San Francisco's Center for Art in Translation
by Kirk Anderson

Reprinted from

December 31, 2001

We translators are always looking for ways to raise our profession's profile in the community. You'll find us preaching translation at parties, writing letters-to-the-editor extolling its virtues, fighting to ensure that our credits appear on the books we've translated, and generally trumpeting translation to anyone who'll listen (especially potential clients). I even know a few translators who've touted translation at their kid's high school career day. We've never lacked zeal.

But we have lacked organized support for our proselytizing.

Finally, though, an organization has emerged to fill the void: the Center for Art in Translation (CAT). Based in San Francisco, CAT incorporated in December of last year with the following goals:

1. To present translation as a bridge between cultures and as a means to foster better understanding of one's own cultural heritage.

2. To encourage language-learning in our schools, demonstrate the benefits of bilingualism, and promote translation skills among bilingual youth.

3. To present international arts in translation, raise awareness of and interest in world literature and art, and encourage artistic expression through the language arts.

4. To honor diverse cultures within our communities as well as around the world, fostering diversity and communication.

5. To create a forum for literary translators to exchange ideas on the art and craft of translation.

Since it was founded a year ago, CAT has launched two successful programs: the Literary Program, which publishes an acclaimed journal and sponsors readings throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, and an innovative education program, Poetry Inside Out (PIO).

The Literary Program's vaunted annual journal, Two Lines, presents original world literature side by side with its English translation. Each piece includes a short introductory essay by the translator discussing the cultural context of the work and the special challenges of translating it. Translatio, the newsletter of the Fédération Internationale des Traducteurs (FIT) has called Two Lines "daringly innovative."

The scope of the journal is impressive, too. In its first seven issues, Two Lines has published an enormous range of literature, from poetry, fiction and essays to religious and historical texts, folklore, letters, and even music. Two Lines has published literature from over fifty cultures, ranging from Abkhazia to Vietnam, in more than 40 languages. This far-ranging work is unified around a specific theme in each issue of Two Lines, though the annual themes are always carefully selected to be open to myriad interpretations. Past themes have included Cells, Crossings, Fires, Ages, and Possession.

In addition to publishing Two Lines, The Literary Program also puts on a series of readings at venues in the Bay Area, bringing global voices to a local audience.

While CAT's Literary Program has enjoyed great success, its education program, Poetry Inside Out (PIO), is its most original and potentially far-reaching endeavor. PIO brings literary translators into San Francisco Bay Area Public Schools (elementary and middle grade) where they teach bilingual kids how to translate poetry written by great contemporary masters and by the students themselves. The program is designed to demonstrate the benefits of bilingualism to young students, encourage language-learning, and promote reading and translation skills.

"Translating poetry boosts bilingual kids' confidence at school and shows them that they possess valuable career skills," says Michael Ray, the literary translator and veteran bilingual teacher who brings PIO to classrooms in the Bay Area. "It also bolsters their English proficiency."

Begun just last year, the program has expanded to serve over 300 students in nine schools and one after-school program. The program is currently limited to the translation of Spanish language poetry, but in future years PIO plans to include additional languages such as Chinese and Vietnamese.

"This program really made my students aware of the importance of speaking two languages and claiming as their own the great cultural heritage of the Spanish-speaking world," says Karen Zapata, a third-grade teacher at Fairmount Elementary School.

Throughout the year, Poetry Inside Out hosts several public performances, inviting parents and the community to see the students read their poems and translations. Each year culminates with the creation of a small anthology of student work, sponsored by the Center for Art in Translation (CAT).

"This kind of program is especially important for children who are not yet fluent in English," says Ray. "And, in contrast to infamously boring grammar lessons, translating poetry is a lot of fun."

Fun, yes, but also serious business. "According to the latest Census, the number of foreign-born Californians is the highest it's been in 100 years. That makes bilingual programs like PIO absolutely vital," says Olivia Sears, CAT's Executive Director.

By bringing translation into the schools, CAT hopes to play a critical role in raising a new generation of Americans who are appreciative of the practical value of bilingualism in an increasingly multicultural world and who are sensitive to the joys and frustrations of translation.

And then maybe we translators can stop bugging people at parties.

For further information on CAT's programs and events, visit their Web site at www.CATranslation.org or contact Olivia E. Sears, Executive Director, Center for Art in Translation, by telephone (415-512-8812) or by e-mail (osears@CATranslation.org).

Kirk Anderson is an ATA-accredited translator (Spanish and French into English and English into Spanish) who also translates from Chinese. He specializes in legal, commercial and marketing texts and has translated scripts for all kinds of video. Kirk can be reached at paellero@aol.com.

--MultiLingual Press