What strategies do you use to maintain the author's voice, style and intent when translating literary works or creative content?

Arriving at the translation of a work of art without the original author's voice being present is just impossible, as the author's voice transfers their emotional and artistic effects in the target language.

Getting to Know the Author's Aim
One important approach is to throw yourself into the author's aims. This is not just about reading the lines; it is more about knowing the "why" behind them. What are the emotions, themes, or cultural undertones that the author is trying to convey? For example, a poetic image of a storm can at the same time be just a description of the weather but also a symbol of turmoil or renewal. Missing these aspects would mean you are not just translating words but transferring meaning. Pro tip: Before you start to read the text, check grammar books, or interviews and get to know whether there are other authors' works you can read to increase your understanding of their style.

Setting Up the Time of the Sentence
Writers often make use of literary devices like tempo, sentence length, or even punctuation to provoke certain feelings. A short, blunt sentence might stand for pressuring time, a longer one for deep contemplation. Imitating such an arrangement in translation can ensure the emotional impact will be kept. For example, Hemingway's spare, clipped way of writing shouldn't turn into floral prose in a different language.

Avoiding Stylistic Literalism
Being true to the style means rather than searching for synonyms of each word, you should mainly focus on the overall image. A metaphorical line in one language might require reimagining in another, especially if the metaphor doesn’t exist in the target culture. Let's take a phrase like "spill the beans"; a literal translation made elsewhere might confuse readers instead. It's better to seek an equivalent idiom or expression in the target language.

Collaborate with the Editors
Working together with editors or proofreaders who are familiar with the source material can embellish the translated text with new features. They can show inconsistencies or places where the original tone might have been mislaid. It's always good to share drafts while brainstorming potential improvements to come closer to the author's intent.

Listen to Your Reader Instinct
Before everything, as a translator, you first read the work like a reader who reads to get the feeling and the story without focusing on the language mechanics. What kind of a feeling does this piece evoke in you? Keep that emotional impression as your guiding light during the translation. For instance: If the story is about something haunting in one language, in the translated version it should be something eerie and unsettled instead.

Through the focus on the author's goals, appropriate rhythm, and collaboration, a translator can respect the spirit of the original work while at the same time making it relevant to the new audience.

It all comes down to taking the time to properly read and digest the text. While a single reading is often not enough for one to grasp the subtleties of the author's style, subsequent ones will begin to uncover the substance of the text, including the author's mannerisms and tendencies towards the use of certain words, expressions, sentence structures and many other elements. A translator's job, then, is to produce text that will reflect those subtleties in the target language, effectively adapting the text for an audience that has a different cultural background.

First, by diving headfirst into the work. I take some time to read the text (or at least part of it, if it is too long) to really assimilate the author’s style. Literal translations are not an option here, and cultural references must be adapted thoughtfully when necessary, preserving unique linguistic features. The core message is the most important and the translator must act as a bridge. Of course, we all have different styles, and that style will always transpire, but a good translator is also adaptive.

Translating literary works requires deep immersion, prioritizing meaning over literal translation, cultural sensitivity, creative adaptation, collaboration with the author, and continuous refinement. This approach ensures the translation accurately captures the author's voice, style, and intent.

To maintain the author's voice and style, I focus on understanding the tone and emotions of the original text. I then adapt the language in the target language to keep that same feeling. For literary and creative content, I ensure the translation flows naturally while staying true to the original intent, whether the tone is serious, playful, or poetic. I aim to make the text feel as if it was originally written in the target language.

When I translate literary and creative works, whether it is a book, biography, children’s story, poem, or technical text, my goal is to stay true to the author’s voice and intent. I take the time to understand the tone, rhythm, and unique style of the text. Instead of focusing only on the words, I pay attention to how the author communicates with their readers.

Being native in both English and French helps me capture the subtle details that give the writing its character. I aim to recreate the same feeling and flow in the target language so that it reads like the author wrote it themselves, not like a translation.

Capturing an author’s voice, style, and intent in literary translation requires a nuanced understanding of the text as a whole. This involves immersing oneself in the narrative’s tone, rhythm, and subtleties to grasp its deeper emotional and thematic essence. Instead of focusing solely on the literal meaning of words, a translator must interpret the author’s underlying purpose, ensuring that cultural nuances and stylistic choices resonate authentically in the target language. I will be glad to fulfill this need by providing thoughtful and creative translations that honor the original work while making it accessible and impactful for new audiences.

In order to not make mistakes, always check with the author, if doubting, ask for clarification. It's always useful to know if they want a formal or informal tone, to know the audience of the text/book (adult, young, children).