Suman Bajpai : Translator

 Suman Bajpai is a freelance writer, journalist, editor, translator, storyteller,
 and a travel writer. She has been translating children books for over twenty years.
 Read on to know more about her world of books and translation.

1.     How did you enter the world of translation? Which languages do you translate?

I really don’t remember exactly, how it happened, but after completing my journalism, as I was into writing already and writing for magazines and newspapers and was a talker at All India Radio, I did translate my first book on Rajiv Gandhi, in 1986. At that time there was no plan in my mind to get into this field. I happened to meet the then Editor of Children’ Book Trust in 1987, who gave me a book ‘ Indira Priyadarshini’ to translate and after some time, he also offered me a job for Sub-Editor there and after that, I had started translating books from English to Hindi to promote their Hindi programme.

I translate from English to Hindi and some books I did from Hindi to English also. After CBT I had worked with many magazines and besides writing original work, translation continued. And slowly it became my passion.

1.     How many books have you translated so far?

I had translated so far more than 130 books (for children, as well as adult books). Apart from that done many projects for different ministries and other publications.

3. What's the biggest challenge in translating a book?

                       

The biggest challenge in translating a book is to understand what the writer is trying to convey. Especially in children’s books, you have to be very sure what you are putting in words in for of translation. You can’t liberty in their books which is easier to take in adults’ stories or novels. I feel translation is a more difficult task than to write an original piece. Original piece or book carry your thought, but in translation, you are interpreting and transforming the thoughts of another person. But challenges inspire me to take up difficult book every time.

4.     What is your process of translation? Do you create a rough translation of the entire book and then fine-tune the script?

First of all, I read the whole book to understand the author and her/his idea on that particular subject. This was I can do justice with the book. I do the translation of the entire book and then start reading it all over again, but this time not keeping the English version with me. I feel that every book has an identity of its own, so it is important to have a flow in the book. The book should not look as if translated, it should read as a fresh book. 

5.     Which is the most difficult book translation you have done so far?

The most difficult and challenging book I did is The Middle Passage by V.S. Naipaul. It was in colloquial language and was hard to understand the language as well as the whole atmosphere created by the author.  In 1960 the government of Trinidad invited V. S. Naipaul to revisit his native country and record his impressions. In this classic of modern travel writing, he has created a deft and remarkably prescient portrait of Trinidad and four adjacent Caribbean societies–countries haunted by the legacies of slavery and colonialism and so thoroughly defined by the norms of Empire that they can scarcely believe that the Empire is ending.

Then classics of Jane Austin and Thomas Hardy.

6.     Any advice for aspiring translators? What skills/qualities does a good translator need?

I would only say that if you want to choose this field, then start reading books to enhance your vocabulary and to understand which word is appropriate in that given situation as a single word has many meanings. You need to understand for which age group you are translating a book and who are the readers.

For translation also like writing you need to have an ability to observe things.

7.     Can one make a living by translating books and other media?

  Yes, it depends how passionately you are into this. 

8.     You have also authored several books.  What do you enjoy more? Writing or translation?

I enjoy both; original writing is much easier as it is your baby whereas while 
translating a book you are giving shape to someone else baby that too in a 
different language.

9.     Is the remuneration for book translation satisfactory?

In compare to translating from Hindi to English or any other language, Hindi media and publishers pay very less.