Taccuino di traduzione

"Più la storia s'avvicina ai nostri tempi, e più alle fusioni di due civiltà attraverso la carne si sostituisce quella attraverso la carta. Alle invasioni le traduzioni." Cesare Pavese, Il mestiere di vivere: 1940, 11 gennaio

All'estero

Guardian Abroad raccoglie le esperienze non turistiche dei propri lettori in altri Paesi. Fra questi la storia di un traduttore, Nik Boini, in Italia:

In a room overlooking the gardens of the Olivetti Staff Training Centre in a renaissance villa on a hill north of Florence sits a 21-year-old English translator who has been working here scarcely a week. The MS* cigarette between his fingers, the drained espresso cup and open green glass half-litre bottle of Cerelia sparkling mineral water proclaim his desire to fit in as much as the length and style of his hair and crushed velvet suit prevent it. He stares at the sentence against which nicotine, caffeine, A-Level Italian and patchy university attendance are of little use: "Il personale dovrà essere raggiunto da un intervento formativo."

He considers the literal rendering: "The personnel will have to be reached by a formative intervention". He imagines his grandmother's scorn: "What's a bleedin' formative intervention when it's out?" He imagines the quiet of the villa gardens shattered by gunfire as shock troops burst into the building and round up the occupants, herding them outside as a military jeep careers through the gates.

Il resto è qui.

Postato da: BebaManno a 14:07 | link | commenti (2)
varie, viaggi, traduzione, articoli, linguistica

Commenti

#1   29 Dicembre 2006 - 12:52

 

Nice article. That some of its best content was subjected to editorial excision is as much a matter for regret as its appearance here without so much as a prior "May I ....?" addressed to its author - who would not have been so mean-spirited as to deny permission. My opinion of its worth is indeed biased and my indignation at the apparently cavalier attitude of whoever placed it hereon is perhaps justified. After all, I did write the bloody thing myself.

utente anonimo

#2   30 Dicembre 2006 - 11:59

 

Copyright law permits others to quote small parts of a longer article
in order to discuss it. I only quoted small parts of the Guardian
article, made it clear I was quoting part and gave a link to the whole. Besides, you email address wasn't mentioned. In any case, I apologise. If you wish, I'll delete the post.

BebaManno

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