Who translates ignorance?

The title comes from the translation of a collection of poems by Amanda Gorman (Los Angeles, 1998).

The poet, unknown until Joe Biden’s inauguration ceremony, in which she recited the poem “ The hill we climb ”, has aroused the interest of readers, and their consequent interest in being translated.

The chaos has occurred when the agents of the poet have demanded that the translations be carried out by young women of African American origin.

Psychological and cultural mimicry in translation is not a requirement of recognized value. Cloning the author’s characteristics is apparently prioritized. The focus rests on the belief that the greater the similarity between translator and translated, translated in this case, the final product will be of greater fidelity.

This selection criterion of the translator uncovers ridiculous situations. For example, a woman could not be translated by a man, and vice versa. Translations by professionals from different social or ethnic groups would automatically be thrown away.

This is how the Meulenhoff publishing house, which had chosen Marieke Lucas Riejneveld to do the Dutch translation , has been criticized for being the case that Riejneveld is European and has 30 years. And the poet alone 23. Are they calling it old?

Taken a step forward, if a translator has to meet such strict requirements, the same would happen when it comes to textual comprehension. In the case of Amanda, the author, who went to Spain to study Lorca in 2019, one wonders how he became impregnated with his poetry. How could he access an author of another sex, now disappeared, and so culturally remote? It contradicts what is preached.

It does not seem very intelligent on the part of the poet’s representatives to impose such exclusive conditions. His approach would lead us to the absurdity that an idiot can only be translated by another idiot. And who would dare to translate the word of God? We would have to hire another God.

It is an old mistake to enter into the discussion of whether it is necessary to kill someone to write about murderers. It is not necessary.

A translator must essentially know how to translate. It is a profession. It is not enough to speak languages, or be bilingual. The same is true of interpretation. In a hospital, a bilingual nurse cannot, and should not, interpret professionally. Either the hospital has a staff interpreter or the interpretation is done online.

The translators specialize. Nobody can translate everything. Poetry is characterized by having more artistic than linguistic difficulties. A skilled poetry translator must be a good poet rather than an African-American, young, and anti-racist. I remember you Amanda, the wet street.