"Translation is always a betrayal." - Robert Alter
"You [the tourist] are ugly." - Jamaica Kincaid
I have remembered both of these quotes wrong. Alter goes on to state in "To the Reader", the forward to his translation of Genesis, that there are many characteristics of language -- e.g. syntax, diction, tone, rhythm -- which would have to be considered when producing a text translated from ancient Hebraic languages into a form of contemporary English. Betrayal is one of those characteristics, but not the only one.
The Jamaica Kincaid quote is a fairly accurate paraphrasing. There is such a succinct clarity to her language in A Small Place, and such malcontent beneath the facade of most forms of tourism that summarizing the context of this quote is a terrible idea on my part.
I believe my intent with that quote was to state how much of an ass I am going to make of myself while learning Spanish. I'm going to not understand certain concepts of language, like the personal "a", and the difference between por and para, for starters. I am going to say things like "yo desayuno tacos" when I've never desayuno-ed tacos, and I can't stand breakfast burritos either. By my count, I've also stated things like my affinity for putting 7-11's in hot dogs, and bringing my class to Chabot College with me. And those are the ones that I've caught.
But I am learning. Slowly, and painfully by rote first.
"If the one who is to act wants to judge himself by the result, he will never begin." - Soren Kierkegaard
Me gusta leer a los ensayos de Kierkegaard.
Comenzamos.
"You [the tourist] are ugly." - Jamaica Kincaid
I have remembered both of these quotes wrong. Alter goes on to state in "To the Reader", the forward to his translation of Genesis, that there are many characteristics of language -- e.g. syntax, diction, tone, rhythm -- which would have to be considered when producing a text translated from ancient Hebraic languages into a form of contemporary English. Betrayal is one of those characteristics, but not the only one.
The Jamaica Kincaid quote is a fairly accurate paraphrasing. There is such a succinct clarity to her language in A Small Place, and such malcontent beneath the facade of most forms of tourism that summarizing the context of this quote is a terrible idea on my part.
I believe my intent with that quote was to state how much of an ass I am going to make of myself while learning Spanish. I'm going to not understand certain concepts of language, like the personal "a", and the difference between por and para, for starters. I am going to say things like "yo desayuno tacos" when I've never desayuno-ed tacos, and I can't stand breakfast burritos either. By my count, I've also stated things like my affinity for putting 7-11's in hot dogs, and bringing my class to Chabot College with me. And those are the ones that I've caught.
But I am learning. Slowly, and painfully by rote first.
"If the one who is to act wants to judge himself by the result, he will never begin." - Soren Kierkegaard
Me gusta leer a los ensayos de Kierkegaard.
Comenzamos.
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