Stavroula Argyropoulou

Hello, Mrs. Argyropoulou.

Hello.

We’re very pleased to have you here today for this interview. Let’s start with a few words on translation. How did you get into it, what languages did you start with, and how did this journey progress to today?

I started learning French when I was just 8 years old. Then, on my mother’s decision – she loved the English language – I started learning English at 12 years of age. Fortunately I managed not to mix up the two languages, and navigated them with ease. After that, while I was studying Law at the Athens University, I decided to learn Russian. And that decision was final, because a long time before that, as a highschool student, I’d watched two films that really stayed with me. Russian films, of course. One was Ivan the Terrible, by Eisenstein, and the other was Andrey Rublyov, by Tarkovsky. I was impressed in both films by the sound of the language, and the portrayals of the actors, Nikolay Cherkasov as Ivan the Terrible, and Anatoliy Solonitsyn as Andrey Rublyov. Both of them are iconic figures, in my view. So the decision to learn Russian was irreversible, and I’ve been involved in it since 1978. Besides that, I was fortunate enough to have had a wonderful teacher of the Russian language, who is no longer alive, and that teacher, Maya Alexandrovna Gorila, gave me a lot of things, she gave me the rudiments which had an emotional impact, but also helped me in my work.

And how did translation come into your life? Did it start with Russian, or some other language?

No. I started translating French, at first. Then I translated for Gynaika magazine, which had some pages dedicated to literature at the time. I translated Russian short stories. Down the line I collaborated with some publishing houses, initially from French, and later from Russian.

Your experience is extensive, having translated a vast amount of works. What would you say “to translate” means to you?

“To translate”, means to dive into the foreign language, and discover things there that the common reader wouldn’t normally find. So I make sure to offer them by re-creating the era as I translate the text.  I use informative elements, I turn to historical resources, and references that link the specific text to other texts, other literary texts, even, either of the same, or a different era. This forges connotations that create a very interesting atmosphere. I hope readers aren’t overwhelmed by the flurry of information.

While we’re on that subject, let’s talk about the process of translation. Is there a genre that you enjoy the most, that you prefer to translate, and therefore choose over others?

I wouldn’t say there is. There have been works that publishing houses suggested, and others that I suggested myself. But they aren’t limited to a specific genre.

Regarding problems that come up during the process of translation, what are those, usually, and how do you deal with them?

Those problems might pertain to the text itself. I often seek help and advice from people whose native tongue is the language the original text is in. Because it’s simply better to get information straight from the horse’s mouth. The aide has a feel for that language to a degree that I don’t. So, their advice can get me out of a tight spot. It’s as simple as that.

Off the top of your head, has there been a text that you found especially hard, and what made it so difficult?

Every text has a number of difficulties. Provided that when you’re translating, you’re not just flipping through pages. So, in each text I translate, I make an effort to fish out the most interesting bits, and present those elements to the readers. Naturally, the interesting part of a translation is always trying to render a foreign-language text with as much vitality as possible, to retain the elements of irony, the subversive elements of the plot, to create… To re-create in your translation… To depict the conflicts between the heroes in the liveliest way possible.

Excellent. As for translation as a profession, in your extensive experience, are you satisfied with the financial rewards? Can someone make a living from it, to put it a different way?

We generally don’t make our living solely off this profession.

That’s what this series of interviews has shown us.

If it’s combined with something else, yes, you can make a living.

A lot of your colleagues report they’re not happy with the financial rewards compared to the volume and difficulty of the work.

The pay isn’t comparable no matter which way you see it. Even the highest of fees don’t make up for the work. It takes a lot of effort and dedication. It isn’t something you can dispatch hastily. It’ll come back and bite you, and it will show in your work.

Because you’re exposed.

Absolutely.

Besides the financial rewards, are you satisfied with the translators’ status, and the way it’s evolved over the years?

Look, translators are literally and metaphorically a writer’s unseen right hand. It is their abilities and verbal skills an impeccable rendering of the text depends on. Although the presence of a translator is extremely important, I very often see book reviews that don’t mention the translator’s name. As if the translation spawned out of thin air and landed in the reader’s hands.

You referred to the translator as the writer’s right hand.

Unseen.

Very well put. Do you have any contact with the authors you translate? Have you ever spoken to any of them about a translation issue?

So far there haven’t been any problems big enough to warrant seeking the authors’ help. That doesn’t mean I haven’t met various authors here, in Athens. For instance, I’ve met Paul Auster, a charming man, I’ve met the equally charming and interesting Andrej Kurkow, I’ve also met Jhumpa Lahiri, who is an English-speaker of Indian descent, and these meetings have always been stimulating.

Do you think editing of a text is necessary?

It is necessary, because it’s a view from a different angle, that often uncovers mistakes that the translator might have missed due to their workload. Or the editor might have such knowledge that their advice ends up elevating the final result.

Has there been an instance of censorship where an editor or publishing house has made a change, or has there been a dispute about pragmatics?

I’ve never had an instance of censorship, no. I always make sure to check the texts that are published, so there aren’t any particular problems. I always coordinate with text editors so that if there’s anything on their part that I reject, it simply ends there.

Before, you touched upon the issue of criticism, that for translated books, the translator is completely ignored in reviews.

That doesn’t apply to all critics.

I wanted to ask if you’ve received criticism. What has been your personal experience, and has it ever influenced you?

The reviews that I’ve received have been favorable, so far.

And what about awards? Literary translation awards?

I’ve been awarded for Winter Journal, by Paul Auster, and I was nominated in 2012 for Nadezhda Mandelstam’s book, a translation from Russian, Hope Against Hope. I was also a nominee for 2015’s Athens Prize for Literature with two books, The President’s Last Love, from Russian, and The Lowland, from English.

Have these nominations affected your subsequent career? Did they affect your prominence? Were they of any value to you?

Every award and nomination has a positive impact on the prominence of a translator.

And two final questions before we let you go. Would you say you’re optimistic about the future of translation in Greece?

I want to be. I want to think positively, and as far as I can see, the caliber of publications is improving. Despite the fact that we are a small country, and we are going through a period of significant recession, I still believe, regardless, that publications are getting better, the quality of the work is continuously improving, and Greek readers have ample opportunity to expand their view of the world, through the eyes of the authors.

In closing, have you got any advice for students who wish to get into translation in a professional capacity?

I would tell them to really dig into the text in front of them. To dig right into its core, its essence. That’s the allure of translation, what you gain by delving into it. And not to expect to get rich off this job. That definitely won’t happen.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Have a nice day.

Likewise.