Comparative Literature 691Q - S-Translation Workshop

In this workshop, students focus on the practical challenges and creative activity of literary translation. During weekly meetings, students discuss each other's translations along with essays on the craft of translation by leading translators, and become familiar with the practicalities of the contemporary world of translation. As students become familiar with the varying views on and descriptions of translation, they develop the ability to talk and write about translators' strategies and choices. Brief oral presentations and regular active participation is a major component of the workshop.

Although the workshop is open to translators of varying levels, students should have a particular translation project in mind that they would like to work on throughout the semester since one of the goals of the workshop is to produce a polished, English version of a text. Translations from all languages into English are welcome. In addition, students research the translation history of a specific text and discuss it in a comparative context, carry out a short collaborative translation project with a classmate, and write a critical review of a recently published literary translation. At the end of the semester, students submit a final portfolio. Visits from translators, editors, and publishers are also a regular part of this workshop.

In exceptional cases, this workshop may be open to advanced undergraduates when granted permission by the instructor.