Dear reader,
Happy International Translation Day!
As David Mitchell put it, “Translators are jugglers, diplomats, nuance-ticklers, magistrates, word-nerds, self-testing lie detectors, and poets. Translators rock.” At Asymptote, every day is a good time to celebrate not only translators but also the editors and publishers who help move ideas across languages and cultural borders—but we suppose one official day will do for now.
Even so, you can make it a big day by joining us on Facebook and Twitter as we revisit our best articles about translation from our archive. From the why
“Translating beauty is an act of counterterror in this murderous world” (Nancy Kline)
and the how
“It takes courage to venture into that empty space” (Frederika Randall)
to the whom
“The best ones are accidents of migration and biography, who’ve come through the trauma of bilingualism” (Michael Hofmann)
we hope to use this occasion to advocate for the wonderful but often maligned art that is translation. To encourage as many of you as possible to join us on Twitter and Facebook, we’re giving away a three-month Asymptote Book Club subscription to one lucky winner who shares one of our #ITD2020 posts, sent out every hour today on social media.
Goethe once remarked that the work of translation “is and will always be one of the weightiest and worthiest undertakings in the general concerns of the world.” In our close to ten years, we’ve given away $13,500 in prizes to emerging translators, and advocated for a more inclusive world literature by seeking out and publishing the best work from 120 countries and 100 languages in our massive quarterly issues. But there’s more we can do—with your support.
If you would like to help us champion the art of translation, please consider making a one-time gift to Asymptote or becoming a sustaining member from as little as $5 USD/month. For a limited time only, new donors and subscribers will receive the above print-ready digital poster designed by Thai-Taiwanese artist Michael Laungjessadakun commissioned especially for Asymptote—a perfect gift for all your translator friends.
Thank you for being a vital member of our community!
