For Albert Camus’s 100th birthday, we’re translating The Stranger into Tagalog
Albert Camus, 7 November 1913 – 4 January 1960
The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.
We read The Stranger for the first time in college. Fast. From “Mother died today” to “they should greet me with howls of execration,” it felt like one sharp intake of breath. We weren’t sure we understood it, but we had a sense that this was not merely a book to read for class. It was a guide.
On November 7 we mark the centennial of Camus’s birth. The only way to honor a writer who has meant so much to us is to ensure that his work lives on and is read by as wide an audience as possible.
Let’s translate The Stranger into Tagalog.
Unfortunately our French is nonexistent, but we can use the English translation by Stuart Gilbert, the full text of which is available at the Internet Archive. It’s a short book, just 76 pages that we will divide among our translation volunteers. (If we get ten volunteers, that’s only 7 pages each.)
Our ancient paperback of The Stranger
You do not have to have beautiful Tagalog to join the translation team. Our goal is to come up with an accessible translation for the general reader. Later, we can ask an editor to go over our draft. (And then we can do a Camus podcast series and record different people reading The Stranger in Tagalog.)
To join our team of translators, drop us a line in Comments. We will post the page assignments tomorrow night.
Our translation volunteers will receive assorted books by Albert Camus courtesy of our friends at National Bookstore.
Fiction is the lie through which we tell the truth.
Answers to questions you might be asking, unless you wandered onto this site purely by accident >>>
October 31st, 2013 at 15:45
I’d like to volunteer in the translation Jessica.
October 31st, 2013 at 16:12
Thank you, qbeng. A couple of friends have also volunteered (or been volunteered) for the project, so we should have enough brains working on this.
October 31st, 2013 at 16:52
Sali po ako please.
October 31st, 2013 at 17:19
I’d like to volunteer please.
October 31st, 2013 at 21:09
I’d also like to volunteer.
October 31st, 2013 at 23:00
I’d like to join please. I’ve been planning to read his works so might as well start with this one. Ang aking talahulugan ay nakahanda na.
October 31st, 2013 at 23:16
Sinubukan kong isalin ang unang pangungusap ng sanaysay mo at ito ang nagawa ko “Ang tanging paraan na makitungo sa mundong hindi malaya ay ang maging napakamalaya na ang iyong eksistensya ay isang akto ng paghihimagsik”
October 31st, 2013 at 23:32
the chronicler of boredom: Si Camus ang nagsabi niyan. Masyadong mahaba ang pagkasalin mo. Teka, hindi ka nga pala native Tagalog speaker. Hindi problema, ipagpatuloy!
October 31st, 2013 at 23:54
Magandang pagsasanay ito. Hahaha! Tingnan natin kung may saysay ang kakapanood ko ng replay ng Encantadia sa Fox.
November 1st, 2013 at 00:03
Binasa ko ulit ang ginawa ko at puwede pa nga itong maiksian. May estratihiya na ako. Pagkatapos isalin, hanapan ng paraan na maging payak at maiksi. Sige, ito ay ituturing kong hamon.
November 1st, 2013 at 00:33
Puedeng jumoin? Join na lang nang join!
November 1st, 2013 at 01:13
Chus: Dahil cute si Albert Camus, ano? Sige.
November 1st, 2013 at 01:47
Can I join?
Nawa’y mahusay pa ang pananagalog na nakatulong sa aking mga araling pilosopikal kay Fr Roque “Meron” Ferriols noon.
Isang balik-tanaw: Mahirap isalin ang “existence/being/is” sa Tagalog, sapagkat ipinapalagay lamang ng ating wika ang pag-iral: maging ang “ay” (Siya ay maganda – Maganda siya; “It’s raining”: “Umuulan”, hindi “Ito ay umuulan”) ay hindi lubos na nasasakop ang ibig ipahiwatig ng ideyang ito. Kaya’t nagkasya na kami sa pagtawag sa “being” bilang “pag-iral” o, mas madalas, “meron”.
November 1st, 2013 at 01:49
Nah, reminds me of Roland Orzabal of Tears for Fears.
November 1st, 2013 at 01:57
Oh, right. Fr Ferriols insisted on teaching philosophy in Tagalog. Then some philo teachers followed suit. A very tough challenge, but it taught one rigor and a love of our language. Ironic that I lapsed into English in saying this.
November 1st, 2013 at 03:44
“Ang likhang-isip ay isang kasinungalingan kung saan nagsasabi tayo ng katotohanan.” Inyong Kamahalan, sapat na po bang makilayok ang inyong tagasunod?
November 1st, 2013 at 10:56
gusto kong tumulong.
nais kong tumulong.
which one did you like better? :)
November 1st, 2013 at 11:57
balqis1: Our favorite Fr. Ferriols story is the one about the student who asked, “Why does this class have to be in Tagalog, we all speak English naman?” So he conducted the rest of the class in German.
November 1st, 2013 at 11:58
wangbumaximus21: Masyadong literal, pero tanggap ka na.
November 1st, 2013 at 15:37
Nais kong sumali, kung maaari pa.
November 1st, 2013 at 17:17
oberstein: Sure. Please check the next post for your page assignment.
November 1st, 2013 at 18:35
oops, i posted my intent to volunteer in the latest post!
November 7th, 2013 at 01:51
Inyong Kamahalan, isusumite ko ang aking asignatura ngayon o bukas ng umaga, Inyong Kamahalan. Kailangan kong magpalakas nang kaunti dahil sa aking kasalukuyang katayuan, Inyong Kamahalan.