'Translator bridges 2 languages and cultures'
Published on | Source
By Park Si-soo
No Korean literary work has attracted as much international popularity as "Please Look After Mom", written by Shin Kyung-sook.
Released in the U.S. early last month, the English version has flown off the shelves to rank 14th in the bestselling list compiled by The New York Times as of May 1. The sensation is also spreading to Britain.
Yet, many critics and literature experts here say the feat would not have been possible without Kim Chi-young, 30, who translated the novel into English.
Many extol Kim's translation for keeping the tone and mood in the same vein as the original in the process of putting the book into English.
"I'm a firm believer in having the English text flow as if it were written in English, while maintaining the same mood and tone as the original", Kim said in an email interview with The Korea Times. "In order to achieve a fluid, authentic English text, I edit constantly and welcome comments from writers, editors and translators".
She said the subject of the novel — a mother — is universal in appeal, and its rural Korean setting and culture seems to have led to the book's commercial success in the U.S.
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Geraldine Brooks praised the English version for its "spare and exquisite prose" in telling the essence of what a mother means to a family and as a human being, reflecting how good Kim's translation was.
The New York Times said in a book review that Kim's translation vividly conveys "grief's bewildering immediacy".
Kim is a lawyer-turned-literary translator based in Los Angeles. She is a daughter of veteran Korean-English literary translator Yu Young-nan.
Born in Boston, she grew up moving to South Korea, Canada and the U.S. until high school. She graduated from Wesleyan University in 2003 and the University of California Hastings College of the Law in 2008.
She defined a translator as an advocate for the original and the author.
"You have to be flexible and willing to work with editors, who approach a text from the reader's perspective", Kim said. "There are many small changes that have to be made when translating Korean into English, but the translator must make sure that the author's intention and the mood of the original remain intact". She portrayed her work as a "bridge" between two languages and cultures.
As a professional translator, Kim called for a hike in translation fees. "It's virtually impossible to make a living off literary translation", she complained. "It's important that translators get paid their worth; most of us work on a manuscript for a year to a year and a half".
She said the ideal literary translator should have a natural love of literature, be willing to work closely with editors and the author and be able to meet deadlines in a timely fashion.
She plans to continue translating literature. "I hope to play a small part in bringing more Korean literature to English-speaking audiences".
Asked of her favorite novel out of all of the translations she has done, Kim said, "It's similar to a parent choosing a favorite child", adding each project has been very different but exhilarating.
Among Korean literary works she translated into English are "Tongue" by Jo Kyung-ran, "Your Republic Is Calling You" by Kim Young-ha and "Toy City" by Lee Dong-ha.
She is the recipient of the Daesan Foundation Translation Grant in 2005 and 2008, and the 34th Modern Korean Literature Translation Award in 2003.
No Korean literary work has attracted as much international popularity as "Please Look After Mom", written by Shin Kyung-sook.
Released in the U.S. early last month, the English version has flown off the shelves to rank 14th in the bestselling list compiled by The New York Times as of May 1. The sensation is also spreading to Britain.
Yet, many critics and literature experts here say the feat would not have been possible without Kim Chi-young, 30, who translated the novel into English.
Many extol Kim's translation for keeping the tone and mood in the same vein as the original in the process of putting the book into English.
"I'm a firm believer in having the English text flow as if it were written in English, while maintaining the same mood and tone as the original", Kim said in an email interview with The Korea Times. "In order to achieve a fluid, authentic English text, I edit constantly and welcome comments from writers, editors and translators".
She said the subject of the novel — a mother — is universal in appeal, and its rural Korean setting and culture seems to have led to the book's commercial success in the U.S.
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Geraldine Brooks praised the English version for its "spare and exquisite prose" in telling the essence of what a mother means to a family and as a human being, reflecting how good Kim's translation was.
The New York Times said in a book review that Kim's translation vividly conveys "grief's bewildering immediacy".
Kim is a lawyer-turned-literary translator based in Los Angeles. She is a daughter of veteran Korean-English literary translator Yu Young-nan.
Born in Boston, she grew up moving to South Korea, Canada and the U.S. until high school. She graduated from Wesleyan University in 2003 and the University of California Hastings College of the Law in 2008.
She defined a translator as an advocate for the original and the author.
"You have to be flexible and willing to work with editors, who approach a text from the reader's perspective", Kim said. "There are many small changes that have to be made when translating Korean into English, but the translator must make sure that the author's intention and the mood of the original remain intact". She portrayed her work as a "bridge" between two languages and cultures.
As a professional translator, Kim called for a hike in translation fees. "It's virtually impossible to make a living off literary translation", she complained. "It's important that translators get paid their worth; most of us work on a manuscript for a year to a year and a half".
She said the ideal literary translator should have a natural love of literature, be willing to work closely with editors and the author and be able to meet deadlines in a timely fashion.
She plans to continue translating literature. "I hope to play a small part in bringing more Korean literature to English-speaking audiences".
Asked of her favorite novel out of all of the translations she has done, Kim said, "It's similar to a parent choosing a favorite child", adding each project has been very different but exhilarating.
Among Korean literary works she translated into English are "Tongue" by Jo Kyung-ran, "Your Republic Is Calling You" by Kim Young-ha and "Toy City" by Lee Dong-ha.
She is the recipient of the Daesan Foundation Translation Grant in 2005 and 2008, and the 34th Modern Korean Literature Translation Award in 2003.
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