J. Carpenter has a unique background as a translator that I think is very relatable. In the textbook, she goes into depth about how translating certain onomatopoeias was difficult because they convey a feeling that can not be described the same way in English. The best you can do in this situation is find a similar phrase that still sounds natural. I know when I am translating works myself, or even when I am simply having a conversation, I struggle with finding the English equivalent of some Japanese feelings. In my opinion, the Japanese language is able to convey emotions in a way that sometimes English can't. Because it is easy to express the emotions that a word or phrase is aiming to convey but harder to find the word that fits it in English, I really appreciated Carpenter discussing that feeling of frustration while translating "Doki Doki" vs "Waku Waku"
In the interview, the part that stood out most to me was the portion discussing the hours and number of people involved in the transaction of the novel. To be able to coordinate that many people to translate a novel together and work so closely with them despite the distance truly shows that translating is a passion for them. It also brought to light how one sentence can be interpreted in so many different ways when being translated by different people. The idea that one word, omission, or addition can change the meaning of a sentence to the extent that it did is incredible.
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