austraLasia #2100

Translation, interpretation.... and just getting the thing right in the end!

ROME: 19th March 2008 -- It's the Feast of St Joseph. Not liturgically speaking since that was celebrated here earlier, given Holy Week, but it happens to be the 'Name Day' of the Holy Father so the Vatican was not working today (making it a little tough for those wanting Papal Blessings for an Easter wedding)!  Nevertheless, the Vatican did publish the Pope's letter to GC26 in five languages on its site - which begins to raise a question. One amongst many.  That letter was translated here (Pisana) with due care and attention so it would be ready for its presentation by Cardinal Farina, as happened.  Now there is a Vatican translation. Which one will the GC26 document quote?  'The Vatican version' I hear you say, and I do not deny it - except that some people went to some trouble to make sure it was previously well translated. One day the Church might get its act together.
    And which version of Scripture will adorn the heading of the five themes which will make up the final GC26 document? Remember that the original is usually Hebrew, Greek, Latin - and modern versions can be quite recent. There's the question (in Italian) of the new Lectionary introduced at the beginning of Advent, for instance.
    Of course, we look for 'official' translations of anything, in the first instance - but it is not always absolutely obvious which is to be official.
    Welcome, my friends, to just one of the behind-the-scenes stories of GC26.  And that's but a part of it.  Few know the real difference between 'translation' and 'interpretation'. Few, I mean, who get up and speak in the Aula. 'Translation' means they have a text they are working from and have thought of providing it to those in the booths above.  If they haven't provided such a text (more than 70% of them, I would say) then it becomes 'simultaneous interpretation'. No problem there; the people with the skills are ready for either - it's one or the other, but they are not the same skill.  Translation, even on sight, is easier, except if it's Commission 'x' which has added 15 dot-points and wants to read them and their motivations at the rate of knots.  That can be a challenging exercise in the booth, and probably for those who are listening.  Simultaneous translation is easy enough once you get used to listening and speaking at the same time.... so long as it is a language you are familiar with.  If not, it becomes one step removed as you simultaneously interpret someone else who is simultaneously interpreting.  ...Kind of works. Kind of.
    And then there's the post-translations, the re-translation of texts that have been bashed about by Commissions and plenary Assembly sessions and need to be ready for the morrow - they may arrive late in the day (or your email breaks down and it's later still).  One very good feature of this Chapter, at least as far as English is concerned, is that Americans, Indians, South Africans, British, Irish, Chinese, Filipinos...... have I missed anyone? Oh, Australians, and probably many others, all have some purchase on this language, want to own it, and certainly want the text to be the best it can be.  So they throw their bit in - that can be a bit rough for the poor guy who's actually doing the work till after midnight, but in the end it's the right process. 
    There ARE questions, however!  I'm going to raise just one or two.
    Italian loves the word 'protagonista' (or 'protagonismo'), and we Salesians have used it a fair bit.  Problem is, there are few respectable English dictionaries and fewer still real situations that allow it to be used to mean what Italian means by it.  For us it means a leading character in a play or movie, or a movement; some sort of champion, a spokesman maybe.  But none of these are quite what it is in a Salesian Italian text.  It is my view that the constant habit we have had over many years, of meaning-transfer (the word looks almost the same as an English word so transfer the meaning in Italian to the English word, or worse, 'anglify' the Italian, which is how we got 'economer') is to be broken, somehow. That means choosing fresher language. Then there's 'collaboratore'.  It's not as much of a problem, for after all, it does have a respectable pedigree ... but unfortunately for many in the English-speaking world it always carries an undertone of treachery, and we don't really want that, do we?
    In the end we are the servants of the Chapter - but I think the process, at least for one Commission which has a distinct interest in English, is a good one.  They have a subgroup which looks at the translation-on-the-run (the best description for it during the Chapter), exercises some mercy for the fact that it was done late at night, makes suggestions which cover the range of 'englishes', and ... hopes for the best!
    But thank God for Easter. After a little less work tomorrow, Thursday, the Chapter breaks for the Triduum.
  _________________
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Title: australasia 2100
Subject and key words: SDB General, GC26
Date (year): 2008
ID: 2000-2099|2100