Translation: The Pains and Gains of Communication – with Esther Allen

Klopotek Publishing Radio

**Who You will Hear**

Guest: Esther Allen (Writer, translator. Professor at City University of New York)

Co-host: Luna Tang (Cloud Service Delivery Manager at Klopotek)

Co-host: Dwayne Parris (Senior Consultant at Klopotek)

Translation has long been an indispensable part of the world of publishing and literature.

In this episode, we are joined by Esther Allen, writer, translator, and a professor at City University of New York.

The conversation begins with Esther recounting how she crossed her line with Spanish and French in her early childhood and youthful years. She then explains to us, from the perspective of a literary scholar, the linguistic landscape in the context of globalization, the dynamics of English and other dominant languages, and the importance of language legacy and linguistic diversity. Many interesting topics are sprinkled throughout: the difficulty of transplanting humor to another language, the “terminal speakers” of an endangered language, how a language becomes an “invasive species,” and why and how to attribute value to a language we don’t speak, etc.

For more information about Esther and her translation work, please visit her website. If you'd like to go further into the world of translation, check out the 24 programs available through the online conference Translating the Future, which Esther co-curated with Allison Markin Powell at the Center for the Humanities at the City University of New York Graduate Center. And to enjoy a cornucopia of translated writing from across the globe, you're warmly invited to visit Words Without Borders.

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* The views, information, or opinions expressed in the program are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of Klopotek and its employees. It is the goal of Klopotek Publishing Radio to support cultural diversity, the exchange of opinions, and to create an environment where the conversation of a global publishing industry can thrive.