«This is a huge experience and a benefit for the soul and study»: Institute of Technologies for Humanities' students and teacher become Translation Olympiad’s prize-winners
In April 2021, students of the Institute of Technologies for Humanities of the Russian New University (RosNOU) Marina Pershikova, Natalia Khudyakova (specialty "Translation and Translation Studies") and Anna S. Trunova, Associate Professor of the Department of Linguistics and Intercultural Communication, won prizes in Translation Olympiads. In addition, Yulia Shchekotikhina, a student of the Institute of Technologies for Humanities (specialty "Translation and Translation Studies"), participated in the Second International Conference "Chinese Language: Topical Issues of Linguistics, Translation Studies and Linguodidactics", which was held at MGIMO.
Marina Pershikova and Natalia Khudyakova took part in the International Olympiad on Translation of Literary and Poetic Texts, which was held by Novosibirsk State Technical University. Marina took first place in the “Translation of a Poetic Literary Text from English to Russian” category, and Natalia took first place in the “Translation of a Prose Literary Text from English to Russian” section.
Anna S. Trunova became the prize-winner of the All-Russian Competition of Literary and Legal Translation in the "Chinese Language, Literary Translation" category.
The student media center E-NOTE talked to the translation students about the performing tasks and the experience they will be able to apply in their profession.
I had to translate a poem from English into Russian. This was the first time I translated a poem rather than writing it myself, so I didn't expect my first attempt to succeed. I translated the poem immediately, from the first to the last line, and then edited it throughout the day, choosing a better rhyme.
Original
Long Life by Tricia Mae Chua
Life is too short to be spent
griping about the past,
things you don’t have,
places you haven’t seen,
things you haven’t done.
Life is too short to be spent
holding grievances against another,
finding fault in your brother,
counting the wrongs done on you.
Life is just long enough
to enjoy the beauty of a sunrise
the smell of wet earth
and the sound of laughter
after a long day’s work.
Life is just long enough
to practice compassion and generosity,
to comfort the grieving,
to lend strength to the fainthearted,
and direction to the lost.
Marina’s translation
«Жизненный путь»
Триша Мэй Чуа
Жизнь так коротка – не тратьте её на то,
Чтоб о прошлом скорбить:
О том, что не сделал,
О том, где ты не был
И что не успел завершить.
Жизнь так коротка для досад, для обид,
Для поиска мелких соринок
В глазах наших близких (а кто не грешит?),
Для счета чужих ошибок.
Но жизненный путь в самый раз для иного:
Прекрасной зарёй по утру насладиться,
Почувствовать запахи влажной земли,
Вернуться с работы и смехом залиться.
И жизненный путь впору, чтоб проявлять
Сострадание, великодушие…
Всех, кто нуждается, – тех утешать,
Всем, кто слаб духом, – сил придавать
И на путь наставлять всех заблудших.
I found out about this Olympiad four days before the deadline for accepting applications. It took me about four hours to translate the literary text, which had one page in English, and the next day I reread it, editing it a little. And then I sent it to the contest a few hours before the deadline.
Original text
The Other Side of Sorrow
Peter Corris
It was my day for visiting clinics. Dr Macleod’s setup went under the name of the Macleod Medical Clinic, according to the brass plate on the gate that gave pedestrian access. This was beside a driveway, also gated, and set into a high brick fence surrounding a half-acre block that commanded a good view across to the vast sprawl of Rookwood cemetery. The brass plate also listed Dr Macleod’s various degrees and diplomas. It was hard to guess from some of the initials exactly what medical fields they covered — and the institutions that had awarded them weren’t mentioned.
For me, I was dressed formally. Not the suit, but I’d exchanged my usual casual jacket for a blazer, my jeans for a pair of charcoal slacks and I had on a clean blue button-down shirt and black slip-ons. No tie. I fancied I looked the part of an energetic semi-professional pursuing his lawful occupation. The gun under my arm was licensed after all, even if the one held on a clip under the dashboard of the Falcon wasn’t and the lock picks attached to my key ring would cause any alert policeman to take them from me, put me behind some bars and see how I got on from there.
The wall was two metres high with a strand or two of razor wire on top. Top security. Maybe the doctor collected Old Masters. I pressed the intercom buzzer beside the gate, got a recorded message and stated my business. There was a humming noise and the gate clicked open. Inside I noted grass and cement in about equal amounts; a well-tended native garden with seats and benches. It looked as if the doc liked his patients to sit in the sunshine while they waited for him — or while they wrote out their cheques afterwards. I realised that I was making judgements on the basis of Ian Sangster’s information. Why not?
The main building was a long, low piece of colonial architecture, much modified over about a hundred years. A series of signs directed deliveries to the back, patients to one verandah entrance, business callers to another. My visit to the other clinic had filled me with confidence about my robust health; I was here on business.
I responded to a ‘Please Open’ sign on a door and found myself in a waiting room that resembled something you’d see in an accountant’s office. Leather armchairs, low table, business magazines. A disembodied voice said, ‘Please make yourself comfortable. Dr Macleod will be with you in a moment. Please avail yourself of the refreshment facilities.’ This meant a coffee machine and a fresh juice dispenser. I made a cup of coffee and sat down. The seat hissed under me the way well-upholstered vinyl pretending to be leather will and I felt better. The coffee was lousy.
Natalia’s translation
Обратная сторона скорби
Питер Коррис
Сегодня я решил сходить в клинику. На воротах заведения, принадлежащего некоему доктору Маклауду, висела медная табличка, на которой так и указано было: «Медицинская клиника доктора Маклауда». Ворота, кстати, были уже вторые по счёту; первые меня встретили одной подъездной дорожкой ранее, большие ворота с не менее большим кирпичным забором, захватившим площадь в половину акра, но зато открывавшим прекрасный вид на Руквудское кладбище. Помимо названия учреждения, на табличке красовались ещё и всевозможные степени и грамоты доктора Маклауда. Некоторые сокращения для меня так и остались загадкой: понять, что это за сфера медицины вообще, было затруднительно — да и организации, выдававшие все эти дипломы и звания, указаны также не были.
Но поговорим обо мне. Внешний вид — серьёзно-официальный. Не костюм, конечно, но и не привычные куртка с джинсами, а пиджак и угольно-серые брюки. Даже рубашку чистую надел, синюю, и слипоны черные. Только галстук отсутствовал. В общем, впечатление производилось, вроде бы, человека делового, энергичного, этакого полупрофессионала, легально исполняющего свои легальные обязанности. И даже пистолет у меня в кобуре находился более чем легально, с лицензией на владение («нелегальный»-то я оставил в машине, скрытым под приборной панелью). А, ну отмычки ещё болтались в ключнице, вызывая у любого мало-мальски бдительного полицейского желание их отобрать, меня посадить за решетку и смотреть, как я справлюсь с такой преградой.
Забор был высотой метра два, с колючей проволокой сверху. Уровень безопасности — максимальный. У доктора там что, коллекция полотен кисти величайших мастеров древности? В общем, я вдавил кнопку домофона и сообщил откликнувшемуся автоответчику о цели своего визита. Затем раздалось тихое жужжание, и, со щелчком, ворота распахнулись передо мной, впуская внутрь. Двор представлял собой практически в равных количествах распределённые зелень и бетон; повсюду ухоженные аллеи со стульчиками да скамеечками. Всё ради того, чтобы пациентам было где наслаждаться лучами солнышка в ожидании приёма — и чтобы было потом куда присесть, выписать чек за этот самый приём. Хотя, кажется, свои выводы я делаю, основываясь на известной мне уже информации. Но почему бы и нет, впрочем?
Главное здание — низкое и вытянутое вширь, выполнено было колониальном стиле, однако сильно видоизменилось и поистрепалось за последнюю сотню лет. Повсюду указатели, посылающие каждого в нужные направления: доставка — к черному входу, пациентам — в другую сторону, на вход с веранды, а кто заявился с деловым предложением, тем — в ещё более другую сторону, противоположную. В качестве пациента я уже приходил в другую клинику, где получил уверения в крепости моего здоровья; здесь же я исключительно по работе.
Следуя указаниям написанного на двери «Пожалуйста, заходите», я оказался в приёмной комнате, очень схожей с приёмными любого среднестатистического офиса. Кожаные кресла, низкий журнальный столик, бизнес-журналы на нем же. Не имеющий обладателя голос учтиво выдал: «Прошу, устраивайтесь поудобнее. Доктор Маклауд сейчас подойдёт. Можете воспользоваться всеми необходимыми удобствами». Под «удобствами» подразумевались, видимо, кофеварка и автомат со свежевыжатым соком. Кофе я себе сделал, опустился на диван, заскрипевший подо мной типичным звуком замаскированного под кожу винила. Сразу полегчало на душе. Правда вот кофе на вкус — паршивей некуда.
I happen to know a conference would be held at MGIMO. I received an email from my supervisor, and I thought: "Why not?" considering I have been engaged in scientific activities for three years. I had scientific materials and plans, as well as an idea to create my own platform like the BKRS, which would receive data from various Chinese sources. I found a resource that records all the Chinese neologisms that are used in the language. It was necessary to convey this to the scientific community and all those who are engaged in the study of the Chinese language. Representatives of regional universities were interested in this platform, as it is very important for translators, especially for those who translate in the oil and gas industry and similar areas. There are many words that are nowhere to be found, new terms often appear, and they need to be translated urgently. So I decided to tell people about the best practices that I already have.
The poem I got is deeply philosophical: how short life is if you fill it with resentment, disappointment, and envy; and how long it is if you are kind and merciful to your neighbor. It was difficult to maintain the rhyme and convey the essence of the poem, its generous mood.
Stylistically, my text was not very complex, it was only necessary to translate one page. This is a small volume, but the complexity of such passages is in the absence of context. It is impossible to know whether this is the first chapter, the fifteenth or the fortieth; what is the kind of person whose name is given – whether it is a hero or a reference to some other work. And all this must be adapted during the translation. You try to search for information, you don't find it, and what should you do? You try to get out of it. If you take the task in general, I can't say that it was difficult, but it was not without obstacles.
The most difficult thing in a conference speech is to convey your thoughts to an adult audience. The people to whom I presented my work are Candidates and Doctors of Science, and they are very demanding about the work of students. It's scary to perform in front of them – you worry about how good your work is. I'm glad I did it.
It was a very useful and interesting experience. I decided to translate the poem from English to Russian for the first time and did not expect to win. Even if I didn't win anything, I would still be happy.
I join Marina's opinion — this is a very interesting experience. Olympiads and competitions are always very exciting. When you submit a work, you think: "How well did you do it, will you be able to win something?". At the same time, you do not set yourself up to win, so that you do not get upset if something suddenly does not work out. I have a principle: "Hope for the best, prepare for the worst." Late in the evening, on the day of the announcement of the results, I was looking at the list of winners and saw my name one of the first. I told everyone I knew and was thrilled. I think that I will participate in the following competitions.
When I got the confirmation that I was invited to the conference, I told all my friends about it. For me, participation in the MGIMO conference is an opportunity to express myself in the scientific world. It is great that our wonderful RosNOU and our Translation Department provide such an opportunity and, most importantly, support all students.
Yes, it was useful both from the point of view of translation practice, and from the point of view of forming sensitivity to the author's thoughts, poetic flair. Ksenia L. Polonskaya and I have done a lot of work on the selection of synonyms for the word "merciful". In the last quatrain, "merciful" did not fit into the rhythm of the poem, but none of the ten selected rhymes fit better than this word. In the end, we decided to keep it.
Participation in the Olympiad is a great experience and benefits for the soul and study.
Any translation is a practice and a benefit, even when you translate a simple text. This goes into the translator's experience piggy bank. The competition is important for the portfolio: when interviewing for a job or when applying to an educational institution.
For me, it was a translation experience. Everything I've done will help me with my course work and thesis, as well as with my admission to graduate school, if I decide to take this step.
Anna S. Trunova, Associate Professor of the Department of Linguistics and Intercultural Communication of RosNOU, shared her impressions of the All-Russian Translation Competition.
The task of the competition was as follows: to translate a fragment from my favorite novel by the writer Lao She "Four Generations under one Roof" of the first half of the XX century. I love this work very much, so I decided to take part in the competition. This experience was definitely useful for me, as it helped me get rid of the impostor syndrome, and I realized that I was a good translator.
We congratulate Marina Pershikova, Natalia Khudyakova and Anna S. Trunova on winning prizes in the Olympiads, and Yulia Shchekotikhina on participating in the scientific conference and wish her scientific and professional success!