My partner and I are trying to co-translate a collection of indigenous poetry for a small press, but we keep getting into fights about how much context to include versus letting the poems speak for themselves. She thinks I'm being paternalistic by wanting to explain cultural references, and I think she's being naive about what readers will actually understand, and now we're barely talking about the work at all.
More people experience this than they realize.
Two people discover that their different approaches to cultural mediation reflect deeper disagreements about respect, accessibility, and the translator's role.
“Where Are You with Translation and the movement of ideas between cultures?”
Peri can explain why this happens, help you decide if this is the right situation for you, and point toward the right journey or coach.
If this sounds familiar, the Library can help you find the bigger picture.