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Good News: Dragonella has been translated into Spanish, and I'm so excited about it. \
You can find it on Amazon HERE:
This came about in a wonderful way. During our last trip to Spain, I musingly said to our good friend, Terri Anderson, "I wish I knew someone who could translate Dragonella into Spanish." I had already checked with the publishers, and they were interested, but an earlier prospect fell through.
As it turned out, Terri knew just the right person—Carla López Piñeiro—and Rajan and I had already met her. Terri facilitated a new meeting with Carla, who read the picture book through in English, and then said, yes, she'd love to translate it. Now that the book has been released, Carla was kind enough to answer some interview questions, which you will find below the pictures.
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| Carla López Piñeiro, Translator |
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| Terri Anderson, Facilitator |
1. Tell us a little about yourself.
Where are you from?
I am from
a small village in Galicia, a region of the North of Spain.
2. As a native Spanish speaker, you
are very fluent in English. Had you studied English for a long time?
Thank you!
The truth is I have been studying English almost during all my live. I learnt
the first basic vocabulary and structure at Primary School, and then continued
studying at High School and the University. But I experienced the greatest
advance when I spent some months in Australia and then in the USA. After that,
I have never stopped practicing: Reading, watching films, etc. And still, I
keep making mistakes and learning something new almost every single day. I am
pretty sure I am going to be a student of the English language for ever!
3. Was it difficult to translate a
book from English into Spanish?
I think it
was not difficult in general. I had some problems with some words and
expressions. But that gave me the opportunity of do some research and expand
my boundaries learning new ways of saying things, even in Spanish. Besides, I
was not alone in the process! I have the help of my friend Terri Anderson, an English
native, as you well know.
4. What was your favorite part of
the process?
Two were
my favorite parts of the project: the first, the beginning. The first reading,
the moment I discovered the whole story and the characters; the second, at the
end, when the translation was almost ready but it was still necessary to work
on some small details.
5. Have you translated other
writings from one language to another?
No, I have
not. That was my first experience translating a text at a professional level.
6. Do you have any future
translation projects?
I do not
have any translation project right now, but I would like it!
7. How can readers contact you if they want to
know more about you or your projects?
I will be happy to answer their questions if I can.
Thank you, Carla, for your wonderful translation and for taking the time for this interview. I wish you luck in future translation projects.
Blog friends, do any of you speak and read Spanish? Have you had any of your work translated into other languages? If you could learn a second language, which language would it be?
Oh my gosh! How exciting, Elizabeth!!!!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations. Reading shrinks the world, and makes it a warmer, better place.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on having your book translated into Spanish, that's exciting! And thanks for the interview with Carla. May this be the first of many translations for her :-) Translating from one language to another does have its challenges. My daughter has done a few--mostly for companies--and I saw from her work what a tough assignment it can be.
ReplyDeleteHi, Sandra. Yes, it is exciting to me. I never dreamed I would have one of my books translated into another language, so this felt like a really big deal to me.
ReplyDeleteElephant's Child, what a lovely way to put it. It's so true. I know how much I have enjoyed reading things that wouldn't have been accessible to me if someone hadn't translated them into English.
ReplyDeleteHi, Kenda. My husband and I are valiantly studying Spanish and are nowhere near fluent in it yet. It really is a challenge to translate. There is the whole issue of idiomatic turns of phrase, etc. Hats off to your daughter for being able to translate documents for companies. I will pass on your good wishes to Carla. (We will see her in a couple of weeks.)
ReplyDeleteWow. That really is good news for you. Congrats!
ReplyDeleteHi, Rosi, good news for the translator, too. I think she's enthused about the possibility of finding more translation projects.
ReplyDeleteThat is so cool! And I loved meeting the translator.
ReplyDeleteHi, Tanya. I did, too. When I first met her, it wasn't as a translator, just as a friend of a friend. She is a real "sweetie". I was so glad she turned out to be the translator.
ReplyDeleteThat's so awesome that your book was translated into Spanish. Congrats!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Natalie. I'm thrilled. I never thought I would have a published book that has been translated. Have a great day.
ReplyDeleteHow exciting! It sounds like it was meant to be. Great hearing from Carla and learning more about her. I have never had one of my books translated into another language- but I think it's awesome and would be thrilled if it happened. :)
ReplyDelete~Jess
Hi, Jess, Thanks for stopping by. I never expected to have a book translated, so that was quite a happy development. You never know what is around the corner.
ReplyDeleteThis is so exciting! Congrats to Carla.
ReplyDeleteHi, Nas, and thanks. We are actually in her area of Spain right now, so I will pass your congratulations on to her. :-)
ReplyDelete