A little relief...

[alexpgp]

What I like about the translation profession is that you get to learn about some pretty abstruse subjects. My current text concerns embroidery in Dagestan, and I am in the middle of acquiring an education in what roots and plants make the best dyestuffs. (It's fascinating reading, except for the part where one adds cow urine to the mixture...).

My trial period with WebCam32 expired. To be frank, the demonstration version of the software sucked. The AVI feature would not, could not be turned off and I kept getting a lot of unexplained errors that prevented me from using the program. However, based on the reputation of the software, I sprang for a registration, and it turns out the registered version of the program works like a charm. Go figure.

I managed to get to Zach Nelson's class this evening. He spoke of developing an actor's "persona," though he did not elaborate too much on the concept. Nonetheless, I found myself making connections with various things he said, though I don't necessarily agree with all of his statements.

In particular, he said that the techniques he was going to present to us would not be useful in any area of our lives except acting. I disagree, but I don't think my disagreement in any way detracts from what else he said. As I've mentioned before, I believe interpretation requires some acting skill, if only from the perspective that you are "on stage" before an "audience" with whom you must establish a rapport. I believe any actor's technique that allows one to deal with stress under fire (e.g., the speaker says a word whose meaning is a complete mystery to you... you must say something... what do you do?) would come in handy. Surely, actors face similar situations, no?

In any event, he spoke also about accepting what he said without debating him at every turn, especially since - in effect - he was going to tell us how to live, as actors.
Perhaps I'm not restating his position with surgical precision, but I think I understand what he's trying to say. The way I see it, language is a linear mechanism. In order to explain something, you've got to lay things out, one word after another. The listener gets an opportunity to digest things one small piece at a time, and there may be some (or many) things that - taken by themselves - either make no sense or are counterintuitive. Rejected in this linear, piecemeal fashion, you never get the full effect of what the speaker is trying to convey.

Since there is no harm in keeping an open mind when hearing new ideas (particularly if there is no "call to action" that would commit you to an irrevocable course, as would be the case, say, when turning over all of your worldly possessions to a religious sect), it makes sense to accept what is being said in a non-judgmental manner, no? At least that's the way I see it.

I seem to be babbling. It's late, and I have a bunch more embroidery to write about tomorrow... maybe even some space work, if I'm lucky.

Cheers...

Comments

[bandicoot.livejournal.com]

I didn't realize Surveyor had changed Webcam32. When I used the free version, it was the same as the paid version except you had to restart it every hour. I figured it was well worthwhile to support it with a paid registration, though.

[alexpgp.livejournal.com]

Go figure. I ran across a reference to the same thing (program requires hourly restart), but that's not what my copy did.

My demo copy barely was able to capture images once it was installed.

That's history now, though. The "real" version works well.

Cheers...

[pixelpusher.livejournal.com]

I think I understand what you're saying. I tend to think of it as Unfolding.

Narrative and character unfolds in a linear fashion. As an actor or writer, you must give the audience enough to grasp onto immediately, and just a tad to store away for later. Give them too much of each and it becomes either a) boring or b) cryptic.

And I totally agree with what you're saying about the act of acting as it applies to your career, and mine. There is a LOT of improvisation involved, and you are, indeed, up on a stage of sorts trying to make a connection with an audience.

As a teacher, I try and make my lectures Unfold in a meaningful way so as not to overwhelm anyone with too much information. As a writer, I try and make my chapters Unfold in a way where the next chapter yields more and more reward.

I can definitely see how this applies to you as a translator as well.

[alexpgp.livejournal.com]

Good point.

I'm wondering, too, if what Zach said about the "actor's persona" would be applicable to teaching and interpretation as well?

As I understand it, this persona is an intermediate entity that is neither the character that is being played, nor is it the "real" person. In my experience, I recall dealing with many people (teachers, drill instructors, and so on) who have such a face, which is different from when they are "on" and is not their true self.

(I'm babbling again, sorry.)

Cheers...

[pixelpusher.livejournal.com]

I think you're right.... and if you take the term "persona" in a strictly Jungian sense, yes there are several masks worn throughout the day to just get by.

I think that is a lot of what I'm struggling with now, with all these crazy dreams and fantasies, is wanting to be seen for who I am, not for these masks that society requires I wear. Masks that I wear to protect myself from being misunderstood. Masks I wear to make myself be understood more clearly... and to attain certain results.

And each time I get up there for the first lecture, there is a distinct persona that snaps into place. For example in my class I am perceived as Very Strict, which I am there, but nothing could be further from the truth in real life.

Anyway. Yes. I totally believe these acting skills can carry over to a non-actor's daily life. Fore xample acting like you know exactly what you're doing (or know the precise word in a translation) when in fact you're unsure... we do this to instill confidence in the audience... to create the illusion that everything is going to be okay. :-)