Romina Kipouridou

Good afternoon, Mrs. Kipouridou.

Good afternoon. Thank you for inviting me.

We thank you for taking the time to have this interview. So was it a lifelong dream to be involved in translation?

It was a lifelong dream to be involved in languages in general. When it was time to choose what I would study, I hadn’t made any decision yet. So I studied English Literature, then Spanish Literature, and then came translation.

What image of translation did you have before you became involved in it professionally?

No image at all. It was probably non-existent, I thought everything was automatic. I hadn’t gone into the process of thinking about how something is translated. Only when I saw some mistakes in something I was reading, did I understand that there was a translator behind it.

How do you feel when you translate a literary piece of work?

When I translate, I like it very much as a process, I find it very creative. It’s a mental process that keeps the mind alert, you’re constantly looking for things, searching. So I’d say I enjoy it.

Besides being a translator, are you also a writer?

I’m not a writer, but I think translation is creative work, too. It is a creation, as well. Just as reading can also be considered a creative process.

Is there a translator you admire or hold up as a role model?

I don’t hold up anyone in particular as a role model, but I have happened to read a book many times and admire the translator’s work. It depends on the literary piece of work and its difficulties, especially if you consider that it was translated at another time, when today’s sources were not available.

Do you have any other occupation other than translation?

I am involved in translation and teaching and I am doing my PhD at the moment.

What kind of needs does a translator have? Where do they spend their income?

It depends. If it’s technical translation some specific tools are certainly needed, for example translation software tools…

Are you satisfied with your financial rewards from translation?

Regarding technical translation, I would say yes, I am. Okay, it’s not as it was some years ago, but, yes, I would say I am satisfied. Of course, this is also due to the choices I’ve made, because I’ve refused to take on certain projects several times, I’ve refused certain collaborations that didn’t satisfy me.

Are you optimistic about the future of translation in Greece?

I’m generally an optimistic person, so I think I’m optimistic about that, too. That is, translation continues to exist. In literature, the number of books that are translated has not decreased. The trends and the preference for languages from which one translates may change every now and then, but translation is always there. Regarding technical translation, that too will continue to exist. The question is under what circumstances.

What is your relationship with the language you’re translating from?

I translate from English and Spanish and from Catalan sometimes. It’s a day-to-day relationship. That is, I am exposed to these languages almost every day. I like reading in these languages. This is, of course, not good for translators, but, yes, I have daily contact with these languages.

What advice would you give to a young person who wants to be professionally involved in translation?

If they want to do it seriously and professionally, they should pursue it, try to improve themselves and keep track of the market so that they can adapt and be a bit more flexible.

How do you think the quality of translation can be improved?

The quality of translation depends on the quality of the translator, but also on the employer, the one who assigns the translation, and the employer’s requirements. If they are not demanding, to begin with, and don’t check the quality, then the quality will inevitably not be high.

What is your relationship with the writers you translate?

I was in contact with only one… I have translated two writers, with one of whom I was in contact, but he never intervened in any way, nor did he tell me what he thought about anything. Of course, if I had a question or wanted his opinion, he was there to answer me.

Have you encountered any particular cultural element whose rendering you found particularly difficult? Does an example come to mind?

I can’t think of an example now, but I think you can now easily find cultural elements. I don’t think it’s that difficult anymore.

Did you ever consider giving up? Possibly because of the many translation difficulties of a text?

No, that hasn’t happened to me.

And how do you deal with criticism of your work?

So far, I have received good reviews or no reviews at all, which I also consider to be a good thing, because for many people the translator only exists when they make a mistake. Then they bother themselves with them. But I think it’s good to have criticism, even if it’s negative.

Do you feel that the quality of books has decreased?

No, I haven’t encountered that. I like the translations of most of the books I read and I consider their translators to be professional. Most of them are, after all, well known. That is, the translators of books are very specific people.

Do you think that editing is necessary?

Yes, I definitely think that editing is necessary. It is good to have it in literary texts, of course, and especially in technical texts. For example, I translated technical texts concerning airplanes for years, findings from air incidents and so on, which might be used in a court of law. And I felt better, of course, when I knew that someone knowledgeable about the subject would then do the editing.

Are you a member of a professional association of translators?

No, I’m not, it hasn’t happened so far. I think, of course, that it is good they exist and promote the translator’s profession and claim some things.

Can you give us an example of good collaboration with a publisher or editor?

I think a good example is when… Certainly, to a certain extent, we shouldn’t interfere with each other’s work, but I like it when there is a discussion at the end, when we change some things, when different opinions are heard. I think this is necessary, especially in literary translation.

Who decides on the title of the books you translate?

Regarding those I have translated, it is the publisher. But at least in the ones I’ve translated, it was a translation of the original title. The title wasn’t changed.

You said earlier that you also translate from Catalan. Was Catalan part of your studies? How did you start translating from Catalan?

Catalan… I knew Spanish and I had been in Catalonia for a while, in Barcelona, and I took some Catalan language courses there. And there weren’t many people in Greece who translated from Catalan into Greek, the translation was done through Spanish or English. So when it was suggested to me, I did it.

Do you think that the copyright law applies to translation?

When I translate something, the copyright belongs to the publisher or the agency I work with.

Which literary genre interests you the most?

Many genres. It depends, it changes from time to time. At the moment, for example, I’m reading and I’m involved a lot in postmodernism.

Thank you very much for your time.

I thank you, too.