Gregorio Doblehablante
on translating Pablo Neruda
“La Gaviota“ was published in Neruda’s book Arte de pájaros (Bird’s Art). During the fall semester of 2014, we undertook this translating task as an opportunity to face the polysemantic nature of all languages. In that sense, we submit these translations as the work of a collective author named Gregorio Doblehablante.
about the author
Pablo Neruda (1904–1973) is one of the best-known Latin American poets of the twentieth century. Hailing from Chile, he received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971 “for a poetry that with the action of an elemental force brings alive a continent’s destiny and dreams.” In fact, many of his poems are imbued with a sense of politics, which is contextualized by Neruda’s ardent support of the Communist Party and his work as a diplomat. His famous collections include Veinte poemas de amor y una canción desesperada (Twenty Love Poems and A Desperate Song) and Crepusculario (Book of Twilight).
about the translator
GREGORIO DOBLEHABLANTE (“Gregory DoubleSpeak”) is the pseudonym of a collective authorial group consisting of five undergraduates and two graduate student supervisors. The included translations are collective projects done in Casa Hispana, a Modern Language Program that takes place in Gregory College House, a student residence at the University of Pennsylvania. Casa Hispana is a language program designed to help residents in Gregory College House and students throughout campus to improve their speaking skills in Spanish. It is also a place of encounter where students can learn more about Latin American, Latino, and Hispanic cultures.
