Academy News

My first brush with literary translation was when I came across a poster for the LTI Korea Translation Award for Aspiring Translators. At the time, I'd just quit my job and the contest seemed like an interesting diversion before I began to prepare to go to graduate school. I was foolish enough to think that I stood a chance, but of course, my manuscript didn't even pass the preliminary screening. This episode must have been lurking in the back of my mind until I finished graduate school and returned to the profession of translation. I was working as an in-house translator, but with no one to edit and provide feedback on my work, I felt that there was no way to improve my skills. That’s when I remembered my failed attempt at literary translation and visited LTI Korea’s website. I learned that LTI was running a translation academy, so a few months later, I applied to join the special course now known as the night course offered online. Once I passed the admission test and interview, I gained permission from my supervisor to leave the office ten minutes early once a week so that I could make it to class on time. I was genuinely excited by the idea of exploring a genre of translation new to me although I'd never formally studied literature in Korean or English.

Through our very first session, we were introduced to factors to consider when translating literature such as equivalence and translatability. What would you do if you couldn’t find an equivalent idiom or metaphor in the target language? How would you deal with untranslatable cultural terms like nunchi(눈치) or honorific titles like seonbaenim (선배님)? We were also introduced to the idea of translating the image instead of the words and were advised that in order to realize that idea, we would ultimately have to develop our own personal philosophy of translation. I appreciated this introduction because despite having worked as a translator on and off for several years by then, I’d never received any formal training in translation.

From the second session, we were all given the same text to translate and met every week to critique each other's work. Where’s the fun in reviewing eight translations of the same text, you might ask. But just as no two people are alike, no two translations are alike. And there’s no such thing as the right answer in translation. That’s why eight different versions can be a great source of inspiration. I remember once when there were six of usin class and we each chose a different English word for gureung (구릉): mountain, mound, hill, slope, rolling, and hillock. Bit by bit, we were helping each other develop our skills as we questioned each other’s interpretations of the original text and exchanged thoughts about each other’s word choices in the target language. Honestly, where else would you be able to meet people who not only share the same interests but are passionate enough to come to class after working or studying all day? I was so eager to make the most of the opportunity that when we were divided into two groups to work on two different short stories for one semester, I volunteered to do both stories even though it meant that my workload would double.

At the end of each semester, we were given the chance to meet the author of the short story we’d been working on. Thinking back, the writers must have been pleased yet a little nervous to be questioned by a room full of translators who’d been poring over his or her work for months, but those sessions were a real treat for us. While my experience as a literary translator is still very limited, I dare to speculate that most translators rarely get to sit down with an author for an in-depth discussion about the original work. One semester, we translated a story involving the experimental relocation of humans to Mars. The experiment’sparticipants, however, had to leave their physical bodies behind and assume a robotic exterior that looked like a warped spider. The appearance of those spider-likecreatures was described near the beginning of the story, but translating the passage turned out to be trickier than expected because there weren’t enough details for us to fully picture the creature. So, when the author came, we asked her to draw the creature for us. What she came up with is now a blur to me but I do remember thinking that the image on the white board wasn’t quite what I’d had in mind. Nevertheless, we were grateful that she kindly indulged our curiosity as best she could like all the other writers we met through the program.

Four semesters went by in a wink and left me craving for more workshops. Yet, I needed time to settle down as a freelancer since I was no longer an in-house translator by then. So, I took a year off before joining the atelier program. The transition from special course to atelier felt asthough I’d emerged from a restaurant that serves only one savory dish and stepped into another that offers a delightful buffet. Not only was I working on a story of my own choice, but I was given the chance to review five other stories as diverse in genre (from young adult fiction to horror) as in period (from the Joseon era to the remote future where the universe is ruled by superhumans and robots). And discussions were expanded to include the equivalence of style, issues of logic in the original or translation, and even submission know-hows. Occasionally, at the beginning of each semester, we’d study samples of good writing, give presentations on what constitutes as good translation, or practice drafting grant proposals, all activities designed to help us evolve into better, published translators.

By now, I’m sure you can tell how much I enjoyed my time at LTI Korea’s translation academy. That’s probably why out of the six years I spent there, I was absent only twice. But was I totally prepared to be a professional literary translator after completing the academy’s programs? No, unfortunately not. Did winning awards make publishing deals fall in my lap? No, unfortunately not. I’m still struggling to find my way and I imagine there willbe many more trials and errors and rejections along the road. Still, thanks to the academy, I was able to meet people who have been traveling a similar path ahead of me: the teachers. All five of the teachers I met through the academy were generous with their time and attention, passionate about literary translation, and honest about the reality students would be facing on the outside. And I still rely on some of them for advice and support. So, if anyone were to ask me whether studying at the academy was worth it, my answer would be yes, absolutely yes.

- Youngjae Josephine Bae