Kol u'Deyo - Vos iz der taytsh: a translation workshop - AUDITOR

Instructor Name

Pamela Brenner, MSt

Workshop Title

Vos iz der taytsh: a translation workshop

Genre

Translation

General Description

In this workshop, we will be discussing the challenges and opportunities of translation, with a special emphasis on translation from Yiddish to English. Participants will be introduced to the contours of translation and will push the limits of what it is possible to create in English. Each session will focus on a different angle for thinking through and crafting a translation. Some of those topics, such as translating Jewishness or “Yiddishisms,” are particular to Yiddish translation, while other topics, such as translating jokes or puns, are challenges for translators of any language. We will begin with a general introduction to translation work and progress to more specific examples of translation. Part of our sessions will be comparative, as we will analyze the choices that different translators made in translating the same text. Participants will also be expected to put the relevant theories to practice by creating their own translations, which will be discussed in class. By the end of this workshop, participants will walk away with a greater ability to enrich their own writing with Jewish phrases, concepts and manners of speech.

Week 1

Introduction to Translation

In this session, we will dip our toes into the translation process. We will discuss different modes of translation and practice English to English translation in each mode.

Week 2

Translating Judaism

How does a translator convey Jewish-specific terms and phrases to a general audience? How does one approximate Jewish concepts in a non-Jewish language?

Week 3

Translating “Yiddishisms” 

Yiddish is beloved by American Jews for some of its flavor, including its interjections, curses, and distinctly un-English syntax. How do American Jewish perceptions of Yiddish affect the structure of a translation? How does one convey “Yiddishisms” in English? Is there such a thing as a “kitschy” translation?

Week 4

Accents, Dialects, and Registers

In this session, we will address translating accents and individuals’ unique linguistic markers. We will also discuss how to incorporate various linguistic registers into a translation.

Week 5

Translating Puns, Jokes, and Inventive Wordplay

How do you recreate a pun? What if a joke isn’t funny in English? We will address these challenges in this session.

Week 6

Conclusion: Translating Multilingualism (and English)

Yiddish is often described as a “fusion” language, seamlessly weaving together parts of speech, words and phrases from numerous languages. Additionally, Yiddish speakers were exceptionally multilingual. Much of Yiddish literature therefore includes words and sentences from Russian, Ukrainian, Hebrew, etc. without fanfare. How does a translator bring that multilingualism into a notoriously monolingual English?

Participant Cap

8

Participant Expectations

Participants should come to each session prepared, having read the assigned texts in advance and ready to discuss them in a sophisticated manner.

Part of our sessions will include creating our own translations using the methods that we study together. These translations do not need to be from a foreign language, as we will engage in English-to-English translation. Participants are therefore expected to come to class with 2-4 English-language excerpts from (prose) texts that they are familiar with. These texts can be the participants’ own work or the work of different authors. If participants are comfortable in a language other than English, they are encouraged to bring those texts as well. We will be translating these texts in each session. Participants may be expected to work on their translations in between sessions.

All unpublished translations included in this workshop are not to be circulated or distributed in any manner without explicit consent of the translator(s).

Auditor Cap

2

Auditor Experience

Auditors are invited to attend all sessions and produce their work independently, but their own work will not be shared in the workshop.

Course Schedule

11AM-12:30PM Eastern, Mondays: April 25, May 2, May 7, May 14, May 23, May 30

Language Req(s)

English skill is required; Yiddish is not necessary, but this workshop is most beneficial for individuals with some proficiency in another language.