Pessoa: Translating Emotion

A

I'm always horrified whenever I finish anything. Horrified and desolate. My instinct for perfection should inhibit me from ever finishing anything; it should in fact inhibit me from ever beginning. But I become distracted and do things. My accomplishments are not the product of my applied will but a giving away of my will. I begin because I don't have the strength to think; I finish because I don't have soul enough to stop things. The book is my cowardice.

B

I'm always astonished whenever I finish anything. Astonished and depressed. My desire for perfection should prevent me from ever finishing anything; it should prevent me even from starting. But I forget that and I do begin. What I achieve is a product not of an application of the will, but of a surrender. I begin because I do not have the strength to think; I finish because I do not have the heart simply to abandon it. This book represents my cowardice.

C

I'm always amazed when I finish something. Amazed and distressed. My perfectionist instinct should inhibit me from finishing; it should inhibit me from even beginning. But I get distracted and begin doing something. What I achieve is not the product of an act of my will but of my will's surrender. I begin because I don't have the strength to think; I finish because I don't have the courage to quit. This book is my cowardice.

What differences do you notice?

• Did you come up with different solutions?
• Do you prefer any one of these versions, including your own; if so, why?
• What do you think is more important in a translation, closeness to the original text or readability in the target language (here, English)? Can one have both?
• What do you, as a reader, expect from a translation?

Read more...My response and conclusion

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