Tracks and Paths of Translation
For Hannah Rich ’16, translation is just one aspect of a fertile Spanish major
by Tony Moore
For students majoring in a language, translation is part of the game. But that doesn’t mean it’s a walk in the park.
“I found that it really isn't an easy job, trying to find exactly the right word that matches the tone of the original text and have everything make sense for the new audience,” says Hannah Rich ’16, a Spanish major who’s been working with Associate Professor of Italian Tullio Pagano. “But it is very worthwhile and something I would definitely like to do again.”
Rich has been busy navigating the winding paths of translation lately, first co-writing and then translating an article about Italian immigration to Argentina with Pagano.
“It talks about different perspectives of the migrants who arrived in Argentina, some of them conflicting with one another, which adds to the phenomenon,” Rich says of the article, which she and Pagano recently submitted for publication in Argentina.
Once that project was complete, the two moved on to co-authoring a book review of Huellas y recorridos de una utopia by the Argentinean author Fernanda Elisa Bravo Herrera, which is set to be published in the Journal of Modern Italian Studies.
“Translation was something that was fairly new to me, so it was cool exploring a new way of using language as a communication tool,” says Rich, who plans on moving to Spain to teach English for two years after graduation. “It allows you to explore the language in a whole new way and think deeply about the emotions that come with the words and the feelings they evoke.”
With her own path unwinding before her, Rich has some words of advice for anyone thinking of following in her footsteps.
“I would highly encourage people who are thinking of majoring in Spanish to pursue it—the major offers many different types of classes, ranging from literature analysis to film studies to translation,” she says. “So when it comes to finding a job after graduation, there is a wide range of opportunities and paths available. There is a lot to offer if you want it.”
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- Department of Italian & Italian Studies
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Published May 16, 2016