BOOK REVIEW
by Ilan Stavans, edited by Regina Galasso (2024)
reviewed by Jemma Ives
‘… editor Regina Galasso reflects on the deficiencies in terms that are commonly used to talk about translation …’
Ilan Stavans, born in Mexico City to Jewish parents, is a renowned sociolinguist, literary scholar, translator and editor whose work spans several languages and cultures.
His experiences as an immigrant speaking a multitude of languages inform his exploration of translation, identity and belonging in this collection of essays and conversations.
Stavans grew up speaking Spanish, Yiddish and Hebrew. At the age of twenty-four he migrated to the United States, where he attended university and began his career as a translator and scholar. A true polyglot, he translates from a long list of languages, including German, Polish, Catalan, Portuguese, Russian and Belarusian, and has even translated texts written in languages he doesn’t know. A self-described ‘lover of linguistic pollution,’ he is perhaps best known for his work on Spanglish, and he famously translated the novel Don Quixote into this hybrid language after being challenged during a radio interview that Spanglish was not a language to be taken seriously. Notably, he received numerous death threats in relation to this translation.
Translation as Home is a gem which delves into a broad range of topics. In the introduction, editor Regina Galasso reflects on the deficiencies in terms that are commonly used to talk about translation, including ‘native’ and ‘non-native,’ ‘source’ and ‘target.’ According to her argument, any translator will refer to more texts than just the ‘source’ text, and a ‘target’ text is neither an end goal, nor the only way to translate a given text. This is an apt point to introduce Stavans’ book, in which he doesn’t treat translation as merely an origin plus a destination, but rather celebrates it as a way of life.
The essays ‘English as She is Spoke: The Fallacy of American Studies’ and ‘The People’s Tongue: Language as Character’ both explore the relationship between language and nationalism, a theme that is particularly relevant in the light of recent events in the US, with English being designated as the official language.
‘Does Literature Teach us to Die’ is a powerful conversation with writer Priyanker Champaneri about the concept of a good death, and what we can learn about life and death through art and literature.
‘The Anxiety of Translation,’ a conversation with translator Robert Croll, touches on the tension and responsibility felt by practitioners when engaging in a process that is inevitably impossible, a process in which something is invariably lost.
In ‘Letter to a Young Translator,’ Stavans shares an inspiring message in which he urges the young translator to experiment, to improvise and to expect the unexpected when embarking on a life dedicated to translation.
This anthology provides a thought-provoking and compelling meditation on the complexities of language, communication and belonging. While it is undoubtably an academic book, it is also a delight to read. As translators and interpreters, it encourages us to look beyond the practical and theoretical aspects of our work and reflect on the more philosophical, creative, personal and emotional dimensions of the act of translation. It will most certainly be enjoyed by those with a deep love for language.
Cover reproduced courtesy of University of Toronto Press
Jemma Ives is a specialist legal interpreter, a translator and an interpreting trainer. She has dedicated her working life to language and communication, and has extensive experience working in both corporate and community contexts. She believes in the power of sharing and collaboration between colleagues. Jemma is a member of the Editorial Committee for In Touch magazine, and in her free time she loves going out to live music gigs in Melbourne.
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