HI all<br>Wll done for the mammoth task of
starting an Italian site,Marco. I hope it is fun as well
as serious hard work!<br>I thought I'd follow on on
the subject of translations... Not as dull or
straightforward as one would first think, they are something that
I've been involved in, mostly indirectly through my
man (English to German translator), but also by doing
copy typing and proof reading work for his former
business partner Tim Pownall (linguist extraordinaire),who
is the best translator from German or French into
English, (and a close personal friend of
ours).<br>Language cannot be simply automatically changed from one
country's tongue to another. A bad translation, especially
in literature or philosophy, can completely miss the
point of individual sentences, paragraphs, and even
whole works! On a smaller scale bad translation
can<br>leave out important emphasis, feeling or tone of the
piece.<br>So much more than a scientific representation of
thought in word form, each language is steeped in that
country's (or set of countries with English) CULTURE. The
translator needs to be sensitive to the culture of the
original work in order to understand it in the manner the
author hoped, and be able to make that 'sound right' by
making active sense to the reader in their mother
tongue. Using their own language's literary 'voice' and
traditions is a skill we all take for granted as one of the
many unsaid subjects we learn from introduction in
childhood. <br>--------------<br>Sounds like you need to try
your hand at doing the Norwegian market justice, BO,
by giving those non-english speakers a good version
of pirsigs works to read! No easy task I know, but
judging by your articles and research of the subject you
would seem very qualified... What better way to make a
lasting popularizing bid by reaching thousands more
Northern souls?<br>--------------------<br>Anyway, my
interest and experience around translators has led me to
have a new insight into language, and think about its
role and nature in human endeavor a lot over the last
15 years or so.<br>I was fascinated (as a fine art
student, struggling to maintain faith in making art work
at all) by the concept of the 'author' of a work -
and how this relates to how the work is seen or
understood by the audience.<br>In written work, this is
shown in the personage of the 'narrator' or 'narrative
voice' of a book or piece. How we, as individual
readers, relate to a written work has so much to do with
whether we understand, like or are enthused by the
author's chosen narrative voice when they write.<br>Easily
confused with the real person (who is the author
themself), this narrative voice is infact a seperate entity
and is created as a conjunction between reader and
writer, at the time of reading. That's why a book can
seem very different to us when reading the same one
years apart, or be very meaningful to some and garbage
to others! <br>Popularising:<br>Unfortunately, ZAMM
& Lila and do not 'make a meaningful narrative' for
many people, so translating these books into other
laguages is only one way of spreading the word.<br>The MOQ
has to be written and sung and danced and LIVED in as
many different ways and forms as there are people
inspired by the fundemental principle of QUALITY and
ultimate GOODness.<br> <br>We can all do it, day by day,
in our small ways - show your trust and belief in
GOOD and live true to QUALITY in all ways you
can.<br>Some of us may bring huge works into the world to
inspire many. <br>In order to spread what I have found as
a beautiful, helpful centre for my life, I am
looking for simple ways to express the MOQ central belief
in GOOD.<br>I know its sounds rather vague, but Im
making it up as I go along too!<br>I have taken my first
step at reaching out from an insular life of depressed
pity at the state of the world to SING with some folk
at a local arts centre. Oh the joy of creating a
positive sound!<br><br>Good luck to all, in your quality
creations!