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Is the difference between sermon and mass the same in the German as it is in the Czech language? What do five points in Reinhard Jirgl’s novel mean? Should the translation sound good or should one rather try to maintain the style of the original, even if it sounds strange? And yes, one can still confuse coal and ash or cream and whipping cream after reading it fifty times. Be careful also with Latte Macchiato and Café Macchiato, this also one would not want to have confused… In the comfortable rooftop room in which the local meeting of the German-Czech group took place many details as well as complex linguistic and translation difficulties were discussed.

The meeting in Jindřichovice pod Smrkem in North Bohemia was productive and enriching in many ways. The group was also able to become familiar with the German-Czech past of the place which used to be called „Little Vienna“ and provided work for up to 3500 people in the region. With a population of 600 persons Jindřichovice today is a small and popular destination for bicyclists and mountaineers, where the young translators were able to distinctly feel hints of the past looking over the old factories and houses.

Ist der Unterschied zwischen einem Gottesdienst und einer Messe derselbe im Deutschen wie im Tschechischen? Was bedeuten fünf Punkte im Roman von Reinhard Jirgl? Soll die Übersetzung gut klingen oder soll man lieber versuchen, den Stil des Originals beizubehalten, auch wenn das seltsam klingt? Ja, auch nach fünfzig Mal lesen kann man Kohle und Asche oder Sahne und Schlagsahne noch verwechseln. Vorsicht auch bei Latte Macchiato und Café Macchiato, auch das möchte man nicht vertauscht haben… Im gemütlichen Dachzimmer, in dem sich das lokale Treffen der deutsch-tschechischen Gruppe abspielte, sind viele Einzelheiten sowie komplexe sprachliche und Übersetzungsschwierigkeiten angesprochen worden.

Das Treffen in Jindřichovice pod Smrkem (Heinersdorf an der Tafelfichte) in Nordböhmen war in vielen Hinsichten produktiv und bereichernd. Die Gruppe konnte auch die deutsch-tschechische Vergangenheit des Ortes kennenlernen, der ehemals „Kleines Wien“ genannt wurde und bis zu 3500 Menschen aus der Region Arbeit bot. Heute ist Jindřichovice mit 600 Einwohnern ein kleines und dabei beliebtes Urlaubsziel für Radfahrer und Bergliebhaber, in dem die jungen Übersetzer beim Blick auf die alten Fabriken und Häuser den Hauch der Geschichte deutlich spüren konnten.

by Anna Koubová

Here you will find some pictures.

W ostatni weekend września nasza grupa spotkała się w przytulnej polsko-niemieckiej księgarni Buchbund w Berlinie. Na początku raz jeszcze zajęliśmy się naszym wspólnym tłumaczeniem opowiadania pt. “Salzwasser” (“Słona woda”) Ulrike Almut Sandig, uwzględniając naniesione na nie uwagi redakcyjne. Następnie przeszliśmy do fragmentów tłumaczeń tekstów, którymi zajmujemy się indywidualnie. Każdy z wybranych przez nas utworów – począwszy od bajki, a skończywszy na monologu pełnym zawiłych gier słownych – rządzi się własnymi prawami i sprawia mnóstwo problemów, a niektóre elementy nieprzetłumaczalne trzeba wymyślać “od nowa”, dlatego też na ich temat dyskutować można by bez końca.

On the last weekend in September our group met in the cosy German-Polish bookstore Buchbund in Berlin. We first had another look at our translation of the short story “Salzwasser” by Ulrike Almut Sandig after it was corrected by a professional editor. After that we focused on translations of our own texts. Since we had to deal with different texts, from a fable-like one to complex plays on words, we sometimes needed to come up with almost new stories.

by Zofia Sucharska

Here are some photos.

On 30 September, translators celebrate Saint Jerome’s Day. Saint Jerome was born around AD 347. After studying literature and philosophy in Rome, he learned Hebrew while living as a hermit. After serving as secretary to Pope Damasus I, he retired to a monastery, where he started translating and compiling biblical books. The manuscript of the Bible that was collected, assembled, and translated by Jerome later became known as the Vulgate, and—at least for the Catholic Church—it remains the authoritative Latin version of the Bible to this day. This is why Jerome is the patron saint of translators. In 1991, the International Federation of Translators (FIT) declared 30 September International Translation Day. For several years now, numerous events have been held around this day, with the special purpose of bringing literary translation and translators into the public eye.

On Saint Jerome’s Day this year, we are holding a small contest on our website. Participate in the contest and win a 2014 wall calendar. You can answer the question in German, Czech, Croatian, Polish, Slovenian, or Ukrainian.

On the 11^th and 12^th of September a local meeting of the Ukrainian group took place. Participants not only had the opportunity to discuss the first version of their literary translations, but they also went sightseeing in the beautiful medieval city of Lviv and visited the 20^th Lviv Book Forum.

We wanted to enjoy the famous coffeehouse atmosphere of the old city of Lviv and that’s why we decided to not hold our meetings in the rooms of the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, but in the famous coffeehouses of the host city. On the first day (on the 11^th of September) we drank coffee and hot chocolate in two coffeehouses (Kabinett and Dzyga) and discussed the first translations by Yuliya Mykytyuk (the short story „Die Übergabe“ [The Handover] by Silke Scheuermann) and by Valentyna Bilokrynytzka (an excerpt from the novel „Junges Licht“ [Young Light]by Ralf Rothmann). The second day we spent in the restaurant/cafe Akademitshne where Mykola Lipisivizkyj (an excerpt from the novel Hoppe by Felicitas Hoppe) and Olha Kravtchuk (an excerpt from the short story „Wo Europa anfängt“ [Where Europe Begins] by Yoko Tawada) presented their translations.

At the beginning all participants presented their works and revealed their reasons for selecting these particular texts, which was particularly interesting. Afterwards we discussed the exceedingly difficult spots for the translators and together we tried to find adequate solutions. The discussion was active and in my opinion also very productive and helpful. In this regard I would like to cordially thank Yurko Prokhasko, the workshop leader of our group, who was always open to all of our opinions and in conflicts always found a good solution. Our discussions were held in a good and friendly atmosphere which contributed to a favourable mood and productive working environment during the seminar.

In conclusion I would like to mention that in my opinion our meeting was very helpful for our translating skills as well as for the team spirit of the participants. For me it was a great honour to welcome the participants of the workshop in my home town and I very much look forward to our continuing meetings and discussions.

Impressions by the participant Yuliya Mykytyuk

Here are some photos.

Since 1986 the International Literary Festival Vilenica takes place annually, normally in the first half of September at different locations across Slovenia. Different Slovenian and foreign authors are invited to present their work within the framework of the festival.

The topic of this year’s already 28^th festival is Navdih meja (Borders as Inspiration). Which country could better internalize this topic than Switzerland – a country whose literature is composed in four different languages. For this occasion, in May of 2013, an anthology of contemporary Swiss literature with the appropriate title Gluscht (Swiss German for craving) was published. The diversity of literary creation is presented in the book in all four languages spoken in Switzerland as well as the great influences and contributions made by immigrants.

The reading on the 13^th of September in Ljubljana was another side event of the Literary Festival Vilenica to which Lukas Bärfuss, Arno Camenisch, Michel Layaz, Pietro De Marchi and Ilma Rakusa were invited to read from their latest literary works and talk about issues with respect to borders. The Slovenian TransStar group of course did not want to miss this event.

We met in front of Cankarjev dom (the cultural and convention center in the center of Ljubljana which is the largest cultural facility of Slovenia) and together we went inside, to the top of the CD where the Club CD hall is located and where the reading took place. The audience slowly made its way to its seats and the event was ready to begin.

As an introduction to Swiss literature all authors read an excerpt from their texts in the language the original texts were written in. In this way we were able to listen to texts in four languages: in German (Lukas Bärfuss, Ilma Rakusa), in French (Michel Layaz), in Italian (Pietro De Marchi) and Raetho-Romanic (Arno Camenisch).

A discussion followed the readings which were moderated by Dr. Vesna Kondrič Horvat. The core topic was borders which at the same time was the central theme of this year’s festival in Valenica. Guests talked about their experiences and feelings in this respect; everybody agreed that the designation „Swiss author“ seemed rather problematic and strange and that they in the end did not find the designation appropriate. One speaks and writes in the language one grew up with and of which one has a command as a native speaker. It was emphasized that multi-lingualism is receding and that Swiss persons stemming from different regions of the country are increasingly speaking English amongst each other. Attempts at introducing a common language (amongst others also a Romanic one) failed, reason being either of practical nature or as a result of deliberate resistance of the speakers. During the discussion the authors created a very pleasant atmosphere and it was very interesting to observe how they nonetheless had the same opinion and also were able to assess themselves and their native language with respect to the outer and inner borders in a similar manner despite completely different backgrounds and places of residence. We also had the (very rare) opportunity to hear the Raetho-Romanic language. Both Ilma Rakusa and Arno Camenisch however emphasized that Raetho-Romanic was a language „for the soul“, the number of people speaking this language is not growing. One has to decide to learn this language with his/her heart, to carry it in one’s heart and care for it. The literary happening continued at the castle of Ljubljana.

Here are some photos.

by Irena Smodiš and Alenka Lavrin

On July 11, 2013 the Czech group visited the Strahov monastery and the literary archive in Prague where old scripts are preserved.  Dr. Miloš Sládek told the participants a great deal about the work conducted by the archive and its history, Dr. Hedvika Kuchařová lead them through the entire monastery complex and showed them historical rooms which generally are not open to the public. Literary events are held in the archive.

In the end the group survived a wondrous evening with apricot dumplings and returned home with high hopes. The next meeting will take place September 28 in Prague where an evening at the theatre is planned. The small theatre „Činoherní klub“ will perform Gerhart Hauptmann’s Before Sunrise [Vor dem Sonnenuntergang] (1932)] with the distinguished actor Petr Nárožný in the leading role as privy councillor Clausen and Zuzana Stavná as Inken.

The local meeting of the entire group will take place at the end of October 2013 in Jindřichovice pod Smrkem in the former Sudetenland not far from the Hejnice monastery. There the first 15 pages of the translations will be checked and corrected within two to three days.

Here you will find some pictures.

On 16 July 2013 at 6:30 p.m. in room 027 at Brechtbau (Wilhelmstraße 50, Tübingen)

Why we do not read literature but translations

When we enter a book store most of the time we are not aware of the fact that the majority of books first and foremost have to be translated from another language before we can understand the content. Not originals are thus on the shelf before us, but translations.
Unfortunately we tend to loose track of this fact while reading. What moreover remains hidden is that not only words are transmitted into another language but that entire cultures, including our own, are presented to us and brought closer.

What could help us more in understanding the transmittal of culture by way of language than translation? For this reason we would like to discuss the connection between language, literature and culture with translators, authors and literary scholars.

Who and what?

Short presentations with a subsequent panel discussion

Matthias Jacob, translator and docent at the Department of Slavic Studies at the University of Tübingen
„How can one Allow for Culture Without Altering it?“ – or: What Does it Mean to ‚Translate Cultures’?

Dagmar Leupold, author from Munich and director of the „Literature and Theater Studio“ at the University of Tübingen
„Writing is my Vernacular“

Mirko Bonné, author and translator from Hamburg
“The Verbal Doubt. The Practice of Conveying Poems.”

Prof. Dr. Jürgen Wertheimer, Chair of International Literatures / Modern German Literature, University of Tübingen
“Dangerous Translators: The Difficulties Associated with Intercultural Mediation.”

Moderation: Prof. Dr. Dorothee Kimmich,
Chair of Literary Cultural Studies / Cultural Theory, University of Tübingen

You are cordially invited!