Like Ben the Talking Dog…

Gizmo the Labrador and I have our way of communicating – kisses, paws and all that. When the Malteser and I first adopted the fur ball, I was convinced I could turn him into the world’s first talking labrador. How cool would that be? Like the husky on YouTube that says “I love you”. I failed. So I talk, he listens (I think). In a nutshell, I talk to myself.

A while ago I met a friend who’s taking his first steps in the world of teleworking. He told me the thing he misses the most about his previous life as an office worker with a busy schedule, a secretary and vending machines, is the sound of people around him. You know, chitchat, mobiles, pens clicking. He feels the need to talk to people. He has two dogs. I wonder whether he’s tried to convert them into talking animals. Like Ben the Talking Dog… (just got my first smartphone, so forgive me for mentioning the silliest of apps...).

So, I talk to myself... I know I’m not the only person who does that. Not many will admit it, but I know it’s quite common. I see people talking to themselves while driving all the time. Granted, they could be on the phone, but you’re not going to tell me everyone has a hands-free set – including a seventy-year-old farmer driving a ramshackle van. I admit it: I have entire conversations with myself. I congratulate myself when I’ve finally found that synonym I was looking for – like a little pat on the back. And occasionally I curse my own stupidity – “een zongele kanarietatoeage" (a sun-yellow canary tattoo) instead of “een kanariegele zontatoeage" (a canary-yellow sun tattoo), seriously, what was I thinking?

When I'm translating a text I also read it out loud (I quite like the sound of my voice, but hubby-to-be says it's squeaky). If there's one thing I'll always remember from my translation lectures at uni it's this: the key to a good translation is that it shouldn't sound like a translation, but like an entirely new text. Not an easy task, especially if you're aware of the fact that it is a translation. If you're a translator, let me know whether you agree with this approach or whether you think it's a little unusual!