The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-06-30
TRAASLATORS' HARD LOT
AN INTELLECTUAL PROFESSION
WHICH rs POORLY PAID.
The Difficulties of Those Who Work
For Syndicates or Magazines
How Beginners Make a Start.
(Harper's Bazar.)


paid or less esteemed than that of the
translator Perhaps this is because
excellence in translation is rare; and
perhaps again, excellence in transla-
tlon Is rare because the remuneration
for the work is not sufficient to induce
| a hlgh order of ability to engage in ii.
Yet to good translation, if translation
! is to be followed as profession, not
only a high order of ability, but wide
and exact information in many de-
partmentS of human knowledge is an
! Indispensable requisite. For, while the
| author deals with one subject, or a
/ limited number of more or less cog
nate subjects, the general translator
viii deal with that number of subjects
| multiplied by the number of authors
/ whose work she is called upon to trans
late Thus, if the translator works for
a syndicate or a periodical she will
nave to translate this week, it may be-
an article on some political complica
! ton or economic question in one of the
European countries, to render which
correctly into English a general knowl-
edge certainly, and possibly a minute
knowledge, of local politics, or ge-
osraphy, or finances, or statistics. or of
some particular historical epoch will be
necessary. Next week she will have an
entirely different subject to deal with
some new discovery in science or in
medicine, some dramatic, artistic, or
literary criticism. which will require
not only familiarity with the subject
treated, but also a knowledge of tech
nical terms. to which the dictionary
can contribute little, owing to the daily
coming of new technical terms. for its
Ineligible, not to say elegant, render
ing into English.
Again it will be an account of some
celebrated trial, of some terrible disas-
ter, of some popular sensation, of ma
tional. perhaps, but transitory interest,
for which, if she would give life and
color TO her rendition, she must look up
and familiarize herself with a number
of facts and details which will be abb
Solutely Value1eSs to her for future use.
And to render her task more difficult
one, in those instances, she will not
have her original before her in the
clearness of print, or, more frequently
than otherwise. even a legible hand
writing, but set down in hieroglyDhics,
TO decipher which she will not seldom
have to use a magnifying glass, to find
herself, ii may be, after a year or so
of such strain upon the optic nerves.
with permanently impaired eyeSight.
Or the translator'S work may be more
strictly literary. Books instead of ar
ticies may employ her pen. In this
case she will have the printed page to
translate from-a material tightening of
her labor. The permanent nature of
her work, too, will afford a stimulus
which in ephemeral literature is want
ing. But, on the other hand, the more
serious character of the work brings
with il a more serious responsibility
The critic will. for purposes of criti-
cism. at least, place it on a level with
original work. But let its merits Of
every kind possible for it to possess be
as great as they may. the translation
will not win for its maker a single leaf
of the laurel wreath of fame. She will
be created with all the defects of her
original but the utmost claim she can !
lay to any of its beauties will be that |
she has not obscured or distorted them. |
But such as the work is. how is the /
woman who desires to become trans |
lator to obtain it? A difficult problem. |
indeed. for those to whom accident or /
fortunate circumstances do not open a |
way: and even for these. with the eX-
ception of perhaps few master hands. |
there is nothing like a certainty of I
having a constant supply of work. The
articles of foreign syndicate writers or /
periodical contributors will necessarily /
be limited in number. and one engage
ment does not lead to another in the
case, as in the more me-
,hanical occupations With regard to
books. the risk for the beginner-that
S. the risk of losing the time and labor
spent on a rejected translation-is al
most prohibitOry.
For it is only the experienced trans
atOr. the quality Of whose work is
Known in the market. who can hope (.
o obtain the consideration of a pub /
ishing house for a translation which
the has not yet made. If the aspirant
o the translator's honors. however, is
conscious of possessing real ability for
he work. and chances to come across
foreign work that she believes would
command a ready sale in the American
market. she risks comparatively little
n translating a few of its most strik-
ng passages. making a synopsis Of the
tory If it be a work of fiction, or of
is contents in any other case, and
ending these. together with the orig
nal work, to some good publishing
Iouse for its consideration. For ii is
lways to be remembered that publish
RS are as eager to find saleabie books
o publish as writers can be to offer
hem.
Or striking short story, well trans
ated. may be sent, with some proba-
ility of its acceptance, to one of the
magazines which make a speciality of
TRANSACTIONS, or to one of
he Sunday newspapers. But. owing to
he large amount of such work always
n hand in publishers and newspaper
fices. there will probably also be a
)ng delay before any decision regard |
lg the offered work. favorable or the !
eVerse is received. In sending stories
is to be remembered that to insure
heir return if rejected the necessary
lamps for postage must be sent with I
hem. The rate of remuneration for
ne translator's work varies greatly,
ccording to the Importance and char
cter of the original, the quality of the !
-anslation, and the rule. in the matter /
f the particular publishing house or I
ewspaper Office for which the work is
one. but it will rarely fall below $3.50 !
r exceed SIS per LOCO words Some 1
mes a royalty instead of a fixed sum $
paid for the translation of books. in s
hich case the profits derived from c
le translation will. of course, depend S
rgely on the popularity or the per- |
lament value of the original work. /
hese profits may be considerable, but
ley may also fall below the sum the I
ork would bring if paid for at fixed +
tie. [
Translation. in short, even where +
lere is real ability. is pursuit better b
lapted to while away agreeably the o
ours of elegant leisure than to supply [
it'll any degree of certainly the daily o
eeds of life. S