Andrew Driver

'A good translator is an ambassador for the original author.'

Andrew Driver, translator of Yasutaka Tsutsui's Salmonella Men on Planet Porno, answers our Q&A.

Can you explain how you collaborate on the translation process?

Some authors demand active and continuous collaboration, others are happy to let the translator get on with it. We have to tune ourselves to whichever style the author prefers. My own policy as a translator is of course to welcome input from the author, but otherwise to bother him or her as infrequently as possible.

When I first approached Yasutaka Tsutsui about translating his short stories, his reply was "Yes, please go ahead," indicating that he was willing to give me free rein. I only contacted him thereafter when there were issues that only he could resolve. For example, the personal names in one story were all puns, and would only make sense if translated into something meaningful in English. The author approved of this, but made it clear at the same time that he didn't want a wholesale transposition of cultural elements (such as converting names or situations into recognisably western ones), whereupon we both knew exactly where we stood.

What makes a good translator?

A good translator is one who remains faithful to the intentions of the original but produces a work that does not read as a translation. A good translator is an ambassador for the original author, but speaking in a voice with which readers in the target language can empathise.

Who are your favourite writers?

Yasutaka Tsutsui, Kobo Abe, Franz Kafka, Flann O'Brien, Dario Fo, Harold Pinter.

Translated crime fiction sells particularly well in the UK. Why do you think this is?

Crime fiction in general is a popular genre. The 'crime' provides the central 'problem' which the novel has to resolve, and readers enjoy the escapism of applying their mental faculties to this task. Translated crime fiction may therefore have a more readily accessible identity than other translated works.

Can all novels be appreciated by everyone, regardless of nationality or language?

- I believe this to be true in principle. Of course there will be individual preferences, but I see no reason why a Bulgarian novel translated into Spanish should be appreciated any less than the same novel originally written in Spanish.

It depends partly on the level of cultural references in the original, and how accessible they are in the target language. This is where the translator comes in. A novel about the life of an Eskimo family may be little appreciated by UK readers unless translated in a 'language' that the readers can understand. Religion is a different issue, however. Much western fiction would be regarded as shallow and meaningless in the Muslim world, for example.

What does the famous 3% statistic about the number of translated books published in the UK say to you?

- I thought it was 2%. It says a number of things to me. Firstly that the British Empire mentality is still alive and well, now that English has become a 'global language'. The majority of British readers are happy to stay in the comfort zone of xenophobic cultural snobbery.

Secondly, that there are not enough good translators and publishers promoting worthy foreign authors and producing worthwhile translations of their works.

Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, that the marketing men in publishing houses are too happy to believe their own prognostications, which then become self-fulfilling. Given the right publicity and promotion, I believe that any worthy author will sell in translation.

Haruki Murakami is the perfect example, becoming virtually a household name in the UK, over and above far more important Japanese authors. Part of Murakami's secret is that he already uses a westernized idiom that commands empathy, thereby requiring relatively little effort on the part of the translator.

Nevertheless, there is no 'inherent resistance' to foreign culture that cannot be overcome by positive promotion - the merest of glances at the success of manga will prove that.

Any thoughts about how readers in the UK can be encouraged to read translated novels?

Good translation of worthy authors, followed by Promotion - Promotion - Promotion.

Has English become too dominant a language in the world?

In the sense that it gives rise to fallacies such as the above, yes. There is nothing inherently wrong in having a lingua franca that the whole world understands. The problem lies more in using this as an excuse for cultural isolation or exclusivism.

Do translators receive the recognition they deserve for their work?

No.

Any other thoughts or comments?

I think that's enough!