Pwt o 'Economist Espresso' y bore 'ma:
Found in translation: poetry prizes
The title pun of Oscar Wilde’s play “The Importance of Being Earnest”, when rendered in French as “L’Importance d’être Constant”, is lost; the idea that John F. Kennedy proclaimed “I am a jam doughnut” in Berlin in 1963 still amuses. But translation is often painstaking work. Seamus Heaney said that grappling with medieval verse for “Beowulf” felt like hard labour. Interpreters can take heart in several prestigious literary awards that serve to acknowledge their exertions, such as the Stephen Spender prize, announced last week. Established in honour of the British poet, essayist and activist, this year’s edition considered translations from 41 ancient and modern languages including Akkadian, Igbo, Chinese, Romanian, Latin and Middle English. Entrants ranged in age from nine to 90—the winner of the 14-and-under category, Tomás Sergeant, took on “Deseo” (“Desire”) by Federico García Lorca. Translation is, inherently, an imperfect art. But pursuing the underlying cultural curiosity is its own prize.
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