Haruki Murakami: The Translator

Many of you may know that Haruki Murakami is a representative author of Japan, but how many are aware that he also has a persona as a translator? He has translated approximately 70 works, including famous pieces such as F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby," which depicts the American Dream of the 20th century.

In his essay collection titled *Translation (Mostly) Work*, Murakami shares essays related to the numerous translation projects he has undertaken, allocating about one page per work. One might wonder why he included the word "mostly" in parentheses in the title. Of course, this term can be generally understood as an indication that he wrote essays about nearly all the works he translated. However, isn't there something more profound hidden within the word "mostly" regarding Murakami's dedication to translation? 

In a passage from his book *What I Talk About When I Talk About Running*, he reflects on his experience when he first wrote a novel. To make his writing more accessible, he translated his own text into English and made this discovery:

"What I discovered at that time was that even if the number of words and expressions is limited, if you can combine them effectively, then depending on how you carry that combination, you can express emotions and intentions quite well. In short, you don't need to string together difficult words, nor do you need to create beautiful expressions that impress people."

His refined and straightforward way of expressing himself stems from the work of translation. Translation is, after all, his true calling.

The title of his essay collection, *Translation (Mostly) Work*, also reveals his approach to translation as a novelist.

◀️：Translation — not just one author, but millions and millions of authors

▶️：Translation of Long Sentences