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Can your book be translated into other languages? Is it worth it? Did you know that, according to The Open Mic, which is a blogging community for translators, in the United Kingdom, between 2001 and 2016, translated literary fiction has almost doubled in sales? According to a research carried out by the Man Booker International prize in 2016, despite the fact that the market for general fiction was on a slight decline, the market for translated fiction had risen significantly. The survey confirms that this trend can be observed not only in the UK, but throughout the world.
The greatest fear of most authors is that, during the translation process, the original meanings they intended to convey are distorted or even lost. However, as literary translators, our greatest ambition is to keep every single detail and nuance of the text so readers of the translation can experience the same emotions that the original words would provoke on them. We are trained to perceive all the semantic load of the words chosen by the author and we struggle to find the best equivalent to use in the translated version. Once the appropriate vocabulary is chosen, and the content is phrased in a way that would sound natural for target readers, the author’s ideas are ready to travel to distant cultures. Translation is a powerful tool that leaves aside linguistic barriers and creates connections that, otherwise, wouldn’t be possible. Readers from other parts of the world will know the translated author’s name and will gain access to what they have to say, and that can have far-reaching consequences, not only enlarging their audience, but also making an impact on someone who lives overseas. Isn’t that a great feeling for someone who wrote a story without imaging that it would reach such a broad audience? The culture that receives the translated book has also many good reasons to embrace it and make it part of their own literary system. Let’s talk about some of them:
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AuthorVirginia Castro is an Argentinian English-Spanish translator who works mainly in the field of editorial translation, helping authors and copywriters build an international audience. She holds a bachelor's degree in translation from the National University of Cordoba, Argentina and is currently specializing in literary translation and transcreation. She strives daily to produce texts that reflect the author’s mind and soul, enabling publications to cross borders and seas so that more and more readers can enjoy them. ArchivesCategories |