Not sure if I am creating this post correctly! But by way of introduction– I’m in my third year of the PhD in Comparative Literature, and my languages are Spanish & German. Spanish I absorbed when I was young just from growing up in nyc, pertinently. German I studied in college and when I lived in Berlin briefly (my German is very rusty now 🙂 ). Aside from academic work, my creative work as a poet is evolving more and more toward an interest in incorporating elements of translation. Some work can be found here: https://www.cocosofia.net/.

My favorite quote so far on translation is from Venezuelan poet Miyó Vestrini:

“What is translation? A job, a chance procedure, an act of treason, a robotic task? Confusion. No definition of such a clumsy and impossible undertaking can satisfy either the wary or unwary. 

Each generation translates again and again, tirelessly bringing serious or joyful demystification. The text takes it all, is disturbed, is still, rages and always comes back, now full of another text. There is, therefore, no Tower of Babel, but a language of its own, lalangue, thus stuck with its meanings and signifiers. The translator must know their own language, cleanly and severely, approach it like a fugitive prostitute, take its tongue in front of a mirror and, finally, force it to say great poetry from another language….

If we accept that the translation was first and the original came after (read The Old Testament), we must admit that all of civilization depends on translation. We depend, with bound feet, hands and tongue, on that impossible figure of the translator. Dangerous enemy, if they do evil. The best accomplice, if they do well.”

Excited for this class with you all!