Liliana Leuzzi “Translation in Spirit: A Reaction to Umberto Eco”
I enjoyed how much you were able to unpack this short quote from Umberto Eco. I completely agree with your point of view that a translation should remain as faithful to the original text as possible. I like how you call the original meaning an author is trying to convey the “spirit” of a text, I think it is a very creative way to refer to it. I also like how you use short common sentences as examples because it makes it much easier to read along and understand the point you are trying to make. I think one of my favorite lines throughout the whole essay is “It is not up to the translator to make the decisions of the author.”. I think one of the main jobs of a translator is to transform a piece into another language; however, like you, I do not think this means completely altering the meaning of the original text as they are not the original author.
Greer M. Egan “Raja Response”
Your response was very enjoyable to read. I like how you started with Raja’s points and then immediately followed up with your own. I also liked how you were able to come up with a specific example from the Italian language to support why a translator needs to find ways in which a language can successfully “rise to the challenge”. It was also nice to see how you brought up dialects because I also reacted to Raja’s paper and used dialects as an example of certain issues that can arise within translation. I enjoyed the way you ended your response, using the metaphor “the clothes cut from one language for another are always ill-fitting.”. This helped emphasize what you said earlier in your reaction about languages being different and there being “great losses”, as well as “great gains” in translation.
Erika P. Leviant “Translation as a Practice of Acceptance”
I found it very interesting how you decided to introduce Anita Raja as not only a well-known translator but also as the mysterious Elena Ferrante. I also found it extremely intriguing how in this “romantic love” between the original text and the translator, you refer to the translator as having the “traditional female role” in the relationship. When I think about that, it makes complete sense because the translator and the target language are surrendering themselves to the original text and language. They are the submissive one in this relationship, just as women were considered to be the submissive partner in relationships for most of the past. I liked how you ended your response by asking questions, as you are leaving the reader pondering, trying to come up with their own answers to the mystery of Raja’s dual identity.