Jackson Gu
on translating Annie Ernaux
During the translation process, I tried to stay as true as possible to the structure of the original text. Several modulations were necessary, as French employs the preposition “of” much more frequently than does English. However, repeated use of “of” sounds heavy in English. Another notable feature is verb tense. The French passé composé tense can be translated as either the simple past tense or the present perfect tense in English. In the second paragraph of the excerpt, the author repeatedly uses passé composé, so I carefully considered which English equivalent more accurately conveys the meaning. Both are perfectly viable options, but I decided on the present perfect to emphasize past pain that lingers in the present. Though short and deceivingly simple, the excerpt required careful consideration, as every word conveys the feelings of disheartenment and inferiority felt by the narrator.
about the author
French author Annie Ernaux spent her childhood in Yvetot, Normandy. Her works are often based on personal experiences. In 1984 she won the Prix Renaudot for her novel La place (A Man’s Place), a narrative in which she recounts her relationship with her father. Many of her works have been translated into English. L’autre fille (The Other Girl) is a short autobiographical novel in which Ernaux describes how she lived her childhood in the shadow of an older sister who had died before Ernaux was born. Her parents kept the secret from her, but over the years hints and photos led her to the truth. She realized she was a replacement that would never measure up.
about the translator
Jackson Gu is a sophomore majoring in economics and French at the University of Pennsylvania. Raised in Canada, he was exposed to French at an early age, but it wasn’t until his junior year of high school that he discovered his passion for the language.
