De ce n-au bani traducatorii romani

pentru ca n-au atitudine. pentru ca nu se respecta.
cam aceeasi poveste ca si in invatamint cu profesorii. urmaresc noua greva cu mare curiozitate, deci. astept sa vad cine va ceda.

muncesc pe rupte, sint platiti la pastele cailor, dar continua cu masocheala pina in pinzele albe. semneaza contracte de parca chiar ar valora ceva. unde sint oare vremurile cind cuvintul dat era litera de lege? traducatorii respecta aceste contracte, sint dispusi sa fie penalizati atunci cind intirzie lucrarile, desi (n.b – deadline-urile sint foarte strinse), dar apoi, cind au probleme, le e frica de justitie, de zici ca ar fi cei mai mari infractori, nu oameni care stiu limbi straine si care au investit in treaba asta ani de invatatura, dedicatie etc.

pe site-ul clubului traducatorilor e o intreaga zapaceala. am intrat, m-am inscris, citesc newslatterurile lor sau discutiile o data pe saptamina si cam atit. nu ma bag peste oamenii aceia, o data pentru ca nu am timp si doi pentru ca nu sint pe domeniul traducerilor tehnice, juridico-notariale, dar oricum informatiile care curg pe acel forum merita accesate.

o sa vb, in trecere, despre traducatorii din edituri. am luat cunostinta de prea multe cazuri de tepe ca sa fie enumerate aici. am rezervat astfel de probleme pentru raportul la OIM. ma opresc doar la citeva si putem avea o idee.

Caz 1. Acum vreun an jumatate, la tirgul de carte Gaudeamus, noiembrie 2007 mai exact, lua cuvintul actorul Eugen Cristea (il stiti din emisiunea pentru copii “Feriti-va de magarus!” pe care o prezenta acum citiva ani). Prezenta atunci o carte pe care o tradusese pt Tritonic (neverending story!) si apoi spunea asa, cam printre dinti: “poate ar fi bine daca editorii si-ar plati totusi traducatorii”.

Uau, mi-am zis atunci, uite cineva care are curaj sa arate cu degetul in public. Jos palaria, dom`le! Ca sa aflu recent nu numai ca n-a fost platit in continuare, dar ca a tradus in total zece carti de-ale lui Zelazny, fara sa vada nici un ban. uau uau uau, sau mai degraba, auch! Cum, ma? Sa traduci asa la nesfirsit? Nu-ti dai seama ce precedent creezi?

Au contraire, inseamna ca eu devin chiar o mare nesimtita ca-mi vreau banii de la prima traducere si imediat dupa 5 luni de la publicare, desi contractul zicea ca dupa 2 ii voi vedea pe toti de-a fir a par, dar hai, imi zic, sa fiu eu fata intelegatoare, sa nu spuna editorul ca nu-i inteleg afacerile si eforturile de a publica romane minunate, ca de n-ar fi nu s-ar mai povesti si visele mele de a-mi petrece vacante binemeritate in insule grecesti nu s-ar mai narui, hehehehe…

Caz 2. Stefan Ghidoveanu – un alt traducator cunoscut, apreciat in breasla si premiat pentru traducerea lui – asta ca sa dam la o parte eventualele acuzatii ale unei traduceri proaste (tot de la Tritonic) nu chiar aceeasi situatie, fiindca n-a asteptat zece carti ca sa cheme stufful editorial in fata unei intilniri avocatesti amiabile, dar tot din pricina neplatii lucrarii are probleme. A luat atitudine si a trimis un mail editurii-mama de la care editura impricinata cumparase drepturile. Efectul a fost, dupa spusele autorului traducerii, ca Tritonic a fost banata si i-au fost retrase drepturile de copyright. Cind va primi banii, dzeu stie. Batai de cap, procese si bani cheltuiti pentru ca omul a muncit, dar, surpriza?!, nu si-a primit drepturile.

Caz 3,4,5… sint destui traducatori care inca mai spera sa-si primeasca banii pe prima traducere, acceptind deja o noua lucrare, dar au incredere in altii (comme moi, par example) ca-i vor speria pe domnii editori prin actiunile lor. Acest lucru nu-l voi intelege niciodata, dar, ma rog, asta este dilema mea si in acelasi timp “greseala” in care persist. Si da, acum ii puteti anunta ca am luat legatura cu voi, in speranta ca ei vor tremura de frica mea, hahahaha, si-i va lovi subit grija de finantele voastre… desi, sa stiti ca s-ar putea intimpla si asta, ca nu e prima oara cind mi-am arogat rolul de miel sacrificat pe altarul intereselor altora mai slabi decit mine. ratatilor, tineti aproape…

Iata alte patanii despre care cei interesati ar trebui sa stie. Ordinea in care pot fi citite articolele este urmatoarea:

x, , y., z. sau Datorii pe gratis, w. sau Despre statutul precar al traducatorului (articole trimise pe mail prin amabilitatea unei cititoare-traducatoare la rindul ei). Laudabil totusi ca Observatorul Cultural ingaduie o polemica de data asta.

Stam si ne crucim si ne resemnam cu faptul ca nu sintem primii, singurii si nici ultimii. Ca facem parte din sistemul editorial care arunca pe piata carti dintr-o mare dragoste pentru bani. Aceasta e cultura. Unii o fac de drag, altii profita cu bucurie. Unii creeaza precedente, altii latra la luna.

Ironic sau nu, cartea la care am lucrat anul trecut se numeste “Sfinta Alianta”. Nu are rost sa mai spun ca la intilnirile mele avocatesti amiabile care ar fi trebuit sa fie intre parti nu s-a prezentat nici macar umbra stuffului de la Tritonic, pe motiv ca n-au avut timp sa pregateasca hirtiile, preocupati fiind de atitea lansari si treaba peste masura.

Mergem mai departe si inaintam rapoarte. ce altceva? Sa vedeti ce distractiv devine dupa al doilea raport.

Nu-i iau in calcul pe cei care mai lucreaza inca, multumiti de faptul ca aceeasi editura, ce nu i-a platit!, i-a bagat iar in seama si le-a mai dat o traducere pe banda rulanta. E treaba lor ce fac si cum isi eficientizeaza timpul. Enervarea mea se indreapta nu catre editorii speculativi, ci taman catre cei ce le fac jocurile, iar acest lucru nu are legatura cu faptul ca si eu am tradus de placere uneori sau pt a-mi rotunji finantele alteori. Aceasta insemnare ar fi existat dincolo de problemele mele (pe care oricum le voi rezolva) si pe care, in esenta, nu le consider mari drame. Enervarea mea se indreapta si asupra propriei mele persoane, in definitiv, fiindca desi stiam ca Tritonic e mereu rau-platnica, mi-am inchipuit ca mie nu are cum sa mi se intimple asa ceva si nu am luat in seama nici reprosul lui Eugen Cristea de acum un an jumatate, nici plecarile in grup ale unor oameni de baza din editura respectiva. Eram pe atunci oarecum legata de un contract de editare si am crezut balivernele legate de perioada de criza prin care trecea sarmana editura.

Stiu ca vor fi destui care trecind pe-aici vor mustaci si se vor ascunde dupa colturi, dupa blocuri “sintem noi majoritatea”. Adevarul este ca nu-mi pasa de ei. La un calcul simplu insa, din datoriile pe care le are o editura fata de colaboratorii sai (desi prost platiti, in fapt neplatiti) poate iesi o suma frumusica, numai bine sa se puna bazele unui nou departament, mai junior asa. Ma bucur enorm pentru cei care au ramas sa hamaleasca servili si entuziasti, ca la primele lor intilniri de amor. ii inteleg perfect pentru ca am trecut si eu pe strada aceea, bafta mea a fost ca cineva n-a mai rezistat la un moment dat si mi-a dat cu barosul in cap sa ma trezesc din visele mele cumplit de iluzorice.

Acea persoana mi-a dat o dureroasa lectie de prietenie. de-atunci si pina acum nu am facut altceva decit sa fiu din ce in ce mai atenta.

Ceea ce va doresc si voua!

Imi pasa de cei care se vor duce miine fir intins la familiile lor cu speranta ca au de lucru la o traducere. Ii si vad la birou buchisind de zor, cu dioptriile din ce in ce mai mari.

Sa auzim de bine, deci… ca de rele poate sinteti satui…

English translation:

Why do Romanian Literary Translators Never Have Money

Well, they don’t have money because they don`t have a professional attitude and a minimum respect for their sisyphean job. Working till they almost drop dead, having tight deadlines, because they need quickly some extra-money, signing abusive contracts like they are really worth something, even if they know that these contracts are completely abusive, working without payment in advance, sometimes even without being paid and more important working for low prices (between 2-3 euro/ 2000 characters (the lucky ones could rarely get 4 euro/ 2000 characters), this is the pale portrait of an intellectual in Romania.

The thing is that in this situation nobody could make a decent living except for the editor.
To integrate this personal translator picture in the big one, I also have to say that there are 11 000 publishing houses in Romania, but only 4 500 active. Even so… there are a lot of editors… for a small country with such a small culture. No matter how proud we want to be that we are originating in a great cultural that changed the world, let`s be honest and at least respect the dignity of our jobs, our professional matters and demands and then maybe… we could talk about “changing the world”.
In such conditions we could state that editorial business in Romania IS something great and everybody is just doing fine. 4500 active publishing houses means a lot of work to do and a lot of books to translate. But one of the rules of any business is that A LOT doesn`t mean QUALITY.

The Reality Beyond Imagination

Let`s say this number again. 4 500 publishing houseS and no literarY agency and no professional association of literary translators. Not even one. Can you imagine the chaos inside this system? I guess not. The reality is always beyond imagination.
Though, there is an Authorized Romanian Translators Association (UNTAR), where solutions for technical, legal translations are found and disseminated, or at least disscused, which is totally different from a literary organisation, the last one it doesn`t exist. Anyway, the information from UNTAR should be accessed by every translator interested in doing his job properly. Because in the jerky way that nobody is paid as it should, or, at least, as contracts sipulate, you need someone to watch your bag and if you didn`t earn that extra-money you hoped for, well, you need a good lawyer to get it for you. This is another huge problem. When justice is at stake most literary translators shiver and piss their paints in shame or laziness, like some freaky delinquents, not people mastering foreign languages and investing in this ability years of experience, studies, dedication and of course a lot of money…
I became aware of too many cases of duperies to be listed here. I`ll mention only a few for you to grasp the wide picture.

Situation 1. Almost two years ago at Gaudeamus Bookfest in Bucharest, November 2007, to be more specific, the actor and translator Eugen Cristea (also known in Romania as a showman in a children show named “Beware of the Donkey!”) made a speech about his books. He was translating at that time a book for Tritonic Publishing House (there are neverending stories related to this Editorial House – it is not the case to mention all of them now). At the end of his speech, Eugen Cristea said: “It would be good if the editors will finally pay the translators!” and he looked in a specific way to his editor. Wow, I said then to myself, look someone who has the guts to point his finger in public. Only to recently find out that not only wasn`t he paid at that time for that book, but he continued to translate at the same Publishing House another 10 books by Roger Zelazny without ever being paid. Wow, what generosity… Or, should I say: OUTCH?! Come on… Translating 10 books whitout asking for your money, do you know what kind of precedent you create?

On the contrary, it means that I become just a bit rude that I want my fee for my first translation and after 5 months since its publication, although the contract mentioned that I should have been paid after two months. But well, come on, let`s be all understanding with this kind of editors and their efforts to publish great novels, right?

Situation 2. Stefan Ghidoveanu – another well-known translator appreciated in business, with a lot of prizes – and i`m telling this to give away any accusations of bad translation (the favorite excuse of Tritonic Publishing House) – is not in the same situation, because he didn`t wait ten books to call editorial stuff in front of his lawyer, also for non-payment clauses. He took action and sent a mail to the principal publishing house the editor had purchased the publishing rights and explained them the situation. He asked them not to work anymore with the unserious Romanian editor. The effect was that Tritonic Publishing House was banned and the book’s copyright was withdrawn. It seems that other countries really care about their translators` work. But Stefan Ghidoveanu will receive his money, only God knows when. Headaches, law-suits and money spent for nothing, time and energy consumed and all these because he finished his job, but, surprise ?!?, he just has no rights.

Situations 3,4,5… There are enough translators who still hope to receive their money on their first contract and already accepted a new contract (actually the same – only the title is different) but they trust others (like me, for instance) who will scare the publishers with their legal actions. I will never understand this but, well, this is my dilemma and at the same time “my mistake”. And yes, you can announce now that I got in touch with you hoping that they will tremble because of me, hahahaha, and suddenly all Romanian editors will take care of translator’s finances … However, this might happen. It`s not the first time when I played the sacrificed lamb role. So… hey, losers, stay close!

Some Do It for Love, Others For Benefits…

We are just staying still and comforting ourselves with the fact that we are not the last ones or the only ones who have been tricked. That we are just a little part of this great Editorial picture who through books on the market from a great love for money. That’s culture! Some do it for love, others for benefits. Some create precedents, others bark at the moon.

(to be continued)

(corrections made by Stefan Macovei)

Later edit:
Alte insemnari despre traduceri si traducatorii din Ro:
Mircea Pricajan – Drepturile traducatorilor de literatura

Bola de Nieve “Cu traducatorii”

Metropotam – Drepturi si tarife

Two days later edit:

Un alt tzepar (Editura Est).

Three days later edit:

Kullusys, new entry pe piata de carte romaneasca. Nush cum de-am uitat de ea, ca doar tot in ograda mea s-a petrecut.

Lista se lungeste.