Athena Psillia

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon.

You’re Mrs. Athena Psillia, my name’s Vasiliki Giosi, and together with Liliya Radoslavova we’re translation students of Mrs. Wiedenmayer. We’d like to ask you some questions on translation. To start off, was translation a lifelong dream of yours?

Not a lifelong dream, but a childhood game. It’s something I’ve done as a game since I was little. I didn’t exactly choose it as a profession, it chose me. My studies were in a different field, and I do have another profession.

Yes, I attended your talk and read over your CV. How exactly does psychology relate to translation?

Only now, after 20 years do I see the connection, I’d had a feeling there was something there. I think it has to do with the act of mediation and bridging. Translation as a concept exists in therapy, in the sense that we retranslate meanings and concepts, in order to see them differently.

So, not strictly translation in its linguistic sense.

No.

So, how did Portuguese come about?

As a student I was here at Aristotle University, in the Department of Philosophy, Education and Psychology and it was when Erasmus programmes were first implemented. I had the opportunity to go abroad on a scholarship. I selected a country I knew nothing about, I didn’t speak the language, all I knew was that the weather was similar to Greece, which was what I needed, and that it was relatively cheap so I would be able to afford it. That was the main criterion, one of an adventure. I wasn’t thinking of anything else.

Besides Portuguese to Greek, do you also take on translations from English?

Not in literature. I haven’t attempted or pursued it. Mainly because Portuguese isn’t as widely spoken, there are fewer people who translate from Portuguese, so my work was always… I do speak other languages. I’m as proficient in English as I am in Portuguese. My other languages are at lower levels.

What’s your relationship with the language you translate from?

Strangely enough, it’s a language that I learned very quickly. I was speaking it within a month and a half, and I spoke Portuguese exclusively while I was in Lisbon. I used to read a lot of literature, growing up I was quite a solitary child, it was my window to the world. So one of the first things I wanted to understand to acquaint myself with the country and the language, was literature, so I started reading early on. Those days, 25 years ago, hardly anything had been translated into Greek. So, having read a series of things, I became interested in doing something with it. I took some lessons, four years later I was back in Portugal on another scholarship, to study psychology again, but I simultaneously took language, literature, and translation. My studies aren’t as extensive, but my love for it is. I can tell you that much.

What do you get out of translation and enjoy in it?

Peace and quiet. It’s pretty peaceful being a job one does on their own. Obviously we sometimes work with others, which is a welcome change. Compared to the pace of my other job, it’s a time for just me and the text. Besides that, there’s a gratification in that as the years go by and I continue to translate, I get to know important authors, their work, and I facilitate Greek readers to get to know them as well. That’s satisfying.

Is that what motivates you?

No, what motivates me is that I enjoy it. It continues to be a game for me. It excites me, it incentivizes me. It’s something I discovered when I was 7 or 8, and I don’t know why, but it’s just there.

Is it hard to convey the “temperature” of the original text in Greek?

I haven’t experienced it that way. I mean, every time there’s a new writer that I haven’t read a lot, and haven’t translated before, there’s always some uncertainty. I don’t think I find the “temperature” from the beginning, I discover it as the book progresses. With some writers it’s easier, more natural. We might think in a similar way or have certain references in common. Other writers require more digging on my part. For example, I’ve translated three books by Brazilian authors, and I didn’t feel at home. There were differences in the language. Despite the fact that Portugal and Brazil have a spelling agreement, and everyone is supposed to write things the same way, there are differences which are huge. I didn’t feel secure, I didn’t know if the “temperature”, as you called it, was something I was conveying correctly. I still wonder about it. There are other books I’m more sure about.

Which author are you more at ease with?

Definitely the one I’ve translated the most, José Saramago. But that was from the very beginning, it wasn’t built gradually. It was the same from the first book onwards.

So it was love, shall we say, between you, as a translator, and the author’s work.

Yes. It was one of those books that you stop reading to call someone up and go, “Listen to what it says here”. That’s what it was like.

Besides this author, are you close with any other translator, do you have a translator as a role model? Are you inspired by another translator?

I do admire people, but no, I can’t say that. I haven’t been mentored. To admire someone you need to have been a trainee. I see translations that are exceptionally good, people whose work I admire, but to have a role model, someone I’d like to emulate, no, not really. I don’t.

Besides being a translator, are you also an author, do you write?

No, I don’t.

What are your criteria when translating?

My criteria on what?

On the translations that you do. On the choices… On the choice of a work.

That isn’t the translator’s choice, it’s the publisher’s. Translators might make a suggestion. Is that what you’re asking, how books are chosen?

No, I mean once you’ve decided to translate a specific author or book, the things you follow inside you, while doing the translation. Your personal criteria.

I’m not sure I’ve understood the question correctly. On some things, and especially on translation, I don’t have a theory. They’re things that I’ve discovered how they work, while working. As I was saying yesterday, when I’m dealing with a new author, I need three chapters to start feeling that I’ve understood their vocabulary. Another criterion, for example, is that I’ve avoided translating authors who aren’t contemporary. Because I don’t know the history of the language, the Portuguese language. I’m familiar with a range of things, like some older vocabulary, but I’ve avoided translating something older. I’m interested in there being a correspondence in intonation, that is, not just to render meaning, but the sound has to be followed in some way. The rhythm has to be carried over to the Greek text. I consider it very important that words are translated without omissions or simplifications. It’s important to treat the reader as an adult, not try to give the information as if they’re ignorant. I don’t know if my answer was within context.

That’s exactly what I meant.

And I don’t correct the author. I consider what they’ve written complete. If I feel certain points are awkward or snaggy, or it doesn’t come out the same as other points, it will be evident in the translation, but that’s what it is. The tension that exists in the original text, the tension that I’m perceiving, should exist in the Greek version. In my opinion, I shouldn’t try to iron it out and try to clear it up for the reader. Readers are adults, just like I am.

Do you always communicate with the writers?

Yes, anymore. I didn’t use to do it, because… Okay, José Saramago was a unique case, I was very young, and apart from the age difference, he was a Nobel-winning author, I was in awe. For ten years I avoided – though I’d been translating his work – I avoided meeting him for a decade, until it became inevitable. Once I met him, I started asking for his help and informed him what I was doing. Ever since, after loosening up with that writer, I confer with all of them and have some sort of exchange. They’re all very generous. They send me their books, they talk to me directly about royalties and abetments, there’s a very generous stance on the authors’ part. And they always respond to my queries.

Would you say it’s important for a translator to have met, at least, the author they’re translating?

I don’t find it entirely necessary. It’s a privilege. It’s an opportunity, an advantage. But sometimes it isn’t an option because they might be dead, or you didn’t get the chance. For various reasons. It’s more about convenience and the joy of communication. But as for the end goal… There are many ways to solve translation issues. I’d describe it more as a privilege and joy.

Do you have a preference in any specific genre? Short stories, or…

No, but I’ve never translated poetry. Translation of poetry has a different function, so it’s something that I’ve never attempted. But I’ve translated novels and one autobiography, I believe. Yes, the rest have all been novels.

What was your view on translation before you got involved in it, and what’s your opinion on translation today? Has it changed in any way?

If I’m being honest, before I got involved in translation myself, before translating something and seeing my name in print, I wasn’t really bothered about who’d translated what I was reading. Although I’d always loved literature. I think I started caring more about this line of work when I started doing it. In hindsight I realize how important it is. Saramago has said that we owe international literature to translators, otherwise each country would have its own and we’d be unaware of others. It’s very important, but not something I’d thought about before.

Do you think that translation as a profession is financially rewarded as it should be?

You must be kidding. Right, okay. No. It’s pocket money. Even if someone wanted to do this job systematically, – as far as that’s possible, you do need to take a break – considering the amount of contributions and the high taxes, the fees that are offered, even at the highest tier a publisher might offer, the financial rewards are nothing but pocket-money. A little extra income on the side. Once I’d accepted an invitation by Antaios Chresostomides where there were various translators and he’d introduce us to each other and he’d say, “This is so-and-so, lawyer and translator, this is so-and-so, doctor and translator, and this is so-and-so, professor and translator”. Nobody did it exclusively.

Do you believe that copyright law is adhered to?

You mean in respect to what? Translations?

Yes.

No, it is not. Meaning, translation copyright spans a certain period of time, but is paid in a lump sum. At least in Greece, that’s the practice. Is that what you’re asking?

Yes. What are the particular needs of a translator? What is any income from translation spent on?

As regards translation?

Yes.

Ok, if you’ve already bought your dictionaries, which aren’t many, me, I’ve got them on CD-ROM. I use a Portuguese-Portuguese one, Vostantzoglou’s Antilexicon…

Is traveling included in the necessary expenses?

Correct.

For educational purposes, maybe.

Those expenses were offset for me by the scholarships, and travel opportunities for interviews. I got chances like that. I’ve never had to pay out of pocket to meet an author.

How do you deal with problems in a translation, besides using a dictionary, obviously.

It depends. Sometimes it’s just a matter of setting the text aside for a bit, and looking at it at a later time and the solutions come to me. Now, each book might need a certain vocabulary which I don’t have. I seek out the people that do, and ask them for it.

Do you have any specific examples of something that was very difficult?

Plenty. I’ve contacted a carpenter for one book, an architect for another, a pharmacist for another one, and a boater for yet another one. In every book there are things where you have to ensure the correct word is used.

How do you think the quality can be improved in translation? Do you believe translations in Greece are generally of a high standard?

In the last few years, yes, they’re of a very high standard. There is education, nowadays. When I started out, translation studies didn’t exist. You could study literature, and individually take it from there. I don’t even have that kind of education. From what I see and hear, the bar is pretty high, and I think the translations are good. Granted, I’m generalizing, within that scope there is excellent work and more mediocre work.

Do you consider editing necessary?

Yes. Of course it is. And I’ve had the privilege to work with the same proofreader from the beginning until now. For 20 years.

What about the title?

About the title… What I do is I propose a title, and a lot of the time the publisher changes it, with my agreement.

Always?

Yes. There haven’t been any changes that I’ve regretted. Sometimes I think the choice… There are some things a translator doesn’t know much about. Finding a good title that captivates you at first glance, is something I believe the publisher knows a lot more about.

Don’t you think there are concessions in the quality of translations because of the recession?

Like how?

Work is done faster, they’re of lower quality, with titles you don’t agree to due to marketing reasons.

That has nothing to do with recession. The publishers I’ve worked with have respected me, and vice versa. There’s no issue. I remember a specific book I’d already given a title, but the publisher thought of a much better one. He just cut out one word, but it made all the difference. And the words were all there, nothing was omitted. I don’t interfere. There are publishers who skimp on payments or give you a hard time, or I state my fee and they say, “What? No way”. I don’t negotiate. I’d rather not have work at all. People who do their job well should be well compensated.

What about criticism of your work? How do you deal with it?

There hasn’t been much, precisely because nobody bothers much with translators. The truth is that I’ve had favorable comments, they’ve been good in general. There was just one case where I had things pointed out to me, they had specific objections, and that was once in all of 20 years. Someone remarked that certain things should’ve been different, and proposed alternatives. Regardless of whether I agree or not, it was very constructive. But I don’t get that often. Reviews are usually good, in general.

Overall, what do you think would raise the quality of translations even more?

Acknowledging it as a proper profession that requires specific skills, and be paid as such. Because when prices are so low, in order to keep them that way, people who can’t do it well get involved. It’s only natural for the quality of work to suffer. That’s what needs to be done. Other than that, it’s a good thing that there are studies, it’s very important. However, there are many different routes to translation.

About the fact that, as you said, there are some who can’t do it, what about knowledge of translators’ professional associations? Are you a member of any, and do you think every translator should be?

I’m in SMED, and I think we should all be members. I mean, we firstly have to determine ourselves as professionals who have needs apart from… We don’t live off… As humans, we’ve got limitations. Some needs must be met for us to do our job.

In closing, let’s talk a bit about the future. Are you optimistic about the future of translation in Greece? What’s your outlook on it?

What I can tell you is the young people I know who are involved in different things, in translation, as well as other fields, are becoming better and better. The next batch of people is much better. Now as far as publishing is concerned, it’s an issue. Within 6 years titles have decreased by 50%. Book publications… When we used to talk about a publishing success it meant 30,000 copies. Now it means 5,000 copies. That kind of number is bound to put constraints on translations, as well. On the other hand, for such a small country we’ve got a lot of publications, and we keep up well with international literature.

Great. One last question. What would be your advice to students who’d like to be translators? Any useful advice from your extensive experience?

One of the first things… Something that I found useful, I don’t know if it’ll help anyone else, is, when translating, take the time to tinker with the text. Don’t take the easy way out by using utilities. Don’t rush to take it to someone else for help. It’s important to sit down and fiddle with things yourself. And the other thing is to persevere and stay in the business, because many people translate one book and leave the industry. Or they give up after the second book. In order to establish themselves, they have to persist and have an ongoing working flow. Just like in any other job, I suppose.

Thank you very much for your time.

Thank you.