Humanities Arts Cultural Stu 0224 - The Task of the Translator: Translation Workshop

Translation is inherently an ethical and political act, involving inevitable misunderstandings and ambiguity. Things that can be said in one language cannot be neatly transferred into another. The translator works on the border of cultures as well as languages. This gap becomes even more difficult when translating across cultures that do not share the same basic concepts. The idea of translation as treachery is an old one. In this class we will read theoretical and practical works about translation, as well as fictional texts that foreground the task of the translator, such as R.F. Kuang's novel Babel. We will also read poems and short prose texts in multiple translations, and practice our own translations, individually and also in groups. Each student will undertake a translation project. It would be helpful to know a language other than English, but this is *not* a requirement for taking the course. There will be several guest visits by translators. Keywords:Literature, Languages, Border Crossing, Multilingualism

Art and Politics Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and preparation outside of class time