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Harry Potter in Translation

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The Harry Potter series of fantasy novels by J. K. Rowling have become some of the most widely read works of children’s literature in history. There are official translations from the original English into at least 67 languages, including “localised” versions for the US market from the original British English, for both the Portuguese and Brazilian markets, and into both ancient and modern Greek (unofficial versions number many more).

This means that, of the 325 million Harry Potter books sold around the world at the time of writing (2007), some 100 million copies don’t contain a single line of JK Rowling’s prose according to The Guardian. Instead, it is the job of a translator to set the tone, create suspense and humour, and give the characters their distinctive voices and accents.

In celebration of translators’ mind-boggling contribution to this global literary phenomenon, here’s my little round up of interesting facts on Harry Potter in translation:

  • JK Rowling is notoriously tight-lipped about plot developments and went to great lengths to ensure that “spoilers” were not released prior to the book’s English language publication date. She wouldn’t even make information about future plot twists available in advance to her translators, which resulted in some interesting quirks in the various language versions given the clues that are sprinkled throughout the series. See this article for a discussion of some of these.
  • In some countries such as Italy, the first book was revised by the publishers and re-issued in an updated edition in response to feedback from readers.
  • Translations sometimes became an interactive affair – a German fan site was set up to start work on collaboratively translating the books as soon as they were released in English, and the Polish translator ran an online competition to find a snappy translation for Ripper, the name of Aunt Marge’s vicious hound.
  • Food played a key role throughout the series, and Rowling herself cited this to be a strong element of her scene setting. Translators employed a range of techniques to reflect this. For example, cornflakes earned a footnote in the Chinese translation to indicate that they are eaten immersed in milk for breakfast. A former classmate of mine thought there was enough material like this to write her masters thesis on the translation of food in the Russian language Harry Potter. (Although she didn’t write it in the end – shame 🙂 )
  • Spanish readers will find most names and invented words unchanged, whereas those in Brazil will find themselves closer to the Harry Potter spirit if not the name, as the translator Lia Wyler set herself the task of coining over 400 new words (I guess she was paid by the hour 🙂 )
  • The spells and incantations also posed a particular challenge. Many of these were invented by Rowling and are based on Latin, so they have a certain resonance with English speakers. To create a similar effect in the Hindu version, Sanskrit was used, but translators were often forced to invent words or use transliteration.
  • The environment of an English boarding school also proved difficult to translate across cultures. In the Ukrainian version, for example, the translator chose to evoke the atmosphere of an orphanage for poor children instead. The Hebrew translator however decided an Israeli audience would accept the English boarding school setting as it was, part and parcel of Harry’s fantasy world.
  • Anagrams also played a key role in the novels but were not always successfully captured in other languages. Here’s an extract from Wikipedia explaining how translators dealt with the name of one of the main characters, who cropped up in several books under different guises:

Anagrams such as that of Tom Riddle’s name that appears in the second book also do not make the transition easily into other languages. Translators have sometimes altered the names in the book in order to make the anagram work in that language. Sometimes translators manage to alter only one part of the name: Tom Riddle’s middle name of Marvolo was changed to “Vandrolo” in the Hebrew edition, to “Marvoldo” in Turkish, to “Sorvolo” in Spanish, to “Marvoloso” in Slovak and to “Orvoloson” in Italian. In other languages, translators replaced the name entirely for the sake of preserving the anagram: in French, Riddle’s full name becomes “Tom Elvis Jedusor” an anagram of “Je suis Voldemort”; Dutch his name becomes “Marten Asmodom Vilijn”, an anagram of “Mijn naam is Voldemort” (My name is Voldemort); in Czech, his name is “Tom Rojvol Raddle”, an anagram of “Já, Lord Voldemort” (I, Lord Voldemort); in Icelandic his name becomes Trevor Delgome; in Swedish the name becomes “Tom Gus Mervolo Dolder”, an anagram of “Ego sum Lord Voldemort”, where “ego sum” is Latin, not Swedish, for “I am”. In Finnish his name is Tom Lomen Valedro (Ma olen Voldemort), in Hungarian the name is “Tom Rowle Denem”, which is the anagram of “Nevem Voldemort” – the ‘w’ in the name becomes two ‘v’s. These changes to the name created problems in later books: Tom Riddle should share his first name with Tom the Bartender, but this is not the case in all translations. (Accessed: 2010)

And finally, here’s where to start if you’re looking for more detailed information:

  • Wikipedia has a great entry on Harry Potter in translation, including a good discussion of many of the translation issues across a range of languages. This is a good starting point on the subject.
  • An excellent piece originally appeared in the journal of the Northern California Translators Association, and dealt with linguistic and cultural issues, choices faced by translators, procedural and marketing aspects, special challenges surrounding the translations, and so on. Read it here: Part 1 and Part 2.
  • This site provides what appears to be a detailed comparison of Harry Potter in Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese translation, looking at the way chapter titles, fictitious book titles, and proper names have been translated, passages of verse and prose, and of course, the “inevitable” translation bloopers.
  • Here’s an FT article where the Ukrainian, Hebrew and Danish translators speak about the impact of Pottermania on their lives.
  • Interesting little Guardian article by Daniel Hahn, a noted translator himself, on some of the translation challenges posed by the Harry Potter series. I’d love to see more articles like this out there – he does a fantastic job of putting the work of the translator firmly into perspective for the layman.
  • ITI’s Bulletin reproduced a particularly difficult passage from the fourth book in 13 different languages in its March – April 2003 issue, if you’re interested in carrying out a comparison yourself.

Be a Renaissance Man

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Received wisdom says that if you want to make your living as a freelance translator, then you most definitely need to specialise.

But training or extensive experience in an area other than translation is not the only means of specialisation. It’s a shame that all too often, translators themselves underestimate the value of their skills. We forget that the very fact of being an experienced or highly trained translator can in itself be a form of specialisation. Welcome to the world of the multi-talented freelancer.

It’s not that it’s not worth considering a niche or USP, of course. But it’s even more important not to lose sight of what your Ideal Client is really looking for in a freelancer.

Now, my Ideal Client is looking for someone who can take the job in hand and get it done. What’s more, they’re prepared to pay (at the very least) a fair price for this. (Forget about quality – quality is a given for my Ideal Client). And once you move away from the bargain basement shoppers, this client does exist. For example, just think how many buyers of translation need to hire a translator, web designer, copywriter, proofreader and project manager. If, as a multi-talented translator, you can offer them all these skills then you represent good value for money and are offering a worthwhile service. Why not use this as a form of specialisation in itself, and hey, maybe even charge premium rates too. I’m sure it’s no coincidence that a recent survey of translators’ earnings found that those who generated the highest salaries called themselves “language professionals”, while all other categories of earners called themselves “translators” (I’ll try find the source for this another time).

This is all stuff we know, really, but seem to forget when we plan our own careers. The real question is how can we ensure we keep up our skill levels on all fronts when we decide to add to our skill sets? This blog [ed Feb 2011: blog no longer exists, link removed] offers an excellent solution to this problem by emphasising the importance of concentrating on complementary skills. As Rico puts it:

Skills that aren’t on the opposite ends of the spectrum, but right next to each other. It’s easier to focus your energies this way, because complementary skills share some common expertise.

Pick up more languages that are related to each other. Look at your interests and background and research closely related areas. Of course, you won’t be able to call yourself an expert on everything either, but then you’re not trying to be. You’re a language professional with your own unique set of skills and experience.

Unpredictable scribblings of a genius moose…

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If you’re thinking of starting a blog but are having difficulty finding just the right name (we all know how important web presence is, after all!), then have a look at this little programme written by Andrew over at Jalecode. It will generate a random name for your blog that is guaranteed to meet the first commandment of the blogosphere, i.e. your blog name must be original, with just a touch of mystery and where at all possible, sound deep and meaningful!

No wonder I struggled to come up one…

More on theory in practice

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Anthony Pym’s article Redefining Translation Competence in an Electronic Age* is a good read for many reasons. But I like it because it offers a great argument in favour of the role of theory in translation.

In summary, Pym explains that if translation is basically a process of producing and selecting between different possible choices, then translators theorise whenever they translate. Theorisation is therefore an important part of the translation process.

He goes on to explain:

[Theorising] may help translators produce more alternatives than they would otherwise have thought of (pointing out the existence of a problem is often the most important task of theorization), and/or they may help them eliminate possible alternatives.

Of course, he also outlines why theory may not always at first appear relevant to the practicing translator – but for that you’ll have to click through to the article 🙂

* Anthony Pym. “Redefining Translation Competence in an Electronic Age. In Defence of a Minimalist Approach. Meta : journal des traducteurs / Meta: Translators’ Journal. Volume 48, numéro 4, Décembre 2003, p. 481-497

What to look for in a translation course

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If you are considering further study or qualifications in translation, then this little article will be right up your street! It’s been around a while, but is still very relevant: in it, Anthony Pym explains a conflict he found himself faced with given the recent explosion in courses offering training in CAT tools :

As a teacher, I want to convey the whole range of skills required by the labour market. And yet, I admit, my critical students have a point: when they sign up for translation, they should expect to translate, on the basic level of an interface between languages, the stuff of linguistics. So is translation competence really the same as it always was (as those students expect)? Or has it radically altered in the age of electronic tools (as the nature of my course would suggest)?

Pym then goes on to discuss four different models of translation competence, and basically concludes that while good CAT skills are undoutedly key to finding a job in the current market, it’s important that translator trainers remember that they are merely tools and don’t in themselves constitute a “translator competence”. Worth bearing in mind when reviewing those translation courses!

My view? Focus on getting your language and translation skills up to scratch, and keep an eye out for some hands-on sessions with different CAT tools too – the technical knowledge will follow. If you don’t remember a time before internet and email, chances are you’ll just wonder what all the fuss was about anyway … 🙂

Turn 'no' into a 'yes, but…'

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Shawn Wood over on Dumb Little Man* has some great ideas on how to say no without ever actually saying the word no. As a freelancer, saying no can be hard because you never know where your next job is going to come from, or indeed, whether it will come along at all. Shawn reckons that his way of saying no ensures you still come across with a positive and all-important can-do attitude, while still asserting yourself and controlling the situation. This round-about way of saying things may not suit everyone (it reminds me of my management consultancy days), but whether you chose to deploy it or not, it’s an increasingly important skill to master in today’s marketplace. Excellent advice for all freelance translators, newly established and long practising:

Five ways to say yes and never say no:

  • Yes. I can do this in your timeframe and in your budget.
  • Yes. I can do this in your budget but I am going to have to change the timeframe.
  • Yes. I can do this, but not in your timeframe or your budget. Let’s negotiate.
  • Yes. I can do this, but I do not think it is the best way. May I make suggestions?
  • Yes, I can have someone else do this for you.

* hat tip to Fortify Your Oasis – thanks Rowan

Are you a Grindhopper?

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Laura Vanderkam’s Grindhopping: Building A Rewarding Vareer Without Paying Your Dues is an interesting read if you’re considering moving into a freelance career to create the role that no one seems prepared to offer you.

Laura defines a grindhopper as someone who uses self-employment as way to bypass the years of slogwork that is often required to climb even a step up the ladder of many careers. She uses real life case studies, anecdotes, and labour statistics to turns the traditional school of thought upside down – the one that says you should put your time in when you’re young and wait until you’re established before striking out on your own. Most of these examples relate to more entrepreneurial style start-ups, but they contain many valuable lessons for anyone considering whether they should start out on their own as a freelance translator regardless of how many years of work experience you have behind you.

I guess what makes this different from any other book on entrepreneurs or self-employment is that it starts with the assumption that you have relatively few years of work experience under your belt. It also assumes that you are prepared to work hard for not very much money, and that like most Millenials, you’re looking for a bit more than a cubicle career and so are not setting out to conquer the world.

But the key distinguishing feature is that grindhoppers do not chose a route of self-employment simply for the sake of it. In fact, many of them re-enter the corporate world once they’ve spent a few years working in postions of their own creation. And as a result of working in a role with plenty of autonomy and real chances to stretch themselves, they usually re-enter at a higher level than if they’d stuck to the grind.

I was pretty relieved to read this as I’ve often wondered whether going freelance too young would spoil me forever, and I’d love to have read a bit more about how these grindhoppers cope with re-entering a workplace of someone else’s creation.

The book also offers some refreshing and genuinely useful advice on things like:

  • creating alternative revenue streams (i.e. moonlighting with panache)
  • networking (i.e what to do when you don’t have a mass of established business contacts)
  • minimising risk (i.e. how not to miss your rent/morgage payments)
  • keeping up your motivation levels (i.e. how to stay sane)

Most of all, I like the assertion that you need to be prepared to be judged 100% on results and how you deliver them. I subscribe to the idea that by allowing yourself to be distinguished in this way, you’ll never need to worry about being outsourced as you know you can deliver something no-one else can.

Of course, there are bits I don’t agree with too. For example, Vanderkam’s assertion that you should think about what you love so much that you’d do it for free, and then turn that into a career. Hmm. Maybe I’m revealing too much about myself when I say this, but there is nothing, and I mean NOTHING that I love so much I’d do it for free, every day of the week, 365 days of the year. So I’m not sure where that piece of advice leaves people like me.

There are also areas where I think she borders on the naïve. For example, her claims that the internet has abolished “all barriers” to self-employment just seem silly, and there is no discussion of the challenges created by this new, free-for-all style work culture, e.g. more competition, less face to face contact, etc.

But all in all, this is a great book. It makes an exciting and informative read for grindhoppers of all ages, or anyone interested in the motivations behind this new wave of freelancers.

The Great TM Debate

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“Which TM should I use?” It’s a question I often hear translators ask. But we’d be much better served if we asked ourselves what we needed a translation tool to do, and then worked backwards from there. That way, we know we are getting a tool that we’ll actually use and not leave sitting on our virtual shelf gathering cyberdust. Jeffrey Treem over at Inside the Cubicle put it nicely when he says:

… communicators need to be channel/tool agnostic – Stop getting hung up on names and technology and start with business goals and work backwards. Do not paint yourself into a corner where you need to fit the tools you are comfortable with into your work environment.

Hear, hear. (Of course, he was speaking about how companies are using social media as part of their communications strategy, but I reckon it’s relevant to technology adoption in any field.)

Thanks Jeffrey.

Best blogs round-up: for translators

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Here’s a couple more to add to the pot. It’s a bit of a mixed bag this time (much like my metaphors). There are lots of great sites out there, but the exciting things about blogs is that they’re immediate and personal. They’re also a lot more interesting than static websites as they have the potential to become dialogues as you can chip in with a comment and add your tuppence worth.

The Masked Translator: fairly new as only started in February 2007, but is already looking to cut a dash through the translation blogosphere. I usually prefer to keep an eye on new blogs for a while before recommending them, but The Masked Translator has already covered lots of interesting topics that I haven’t seen addressed elsewhere. Let’s hope it can keep tapping into those rarely discussed issues in an non-bitchy way, and without letting its masked status go to its head.

Language Realm blog*: a blog devoted to language, translation, interpreting, language learning and linguistics. So far so the same, but what makes this blog especially interesting is that Roger Chriss discusses the kind of day-to-day things that happen around and about the day of a translator but that still have an impact on our working lives (check out his Language Realm website for more static but still extremely informative info). So for example, there are posts in there about multi-language keyboards, about newly coined terms and best of all, about language learning for advanced learners. Something for everyone, but especially if you have Japanese or Chinese as a source language.

Lingua Franca: this is kind of a cheat as it’s actually a blog for a podcast which you can also listen to via your browser. Published every Saturday, this show runs for approx. 15 minutes and looks at all aspects of language through interviews and prepared talks with various experts who analyse a single topic of interest. The show is run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation so has an obvious bias to people and issues Down Under, but the topics discussed are relevent to anyone with an interest in the popular culture of English speaking countries.

Freelance Writing for Nonprofits: OK, another sideball but bear with me. Billed as a blog with tips and ideas on publications, marketing and PR, I reckon this baby has plenty of gems for the freelance translator too. Check it out and let me know what you think.

* UPDATE 08/09/07: My link to the Language Realm blog was actually incorrect (oops) and when I went back to doublecheck it, I found it’s been shut down. There does seem to be a new blog which can be linked to via the Language Realm website however, so I’ll keep my eye on that and may review that in my next blog round-up.