native language, the more you have to work to acquire the tools necessary to decipher and use it. I certainly have found it a worthwhile and enjoyable endeavour.Why not have a go at doing some codebreaking yourself? Using the Cyrillic alphabet and its pronunciation guide, see if you can transliterate (write out the original word using English letters) and then translate the words below: RUSSIAN

TRANSLITERATION

MEANING

МАМА ПАПА СЕСТРА БРАТ БАБУШКА СУП КОМПЬЮТЕР РЕСТОРАН ВОДА БЛИН МОСКВА ЛОНДОН ЭРМИТАЖ ГАРРИ ПОТТЕР

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PORTFOLIO TRANSLATION

¿Traductores traidores?

Aurora Stiavetti

Capitalizando la remota asonancia presente entre los vocablos del título, este popular y largamente debatido aforismo perteneciente al submundo de traductores e intérpretes establece su vigencia con la fuerza y el misterio de un enigma indescifrable, una eterna pregunta sin respuesta, un koan de las lenguas.Esta célebre expresión se refiere, a grandes rasgos, al grado de distancia o cercanía que el traductor elija mantener entre el texto de origen y su propia versión, poniendo en tela de juicio la validez de la fidelidad absoluta al texto original en casos en los que la susodicha comprometa la trascendencia lingüística del significado o la ‘intención’ del autor.La historia de la profesión del traductor, tanto lejana como reciente, se encuentra poblada de singulares ejemplos que atestan que el dilema entre una traducción más o menos creativa está muy lejos de encontrar una resolución que resulte igualmente satisfactoria tanto para sus partidarios como para sus detractores. La dosis de creatividad empleada por el traductor puede ser el resultante de una variedad de factores, desde la censura política a una simple preferencia estilística. En la España franquista, por ejemplo, las traducciones literarias se vieron gravemente menoscabadas por la sombra siniestra del régimen, cuya prioridad absoluta era el resguardo de una moral represiva y la perpetuación de una ideología tiránica. Asimismo, es notorio que en la antigüedad las traducciones permitían una libertad creativa decididamente mayor a la que parece aceptarse hoy en día. Durante el Renacimiento, por ejemplo, el enaltecimiento estético del texto origen se consideraba un requisito inherente a la tarea del traductor, y cierto distanciamiento de este, lejos de cuestionarse, constituía un bienvenido atributo.

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PORTFOLIO TRANSLATION

Teniendo en cuenta lo antedicho, en años recientes he observado con agrado el surgimiento de neologismos tales como ‘transcreación’, interesante amalgama de las palabras ‘traducción’ y ‘creación’, cuyo nacimiento ejemplifica y potencia la necesidad de una mayor apertura en nuestra concepción colectiva de la labor del traductor.El mundo de la literatura ofrece magníficos ejemplos de renombrados escritores que no han tardado en reconocer el poder y la decisiva influencia que sus traductores pueden ejercer sobre la recepción y el proceso creativo implicado en sus obras. En contraposición a las coloridas anécdotas que describen la relación amor-odio existente entre Kundera y sus traductores, nos llegan innumerables muestras de sincera admiración e incansable sostén (tanto moral como intelectual), de parte de otros autores de equiparable calibre hacia sus traductores. Gunter Grass solía mantener frecuentes y relajadas reuniones con sus traductores, en las que se discutía distendidamente sobre tópicos variados (en muchos casos ajenos al de la obra a traducir), con el objetivo de desarrollar una relación entre escritor y traductor que permitiera fomentar la confianza y familiaridad necesarias para el logro de una traducción exitosa. Yendo aun mas lejos, Borges argumentaba que un excelente traductor era frecuentemente capaz de mejorar el texto original – tal como lo atestigua el caso del autor brasileño Joao Guimaraes Rosa, quien demostrando una inaudita nobleza de espíritu solía declarar que su traductor al italiano ofrecía versiones decididamente mejoradas de sus obras.

En lo personal y habiendo pertenecido (si bien a regañadientes) al gremio en cuestión, considero primordial e innegociable el acercamiento y tratamiento ético del texto de origen. Siempre y cuando la naturaleza del texto lo permita (claro está que una traducción técnico-científica no permitirá la misma expansión que un texto literario o periodístico), el respeto al registro, tono, mensaje y entorno cultural deberían ser prioritarios, pero dichos factores no tienen porque coartar o suprimir la destreza creativa del traductor. Puesto en términos simples, soy de la modesta opinión que para un traductor literario que se precie, el texto de origen debería ser menos comparable a una prisión y más a una casa muy cómoda en la que se sienta a gusto.

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Tal vez haya llegado el momento de explorar nuevas concepciones y acepciones de lo que constituye una ‘buena traducción’. Tal vez la profesión encuentre que un cierto grado de flexibilidad no va en detrimento, sino que enriquece, una traducción sólida y veraz. Tal vez las nuevas generaciones de traductores, acechados por la amenaza que las nuevas tecnologías suponen para su oficio, logren no solo admitir sino también acreditar la existencia de una multiplicidad de estilos, métodos y/o enfoques aplicables a la hora de traducir un texto, encontrando en dicha flexibilidad su sello distintivo y el antídoto perfecto contra el avance implacable de las soluciones informáticas. ¿Traducción o traición? Ni lo uno ni lo otro, sino un sano, justo y auspicioso equilibrio.

Treacherous Translation Translator: Karolina Cieslak Capitalising on the slender assonance present between the words in the title, this popular and long debated aphorism belonging to the underworld of translators and interpreters, establishes itself with the lasting and enduring power of an indecipherable conundrum, an eternal question without an answer, a koan of languages. This famous expression, grosso modo, refers to the level of difference or similarity that the translator chooses to keep between the original text and their own version, putting in doubt the validity of the absolute faithfulness to the original text in cases in which the latter compromises the linguistic importance of the meaning or the author’s intention. The history of translation, historically as well as more recently, is full of unique examples which attest that the dilemma between a more creative and a less creative translation is very far from being resolved, with a solution that would turn out to be equally satisfactory for its supporters as for critics. The dose of creativity employed by the translator can be the result of a multitude of factors, from political censorship to a simple stylistic preference.

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In Francoist Spain, for example, literary translations found themselves heavily hindered by the sinister shadow of the regime, where the absolute priority was the protection of repressive mores and the promotion of an authoritarian ideology. Likewise, it is notorious that in the ancient times, translations allowed an undoubtedly greater creative liberty than what seems to be accepted today. During the Renaissance, for example, the aesthetic glorification of the original text was considered an inherent requirement for the translator’s task and a certain distancing from it, far from questioning oneself, constituted a welcomed attribute.In the light of the above, in recent years I have observed with pleasure the appearance of neologisms such as transcreation - an interesting amalgam of the words ‘translation’ and ‘creation,’ the emergence of which exemplifies and promotes the need for a greater open-mindedness of our collective perception of the work of a translator.

The world of literature offers magnificent examples of renowned writers who quickly came to recognise the power and the decisive influence that their translators can execute on the reception and the creative process of their works. In comparison with the colourful anecdotes that describe the existing love-hate relationship between Kunder and his translators, we get countless examples of sincere admiration and tireless support (both moral and intellectual) on the part of other authors of comparable eminence. Gunter Grass would have frequent and relaxed meetings with his translators, in which he used to informally discuss varied topics (in many cases convergent from the topic of the work to be translated), with the objective of developing a relationship between writer and translator, which would allow the building of trust and familiarity, necessary for a successful translation. Moreover, Borges argued that an excellent translator was often able to improve the original text, as demonstrated in the case of the Brazilian author João Guimaraes Rosa, who with an unprecedented elegance, would declare that his Italian translator undoubtedly offered improved versions of his works.

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Personally, and having belonged - even unwillingly - to the profession in question, I consider an ethical approach fundamental and unnegotiable. As long as the nature of the text allows for it - it is clear that a technical-scientific translation would not allow for the same breadth as a literary or journalistic text - respect for the register, tone, message and cultural context should be prioritised, though these factors do not have to limit or suppress the translator’s dexterity or literary licence. Simply put, I am of the modest opinion that for a self-respecting literary translator, the original text should feel less like a prison and more like a comfortable house where they feel at ease. Perhaps the time has now come to explore new notions and definitions of what constitutes a ‘good translation.’ Perhaps the profession will find that a certain degree of flexibility is not detrimental to, but rather enriches, a solid and true translation. Perhaps the new generations of translators, haunted by the threat that new technologies take over their role, may manage to accept the existence of the myriad of styles, methods and possible approaches to translating a given text, finding in this flexibility their hallmark and the perfect antidote for the relentless advancement of technological solutions. Translation or betrayal? Neither nor, instead, a healthy, equitable balance.

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Will Artificial Intelligence replace linguists?

Stéphanie Hess

As a language teacher, I often read written work from pupils who have obviously used an online translator to do their homework. These are relatively easy to spot, especially when the quality of language and the structures used by pupils are far more advanced than what we have learned in lessons. Putting aside the lack of learning by pupils in that process, I do wonder, as a linguist, whether Artificial Intelligence will one day replace us!At my last count, Google Translate was able to translate 109 languages into English, including Zulu (spoken in the province of KwaZulu-Natal of South Africa) and Kyrzyz (the official language of Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia). Google launched Google Translate in 2006 and at the time, it was far from reliable: numerous, hilarious examples of “Google Translate fails” can be found on the internet. However, as explained by ZDnet, Google announced in 2016 that it was switching from PBMT (Phrase-Based Machine Translation algorithm, which translated words and phrases independently) to GNMT (Google Neural Machine Translation, which translates "whole sentences at a time, rather than just piece by piece. It uses this broader context to help it figure out the most relevant translation, which it then rearranges and adjusts to be more like a human speaking with proper grammar" ). The question is whether Google Translate has now evolved to such a degree that it could replace “human” translators, or will Google Translate forever be, as Sofia Coppola would say, Lost in Translation?

In Cyrano de Bergerac (a play written in 1897 by the French author Edmond Rostand), Cyrano is caught up in a love triangle with the very good looking Baron Christian de Neuvillette and the “précieuse” Roxane. In Act I, Scene 4 is the most famous excerpt from Rostand's play, and possibly the most famous in all French theatre. Written in 12-syllable iambic pentameter , “La Tirade du Nez” consists of Cyrano's response to Valvert's attack, who accuses him, with simple words, of having a "very big nose". Cyrano, this gifted poet with an ungrateful physique, then replies to the Count by describing his nose with panache. Here is an extract:

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Agressif : « Moi, monsieur, si j’avais un tel nez, Il faudrait sur-le-champ que je me l’amputasse ! » Amical : « Mais il doit tremper dans votre tasse !

Pour boire, faites-vous fabriquer un hanap ! » Descriptif : « C’est un roc !... c’est un pic !... c’est un cap !

Que dis-je, c’est un cap ?... C’est une péninsule ! » Curieux : « De quoi sert cette oblongue capsule?

D’écritoire, monsieur, ou de boîte à ciseaux ? » Gracieux : « Aimez-vous à ce point les oiseaux Que paternellement vous vous préoccupâtes De tendre ce perchoir à leurs petites pattes ? » Truculent : « Ça, monsieur, lorsque vous pétunez, La vapeur du tabac vous sort-elle du nez Sans qu’un voisin ne crie au feu de cheminée ? »

A direct comparison of a translation of that extract by Google Translate and by the translator A.S. Kline highlights how Google Translate is still far from being a reliable tool. Apart from the noticeable - very - poor choices of vocabulary, for example when translating “lorsque vous pétunez” Google translate simply misses to capture the essence of the text which transpires through Rostand’s skillful and elegant rhymes.

Translation by Google Translate Aggressive: 'Me, Sir, if I had such a nose, I should amputate it right away!'

Friendly: 'But it must soak in your cup!'

To drink, have a hanap made!'

Description: 'It's a rock!...it's a peak!..It's a course!

What am I saying, is it a cape?...it is a peninsula!'

Curious: 'What is this oblong capsule for?'

Writing case, Sir, or scissor box?'

Gracious: 'Do you love birds so much?

That fatherly you worried to stretch that perch to their little paws?'

Truculent: 'That, SIr, when you fart, is tabacco vapor coming out of your nose without a neighbour shouting at the fireplace?'

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Translation by A S Kline Aggressive: 'I, Sir, if I had such a nose, I'd have it amputated on the spot!

Friendly: ‘But it must drown itself a lot, you need a drinking-bowl of a special shape!

Descriptive: 'It's a rock! ... A peak! ... A cape!

What's that, it's a cape?..... It's a peninsular!'

Curious: “That oblong bag what's it serve you for? A sheath for scissors? Or a writing case?'

Gracious: “Do you love the winged race so much, that you benignly set yourself to provide their little claws with a shelf!'

Insolent: 'Sir, when that pipe of yours glows does the tobacco smoke rise from your nose and make the neighbours cry, your chimney's on fire?

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Next time I might look at the translation of a legal document or an M&A sales pitch, however I do sense that a few generations will pass until linguists are no longer required!

For further reading on the topic: Three articles published on the Goethe Institut website look at how Artificial Intelligence has evolved and question its ability to “process literary texts in all their linguistic richness”: 'HOW ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE "WORKS" IN LITERARY TRANSLATION', Alana Cullen 'There are still some linguistic codes that machines have yet to crack. Artificial intelligence continues to struggle with the vast complexity of the human language – and nowhere is language more complex and meaningful than in literature. The beauty of words in novels, poems and plays often lies in the nuance and subtleties. But, because machines translate on a word by word basis with rules set by linguists, traditional machine translation systems have failed to capture the meaning behind literary texts. They have struggled to understand the importance of context within the sentence, paragraph and page within which the word resides'.

'CAN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE HELP LITERARY TRANSLATORS?', Roy Youdale “Literary style concerns not only what is said, but how it is said. The literary critic Terry Eagleton suggests that literary writing ‘is the kind of writing in which content is inseparable from the language in which it is represented’.

'POST-HUMAN LITERARY TRANSLATION? A KAFKA(ESQUE) EXAMPLE', Duncan Large “We underestimate at our peril just how good computers have already become, and how quickly they are progressing, but they still have a long way to go, so now is a good juncture to survey the scene. Just how good are computers at literary translation at the moment?”

For a full version of the articles mentioned above, you can scan this QR Code:

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Translating the Untranslatable Laure Bernice In the second half of the 20th century the American linguist Benjamin Lee Whorf advocated that differences between the structure of diverse languages shape how their speakers perceive and conceptualise the world. His claim that the Inuit people have a particularly large number of words for "snow", has become a cliché to support Whorf’s controversial linguistic-relativity hypothesis. Whilst a large proportion of the hypothesis is now discredited, it is still a fact that languages contain many untranslatable words. I believe these deserve to be studied and preserved, not only for the insight they give us into their speakers’ psychology, but also for the greater understanding they give us of the multiplicity of ways of experience and being to the world.

Let us look at some examples. To first stay with the Inuit people, the word Iksuarpok translates as ‘the joy of joys to come’ or else ‘the feeling of anticipation that leads you to go outside and check if anyone is coming’ which, given the climate the Inuit evolve in, must indeed be a powerful feeling. Along the same lines Firgun (‫ )פירגון‬is an informal modern Hebrew term and concept in Israeli culture which describes genuine, unselfish delight or pride in the accomplishment of the other person. The infinitive form of the word, lefargen, means to make someone feel good without any ulterior motives. In Japanese the word Komorebi, meaning ‘the sunlight as it filters through the trees’, is made up of the kanji characters for tree ( ), shine through ( ), and sun ( ).

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漏れ

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The German language also has a lot to offer as regard to the theme of our spiritual relationship to the natural world. One only needs to look at the setting of Grimms' Fairy Tales to understand that the forest has always been a keystone of German folklore and imagination. Be it Hansel and Gretel, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs or Rapunzel, deep forests that hide marvels as well as dangers almost seem to be the only possible setting for such fantastic tales. Germany is a territory of ancient woodland such as the mythica black forest and its language reflects this reality.

‘Waldeinsamkeit’ means ‘the solitude of the forest’ while ‘Waldbaden’ literally means to take a bath in the forest. In the 21st century it is unlikely that the Germans flock to the forest on a Sunday afternoon in order to bathe in a muddy pond. So why would such a word have survived? ‘Waldbaden’ is not only taking a literal bath, but also “diving into the forest atmosphere and spirit”, which indeed seems dear to the Germans’ heart. In Spanish, the word ‘duende’ originally refers to an elf or woodland spirit. However through time the term has also been adapted in the phrase ‘tener duende’ (to have duende) which means a heightened state of emotion when exposed to art or poetry of exceptional beauty and lyricism. It is not difficult to understand why the word is often connected with flamenco. Linguists consider ‘duende’ as the most difficult word to translate from the Spanish language.

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In his essay 'Mother Tongue', Bill Bryson reminds us that English is traditionally a very inclusive and welcoming language which unlike the more protectionist romance languages - willingly absorbs and adopts foreign words in their original form and meaning. One positive effect is that it is generally easier to be concise and precise in English than it is in any romance language. Linguists have coined the phrase ‘expansion rate’ as the ratio of the number of words in a translation to the number of words in the original text. Translating from English into languages such as Spanish or French can result in around 20 to 25% expansion, suggesting many words can only be translated through paraphrases . The French politician and zealous linguist Laurent Nuñez recently published ‘Il nous faudrait des mots nouveaux’ (we would need new words) where he talks us through his favourite untranslatable words and urges the members of the Académie française to invent their own version of them if they insist on refusing to incorporate foreign words to the French language.

All in all, my motivation to write this article is to reassure our students that it is natural to be frustrated with unsatisfactory and limited translations - should we invent a word to describe this feeling? Language study is not a straightforward activity providing unequivocal and logical answers, but by its nature it can teach us more about our own human experience than many other subjects.In the Bible, the multiplicity of languages is cast upon man as a curse. The destruction of the Tower of Babel may have been a harsh punishment as it condemned us to struggle to understand each other, but by doing so it has also given us a chance to understand ourselves a bit better.

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