"Poetry is what gets lost in translation," Robert Frost once mused. But ever since Alastair Reid "fell for" the Spanish language, he has sought not only to preserve the essence of the original works in his translations, but also to enhance them.
Reid, a renowned Scottish writer and translator, gave a lecture last night called "Mysteries of Translation" in Claudia Cohen Hall as part of the Penn Humanities Forum. He has written for The New Yorker and has published several books of poetry and prose, including translations of Jorge Borges and Pablo Neruda.
The Forum seeks to "promote interdisciplinary humanary research," according to founding director and English professor Wendy Steiner. The events draw members from both Penn and the outside community.
This year's topic for the Forum is change, and according to associate director Jennifer Conway, "Changing someone's work is always a worry in translation."
Reid addressed these concerns in his talk last night. He said he first had to accept the arbitrary nature of language before "the whole dilemma of translation set into my soul."
This dilemma "has been with me, alas, ever since," he added.
One of the main issues when moving from one language to another is that a language embodies a whole world view and contains myriad nuances, Reid said. Poetry specifically is a "system of linked sounds" and depends on rhythm.
Reid said he believes a translator must get behind a poem and become deeply immersed in it. Even then, there is no way to match the sounds completely, he said.
"You can make similar but not equal use of the sounds in English," he pronounced.
One way Reid overcomes difficulties is by working closely with the original authors, whom he referred to as "living dictionaries."
College sophomore Elena Pereira, who attended the event, said she thought Reid did a good job of describing how a translator must "capture the essence of the entire poem, not just one piece."
Although translation is a delicate - and sometimes dangerous - process and some texts may indeed be untranslatable, Reid said he would never wish for one universal language.
"Imagine having only one way of saying something," he said.
And in an increasingly connected and multilingual world, translation is a challenge that must be accepted.
