Report on McKinney_Wang
In her essay Translating Classical Prose, she discusses the importance of choices. The choice to carry out the context of an ancient text through the text, the choice of whether or not to domesticate a foreign work or concept using existing words, the choice of whether or not to adopt other translator’s translation choices, and finally, the choice of what to make as a translator’s central translation method, their “literary truth”.
“The classical translator must convey both the text and its world (1)”, McKinney started this essay by identifying the dual task of translating ancient works involves conveying textual meaning alongside contextual significance. In other words, the translator has to be mindful of the cultural and time background of the text, to be able to grasp the meaning. The same expression can mean differently given the narrator’s social status and gender expression. When faced with a difficult passage to translate, the translator must decide whether to domesticate the text, substituting unfamiliar words with familiar ones, or relying on footnotes, which may interrupt the reader's flow and lead to a loss of interest. The balance in translating classics is delicate. As McKinney quotes Edith Grossman, “fill(ing) my mind with the echoes of other translators' perceptions and interpretations” (79), she acknowledges that existing translations constantly influence one's translation, and translators must critically engage with this existing knowledge and theories.
McKinney also addresses the controversial question of whether a translator can or should freely adopt another translator's solutions to problematic points in the text. She asserts that while most translators may adopt such solutions with gratitude, they still strive to maintain originality in other aspects.
Moving on, McKinney discusses the concept of "literary truth," which scholars often mention as central to translation. Validating Arthur Waley’s perspective, “They are there in his rhythm, his emphasis, his exact choice of words, and if the translator does not feel while he reads, and simply gives a series of rhythmless dictionary meanings” (5), McKinney expresses that the literary force of a text lies not simply in the meaning of the words but also in the power of language itself. Thus, translators must focus not only on translating simple translate the simple meaning of words, but also on capturing the nuances, rhythms, and sounds of the original work.
The ambiguity, imprecision, vagueness, and suggestiveness inherent in the Japanese language pose significant challenges to translation. While some scholars like Edward McLellan suggest exercising "necessary freedom to depart from the strict translation of the text in favor of something closer to 'explanation’(6)”, to alter the text to convey its meaning effectively, McKinney disagrees. She asserts that embracing what John Keats termed 'negative capability’—the ability to remain 'in uncertainties, mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact and reason'—is the best approach to translating classic Japanese literature. McKinney then details the specific challenges she encountered in translating classics such as Hōjōki, where conveying the effects of Sinified Japanese proved particularly challenging due to its strong echoes of the resonant language of Buddhist sermons.
In her talk titled "The Need to Determine," McKinney compares English and Japanese. While English is clear and determined, with strict grammar rules and a clear distinction between imagination and reality, classical Japanese is much more ambiguous and embraces negative capability. McKinney emphasizes the importance of maintaining this ambiguity, suggesting that translators must strive to preserve the blurred boundaries inherent in the Japanese language. She argues that simply translating meanings would result in the loss of rich layers of significance. Despite the inherent limitations of translation, McKinney endeavors to preserve a degree of ambiguity within the confines of the over-determining English language. She concludes by highlighting the paradoxical nature of translation, where precision is paramount, yet texts like The Pillow Book aim for imprecision, leaving readers with a fertile contradiction to contemplate.
Before McKinney’s lecture, Alexa gave a presentation on McKinney and introduced her works and accomplishments. McKinney possesses a clear vision when it comes to translation, which is evident in her writings. “It's our fate as English speakers to need to determine. English has an extreme poverty of what Keats called 'negative capability' — the ability to remain 'in uncertainties, mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact and reason'.” Alexa introduced McKinney's basic translation methods.
On March 22nd, McKinney delivered a lecture in Boston University's prominent translation series lectures. Her lecture demonstrated that she is an experienced and talented translator who listens to the passage she wants to translate instead of approaching the text with excessive theories. She introduced A Tale Unasked and explained her translation approaches.
She began her lecture by highlighting the concept of identifying a text from a distance, bringing herself to listen to the text and what it's trying to express. Translation involves speaking through another voice while remaining passionately dispassionate. One must control the urge to project their voice, ideas, and assumptions, especially modern mind thinking onto the original text. Discussing how to approach Japanese to English translation, McKinney provided numerous examples of how previous translators, Karen Brazell, and Wilfrid Whitehouse, approached specific translation cases. For instance, when Lady Nijo feels sympathy towards another woman during her second courtesan encounter.
“...いみじく物思ふさまにて、琵琶のはちにてまぎらかせども、涙がちなるも、身のたぐひにおぼえて目とどまる”
McKinney translated as “full of empathy to imagine that she was surely suffering much as I was,” however, Whitehouse, on the other hand, added his interpretation, “I was attracted to her, for I felt that she had much the same outlook on life as I had had as a girl.” He mistranslated the feeling of seeing someone alike into a romantic attraction between the two women.
During the Q&A session, McKinney answered questions regarding her translation preferences, whether she read other people’s translations first or read the original text first. The answer was neither. McKinney prefers to translate as she goes, never reading another translator’s work before finishing hers. She does so to maintain her intuition and not be affected by other translators’ judgments. However, the first draft of the translation often changes significantly through multiple revisions. When asked how she translates titles, the answer was straightforward. She often doesn't get to translate titles because the publisher would already come up with one that they think would be profitable in a market setting, but when she gets the opportunity to choose on her own, she will take the opportunity.
Reflecting on McKinney’s lecture, different students offered their insights. Ruoyi commented on the lecture's format, noting that the entire talk followed the same structure, which could potentially make the audience feel disengaged. Ruoyi also observed McKinney was not interested in criticizing others while simultaneously passing judgment on other translations. Alex compared McKinney's approach with the cannibal translation theory, a theory that inverted the power relationship with colonialism through consuming, digesting, and recreating European literary works to Latin American works. McKinney's emphasis is on channeling the voice of the writer rather than transcreation, altering the original text to create new artworks. Unlike cannibal translations, McKinney aims to preserve the original writer's voice in the new language.
Diving into specific aspects of the lecture, Dina discussed the iterative nature of the drafting process. She noted that the first draft tends to be subjective, the second draft clarifies confusion, and the third draft delves into the complex thoughts of the characters and their sociohistorical context. Maria and Lia focused on the relationship between McKinney and Lady Nijo, highlighting how McKinney's biases influenced her word choices in the first draft, but acknowledged that afterward. Lia suggested that McKinney grappled with her own modern feminist consciousness while interpreting Lady Nijo's text and contextual clues. Armann commented on McKinney’s core approach, emphasizing her commitment to authenticity and empathy in her translations, particularly in finding the voice of the characters. Lastly, my response talks about McKinney’s spectrum of ambiguity, and how different translators pick different points of meaning on this line.
Indeed, all the observations are valid. To address Ruoyi’s concern, I believe that while the lecture's format may seem repetitive, it reflects McKinney's deep love and dedication to the original work. McKinney values the original text above all else, demonstrating an intuitive yet beyond-intuition translation process that prioritizes practicality over theoretical concerns. Her first draft is highly based on her intuition, however, as she digger deeper through every revision, she revises these intuitive choices through close reading. Practicality in this sense, is the constant process of zooming in to close read and edit. While some theories post too many concerns on whether or not to leave out some text, whether or not to rephrase for the reader’s sake to understand better, McKinney majorly concentrates on the text itself, standing on the author’s side.
In conclusion, McKinney is a translator who respects and preserves the original text. She acknowledges the uniqueness of languages and emphasizes the importance of maintaining context during translation. Despite the inherent challenges of translating vastly different languages, McKinney's love for both languages shines through in her wonderful translations. Even though Japanese and English are diverse in nature, she finds beauty in both and showcases their unique beauty. During the class presentation, McKinney claimed that she put in a lot of effort to make the English translation "sound good." She also asked the class whether or not the text sounds different when read with an American accent, just to understand the impact of her translation choices better. She pays meticulous attention to detail, particularly in the sound of the translation when read aloud, and constantly strives for perfection and the faithful restoration of the original text. Furthermore, McKinney is also a translator who believes in the process of concrete translation, close translation, and continually going back to edit her drafts. During McKinney and Maria’s coffee chat, she asked if we are learning translation theories and if those affect Maria's translation. When Maria told her that theory does not affect her translation practices, McKinney nodded and said “Good”. She is incredibly genuine when it comes to translation, and all the seriousness that accompanies her casualness of “I just want it to sound good” is truly enlightening.
Works Cited
McKinney, Meredith. “Translating Classical Prose.” The Routledge Handbook of Literary Translation, 2019, p. 118.
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