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31st translation contest: "A translator's life" » French to English

Competition in this pair is now closed, and the winning entry has been announced.

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Source text in French

Des livres, rien que des livres. Alignés sur les étagères. Empilés au sol.Entassés sur le moindre coin de table. Toutes les pièces en regorgent. A peine la place de circuler.C'est ici, dans cet appartement bourgeois du 16e arrondissement de Paris, que Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat a installé son bureau. Ici qu'il travaille face à son ordinateur, douze à quatorze heures par jour, à lire, traduire et préfacer les livres des autres et à écrire les siens. Le soir, il n'a qu'à traverser la rue pour rentrer chez lui. "Ma vie sociale est réduite au minimum", reconnaît-il.

A bientôt 50 ans, Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat est l'un des traducteurs français les plus demandés.[...]

Polyglotte ? Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat balaie le qualificatif d'un revers de main. Il ne parle aucune des langues qu'il traduit. "Même en anglais, je suis incapable de dire deux mots, assure-t-il. A part le latin et le grec, je n'ai jamais appris aucune langue étrangère. La plupart de mes contrats, je les ai signés sans connaître le moins du monde la langue que j'allais traduire. Il suffit qu'un éditeur me convainque de l'intérêt d'un livre pour que j'accepte de relever le défi. Vous ne pouvez pas imaginer dans quel état de tension je suis quand je me mets à travailler sur un texte auquel je ne comprends rien..."[...]

Sa méthode est toujours la même : allergique aux grammaires, il préfère s'"immerger" dans des dictionnaires et des livres en édition bilingue. Généralement, il ne lit pas à l'avance l'ouvrage qu'il doit traduire : "C'est indispensable pour garder une forme de spontanéité dans la traduction." Seul principe, il commence par traduire la fin : "J'ai une telle angoisse de la mort que je préfère me débarrasser de la fin dès le début", explique-t-il. [...] Ce "besoin vital de (s')exiler dans la langue des autres", il dit l'éprouver depuis toujours.

The winning entry has been announced in this pair.

There were 24 entries submitted in this pair during the submission phase, 7 of which were selected by peers to advance to the finals round. The winning entry was determined based on finals round voting by peers.

Competition in this pair is now closed.

Entries (24 total; 7 finalists) — Expand all entries

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Language variants:
Books. Nothing but books. Lining the shelves, stacked on the floor. Piles of books on any free bit of table. Every room is bursting with books. There’s barely enough room to move around. It’s here, in this bourgeois apartment in Paris’ 16th arrondissement that Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat has his office. This is where he sits, in front of his computer, working twelve to fourteen hours a day, reading, translating and writing forewords for other people’s books, as well as writing his own. In the evening, all he has to do is cross the street to get home. “My social life is pretty much non-existent,” he admits.

Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat, nearly 50, is one of the most sought-after French translators around […]

A polyglot? Dauzat casts that label aside. He doesn’t speak any of the languages from which he translates. “I’m not even able to string two words together in English,” he confesses. “Latin and Greek are the only two languages I’ve ever learnt. I sign the majority of my contracts without knowing the faintest thing about the language I’m going to translate. All that an editor needs to do is convince me of a book’s appeal and I’ll accept the challenge. You can’t believe the amount of stress I’m in when I start working on a text that I don’t understand in the slightest…” […]

Dauzat always relies on the same method. Averse to grammar, he prefers immersing himself – literally – in dictionaries and bilingual books. He doesn’t usually read the book that he has to translate beforehand, explaining that “it’s essential to keep a certain amount of spontaneity in the translation.” His only rule is that he starts by translating the ending. “I’m so scared of death that I prefer getting the end over and done with right at the beginning,” he explains. […] He admits to always having had this “need to retreat into – and even find refuge in – the language of others.”
Entry #35606 — Discuss 0 — Variant: British
Winner
Voting points1st2nd3rd
14832 x49 x22 x1
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.883.82 (17 ratings)3.94 (16 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 8 users entered 12 "like" tags
  • 11 users agreed with "likes" (16 total agrees)
  • 2 users disagreed with "likes" (2 total disagrees)
-1
+3
1
any free bit of table
Good term selection
Angelica Burton
+3
forewords
Good term selection
Nat Dee
In the evening, all he has to do is cross the street to get home
Flows well
Younes TAZI
+2
1
My social life is pretty much non-existent,
Good term selection
Josephine Cassar
+3
Dauzat casts that label aside.
Flows well
catpfam
+1
string two words together
Flows well
Josephine Cassar
without knowing the faintest thing
Flows well
Corrina Pearce
+1
stress
Good term selection
Better cho​ice compar​ed to "ten​sion" in m​y opinion
Nat Dee
+2
Averse to grammar,
Good term selection
Corrina Pearce
Averse to grammar
Flows well
Good term ​selection
OUAHDI Mohamed
-1
+1
a certain amount of spontaneity
Good term selection
Angelica Burton
retreat into
Good term selection
Elizabeth Slaney
Books, books, and more books. Neatly arranged upon the shelves. Carefully stacked on the floor. Packed tightly into every inch of table space. Every room teeming with their presence. Hardly any space to move around. Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat has set up his office here, within the confines of this upscale apartment in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. It is where he devotes twelve to fourteen hours a day to his computer, immersed in reading, translating, and penning prefaces for other people's books as well as writing his own. Come evening, he needs only to cross the street to reach his home. “My social life is kept to a bare minimum,” he concedes.

As he nears 50 years of age, Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat is among the most highly sought-after French translators.

A polyglot? Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat brushes away the notion with a dismissive gesture. He doesn't speak any of the languages he translates. “Even in English, I am utterly unable to say two words,” he insists. “Except for Latin and Greek, I have never learnt any foreign language. I signed most of my contracts without having the faintest idea of the language I was going to translate. All it takes is for a publisher to convince me of a book's worth, and I’ll readily accept the challenge. You can't fathom the sheer tension I feel when I start working on a text that I don't understand in the slightest...” [...]

His method remains unchanged: averse to learning grammar, he favours “immersing” himself in dictionaries and books with bilingual editions. As a rule, he doesn't read the book he has to translate beforehand: “It's crucial to keep a form of spontaneity in the translation.” His sole principle is to begin by translating the ending: "I have such a fear of death that I'd rather get rid of the ending right from the very start," he explains. [...] He says for as long as he can remember he’s experienced this "vital need to (take refuge in) the language of others."
Entry #36242 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specified
Emilie Declaron
Emilie Declaron
United Kingdom
Finalist
Voting points1st2nd3rd
457 x46 x25 x1
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.473.50 (18 ratings)3.44 (16 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 4 users entered 8 "like" tags
  • 9 users agreed with "likes" (18 total agrees)
+2
Books, books, and more books
Good term selection
Nat Dee
into
Good term selection
I particul​arly like ​the way yo​u have use​d 'upon', ​'on' and '​into' here​.
Sarah Bessioud
+4
penning
Good term selection
Eliminates​ the repet​ition of "​writing"
Nat Dee
+2
most highly sought-after
Good term selection
Nat Dee
+4
brushes away the notion with a dismissive gesture
Flows well
Corrina Pearce
+2
faintest
Good term selection
Nice word ​choice
Leighton Jacobs
+3
All it takes is for a publisher to convince me of a book's worth, and I’ll readily accept the challenge
Flows well
Nat Dee
+1
books with bilingual editions
Flows well
Leighton Jacobs
Books, nothing but books: lined up on the shelves, piled up on the floor, stacked up on smallest available surface. Every room is overflowing with them. There’s barely space to move. It is here, in this bourgeois-style apartment in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, that Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat has his office. Here that he sits in front of his computer, for twelve to fourteen hours a day, reading, translating and writing forewords for other people’s books and composing his own. In the evening, he has only to cross the road to get home. ‘My social life is reduced to a minimum’, he admits.

At nearly fifty years old, Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat is one of the most sought-after French translators…[…]

A polyglot? Pierre-Emmanuel dismisses the epithet with a sweep of his hand. He speaks none of the languages he translates. ‘Even in English, I’m incapable of stringing two words together’, he insists. ‘With the exception of Latin and Greek, I’ve never learnt a foreign language. I’ve signed most of my contracts without having the remotest knowledge of the language I was going to translate. A publisher only has to convince me of the importance of a book for me to agree to take up the challenge. You can’t image the level of stress I’m under when I start working on a text of which I understand nothing…’ […]

His method never varies: allergic to grammar books, he prefers to ‘immerse’ himself in dictionaries and bilingual editions. He doesn’t usually read the book before starting to translate it: ‘It’s vital to keep a sense of spontaneity in the translation.’ His only principle is that he starts by translating the ending: ‘I have such an anxiety about death that I prefer to get the ending out of the way at the beginning’, he explains. [...] He claims that he has always felt this ‘vital need to exile [himself] in the language of others’.
Entry #35869 — Discuss 0 — Variant: British
Finalist
Voting points1st2nd3rd
444 x48 x212 x1
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.393.40 (15 ratings)3.38 (13 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 5 users entered 9 "like" tags
  • 6 users agreed with "likes" (9 total agrees)
+2
1
forewords
Good term selection
Nat Dee
one of the most sought-after
Flows well
Josephine Cassar
+2
Pierre-Emmanuel dismisses the epithet with a sweep of his hand
Good term selection
Nat Dee
+3
1
I’m incapable of stringing two words together
Good term selection
Nat Dee
+1
importance
Good term selection
Elizabeth Slaney
the level of stress I’m under
Flows well
Elizabeth Slaney
b
Flows well
Very reada​ble, espec​ially out ​loud.
Charles Ferguson
sense of spontaneity
Good term selection
Elizabeth Slaney
+1
get the ending out of the way
Flows well
Procol
Books, books and more books. Arranged on shelves. Piled up on the floor. Taking over every last corner of the table. Each room overflowing with books. Almost impossible to get around. Here, in this bourgeois apartment in Paris’s 16th arrondissement, Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat has set up his office. Here, he works at his computer, spending twelve to fourteen hours a day reading, translating, composing his own works as well as prefaces for other writers’ books. In the evening, he only has to cross the road, and he’s home. “My social life is virtually non-existent,” he acknowledges.

At nearly fifty years of age, Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat is one of the most in-demand French translators.

Polyglot? Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat dismisses the term. He doesn’t speak any of the languages he translates from. “I can’t even string a sentence together in English,” he assures me. “Apart from Latin and Greek, I’ve never learned a single foreign language. I’ve signed most of my contracts without knowing anything at all about the language I had to translate. All it takes is for a publisher to convince me that a book is worth translating, and I’ll take up the gauntlet. You cannot imagine how nervous I am when I start working on a text, and I don’t understand a word of it.”

He always goes about it the same way: he is allergic to grammars, preferring to ‘immerse himself’ in bilingual books and dictionaries. He generally doesn’t read works before translating them: “I can’t read ahead if the translation is to have any spontaneity.” His one golden rule is to start by translating the end: “I’m so afraid of death that I prefer to get the end over and done with from the beginning,” he explains. He says that he has always felt this ‘urgent need to hide himself away in the words of others’.
Entry #35185 — Discuss 0 — Variant: British
Finalist
Voting points1st2nd3rd
352 x48 x211 x1
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.343.41 (17 ratings)3.27 (15 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 7 users entered 7 "like" tags
  • 7 users agreed with "likes" (9 total agrees)
  • 1 user disagreed with "likes" (1 total disagree)
+5
Books, books and more books
Good term selection
Nat Dee
+1
“My social life is virtually non-existent
Good term selection
Flows well​ too
Josephine Cassar
most in-demand
Flows well
Perhaps th​e best way​ to transl​ate "les p​lus demand​és"
Procol
+1
dismisses the term
Good term selection
Elizabeth Slaney
+1
I can’t even string a sentence together in English
Good term selection
Corrina Pearce
-1
1
take up the gauntlet
Good term selection
Angelica Burton
+1
I can’t read ahead if the translation is to have any spontaneity
Flows well
Kaplana1
Books, nothing but books. Lined up on the shelves. Stacked on the floor. Piled up on every corner of the table. Every room crammed with them, barely space to move. Here, in this bourgeois apartment in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, is where Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat has set up his office. Here is where he spends twelve to fourteen hours a day working in front of his computer, reading, translating and prefacing other people’s books, as well as writing his own. In the evening, he only has to cross the street to get home. “My social life is almost non-existent,” he admits.

At almost 50 years old, Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat is one of the most sought-after French translators. [...]

Is he a polyglot? Pierre-Emmauel Dauzat dismisses the term out of hand. He does not speak any of the languages he translates. “Even in English, I cannot string two words together,” he insists. “Apart from Latin and Greek, I have never learned any foreign language. Most of my contracts I have signed without knowing anything of the language I am going to translate. I only need a publisher to convince me that a book is worthwhile, and I will agree to take on the challenge. You cannot imagine the tension when I start working on a text I do not understand at all...” [...]

His method is always the same: allergic to grammar books, he prefers to immerse himself in dictionaries and bilingual books. Generally, he does not read the work he needs to translate in advance, as “it is essential to keep a sense of spontaneity in the translation.” His only rule is that he begins by translating the end. “I have such anxiety about death that I prefer to get the ending out of the way at the start,” he explains. [...] This “fundamental urge to retreat into the language of others” is something he says he has felt his entire life.
Entry #34936 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specified
Finalist
Voting points1st2nd3rd
282 x48 x24 x1
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.383.38 (16 ratings)3.38 (13 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 3 users entered 3 "like" tags
  • 3 users agreed with "likes" (3 total agrees)
almost non-existent
Flows well
Kaplana1
+3
I cannot string two words together,
Good term selection
Nat Dee
sense of spontaneity
Good term selection
Elizabeth Slaney
Books. Nothing but books. Lined up on the shelves. Stacked on the floor. Piled up on every square inch of the table. All the rooms are crammed with them. You can barely squeeze past them. It is here, in this bourgeois flat in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, that Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat set up his study. Here he works in front of his computer, twelve to fourteen hours a day, reading, translating and writing prefaces for other people’s books and writing his own. In the evening, he just needs to cross the street to get home. ‘I have virtually no social life,’ he admits.

Aged nearly 50, Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat is one of the most solicited French translators. […]

Polyglot? With a wave of his hand, Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat brushes this label aside. He cannot speak any of the languages he translates. ‘I can’t even say two words of English,’ he says. ‘Apart from Latin and Greek, I’ve never learnt a foreign language. I signed most of my contracts without knowing the first thing about the language I was going to translate. A publisher just needs to convince me of the relevance of a book, and I accept the challenge. You have no idea how tense I am when I start working on a text I’m completely in the dark about …’ […]

His method is always the same: allergic to grammar books, he prefers to ‘immerse’ himself in dictionaries and bilingual books. As a rule, he doesn’t read the work to translate in advance: ‘This is a must for the translation to be spontaneous in a certain way.’ His only principle is to translate the end first: ‘I’m so terrified of death that I’d rather be done with the end first,’ he explains. […] This ‘fundamental need to bury oneself in the language of others’ is something he claims always to have felt.
Entry #36202 — Discuss 0 — Variant: British
Finalist
Voting points1st2nd3rd
275 x42 x23 x1
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.373.36 (14 ratings)3.38 (13 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 4 users entered 5 "like" tags
  • 8 users agreed with "likes" (8 total agrees)
  • 3 users disagreed with "likes" (4 total disagrees)
Here
Flows well
Good repet​ition refl​ecting the​ source
Angelica Burton
+8
I have virtually no social life
Flows well
Angelica Burton
-3
2
solicited
Good term selection
Sarah Bessioud
solicited
Flows well
Ichrak Ben Ali
-1
1
With a wave of his hand, Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat brushes this label aside.
Good term selection
Nat Dee
Books, nothing but books. Ranged on the shelves. Stacked on the floor. Heaped on any spare bit of table. Every room is crammed with them. There is hardly space to move. It is here, in this middle-class flat in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, that Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat has established his office. Here where he works at his computer, twelve to fourteen hours a day, reading, translating and prefacing other people’s books and writing his own. In the evening he just crosses the street to get home. ‘My social life is at a low ebb,’ he admits.

At the age of almost 50, Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat is one of France’s most popular translators. [...]

A polyglot? Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat dismisses the label with a wave of his hand. He cannot speak any of the languages that he translates. ‘Even in English I’m unable to string two words together,’ he declares. ‘I’ve never learnt any foreign languages apart from Latin and Greek. I sign most of my contracts without any knowledge at all of the language I’m going to translate. A publisher only has to persuade me that a book is worthwhile for me to take on the challenge. You can’t imagine how stressed I am when I start working on a text that I don’t understand at all…’ [...]

His method is always the same: because he is allergic to grammar books, he prefers to immerse himself in dictionaries and parallel texts. He does not usually start by reading through the book that he is going to translate: ‘It’s essential, so as to keep the translation as spontaneous as possible.’ His only hard-and-fast rule is to begin by translating the end: ‘I’m so afraid of death that I prefer to get shot of the end from the start,’ he explains. [...] He says he has always felt this ‘vital need to withdraw into the language of others’.
Entry #36170 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specified
Sarah Brickwood
Sarah Brickwood
United Kingdom
Finalist
Voting points1st2nd3rd
243 x44 x24 x1
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.383.38 (16 ratings)3.38 (13 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 6 users entered 8 "like" tags
  • 3 users agreed with "likes" (3 total agrees)
  • 1 user disagreed with "likes" (1 total disagree)
+1
any spare bit of table
Good term selection
Angelica Burton
-1
1
middle-class
Good term selection
Angelica Burton
+1
Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat dismisses the label with a wave of his hand
Good term selection
Nat Dee
‘Even in English I’m unable to string two words together,’
Good term selection
Nat Dee
worthwhile
Flows well
Ichrak Ben Ali
to take on the challenge
Good term selection
Elizabeth Slaney
+1
hard-and-fast rule
Good term selection
Sarah Bessioud
vital need to withdraw into the language of others
Flows well
Procol

Non-finalist entries

The following entries were not selected by peers to advance to finals-round voting.

Books. Nothing but books. Everywhere. Lined up on the shelves. Stacked on the floor. Piled on every table corner. They overflow from every room, leaving little space to move. It is here that Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat has set up his office, in this plush Parisian apartment in the sixteenth arrondissement. It is here that he spends twelve to fourteen hours a day reading, translating, writing prefaces for others’ books. And writing his own books. At night, he has only to cross the street to return home. “I have a limited social life,” he comments.

At almost 50 years old, Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat is one of the most sought-after French translators. […]

A polyglot? Dauzat brushes off that descriptor. He speaks none of the languages that he translates. “I don’t speak more than a word or two of English,” he says. “Latin and Greek are the only foreign languages I’ve ever learned. I’ve signed most of my contracts without knowing the language I’m going to translate. A publisher simply needs to convince me of the value of a book, and I’m ready for the challenge. You can’t possibly imagine the tension that consumes me when I’m about to work on a text that I don’t understand.” […]

He always follows the same method. He has an aversion to grammar texts, preferring to “immerse” himself in dictionaries and bilingual books. He seldom reads the text to be translated in advance, noting that “maintaining a level of spontaneity is crucial when you translate.” He is guided by just one principle: He translates the end of the text first. “I’m so apprehensive about death that I prefer to deal with the end at the start of the process,” he explains. […] He has always felt a “visceral need to exile himself in the languages of others.”
Entry #36298 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specified
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.323.40 (15 ratings)3.23 (13 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 3 users entered 6 "like" tags
  • 3 users agreed with "likes" (3 total agrees)
leaving little space to move
Flows well
Nice phras​ing
Leighton Jacobs
+1
Dauzat
Flows well
Good decis​ion to use​ just the ​surname he​re, as is ​customary ​in newspap​er article​s.
Sarah Bessioud
brushes off that descriptor
Good term selection
Angelica Burton
I don’t speak more than a word or two of English
Good term selection
Angelica Burton
aversion
Good term selection
Sarah Bessioud
+2
maintaining a level of spontaneity is crucial
Good term selection
Angelica Burton
Books, nothing but books. Lined up on shelves. Stacked up on the floor. Heaped up on the table in every last nook and cranny. Every room is chock-full of them, with barely space to move. It’s here in this bourgeois apartment in Paris’s 16th arrondissement that Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat has set up his office. It’s here he spends twelve to fourteen hours a day working at his computer, reading, translating, and prefacing the books of others and writing his own. At the end of the day, home is just across the road. “My social life is reduced to a minimum,” he admits.

As he nears his 50th birthday, Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat is one of the most sought-after French translators. […]

But he’s quick to brush off the label of ‘polyglot’. He doesn’t speak any of the languages he translates. “I can’t even string two words of English together,” he remarks. “Except for Latin and Greek, I never learnt a foreign language. I’ve signed most of my contracts without so much as a smattering of the language I was going to translate. All a publisher has to do is convince me of the book’s value and I’ll take on the challenge. You cannot begin to imagine how tense it makes me to start working on a text I understand nothing of…” […]

He always follows the same method, his allergy to grammar books leading him to instead immerse himself in dictionaries and bilingual books. He doesn’t usually read a book before translating it: “This is essential to retain some kind of spontaneity in the translation.” His only rule is to start by translating the end. “Such is my angst about death that I prefer to get the end over and done with first,” he explains, claiming that he’s always felt this “vital necessity to take up exile in the languages of others.”
Entry #35137 — Discuss 0 — Variant: British
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.193.06 (18 ratings)3.31 (16 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 6 users entered 8 "like" tags
  • 5 users agreed with "likes" (6 total agrees)
one of the most sought-after
Good term selection
Corrina Pearce
+4
1
brush off
Good term selection
Sarah Bessioud
label
Good term selection
Nat Dee
+2
“I can’t even string two words of English together,”
Good term selection
Nat Dee
smattering
Good term selection
Nice word ​choice
Leighton Jacobs
retain some kind of spontaneit
Flows well
Josephine Cassar
Such is my angst about death that I prefer to get the end over and done with first
Flows well
Kaplana1
take up exile in
Flows well
Kaplana1
Books here, there and everywhere; lined up on shelves, piled up on the floor and stacked up on tables anywhere they would fit. Brimming with books, there’s hardly an inch left to move in any room. But it’s in this bourgeois apartment in the haughty 16th arrondissement of Paris that Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat has set up his office. He works here, in front of a computer, for twelve to fourteen hours a day – reading, translating and prefacing the books of others as well as writing his own. ‘My social life is practically non-existent,’ he admits, only having to cross the road to get home in the evening.

Almost 50, Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat is one of the most in-demand French translators. […]

Is he a polyglot? Dauzat bats away the idea. He doesn’t speak any of the languages he translates. ‘I can’t even string a sentence together in English,’ he says. ‘Apart from Latin and Greek, I never learned a foreign language. I signed most of my contracts without knowing the slightest thing about the language that I was going to translate. Publishers only have to convince me that a book is worthwhile for me to agree to take up the challenge. You can’t begin to imagine how stressed I am when I start working on a text that I can’t make head nor tail of…’ […]

His process is always the same. Allergic to grammar, he prefers to ‘immerse’ himself in bilingual books and dictionaries. He normally doesn’t even read a book before translating it because, in his own words, ‘it gives the translation some spontaneity.’ Dauzat has only one rule: always translate the ending first. ‘I’m so scared of death that I’d rather get the end out of the way at the start,’ he explains. […] He says that he has always felt this ‘natural urge to withdraw into the language of others’.
Entry #36188 — Discuss 0 — Variant: British
Leighton Jacobs
Leighton Jacobs
United Kingdom
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.143.06 (16 ratings)3.21 (14 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 4 users entered 5 "like" tags
  • 4 users agreed with "likes" (5 total agrees)
+2
‘I can’t even string a sentence together in English,
Good term selection
Lindsey Sidebottom
can’t make head nor tail of
Flows well
Kaplana1
gives the translation some spontaneity
Flows well
Kaplana1
+2
Dauzat
Flows well
Good choic​e to use j​ust the su​rname, and​ although ​his name d​oesn't app​ear in thi​s paragrap​h in the s​ource text​, I feel t​his is a l​egitimate ​addition h​ere as it ​improves t​he flow of​ the text.
Sarah Bessioud
Books, nothing but books. Lined up on shelves. Stacked up on the floor. Piled up and covering every inch of table. Every room is overflowing with them, with hardly any room to move around. It's here in this bourgeois apartment in Paris's 16th arrondissement that Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat has his office. This is where he works at his computer, twelve to fourteen hours a day, reading, translating, and writing prefaces for others' books as well as writing his own. In the evening, all he has to do is cross the street to go home. "My exposure to the outside world is kept to a minimum," he admits.

At nearly 50, Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat is one of France's most sought-after translators. [...]

A polyglot? Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat dismisses the term with a wave of his hand. He speaks none of the languages he translates. "Even in English, I can't string two words together," he assures us. "Apart from Latin and Greek, I've never learned any foreign language. I've signed most of my contracts without the slightest knowledge of the language I was going to translate. All it takes is for a publisher to convince me of the merits of a book, and I'm ready to accept the challenge. You can't imagine the kind of tension I feel when I start working on a text I don't understand..." [...]

His method is always the same: being averse to grammars, he prefers to "immerse" himself in dictionaries and bilingual books. Usually, he doesn't read the work he has to translate prior to translating it. "It's essential to keep a kind of spontaneity to the translation." The only rule he does follow is that he begins by translating the ending. "I'm so afraid of death that I prefer to get the ending out of the way right from the beginning," he explains. [...] He says he has always felt this "vital need to seek escape in the language of others."
Entry #34687 — Discuss 0 — Variant: US
Kathleen Kownacki
Kathleen Kownacki
United States
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Entry3.063.20 (15 ratings)2.92 (12 ratings)
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all he has to do is cross the street
Flows well
Nice phras​ing
Leighton Jacobs
sought-after
Good term selection
Melanie Kathan
+4
Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat dismisses the term with a wave of his hand
Good term selection
Nat Dee
+1
I can't string two words together
Good term selection
Nat Dee
+4
1
All it takes is for a publisher to convince me of the merits of a book, and I'm ready to accept the challenge
Flows well
Nat Dee
being averse
Good term selection
Corrina Pearce
Books, books, nothing but books. Lined up on the shelves, piled up on the floor, stacked up on every inch of the table. Every room full to the brim, with barely enough room to move around. It’s here, in this bourgeois apartment in Paris’ 16th arrondissement, that Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat has set up his office. It’s where he sits for twelve to fourteen hours a day in front of his computer, reading, translating, and prefacing other people's books and writing his own words. In the evening, he merely has to cross the street to get home. "I don’t have much of a social life" he admits.

At nearly 50, Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat is one of the most sought-after French translators[...].

Multilingual? Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat dismisses the adjective out of hand. He doesn’t speak any of the languages he translates. “I can't speak a word of English” he says. Apart from Latin and Greek, I’ve never learnt any foreign language, and I’ve signed most of my contracts without knowing a single word of the language I was about to translate. All it takes is for a publisher to pique my interest in a book for me to accept the challenge. You cannot imagine just how stressed I feel when I start to work on a text that I don't understand..."[...].

His method never deviates. Allergic to grammar books, he prefers to 'immerse' himself in dictionaries and in the bilingual editions of books. He doesn't normally read the work he has to translate in advance, because "it's vital to retain a sense of spontaneity in the translation". His only rule is that he begins by translating the ending. "I'm so afraid of death that I prefer to get the ending out of the way straight away" he explains. [...] I’ve always felt this "overwhelming need to retreat into the language of others," he says.
Entry #36073 — Discuss 0 — Variant: UK
Lindsey Sidebottom
Lindsey Sidebottom
United Kingdom
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.982.79 (14 ratings)3.17 (12 ratings)
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dismisses the adjective out of hand.
Good term selection
Sheila Faber
+1
just how stressed I feel
Flows well
Sheila Faber
Books, nothing but books. Stacked on shelves. Piled up on the floor. Teetering in heaps on the corners of tables. Every room was crammed full of them. Hardly enough room to move about. Here, in this staid apartment in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, is where Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat has set up his office. This is where he works in front of his computer, twelve to fourteen hours a day, reading, translating, penning prefaces to others’ books, and writing his own. In the evening, he need only cross the street to get home. “My social life has been reduced to a minimum,” he acknowledges.

At almost fifty years old, Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat is one of the most sought-after French translators. […]

Polyglot? Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat dismisses the word with a wave of his hand. He doesn’t speak any of the languages he translates from. “Even in English, I can barely say two words,” he affirms. “Apart from Latin and Greek, I’ve never learned any foreign languages. I signed most of my contracts without having the slightest understanding of the language I would be translating. All an editor needed to do was to convince me that the book was of consequence, and I’d take up the challenge. You simply can’t imagine how stressed I am when I start working on a text that I find utterly incomprehensible…” […]

His method is always the same: allergic to grammar references, he prefers to “immerse” himself in dictionaries and bilingual editions of other books. Generally, he does not read the work he is translating in advance: “It’s crucial, to ensure the translation retains a certain spontaneity.” His only rule is to begin by translating the ending. “I have such a fear of death that I’d rather dispense of the ending right from the start,” he explains. […] This “visceral need to escape into the language of others,” he says he’s always felt it.
Entry #35080 — Discuss 0 — Variant: US
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Entry2.962.92 (13 ratings)3.00 (11 ratings)
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sought-after
Good term selection
Melanie Kathan
+1
dismisses the word with a wave of his hand
Good term selection
Angelica Burton
+1
“I have such a fear of death that I’d rather dispense of the ending right from the start,
Good term selection
Nat Dee
Books, nothing but books. Ranged on the bookshelves. Stacked on the floor. Heaped up on every last corner of the table. All the rooms overflow with them. There’s hardly room to move. Here, in this elegant apartment in the 16th arrondissement in Paris, Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat has installed his office. Here he works on his computer, 12 to 14 hours a day, reading, translating, writing prefaces for the books of others, and writing his own. At night, he only has to cross the road to get home. “My social life is reduced to a minimum”, he recognizes.

At nearly 50 years of age, Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat is one of France’s most in-demand translators.[…]

A polyglot? Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat brushes off the qualification. He doesn’t speak any of the languages he translates. “Even in English, I don’t speak a word,” he declares. “Apart from Latin and Greek, I’ve never learned any foreign languages. I’ve signed the majority of my contracts not knowing anything at all about the language I was going to translate. It’s sufficient for an editor to convince me of the importance of a book for me to take up the challenge. You can’t imagine the state of tension I’m in when I start to work on a text of which I don’t understand a thing…”[…]

His method is always the same: allergic to grammar books, he prefers to “immerse” himself in dictionaries and books in bilingual editions. Generally, he doesn’t read the book he has to translate beforehand: “That’s essential to keep a form of spontaneity in the translation.” His only principle is that he starts translating the end first: “I’m so afraid of death that I prefer to have done with the end right at the start,” he explains. […] He says he has always felt that “vital need to exile oneself in the language of others.”
Entry #36037 — Discuss 0 — Variant: British
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Entry2.942.88 (16 ratings)3.00 (13 ratings)
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on every last corner of the table
Flows well
Sheila Faber
Books, books everywhere. Lined up on shelves. Stacked on the floor. Piled up on every single table in sight. The whole place overflowing with books. You can hardly move around. This is where Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat set up his desk, in this bourgeois apartment of the 16th arrondissement in Paris. This is where he works on his computer, for twelve to fourteen hours a day, reading, translating, prefacing other people’s books, and writing his own. All he’s got to do to go home at night, is cross the street. “I don’t have much of a social life”, he admits.

Almost fifty, PED is one of the hottest translators in France.

Polyglot? Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat firmly dismisses the adjective. He doesn’t speak any of the languages he translates. "Even in English, I can't say two words," he says. "Apart from Latin and Greek, I've never learned any foreign language. I signed most of my contracts without the slightest knowledge of the language I was going to translate. All it takes is for a publisher to convince me of the merits of a book, and I'm ready to face the challenge. You cannot imagine the stress I feel when I start working on a text I don't understand..."[...].

He always sticks with the same method: allergic to grammars, he favors "immersing" himself in dictionaries and bilingual books. As a rule, he doesn't first read the work he has to translate: "It's vital if you want to keep some measure of spontaneity in the translation". His only rule: start by translating the ending: "I'm so afraid of death that I prefer to get rid of the ending right off the bat," he explains. [...] He says he’s always felt this "vital need to exile myself in the language of others".
Entry #35005 — Discuss 0 — Variant: US
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.852.63 (16 ratings)3.07 (14 ratings)
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+3
“I don’t have much of a social life”, he admits
Flows well
Melanie Kathan
+1
firmly dismisses the adjective
Good term selection
JaneD
says
Good term selection
In English​, we usual​ly forego ​fancy dial​ogue tags ​and simply​ use "said​"
Kaplana1
+1
All it takes is for a publisher to convince me of the merits of a book
Flows well
Corrina Pearce
Books, nothing but books. Lined-up on the shelves. Piled up on the floor. Squished up on the smallest corner of the table. Every room chock-a-block. Hardly any wiggle room. This is the plush apartment in the 16th arrondissement of Paris where Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat set up his office, where he works twelve to fourteen hours a day, staring at his computer, reading, translating, prefacing others’ books and writing his own. To go home in the evenings, he just has to cross the road. “My social life is down to a bare minimum”, he acknowledges.

Nearing 50 years of age, Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat is one of the most sought-after French translators […]

Polyglot? He brushes aside any such suggestion. He speaks none of language he translates. “Even in English, I cannot string two words together”, he insists. “Apart from Latin and Greek, I never learnt a foreign language. I signed most of my contracts without knowing the slightest thing about the language I was about to translate. All a publisher has to do is convince me that a book is worth my while for me to accept the challenge. You can't imagine the stress I feel when I start working on a text I don't understand..."[...]

His method is always the same: allergic to grammar books, he prefers to "immerse" himself in dictionaries and bilingual books. Normally, he doesn’t read the work he has to translate beforehand. “This is essential for keeping a type of spontaneity in the translation.” The only principle he has is to begin by translating the end: "I have so much anguish about failure that I prefer to get the ending out of the way right from the start," he explains. [...] He says he has always felt this "vital need to bury himself in another’s language".
Entry #35819 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Australian
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Entry2.812.69 (16 ratings)2.93 (14 ratings)
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+1
sought-after
Good term selection
Angelica Burton
+4
1
any such suggestion
Good term selection
Sarah Bessioud
+3
out of the way
Flows well
Sarah Bessioud
Books, nothing but books. Lined up on the shelves, stacked on the floor, and piled up on every available corner of the table. Every room is filled with them, leaving barely enough space to move around. It is here, in this bourgeois apartment in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, that Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat has set up his office. It's where he works facing his computer, twelve to fourteen hours a day, reading, translating, and writing prefaces for other people's books and creating his own. In the evening, he only has to cross the street to return home. "My social life is kept to a minimum," he admits.

Approaching 50 years of age, Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat is one of the most sought-after French translators. [...]

A polyglot? Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat dismisses the label with a wave of his hand. He doesn't speak any of the languages he translates. "Even in English, I am incapable of saying two words," he asserts. "Apart from Latin and Greek, I have never learned any foreign languages. Most of my contracts are signed without knowing the slightest bit of the language I will be translating. It's enough for a publisher to convince me of the interest of a book for me to accept the challenge. You can't imagine the level of tension I experience when I start working on a text I don't understand at all..." [...]

His method remains the same: allergic to grammar, he prefers to "immerse" himself in dictionaries and bilingual books. Typically, he doesn't read the book he needs to translate in advance: "It's essential to maintain a sense of spontaneity in the translation." His only principle is to start by translating the ending: "I have such anxiety about death that I prefer to get rid of the end right from the beginning," he explains. [...] This "vital need to (exile oneself) into the language of others," he says, he has felt it since always.
Entry #35563 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specified
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Entry2.662.47 (15 ratings)2.85 (13 ratings)
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Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat dismisses the label with a wave of his hand
Good term selection
Nat Dee
Books, nothing but books. Lined up on the shelves. Piled up on the floor. Crammed in every corner. Every room is full of them. You can barely move around. This is where Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat has set up his office, in this smart flat in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. This is where he works at his computer, twelve to fourteen hours a day, reading, translating and prefacing books from others as well as writing his own. At night, he only needs to cross the street to return home. "My social life is very limited", he admits.

At nearly 50 years old, Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat is one of the most sought-after French translators.[...]

Multilingual? Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat brushes the term away with his hand. He does not speak any of the languages that he translates from. "I can't even speak two words of English, he assures. Apart from Latin and Greek, I have never studied any foreign languages. I signed most of my contracts without knowing anything about the language I was going to translate from. A publisher only has to convince me of the interest of a book for me to accept the challenge. You cannot imagine the state of tension I find myself in when I start working on a text of which I understand absolutely nothing..."[...]

His method always remains the same: allergic to grammar books, he prefers to "immerse" himself in dictionaries and books in bilingual editions. He doesn't usually read the book he has to translate in advance: "It is essential to keep some form of spontaneity in the translation." His only principle is that he starts by translating the ending: "Death causes me such anguish that I prefer to get the ending out of the way at the beginning", he explains. [...] He says he has felt this "vital need to retreat into the language of others" all his life.
Entry #36007 — Discuss 0 — Variant: British
Camille Krieg
Camille Krieg
United Kingdom
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.632.56 (16 ratings)2.69 (13 ratings)
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+1
very limited
Flows well
Sheila Faber
+1
such anguish
Good term selection
Sarah Bessioud
Books, nothing but books. Lined up on the shelves. Piled on the floor. Squeezed onto any willing table corner. Every room overflowing with them. Barely any space to walk. It’s here, in this ritzy 16th arrondissement Paris apartment, that Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat set up shop. Where he works in front of his computer, twelve to fourteen hours a day, reading, translating and prefacing others’ books and writing his own. In the evening, he simply crosses the street to get home. “My social life has petered out to almost nothing,” he recognizes.

Nearing 50, Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat is one of the most sought-after French translators.[…]

A polyglot? Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat brushes that title aside. He doesn’t speak a single one of the languages he translates for. “Even in English, I can hardly say a few words, he assures. Apart from Latin and Greek, I’ve never learned a foreign language. I’ve signed most of my contracts without the smallest inkling of the language I was going to translate. It’s hard enough for an editor to interest me in a book before I agree to take up the challenge. You can’t imagine the stress I’m under when I set off working on a text I don’t at all understand…”[…]

His method is always the same: averse to grammar, he prefers to “immerse” himself in dictionaries and dual-language books. Generally, he won’t read a work he has to translate in advance: “It’s imperative for me to stay spontaneous in my translations.” His one rule, starting by translating the end: “I have so much anxiety about death that I prefer getting the end over with right off the bat”, he explains. […] He says he’s always felt this “vital need to exile [himself] in others’ language”.
Entry #35090 — Discuss 0 — Variant: US
Waleed Khan
Waleed Khan
United States
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.552.40 (15 ratings)2.69 (13 ratings)
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+2
sought-after
Good term selection
Melanie Kathan
inkling
Good term selection
Kaplana1
averse to grammar
Good term selection
Corrina Pearce
stay spontaneous in my translations
Flows well
Nice solut​ion
Leighton Jacobs
[himself]
Flows well
Kaplana1
Books, nothing but books. Lined up on the shelves, stacked on the floor, in piles on the smallest table space available. Books overflow from every room, making it difficult to move around. This bourgeois apartment in Paris’ 16th arrondissement is where Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat has set up his office. This is where he spends twelve to fourteen hours every day in front of his computer, reading, translating and writing prefaces for books by other authors, as well as writing his own. In the evenings he has only to cross the street to get home. He admits that his social life has shrunk to a minimum.

As he approaches the age of 50, Dauzat is one of the most in-demand French translators.
…

Multilingual? He dismisses this label with a wave of the hand. He speaks none of the languages he translates. He affirms that even in English, he cannot string two words together.

“I learned no foreign languages except for Latin and Greek. I have signed most of my contracts without knowing anything about the language I was going to translate. All that I need to accept the challenge is for an editor to convince me of the value of a given book. You cannot imagine my stress levels when I set to work on a text which I do not understand at all … "

…

His methodology remains unchanged. Being ‘allergic’ to grammar textbooks, he prefers to immerse himself in dictionaries and books published in bilingual editions. Reading the text before he starts to translate is not his usual modus operandi.
“It is essential to preserve a measure of spontaneity in the translation."

His only rule is to start by translating the end.

"Death makes me so anxious," he explains, "that I prefer at the outset to get the ending behind me."

…

"This compelling need to exile myself in a foreign language is something I have always felt."
Entry #35992 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specified
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Entry2.512.40 (15 ratings)2.62 (13 ratings)
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Paris’ 16th arrondissement
Good term selection
Angelica Burton
+1
Dauzat
Flows well
Good decis​ion to use​ just the ​surname he​re, as is ​customary ​in newspap​er article​s. Repetit​ion of the​ full name​ hinders t​he flow, e​specially ​as it is s​uch a long​ one.
Sarah Bessioud
in-demand
Good term selection
Angelica Burton
Books, nothing but books. Lined up on the shelves. Stacked on the floor. Piled up on every corner of the table. Every room is overflowing with them. Barely enough room to move around. This is where Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat has set up his office, in this bourgeois flat in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. This is where he works in front of his computer, twelve to fourteen hours a day, reading, translating and prefacing other people's books and writing his own. In the evening, all he has to do is cross the street to go home. "My social lifre is reduced to a minimum", he admits.

At nearly 50, Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat is one of the most sought-after French translators. (...)

Polyglot? Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat dismisses the adjective out of hand. He speaks none of the languages he translates. "Even in English, I can't say two words", he assures. Apart from Latin and Greek, I've never learned any foreign language. I signed most of my contracts withou the slighest knowledge of the language I was going to translate. All it takes is a publisher to convince me of the merits of a book for me to accept the challenge. You can't imagine the state of tension I'm in when I start working on a text I don't understand at all..." (...)

His method is always the same: allergic to grammars, he prefers to "immerse" himself in dictionaries and bilingual books. As a rule, he doesn't read the work he has to translate in advance: "It's essential to keep a kind of spontaneity in the translation." The only rule is that he starts by translating the end: "I'm so afraid of death thyat I prefer to get rid of the end at the beginning", he explains. (...) He says he has always felt this "vital need to exile himself into the language of others".
Entry #35660 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specified
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Entry2.432.12 (17 ratings)2.73 (15 ratings)
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sought-after
Good term selection
Angelica Burton
+1
merits of a book
Good term selection
Siobhan Hayes
Just books. All there is to see is books. Books lined up on the shelves. Piles of books on the floor. And books piled up at the corner of the table. All the rooms are full of them. They leave barely enough space to move around in. It was here, in this bourgeois apartment in the 16th district of Paris, that Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat settled his office. And this is where he works, in front of his computer, for twelve to fourteen hours a day, reading, translating, prefacing the books of others and writing his own. In the evening, he only needs to cross the street to go back home. "My social life is but minimal", he recounts.

Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat, who will turn 50 soon, is one of France's translators most in demand. [...]

Could we call Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat a polyglot? Well, this question is something he, apparently, deals with very nonchalantly. He does not speak any of the languages that he translates. "Even English, I can barely say a couple of words," he says. "Apart from Latin and Greek, I have never learned any foreign language. Most of my contracts, I signed them without knowing anything at all about the language that I was going to translate. For me it's enough for an editor to convince me of the interest people have in a book, for me to accept the challenge. You can't imagine the kind of tension I feel when I get to work on a text I know nothing about..." [...]

His method is always the same: being allergic to the rules of grammar, he prefers to "immerse himself" in dictionaries and bilingual edition books. Generally he doesn't read a work that he is expected to translate in advance: "It is essential to maintain a form of spontaneity when translating." The only principle is that it starts with the translation of the end: "I'm so afraid of death that I prefer to deal with the end at the very beginning," he explains. [...] He talks of a "vital need to exile himself in the language of others," saying that it is something that he has always felt.
Entry #34937 — Discuss 0 — Variant: British
George Trail
George Trail
United Kingdom
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Entry2.272.00 (17 ratings)2.53 (15 ratings)
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nonchalantly
Good term selection
Sarah Bessioud
I can barely say a couple of words
Flows well
Corrina Pearce
“A translator can’t have it all”, by Thomas Wieder, Le Monde

Books, books, and nothing but books. Lining shelves, piling up on the floor, crammed into the corners of tables... Every single piece of furniture is filled to the brim with them. There’s barely even room to walk. This is where, in a respectable little apartment located in Paris’ 16th arrondissement, Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat decided to set up shop. And this is where he works in front of his computer, for twelve to fourteen hours a day, reading, translating, and writing prefaces to his colleagues’ works, as well as writing his own. Come nightfall, he simply crosses the street to return home. “Social engagements are kept to a bare minimum”, he admits.

Now almost 50 years old, Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat is one of the industry’s most in-demand French translators. […]

Is he a polyglot? Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat shoos away that particular definition. He doesn’t speak any of the languages he translates. “Even in English, I can only say a handful of words”, he assures us. “Apart from Latin and Greek, I’ve never learned any other foreign language. For the majority of my contracts, I sign them without knowing anything at all about the language I’ll be translating. All it takes is for an editor to convince me of a book’s merit for me to rise to the challenge. You can’t imagine the stress I feel when I begin work on a text I don’t understand in the slightest...” […]

His method is always the same. Due to an intense phobia of grammar manuals, he’d rather “immerse himself” in dictionaries and bilingual editions. Generally, he doesn’t read the work he’s translating in advance. “That’s an essential step in keeping some element of spontaneity within the translation”. His sole guiding principle is to start by translating the end. “The very thought of dying gives me so much anxiety, I prefer to polish off the ending right from the get-go”, he tell us. [...] He says he has always felt “a vital need to take exile in language of others."
Entry #35950 — Discuss 0 — Variant: British
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Entry2.232.25 (16 ratings)2.21 (14 ratings)
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-2
1
There’s barely even room to walk
Flows well
Angelica Burton
Paris’ 16th arrondissement
Flows well
Angelica Burton
+1
in-demand
Good term selection
Angelica Burton
+1
some element of spontaneity
Flows well
Sarah Bessioud
Books and books, nothing but only books. Lined up on the shelves. Piled up on floor. Crammed on every corner of the table. All rooms are overflowing with them. Barely enough room to move around. It’s here, in this middle-class apartment of 16th administrative district in Paris, that Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat has set up his office. It’s here where he works, facing his computer, twelve to fourteen hours a day, reading, translating and prefacing books of others and writing his own. In evening, he has to just cross the street to return home. He admits, "I hardly have a social life".

Almost 50 years, Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat is one of the most popular French translators […]

Multilingual? Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat disregards of being qualified. He does not speak any of the languages that he translates. He says, "Even in English, I am unable to say two words". Apart from Latin and Greek, I have never learnt any foreign language. I have signed most of my contracts without knowing the least bit about the language that I was going to translate. All it takes is, one publisher convincing me of the value of a book, so that I accept taking up the challenge. You cannot imagine the state of tension I am in when I start working on a text, which I am unable to understand..."[...]

His method is always same: allergic to grammars, he prefers "immersing himself" in bilingual edition of dictionaries and books. Generally, before translating he does not read the book in advance: "It is essential to have a form of spontaneity in translation". One and the only principle, he starts with translating the end: "I have such a death fear that I prefer getting rid of the end at the outset", he explains. [...] He says, this "vital need of exiling oneself in the language of others", has always been felt by him.
Entry #36280 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specified
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Entry1.691.44 (18 ratings)1.93 (15 ratings)
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middle-class
Good term selection
Corrina Pearce
I hardly have a social life".
Flows well
Corrina Pearce