Present

Abstract

While the field of translation comes with a vast amount of theory, no amount of theory can compare to the experience of first-hand practice. This thesis is a translation of French poet Nolwenn Euzen’s book "Présente" complete with a critical introduction that addresses aspects of translation theory. In the introduction, I look at how theorists seem to look down on translation as a lower, inadequate form of literature and contrast this with Walter Benjamin’s elevation of translation as an avenue to pure language. I also give a brief biography of Euzen. "Présente" is her first book, and it is an experiment in observation through saying I. The ‘I’ in the poems develops into a quirky character through interactions with her mother, travels to Ireland, and meditations on seduction through fish-metaphor. The poems presented many difficulties in their rendering into English, and the issues that I discuss in my introduction include homonyms, lack of gendered articles in English, and the retention of foreign words in the English version.