Interview with translator Chi-Young Kim in JoongAng Daily

Chi-Young Kim

Chi-Young Kim

A great email interview with Chi-Young Kim in the JoongAng Daily in which she frankly discusses some of the changes needed when translating from Korean to English.

One of the money quotes:

Do you have your own principles for translating?

My principle is that translated books should give readers almost the same feelings as the original ones. Readers are not scholars. They are not patient [enough to read through awkward expressions]. I cut out dialects and polite expressions from original texts. If I translate South Jeolla dialect into an American Southern accent, readers would find the translation awkward.

It is worth noting several things:

1) Each translation Kim has worked on has been more internationally successful then the previous one.

2) Kim needs a new promotional photo as the current one does not do justice. ^^

3) Kim’s success might be the evidence needed to shake loose some of the stodgier approaches to translation that have held some Korean literature back from success in the international arena.