Liliana Heker Short Story Translation

[quitodario]

Hello! I just uploaded an English-language translation of Liliana Heker's short story "El concurso" at the blog Contemporary Argentine Writers:

"The contest, said the woman from the bank, would be open only to local bank employees and their families; he would certainly discover, she assured him, some shoo-ins among them. Remus’ mind lingered on the word “shoo-in.” When he was a boy, his parents bought him shoes that were too big for him, and he had to use inserts until his feet grew into them, sorry? I was saying that you will find Professor Lusarreta of invaluable assistance, said the woman. Ah, yes, he said, and thought melancholically of how old and worn his shoes got by the time they did fit him. It will be most inspiring for the writers at the bank, said the woman. Remus figured that in the world of the living, there couldn’t be more than fifteen short story writers worth reading; it was improbable that the banking sector of a seaside town—family included—would harbor even one of them, but given the state of depression he found himself in lately, the woman’s offer didn’t seem all that bad: roundtrip deluxe bus service, his honorarium and a three-day hotel stay. The idea of looking out to sea for hours, getting drunk off the pendular roar of the breakers until his soul dissolved and the tribulations of heartbreak and failure were reduced to what they really were—a drop in the universe—made a few days of reading bad writing seem worthwhile, and so he said yes, he’d accept."

Let me know what you think.

 

[stevec]

Hello Dario

Nice work, I quite enjoyed the piece - liked Remus, though found the use of an amateur writing contest as a plot device, particularly by an older, established writer, a bit unworthy and unendearing. The story doesn't, say, reach for the heights of Fahrenheit 451...

In terms of translation, thought your writing flowed nicely. A couple of cliches/clunky bits might be worth revisiting:

'When he hung up, it was clear there was no turning back'

'he realized he was in a good mood for the first time in ages'

One suggestion: I'd retain the french title of the Stendahl book. I think this would be more in keeping with an aged and venerated writer's perspective.

Look forward to more of your translations. Best,

 

[quitodario]

Thanks for the feedback, SteveC. I agree El concurso isn't L. Heker's strongest piece, but most of her short stories had already been translated into English, so the pickings were slim. I find it interesting, though, that the story touches on something she herself seems to have been going through; La muerte de dios, the short story collection in which El concurso appears, is her first published work following a 10 year hiatus. If you listen to the interview at the end, she discusses this issue, similar to “the thing” languishing inside Remus.

I'll take a closer look at the areas you pointed out; I like the suggestion of going with the French title for Stendhal, although in her original version, Heker did opt for the Spanish translation.

My next project is Club social de velocipedistas, an unpublished story by Norberto Luis Romero that the author was generous enough to share with me. You can learn more about Romero at: http://www.norbertoluisromero.com/

Thanks again for reading and for taking the time to share your thoughts.