These readings were very interesting because it showed the many perspectives regarding the translations of a single author, Haruki Murakami. Of course, it was interesting to hear about the translators’ experiences translating and working with Murakami but I was particularly intrigued by the readers’ responses to these translations. I think intuitively we all know that different translators will translate the same piece in different ways but I never thought too much about the impact it has on the audience. I suppose it makes sense because many people become enamored with certain styles of writing but Wendy Lesser’s strong opinions regarding the translation of Birnbaum made me reconsider the style of the individual translator.
I also found Michael Emmerich’s discussion regarding how translation and timing/order of translated books being released has an impact on reception by a more general audience, particularly with regards to language. I found it very interesting to read that how the Japanese and American audience viewed Murakami and his work was so drastically different. Though this certainly has to do with the cultures and the somewhat unavoidable shift in tone after translation, it was also striking to consider how the order of books released and an author’s reputation has such a large influence on public perception. In many ways, an author gets another chance to see an alternate timeline when they have different books translated in different orders.
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