Entry 1
I have been thinking very hard about what classic I want to translate. The first question that I need to tackle is what counts as a classic. I think that when I envision a classic I think of a thick book that was written a very long time ago and that is on every high school literature syllabus out there. When I think of classics I think of Shakespear and Hemingway, but none of these “classics” are very appealing to me.I want to choose something that was originally written in a language I do not understand and I want to work with the Spanish version and translate that into English. During class one time Professor Stavans mentioned that there is a professor at Amherst who has translated many works even though he does not know the original language. I want to see if it is possible for me to do the same and still preserve the meaning and rhythm of the original. I would like to do something in French since my girlfriend is fluent in French and she would be able to read my final English version and compare it to the original. I will have to think more about which French classic I would want to do, cause I know that I don’t want to do Madame Bovary, I would really like to do something we haven’t covered in class.
Entry 2
I think I have decided what classic I will translate! I had to expand my interpretation of a classic a bit. I think that a classic is a work whose lessons and themes are universal. A book that can speak to multiple audiences and multiple generations. After shifting my way of thinking I started considering children’s literature. I thought long and hard about whether I considered that childrens literature could become a classic and I think that some children’s literature is the ultimate example of a classic. Stories are told to kids around the world teaching them the same lessons and being just as entertaining to a kid in Mexico and Japan. I think that once I came to terms with that I was really able to choose a classic that I am happy with. I really want to do The Little Prince! I read it when I was younger in Spanish and I’ve never read it in English so I won’t have any idea of what the English version should sound like when I am translating. A lot of people have a very close connection to The Little Prince so I feel like there is a big weight on me to translate this correctly but I’m very excited to do it.
Entry 3
I could only find one version of El Principito at the Five Colleges so I requested it and it got to me yesterday, there’s only one small problem… there’s no translators name on it. I think Im going to have to ask the school to buy me a couple other versions in order to see who the translator is. I can’t seem to find a place online that will tell me how many Spanish translations there are, but Professor Stavans seems to think there might only be one so I’m really hoping that the version I ask the school to buy has the name of the translator on it.
Entry 4
I found a website that gives me so much information about The Little Prince!!! It has all the versions that have ever been printed in every language it has ever been translated to and it tells me the names of all the people who have translated it into Spanish. There have been soooo many Spanish translations made, I couldn’t believe it. I will have to ask the school to purchase more copies so that I can compare the different translations. I found out that one of the most recent one that has been made was made in Mexico so I will definitely be asking the school to purchase that.
Entry 5
The first translation ever made was into an Argentinian Spanish and I don’t really like it. The Mexican version has not come in yet but I cannot wait to compare the two. One very interesting thing about the Argentinian version is that it chooses to leave a work in the original French, but it is a word that does not sound or look anything like Spanish so I don’t understand how people would know the meaning of the word. I was very confused when I saw it because I feel like the intended audience, which is younger children, would not go find a French to Spanish dictionary to figure out what the word meant. Maybe in 1951 this word was better known in Argentina or in Spanish all together, I’m not sure.
Entry 6
I am finding this translation to be difficult since I can’t seem to connect with the Spanish version that I am using. The two versions that have been purchased so far ended up being the same translation that was reprinted. The Mexican version still has not arrived and I felt that I had to start translating. Some of the sentence structure and word choice in the Argentinian version is not like the way I would speak or write which makes it hard for me to translate. I think this is a good exercise though since I feel that most of the translating I ever do it from a very Mexican Spanish into English.
Entry 7
I started recording my audio version today and I realized that I might be thinking about the text all wrong. I was recording near my friends and after I finished the first two chapters they told me that I sounded like I was on Sesame Street. I told them it was because I was reading The Little Prince and one of them said that the little prince is not really a kids story. I decided to take a break before finishing the rest of the chapters to really think about what I wanted the story to sound like. The whole time that I have been working on this project I have been thinking about the book as a kids story but my friend’s comment is accurate, it isn’t completely just a kids story. I think, however, that a lot of kids stories are not fully kids stories, they must also appeal to adults and they often times have deeper levels. I think that I will try to record the next couple of chapters in a bit less of an animated voice but I think I still stand by my belief that the book is intended for kids.
Entry 8
I have decided to change the word “adults” in my English version to “grown-ups.” I am doing this so that the final line of chapter 4 flows better. I don’t know if this is the best choice but when I read it I feel like it sounds better. I don’t know, however, is the work “grown-up” is making the story sound too childish. I think I will leave it for now and read it a couple more times to see if I think I made the right decision.
Entry 9:
I am still thinking about the audience for my version of The Little Prince. I think that every time I read through it I change my mind on who I want my version to be directed to. I think the hardest part is that really the book could be for either audience and maybe also for both at the same time. I think that maybe I should get someone else to record the final audio book and that way I can see how someone else is viewing the audience. I think that I am too close to the text and to some degree am too convinced that the audience is children so I automatically read it in a very cartoony voice. I will try to find someone else to read my final version and hope that this will also give me some insight as to how my version is coming off to a reader.
Entry 10:
I’ve been thinking about my gallery lately. I chose to do pictured of tattoos that people have gotten on their bodies that have been inspired by The Little Prince. I think that I chose to do this for two reasons. First of all I love tattoos because of how personal and special they are to a person. I think that seeing a tattoo that you know has a deeper meaning and having someone explain to you why the tattoo is important is actually a very intimate experience. Secondly I think that tattoos of The Little Prince really show how much of an impact this book has had on people of all ages. Most people who get a tattoo of the close or open boa read the book when they were little and the themes in it have stuck with them until adulthood and I think that this shows how powerful and how much of a classic this book really is. I don’t think I will be getting a tattoo inspired by the book anytime soon, but I think that after this project the book will hold a very special place in my heart.
Entry 11:
I think that my translation is finally complete, or as complete as it will get. I know that if I keep reading it I will find more things to change, but I think that I just need to stop myself and let it be. The next thing will be for someone who speaks both French and English to read it and let me know what they think about it. I am hoping that they find it similar. I am interested to see if they can tell that I did not translate directly from the original. I will keep you updated on what they think.