A Deep Dive into the Process of Translating Novels from English to Spanish

The beauty of human art lies in imperfection. That is the catch. That is human nature, after all. Fun is in the glitches. When trying to translate written art into Spanish, there is virtually no way to produce a mirror version of the original. In fact, there shouldn’t be. Something is, not lost, but transfigured in translation. And so be it. The ultimate goal should not be unreal perfection. It should be rendering a Spanish novel, in this case, that resonates similarly on target readers, as the original does on English-speaking ones. 

Linguistic Jekyll and Hyde

Translating an English novel into Spanish is not a mathematical operation. Therefore, no one in their right mind would ever expect a mere exchange of words, as if they were digits. A novel includes uncountable literary resources, feelings, intentions, nuances, concepts, and tone all carved by the author. Taking such a rich and profound result of human talent, and transforming it into an “in-law” relative in Spanish is no easy task. But it definitely can be done.

We might view this process as a transformation, where the essence of the narrative is hopefully maintained, while adapted to the target subtleties and cultural resonances of Spanish. Although not a reflected image per se, the target version should have the same intellectual intent, depth, and impact of the source text.

Translator’s Logbook in a Troubled Sea

It takes many talents to be a worthy translator. Especially if you have the innate disadvantage of being human. But since we are here, let’s point out that literary translators navigate almost constantly in troubled waters. They sail around the hardships of idioms, complex syntax, and cultural references, trying relentlessly to preserve intent and meaning from getting lost in translation. In many instances, they do succeed.

This enterprise needs a deeply rooted respect for both languages, an attentive eye for detail, and a fierce commitment to preserving the writer’s voice.

The Author’s Watermark

Every human author has a personal writing style. If the author is any good, her/his literary mark will be ever present in the work itself. The translator’s ultimate goal is being able to preserve that mark, and even deepen it within the novel. A written piece of art is made of much more than words, followed or broken grammar rules, and feelings. The ideal literary translator is a writer of sorts. That would be the best way to capture the intangible elements that make up the novel she/he is translating.

Putting in the Work

Translating a novel carries its own set of intricacies. The translator must consider and, eventually master, all the elements in the novel in question in order to achieve the best result. She/he should have a complete understanding of the plot, of each character with features and relevance within the story, literary resources used, depictions and dialogues, and whatever faces her/him from the page up. Repeated and different level readings will help the translator become one with the novel, and the author’s viewpoint, if planets align.

Actually, there are no fixed rules one-fits-all for translating any kind of human literary work. The fabric of art interwoven with sensitivity and, in the best-case scenario, talent, is a mystery to be discovered. Not necessarily solved, though. As humans, we need to preserve what makes us exactly that. There is a uniqueness in every person and, as artists, writers carry that trait into their work. It is a bit like falling in love. Translating literature that is. Sometimes all the gears click in place, and magic just happens.