- What is the significance of the prize for you?
- It was a little unexpected, bet all the more joyful for that reason. Reluctant as I am to mention it, the sum of the prize (44.2 thousand litas) is, in this case, significant too. Since the outset of the crisis, I had to take up some commercial translations, even though I never resorted to anything primitive or completely unworthy. Yet, truth be told, the fee for translating an intelligent magazine is one third more than for a book by Virginia Woolf – something does not feel right about it.
In some respect, I think I'm not deserving of the prize, it was given to me upfront. However, it gives me a chance to dedicate more time for worthwhile translations and perhaps my own writing – I will be able to employ my abilities for something I'm best at.
- Translator's work often goes unnoticed, especially by those readers who are not familiar with the original. A translator can hide behind the author, his or her efforts remain unappreciated.
- Many readers fail to understand one simple fact: translating is a very specific metier, it requires specific craftsmanship. Some think that all it takes is to know the language – and you can become a translator. But it's not so, especially in the case of literary fiction. You need skills, experience, knowledge. For instance, you cannot translate an English text of at least some complexity word for word – nothing good comes out of it.
Some translators think you must stick to the original as closely as possible, while others say that you should translate ideas, not words.
There are, however, two perspectives on the subject. Some translators think you must stick to the original as closely as possible, while others say that you should translate ideas, not words. In fiction, however, particular words are as important as the idea they convey.
- It must be difficult to keep the inner creator in check while translating – you must be tempted at times to add something personal to the translated text?
- Certainly, there is always this temptation and some translators succumb to it – they put things more beautifully than the author has. Then the result no longer agrees with the authorial intention. Often authors consciously choose a style that is less ornate and more subtle. A translator must understand that he is not at liberty to depart from this style, he must try to convey it as faithfully as possible.
- It is claimed that if you speak the language a book is originally written in, it is better to avoid translations. Even if you don't understand everything.
- That is essentially correct, but the “if you don't understand everything” proviso is also important – how much do you understand? If merely some words are unfamiliar, it's OK, but if more – you can miss essential things.
- You once said that in choosing a book to translate, you pay less thought to its popularity than to its lasting value. How do you know if a book is lasting?
- Our publishers, upon discovering some new author, world-acclaimed but still unfamiliar in Lithuanian, often rush to translate his or her newest book, even though it might not be his best. My basic idea is that good literature does not age – it is as good as it was thirty or a hundred years ago and will remain just as good in the future.
There was once a case when a book by one Spanish author was being translated to Lithuanian straight from the manuscript – it was one of its first translations in the world. The author was very popular at the time, but now, some six years later, hardly anyone can recall him.
I am not, of course, deploring such practices on publishers' part – book publishing is not very profitable. But one must not neglect literature with lasting value.
Nowadays, quite mediocre novels get published in extremely fancy editions – big format, hardcover, quality paper, wide margins, etc. The book is huge, it costs a lot, but, according to publishers, people buy that kind of stuff. One gets an impressions that buyers of those books have empty shelves, yet stuffed wallets.
Nowadays, quite mediocre novels get published in extremely fancy editions.
Fortunately, I already see positive change – there are more plain editions that cost considerably less. In fact, paying 40 or 50 litas for a novel sounds somewhat extreme, under current circumstances.
- Would you mind being our guide in the literary world and naming some of the best books you've encountered in your career?
- I won't be entirely original if I mention authors like Marcel Proust or Franz Kafka. Anyone even remotely interested in literature must read them. I've recently returned to Proust – he helps me keep a distance from this superficial, fast-pace world we encounter daily.
There are also some younger authors that we are discovering. I'd like to mention Nobel Prize-winning authors. Some critics are skeptical, but at least winners from the last decade are truly great writers. For instance, we wouldn't have Herta Müller in Lithuanian, if she hadn't won the Nobel Prize. Noteworthy is Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa, coming up with truly intriguing and gripping plots – his best novel “Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter” is an irresistible read.
Vladimir Nabokov has been my favourite author for a long time. Julio Cortázar, Jorge Luis Borges, Samuel Beckett are absolutely unique.
The best and exceptional thing about the 20th century literature is its variety, it can give so many diverse impressions.
