What is the most important factor that a literary mind should be careful about while translating a piece of workIJ
I think a translator should never try to translate something while thinking of it as someone else’s work. In order to come out with a good translation, it is absolutely imperative that you first make the work your own and only then should you think of a way to tell the story in your own words. If you don’t do this, more often than not, the translation is bound to have a ‘distant’ feel to it, if you see what I mean. I myself do not believe in organised religion, but let me give you a religious example to explain what I mean. They say a true devotee is one who can fall in love with the deity to such an extent that he can actually claim the right to reprimand the deity, when necessary. Translation is no different. You have to ‘own’ the original work to such an extent that you feel it’s your story, and you are going to tell it now. Only then will the story be well told. There’s nothing more important than that.
How do you choose the books that you translate or would like to do soIJ
If I can connect with it, and if it hits me hard — to such an extent that I am not satisfied with having read it, but I now want to share it with a larger readership as well — I translate it. Translation, in its simplest form, is an act of sharing, after all.
Shiva is such a rustic character. How difficult was it to think of him in EnglishIJ How do you think to keep the aura of the original aliveIJ
Well, I didn’t think of him in English. I just immersed myself in his world, and then started writing. The language happened to be English, but that’s beside the point. English is no different from Bengali, or any other language, certainly no more or no less rustic. You keep the aura of the original alive by being true to it, by not compromising it, or not trying to ‘shift’ it to a different world. I firmly believe that a language is just a means of communication, it has got absolutely nothing to do with a world that characters live in. But yes, if you are referring to certain local nuances and flavours, then of course, I agree with you that there’s some amount of work involved in retaining them during the translation process. You do that by trying to understand what the original intends to say and then say the same thing in your own words.
What are your opinions about the literary translations in India, or the lack thereofIJ
There are good translations, but we have so many beautiful languages and cultures and so many good works of literature, that there’s always a need for more. I think more writers should consider taking up translation projects and careers in translation so that we could all benefit from the enormously rich body of work that we are currently staring blankly at. It’s a shame that we have to be deprived of its many joys. Quite a few publishing houses have launched imprints that are dedicated to translations, and I think that’s a much needed and commendable start. I also feel, and very strongly so, that our cinema should look inwards and consider adapting stories from Indian literature.
Shiva is a story of grit, endurance and high spiritedness. Do you believe these emotions are universal and hence translations can bring out such nuances in all languagesIJ
They are human values, and are hence universal. Every single human being, anywhere in the world, speaking any language, is capable of experiencing and exhibiting those emotions. The translation merely acts as a connecting bridge — that’s all. Shiva’s story is one that anyone can immediately connect to. Anyone who has made mistakes in life, fallen hard and then risen back to his or her feet will be able to understand and enjoy Shiva’s story. In that sense, it is universal indeed. And universal stories always aid the translation process.
How do you keep the author and translator in you separate from each otherIJ
I wouldn’t want to keep them separate — that would be a disaster! Even as a translator, I am constantly thinking of telling the story in a new way, with a new approach, in my own way. Of course, one has to be true to the spirit of the original, but everything else can (and should) be new. Then again, as an author, one needs to think of telling one’s own stories as well, and in doing so, has a wider berth, in my opinion, a bigger field to play in. I guess being an author is a slightly easier job than being a translator.
What is your next projectIJ
My next project is the novelisation and translation of Satyajit Ray’s landmark film Nayak. It’s a project that’s very close to my heart. It is also, by far, the most difficult project I have ever worked in. Alongside, my new original novel — Here Falls the Shadow — should also hit the stores early next year. It’s a sequel to my novel Penumbra, which came out earlier this year.
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