On October 9, the Translation Studies Hub was pleased to host its first virtual colloquium of the year. Two presentations, delivered by Professors Olga Levaniouk and James Clauss of the UW Department of Classics, made up a double feature on contemporary issues in translation and classical philology.
Professor Levaniouk began with a lecture on her practice of using multiple translations of Homer in the Classics classroom. Dozens of scholars have spoken their piece on these many centuries-old texts, and debates and discrepancies continue to arise as contemporary translators newly take up the task of translating the works of Homer. For students, this ongoing fascination with Homer means they can access a rich collection of translations, all of which inspire many questions about the process and problems of translation.
No two translations of the same ancient text are exactly alike. As the centuries pass and new scholars emerge with an interest in reinterpreting classic texts like The Iliad and The Odyssey, Professor Levaniouk recommends spending time with the sections on the periphery of the central text. It is in notes, forewords, postscripts, footnotes, and other such paratextual sites that translators will explain their choices for certain words and turns of phrase. For the Homeric scholar, these pages are sometimes more valuable than the translated story itself, as the translator’s stated influences allow us to better understand their decisions.
In his talk, Professor James Clauss explored the connections between multiple translations of the Bible—in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew—and the benefits of reading in each language, side by side. Professor Clauss spoke to his experience offering a class to students of both Greek and Latin to think through translations of the Old and New Testaments. By bringing students with varied language backgrounds to the same course, he was able to illuminate the messy process of translating the Bible from Classical or Biblical Hebrew.
As an example, Professor Clauss used the case of “shalom.” As a typical greeting in Hebrew, this word shows up in many texts with no reason for further inquiry. In the same context in the text of the Greek translation, however, the word for peace appears—a highly unusual, unnatural way of saying hello. When one learns that “shalom” translates literally to “peace,” and then reads the Greek word for peace instead of the Greek word for hello, many questions arise. What was this translator thinking? How can we know if a translation is correct? By negotiating translations of the same text from two or more languages, Professor Clauss explained, we can understand the value of either maintaining a faithful, literal translation or crafting a clear, critical, culturally appropriate manuscript.
The study and translation of classical texts is complex, and it is a challenge to judge what constitutes a “good” translation of an ancient text. However, as Professor Levaniouk stated in her presentation, it is always better to choose to read a translation—any translation—than simply not to read at all.
Our next colloquium will be held on Friday, October 30 from 12:30pm – 2pm PST. Click here for more information and to register.