Chapter 7. Conclusion
all the semantic spaces in a Line, but searching for a target reactivated idiom is
restricted to the semantic space of the source idiom. A third factor is whether dif-
ferent high-problem-potential features interact. This can make each problem
harder to solve: rhythm becomes much more problematic when it is combined
with rhyme, for instance. It can, however, sometimes give more room for manoeu-
vre: thus I eventually translated Toen wij’s Stanza I not by tackling its three reacti-
vated idioms separately, but by treating it as one complex semantic space (‘hand +
heart + truth’), where my final version (Figure 52) reactivated four English idioms:
‘hand on heart’ (‘truthfully’); ‘hard-hearted’ (‘severe’); ‘in a heartbeat’ (‘suddenly’);
and ‘rang true’ (‘were convincing’).
Because these features present no obvious solutions, they are also key catalysts
causing differences between translators to emerge. Differences may show in trans-
lators’ willingness to translate poems with these features, but also in their overall
approach if they do translate such poems.7. 3 Who is the poetry translator?
This section discusses questions of expert/professional field: how poetry translat-
ing fits in with the rest of the poetry translator’s career, how far it resembles trans-
lating in other genres, and whether experienced poetry translators should indeed
be seen as professionals.7.3.1 Skill and career patterns
The five studies indicate that poetry is most often translated by a single translator
who is a near-native reader of the source language and a native writer of the
receptor language. A substantial minority of poetry translators, however, are
source-language native readers and receptor-language near-native writers; and a
few (like Fleur and Hugo) are equilinguals, with native-level skills in two languag-
es. Poetry translating for these single translators is typically part of a ‘linguist’ ca-
reer pattern, which may also involve language teaching, and/or non-literary trans-
lating and interpreting. Less usually, it is part of a ‘poet’ career pattern, involving
original poetry writing, poetry teaching, etc.
These skills, however, may also be spread across a co-translating partnership.
Typically, this involves a source-language native reader (a poet or a linguist) and a
receptor-language writer native (usually a poet). Co-translating partnerships may
form because of a shortage of translators with bilingual expertise. Alternatively,
one person may wish to translate a certain source work, but lacks key skills, which
a co-translator supplies.