London’s British Museum is planning an event that will feature two translators “going head to head.”

As part of its third annual World Literature Weekend, the British Museum in London is planning a celebration of foreign literature. The 3-day festival (June 17-19) will include about 20 events, including one called “Live Translation.”

“This event is about cracking open the process of translation and taking a look at its inner workings,” explains the official program. “Two translators – Shaun Whiteside and Mike Mitchell – go head to head with their versions of a previously untranslated work; with the help of the author and chair, the variations and nuances of the text, in both languages, are brought to light.”

For the moment, we can imagine that this live translation “happening” may not draw in throngs of crowds: so far, its Facebook page shows only one person as “maybe attending.”

Yet, organizers imply that some excitement will be involved in this “translation-off.” Both of the competitors – uh, translators – translate from German to English, but “it doesn’t matter in the slightest if you don’t speak German,” emphasizes event chair Daniel Hahn.

The Battle of the Translation Titans, anyone?

Betty Carlson

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