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Sample translations submitted: 2
German to English: In der Strafkolonie, Franz Kafka General field: Art/Literary Detailed field: Poetry & Literature
Source text - German »Es ist ein eigentümlicher Apparat,« sagte der Offizier zu dem Forschungsreisenden und überblickte mit einem gewissermassen bewundernden Blick den ihm doch wohlbekannten Apparat. Der Reisende schien nur aus Höflichkeit der Einladung des Kommandanten gefolgt zu sein, der ihn aufgefordert hatte, der Exekution eines Soldaten beizuwohnen, der wegen Ungehorsam und Beleidigung des Vorgesetzten verurteilt worden war. Das Interesse für diese Exekution war wohl auch in der Strafkolonie nicht sehr gross. Wenigstens war hier in dem tiefen, sandigen, von kahlen Abhängen ringsum abgeschlossenen kleinen Tal ausser dem Offizier und dem Reisenden nur der Verurteilte, ein stumpfsinniger, breitmäuliger Mensch mit verwahrlostem Haar und Gesicht und ein Soldat zugegen, der die schwere Kette hielt, in welche die kleinen Ketten ausliefen, mit denen der Verurteilte an den Fuss- und Handknöcheln sowie am Hals gefesselt war und die auch untereinander durch Verbindungsketten zusammenhingen. Übrigens sah der Verurteilte so hündisch ergeben aus, dass es den Anschein hatte, als könnte man ihn frei auf den Abhängen herumlaufen lassen und müsse bei Beginn der Exekution nur pfeifen, damit er käme.
Translation - English ‘It’s a very particular piece of equipment’, the officer said to the traveller visiting on research. He looked over at the machine - to him so familiar - with a certain look of admiration. It appeared that the traveller had only accepted the commandant’s invitation out of courtesy: the invitation requested that he attend the execution of a soldier who had been condemned to death for insubordination and assault of his superior. There wasn’t much interest within the penal colony for this execution. The only people in attendance besides the officer and the traveller here in this small, dark, sandy trough, closed off by bleak slopes, were the condemned man and a soldier. The condemned man was a dull-looking, wide-jowled man with neglected hair and face. The attending soldier was holding a heavy chain that itself led into smaller chains; these were fastened around the condemned man’s wrists, ankles and even his neck, and were attached together with connecting chains. In this manner, the condemned man was made to appear so canine that he could, conceivably, be let to run free around the slopes and it would take no more than a whistle for him to come to heel.
Italian to English: L'amica geniale, Elena Ferrante General field: Art/Literary Detailed field: Poetry & Literature
Source text - Italian Sono passati i giorni. Ho guardato nella posta elettronica, in quella cartacea, ma senza speranza. Io ho scritto spessissimo a lei, lei non mi ha quasi mai risposto: questa è sempre stata la consuetudine. Preferiva il telefono o le lunghe notti di chiacchiere quando andavo a Napoli.
Ho aperto i miei cassetti, le scatole di metallo dove conservo cose di ogni genere. Poche. Ho buttato via tanta roba, in particolare ciò che la riguardava, e lei lo sa. Ho scoperto che non ho niente di suo, non un’immagine, non un biglietto, non un regalino. Mi sono sorpresa io stessa. Possibile che in tutti questi anni non mi abbia lasciato niente di sé, o, peggio, io non abbia voluto conservare alcunché di lei? Possibile.
Ho telefonato io a Rino, questa volta, l’ho fatto a malincuore. Non rispondeva né sul fisso né sul cellulare. Mi ha chiamato lui in serata, con comodo. Aveva la voce con cui cerca di stimolare un senso di pena. “Ho visto che hai chiamato. Hai notizie?” “No. E tu?” “Nessuna”.
M’ha detto cose sconclusionate. Voleva andare in tv, alla trasmissione che si occupa delle persone scomparse, fare un appello, chiedere perdono per tutto a sua mamma, supplicarla di tornare. Sono stata a sentire pazientemente, poi gli ho chiesto: “Hai guardato nel suo armadio?” “Per fare che?” Naturalmente non gli era mai venuta in mente la cosa ovvia. “Va’ a guardare”
C’è andato e si è reso conto che non c’era niente, nemmeno uno dei vestiti di sua madre, né estivi né invernali, solo vecchie grucce. L’ho mandato in giro a frugare per casa. Sparite le scarpe. Spariti i pochi libri. Sparite tutte le foto. [...] Gli ho detto: “Prenditi il tempo che vuoi ma poi telefonami e dimmi se hai trovato anche un solo spillo che le appartiene”.
Translation - English The days went by. I looked through e-mails and through the post, all without hope. For my part, I wrote to her very regularly; for her part, she hardly ever replied - this was the way it always went. She preferred to chat on the phone, or during long nights when I would go to Naples.
I opened my drawers, the metal boxes in which I keep all kinds of things. Not many things. I threw away a lot of stuff, in particular those items which concerned her - and she knows that. I found that I had nothing of her: not one picture, not one note, not one little souvenir. I surprised even myself. Could it be that, after all these years, she had left nothing of herself for me, or worse, that it were me who had not wanted to preserve anything of her? It could be.
It was me who called Rino this time, and I did it reluctantly. He didn’t answer either on the landline or on his phone. In his own time, he called me in the evening. He had a voice that sought to incite a sense of pity.
‘I saw that you called. Do you have any news?’
‘No, you?’
‘Nothing.’
He told me something incoherent. He wanted to go on TV, on the segment for missing people to make an appeal, to ask forgiveness of his mother for everything, to beg her to come home. I listened patiently, then I asked him:
‘Have you looked in her wardrobe?’
‘What for?’
The obvious, of course, had never come into his mind.
‘Go and have a look.’
There he went, and realised there was nothing, not even one dress belonging to his mother, neither summery nor wintery: only old coat hangers. I sent him to search around the house. The shoes were gone. A few books were gone. All the photos were gone. […]
I said to him: ‘Take all the time you want, but then call me and tell me if you find so much as a pin that belongs to her.’
I have a BA in German and Italian from the University of Oxford. I have been intensively trained in translation schools of thought and processes, particularly in literary and academic fields, which has resulted in my ability to do high-quality translations with quick turnaround. I also have experience of translating technical documents.
A review from a previous client:
'Molly provided a perfect translation and was able to duplicate the document required in the original format as requested. Molly completed the translated document at very short notice and completed it ahead of schedule. I would highly recommend Molly for any project. Thank you.'
Keywords: german, italian, united kingdom, english, literature, politics, academics, linguistics
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