The Linguist

12 The Linguist Vol/62 No/2 thelinguist.uberflip.com FEATURES translating French and other European languages into English, and there are no easy answers. Siân did once permit Maigret to call a crook 'Sunshine' by way of a solution. A team effort Once completed, each translation was read and edited by Josephine as she consulted the original French. "I soon developed a sense of what aligned best with the tone and impact of the original, and a working memory of translation issues that arose in other novels in the series," she says. Josephine would point out any terms that had cropped up elsewhere and needed to be standardised, or words that were too British for the US readership, as well as offering the occasional suggestion. Having an overall editor who took such detailed care created a feeling that we were all on the same page without inhibiting our style of translating – a delicate balance! The work of the two copy editors, Claire Peligry and David Watson, was essential in ensuring consistency, and they discussed with both Josephine and the translators how best to resolve queries that would impact meaning. Ros and Siân worked with Claire who, as a bilingual person, was able to pick up tiny nuances of understanding and interpretation. We had no hesitation in asking for her views on knotty problems, and we discussed any uncertainties before sending the text for typesetting. The proofs were then sent to two external proofreaders, as well as to the translator and copy editor, who collated all the corrections. For Ros, it was a source of wonder that, despite our careful editing, the proofreaders always found something to correct. "This has been the most robust and professional editorial process I have ever experienced, and I hold it up as a model," she says. Becoming a Simenon expert Translating numerous books by one author is a rare privilege. Having 'lived' with Simenon for nine years, Ros felt married to Maigret – even more so than Madame Maigret. She gained significant insights into what drove his writing. "He was intrigued by what motivates an ordinary person to commit a crime – by their tipping point. It's not 'whodunnit' but 'why they dunnit' that fascinates him. He is endlessly curious about human nature." "Maigret's role is more that of a father confessor than a cop," she adds. "Very often, he (and the reader) knows who the murderer is, and the murderer knows he knows. The dénouement is the confession. Sometimes the killer goes free – Maigret's satisfaction is in resolving the mystery rather than in seeing the perpetrator behind bars. Simenon is clearly on the side of the little people against the corrupt elites. He leaves no stone unturned to find the murderer of a working-class girl or to expose the skeletons in the cupboards of the wealthy. He is keenly attuned to resentments that build up over a lifetime – deriving from sexual humiliation, abuse in childhood, professional failure – which suddenly surface and drive a person to murder." Many of his female characters are interesting, Ros concludes: sexual predators, women with agency, in an era when women didn't have many options. And when a woman turns to crime, it is often because she has limited life choices (find a wealthy husband/become a prostitute). Simenon shows human life in all its infinite variety. For Siân, the project stretching over a period of several years has been its own reward. It's quite humbling, as the books tend not to get reviewed individually. So as translators, we have contributed to a team effort and the common good, which is a different – and rather salutary – feeling. Notes 1 The translators not mentioned elsewhere in this article are Anthea Bell, Linda Coverdale, David Coward, Howard Curtis and Will Hobson. MAN OF MANY FACES Rupert Davies, Rowan Atkinson and Gerard Depardieu (l-r) have all played Maigret

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