Interview of the month – Nikos Sarantakos

Interview of the month – Nikos Sarantakos
(Translator for the EU)

You work as a translator for the European Parliament. How did you start working as a translator and how would you describe your experience working for one of the EU institutions?

Ever since I was young, I had a passion for literature. During my studies at the National Technical University of Athens I read a lot of literature in English, so later, when I decided at the last minute not to go to the US for my master’s degree, translation seemed like an attractive temporary solution-although it eventually became permanent! I collaborated with a publishing house for literary books and with another one for books on informatics (back then a nascent sector, which later experienced a boom for about a decade and today has almost disappeared). At some point I came across a newspaper ad for an EEC competition (that’s what it was called back then) and…the rest is history.

There are many advantages to working for the EU; besides the high salary, I would point out the following two: one, you have the chance to work with many talented people and two, anyone who has a passion for languages will always find something interesting in the multilingual environment where we live and work. I envy only the few literary translators who have the luck and the opportunity to always work on things they find exciting (although I do wonder if this can last for 20 years) but, apart from them, I consider myself lucky to be working in the best environment for a translator who loves what he does.

What are the specific characteristics of EU texts and which special challenges/difficulties do you have to face while translating them?

They are public administration documents, that may have consequences in legislation, which means they require consistent terminology and accurate expression. Terminology is one of the basic issues, because it has to be harmonised with the terms used in Greece, which is why it is necessary to communicate with the Greek public administration.

Furthermore, the texts concern a wide variety of subjects, and often in great detail, so one must be familiar with almost every sector. Especially when it comes to working for the Parliament, translators must follow current political events across the world, so that they are more or less up-to-date with what is happening in the various parts of the world that make the news at any given time.

Despite the fact that the EU has 24 official languages, speaking one of the “smaller” languages is no longer such an important skill, because since 2004 the EU has been using “pivot languages”; for example, a text in Lithuanian would be translated first into English and then from English to Greek. On the contrary, it is practically obligatory to speak at least two of the three “big” working languages (English, French, German), and, if possible, all three of them.

What advice would you give to translators who are now beginning their career?

To make sure that it’s something they love and that they are not doing it out of necessity.

Also, if there is something wrong with the text they are translating, I would advise them to re-read it, as many times as necessary, even if the meaning seems self-evident.  If they work with translation memories, to take a second look at the “green” segments (the 100% matches that can often be misleading).

Finally, once in a while, they should do something completely different from their usual occupation, for example, translate a poem.

Judging from your blog, articles and books, you are very interested in language and literature. How did this interest come about and what fascinates you the most in these explorations?

I have always been interested in literature, not only because of my inherent inclination, but also thanks to my family. Furthermore, when I found myself in Luxembourg’s multilingual environment, I started seeing more clearly the matches and mismatches among various languages, as well as linguistic phenomena such as loan words and reborrowings.

The history of words is a kind of anthropology and that’s why I find it so fascinating.

You have also translated literature in the past. Which of the literary books you have translated is most special to you?

I have not translated too many works of literature, but I would say Dashiell Hammett’s “Red harvest” stands  out for me. That’s because I really like Hammett and I have read all of his works, and because it was a “mature” translation.

 
What is your opinion on the future of translation in general and of literary translation in particular?

Generally, I am not very optimistic regarding the future of translation, in the sense that automatic translation is rapidly gaining ground, at least for the least demanding texts. Literary translation may not be that threatened by “machines”, but it is affected by extremely low translation fees, at least in our country during these last years of economic crisis. It is more difficult to get high quality translations from poorly paid translators and there are not enough wealthy people who see it as a hobby.

Interview translated by Yourtranslator.gr