Megan McDowell: Being a Translator

While reading the texts that McDowell has translated, I always felt that the words flow really well. Especially in the short stories, the sentence structures especially smooth. That's why I assumed the translator must have a profound background in Spanish. It was surprising to hear that she started studying Spanish as a grown-up. We all have the impression that language is something you learn when you are young, and it would be hard to learn, especially to a native level, after you grow up. However, McDowell proves that to be false. Later in the lecture, she proved a lot of things too. 


Megan McDowell’s lecture was extremely honest and sincere. She addressed frequently asked questions such as “how long does it take to finish translating a book” and “do you think translators are writers.” It surprised me that she actually sat down and timed herself to give her answer to the first question. Once she invested her efforts in counting the hours, I realized how lengthy translation could be and how she had to constantly come back to check the texts.


To address the second question, McDowell mentioned that she gives a different answer each time. However, she realized that this question often comes with a wrong phrase, making it a trap question: "Do you think translators are writers, or are they just translators?" The word "just" seems to suggest that being a translator is not enough. Yet, after pondering this question back and forth, McDowell came to the conclusion that she is a translator, and that is enough. I believe a translator’s values should not be underestimated; they are important and sufficient.


During the Q&A session, I asked McDowell if she has a choice to decide whether to translate a book or if the writers are assigned to her. Her answer was that writers were mostly her own choices. She shared the story of how she went to Chile to find interesting writers. That really moved me, as I realized this is a two-way street for a translator and a writer to recognize each other and decide to open up a new world.


--Kerry

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