Amoris Laetitia - updated translation frustrations

More than three years ago I wrote a blog entry on the way Pope Francis was being translated. Then more than a year ago I wrote about my problems with the translation of Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia. This past week I participated in a clergy study week in our diocese and looking again at the document, I found myself even more frustrated by the English translation. I found even more problems. Here is a revised version of the previous post.

Since I read and understand English much better than Spanish, I often first read the document in English and then began comparing the passages I liked in English with their Spanish parallels.

I found, in some cases, that the English translation is quite mundane when compared with the Spanish translation. In other places, it seems to soften the edge of the Spanish and miss the poetry. If anyone knows Italian, it would be useful to see how that language puts these passages.

Here are some passages I found most problematic.

Paragraph 39, in English, begins:

This is hardly to suggest that we cease warn­ing against a cultural decline that fails to promote love or self-giving. The consultation that took place prior to the last two Synods pointed to the various symptoms of a “culture of the ephem­eral”.

I believe that “culture of the ephemeral” obscures the point Pope Francis is trying to make. The Italian speaks of “cultura del provvisorio” and the Spanish is “cultura de lo provisorio.” I think “ephemeral” gives the impression of something not taken seriously, even though it is sometimes used in terms of something transitory; “provisional,” though, seems to imply that something is only for a short time. The next sentence in the document seems to speak of these short-term commitments:

“Here I think, for example, of the speed with which people move from one affective rela­tionship to another. They believe, along the lines of social networks, that love can be connected or disconnected at the whim of the consumer, and the relationship quickly “blocked.”

Paragraph 183 reads:

"For their part, open and caring families find a place for the poor and build friendships with those less fortunate than themselves."

I was very taken aback by the term “less fortunate” which is not found in the Spanish.

"En cambio, las familias abiertas y solidarias hacen espacio a los pobres, son capaces de tejer una amistad con quienes lo están pasando peor que ellas".

The Spanish text is hard to translate, but here's my attempt: 

"On the other hand, families that are open and [live in] solidarity make a place for the poor, they are able to weave a friendship with those who are passing [through situations] worse than they are."

Note that the English version has families "finding" a place for the poor where the Spanish has them "making" a space. The English also talks about "building" friendships where the Spanish uses a different analogy - "weaving".

But the one phrase that really disturbs me is the use of the term "less fortunate." This is a term that I really despise. For me this is a way to dismiss or put down the poor, defining them as "less fortunate." In addition, poverty is thus seen as the result of fortune (or fate).

But look at the Spanish. It sees the situation of the person as "going through" a worse situation; it does not define those experiencing poverty as "poor" or "less fortunate."

Paragraph 219 in English it reads: 

"Young love needs to keep dancing towards the future with immense hope."

I like this translation. The English expresses the need for young lovers to keep dancing.

But the Spanish has a slightly different meaning:

La danza hacia adelante con ese amor joven, la danza con esos ojos asombrados hacia la esperanza, no debe detenerse.

This is not easy to translate but my literal translation from the Spanish shows something more pointed:

"The dance towards the future with this young love, the dance with astonished eyes toward hope, ought not to be held back."

There is a sense in the Spanish that at times this joyful and hopeful dancing encounters obstacles. These obstacles must be resisted.

In addition, the English misses the poetry of  “astonished eyes looking forward to hope.”

Paragraph 240 opens with a strong statement:

Many people leave childhood without ever having felt unconditional love. This affects their ability to be trusting and open with others.

But the Spanish is stronger.

Muchos terminan su niñez sin haber sentido jamás que son amados incondicionalmente, y eso lastima su capacidad de confiar y de entregarse.

I translate it in this way:

Many end their childhood without ever having felt that they are loved unconditionally; this damages their ability to be trusting and giving of themselves.

“Entregar” does not mean being open; it means handing oneself over. It is often used as a translation of the Latin “traditur” and in the Mass the words of the consecration of the Host include the words “por vobis tradetur” in Latin and “será entregado por ustedes” in Spanish. It is translated in English as “will be given up for you.”

“Entregar” is a very strong word in Spanish. To say that someone is “entregado” is to say that the person is committed, has given his life for a cause. It is a far cry from being “open.” This is much more than being “open with others.”

The title of the last section of the document, beginning with Paragraph 321, presents some problems in my opinion.

The Spanish reads “Espiritualidad del cuidado, del consuelo y del stimulo”; the Italian reads “Spiritualità della cura, della consolazione e dello stimulo.” The English translation is “A Spirituality of care, consolation and Incitement.” I don’t think incitement really catches the meaning of “stimulo” which, to me, means something more like encouragement or stimulation or inspire, than incitement. (The word “incitement” carries for me the baggage of the charge of “inciting to riot.” However, I would not favor translating it as “stimulate” since it has too many sexual overtones in my mind.)

Obscuring the point

Chapter four includes a beautiful meditation on St. Paul’s reflection on love in 1 Corinthians 13. But in several places the chapter headings are misleading.

Paragraph 101 begins the reflection on 1 Corinthians 13, 4, “it does not seek its own interests.”

The English translation entitles the section, “Love is generous.” But the Spanish uses a stronger term: “desprendimiento”. This is a difficult word to translate but it can be translated as “detachment.” Interesting the Italian title is “Distacco generoso” which I think can be translated as “generous detachment.” Narrowing the title to generosity seems to miss the importance of putting the other first.

The section beginning with paragraph 123 is entitled “Lifelong sharing,” which expresses an important part of what marriage is called to be.

But the Spanish title is “Toda la vida, todo en común”, literally “All the life, everything in common.” The Italian reads, “Tutta la vita, tutto in commune” which seems to be the same as the Spanish.

Both the Spanish and Italian translations play on the word “all” – “todo” o “tutto” – which is hard to do in English. But the sense is more than mere sharing and recalls the passages in the Acts of the Apostles 4: 32, where the followers of Christ are described as holding “everything in common.”

I have not had time to check other parts of this important document on the family, but I hope in the future that the English translators are a little more accurate.

Raise a ruckus

 

­Today Pope Francis returns to Rome after an incredible journey to World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro.

His visit to a favela was a continuing sign of his commitment to the poor as was his visit to a drug rehabilitation center at a hospital.

He also showed a concern for justice. He raised questions about the police "purification" a few months ago of the poor neighborhood he visited. He spoke strongly for the rights of the indigenous in the Amazon.

He spoke, as he has since his first days as Bishop of Rome, against consumerism, individualism,  and materialism.

He must have driven his security details crazy by his continuing desire to be in contact with people.

He is a personable pope, more like a lovable parish priest than an ecclesiastic. As I wrote previously, he feels like an “Uncle Frank.”

But in Rio, as in other places, he has spoken in ways that should shake up the church. In off the cuff remarks in Spanish to the Argentinian youth in Rio he said:

Quisiera decir una cosa. ¿Qué es lo que espero como consecuencia de la Jornada de la Juventud? Espero lío. Que acá dentro va a haber lío va a haber, que acá en Río va a haber lío va a haber, pero quiero lío en las diócesis, quiero que se salga afuera, quiero que la Iglesia salga a la calle, quiero que nos defendamos de todo lo que sea mundanidad, de lo que sea instalación, de lo que sea comodidad, de lo que sea clericalismo, de lo que sea estar encerrados en nosotros mismos, las parroquias, los colegios, las instituciones son para salir, sino salen se convierten en una ONG ¡y la Iglesia no puede ser una ONG!

Que me perdonen los obispos y los curas, si alguno después le arma lío a ustedes, pero es el consejo. Gracias por lo que puedan hacer.

I shared this on Facebook under the title: “raise a ruckus in the dioceses,” even though the AP translated “lío” as “mess.” One friend suggested “fuss” which is better than “mess.” I might, however, accept “mess” if it were talking about “messing up.” But "ruckus" is, I think, better.

But then I looked today at the Vatican website translation where I found "lio" translated as “noise.” What a way to tame a strong statement. What bishop is going to be upset if the youth make some noise. They’d just be like crying babies in church.

Here’s what the Vatican site translation is:

Let me tell you what I hope will be the outcome of World Youth Day: I hope there will be noise.  Here there will be noise, I’m quite sure.  Here in Rio there will be plenty of noise, no doubt about that.  But I want you to make yourselves heard in your dioceses, I want the noise to go out, I want the Church to go out onto the streets, I want us to resist everything worldly, everything static, everything comfortable, everything to do with clericalism, everything that might make us closed in on ourselves.  The parishes, the schools, the institutions are made for going out ... if they don’t, they become an NGO, and the Church cannot be an NGO. 

May the bishops and priests forgive me if some of you create a bit of confusion afterwards.  That’s my advice.  Thanks for whatever you can do.

The translation is weak, to put it mildly.

I think the pope is really saying that he wants the youth to raise a ruckus so that the church goes out of itself, that it is truly missionary. But he wants this to be done without clinging to worldliness (which he seems to relate to desire for power and control), without being stuck where the Church is and has been. He warns of getting too comfortable.

Most strikingly, he warns of “clericalism.” Hearing this, I felt so grateful that someone in the hierarchy is warning about “clericalism,” a scourge in the church which I find not limited to one faction in the church. I have seen and experienced the clericalism of some priests who would consider themselves “radicals.” When I priest I work with spoke of his concern about clericalism a few weeks ago I almost fell out of the chair where I was sitting. What a breath of fresh air.

But one sentence of the Vatican translation really takes the cake for trying to gloss over the radical nature of what Pope Francis sai:

Que me perdonen los obispos y los curas, si alguno después le arma lío a ustedes, pero es el consejo.

The Vatican site translation is: 

 May the bishops and priests forgive me if some of you create a bit of confusion afterwards.

A more literal (and, I think, accurate) translation might be:

May you bishops and priests forgive me if some one later raises a ruckus for you. 

That’s a lot more serious than “creating a bit of confusion.” One idiomatic translation of “armar lío” I ran across is “stir up a hornet’s nest.”

This is not the first time I’ve seen the Pope’s words translated in a way that softens their impact – and it probably won’t be the last. So we need to be attentive to attempts to soften his prophetic words.

But the call is clear: “Raise a ruckus,” get out of the closed-in, insular Church and be the Gospel of Love to the world.

I am grateful for a pope who offers a vision of a church in the streets, with the poor, not fearful of going out and making changes. This can help us nurture hope.

This is what he said to young people at the end of his talk in the favela of Varginha, in Rio:

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Here, as in the whole of Brazil, there are many young people. Dear young friends, you have a particular sensitivity towards injustice, but you are often disappointed by facts that speak of corruption on the part of people who put their own interests before the common good. To you and to all, I repeat: never yield to discouragement, do not lose trust, do not allow your hope to be extinguished. Situations can change, people can change. Be the first to seek to bring good, do not grow accustomed to evil, but defeat it. The Church is with you, bringing you the precious good of faith, bringing Jesus Christ, who “came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (Jn 10:10).

I hope that he and all of us can truly live up to this challenge – raise a ruckus and don’t be afraid of stirring up a hornet’s nest. That way we may bring to people Jesus, the God of Life.