Lost in Translation

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I used to fancy myself a translator, but that bubble has been burst.
I'm currently volunteering with "Watching America" to provide translations of articles of my choice from German into English. One requirement is that the article must be about America, so that Americans can understand how they are perceived in foreign countries, despite the fact that they may not read certain foreign languages. That is the mission of Watching America.

I selected this article from the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" to translate. Below you will find my first draft, which still needs to be reviewed by editors. One thing I realized after translating is that translation is not very creative because all I'm doing is translating a story written by someone else into another language. True, there is some subjectivity to any translation, but for the most part I have discovered first hand that it's not really something I want to do long term. Plus, the translation profession is not helped by the fact that translators are usually paid by the word. Interpreters earn more I've heard.

Another learning I've gained from this experience is that some ideas in a foreign language are just very difficult to translate into another language. For example, I conceptually understand the German phrase "Kulturfoerderung", but a single comprehensive word just does not exist in English to reflect the same idea. I had to use the phrase "support for the arts", which is wordier than the German.

By the way, I welcome your comments on my translation. I had problems translating the title of the article, so suggestions would be great!

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The Arts in America – A Value Adding Economic Engine?
By: Jordan Mejias

February 17, 2009
President Obama visited a museum in order to give the American economy a boost. On Tuesday in the Museum of Nature & Science in Denver, Colorado, President Obama signed the economic stimulus bill, which only a couple weeks ago did not include funding in support of museums, art centers or theaters. Even Democratic Senator Charles Schumer of New York voted against funding for the arts and culture. But mostly it was his Republican colleagues who warned against spending taxpayer money on cultural pursuits, deriding it as a sign of leftist elitism. The Republicans were clearly voting on their party line.
Nonetheless, with a flourish of the pen, Obama gave the arts $50 million. Compared to the $787 billion stimulus package, this amount may seem like small change. However, for a country that spends very little on cultural institutions at the federal level and even views support of the arts as un-American, $50 million is a considerable sum. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the only two federal cultural foundations in America have over $145 million of funding in the current year. Forty percent of the additional $50 million will be allocated at the state and local level, while the remaining sixty percent has been earmarked for individual projects, which is common practice at the NEA.

Arguments in Favor of the Arts
The surprising turn of events in favor of the arts was a result of the efforts of many. One of these supporters is supposedly Robert Redford, who called Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to convince her of the benefits of supporting the arts. Similar to Redford, 10,000 artists and cultural officials also put pressure on Washington. Arts lobbyist Robert L. Lynch, who heads the organization “Americans for the Arts”, considers the $50 million a huge win for the creative industry in America. He even believes that in these hard economic times, his fellow Americans have come to understand the inherent value of creativity. Naturally, that would depend on what Lynch means by “value”.

Redford and his compatriots referenced the economic value that the arts add to society. The star explained that the Sundance Festival, which he founded, brought in $60 million to Park City, Utah, where the festival takes place. According to the arts lobby, the creative industry created 6 million jobs, generated $30 million in federal tax revenue and added $166 billion to the economy. This amount is derived from such diverse areas as parking fees at garages, souvenir shops or the popcorn counter found at multiplex movie theaters. The value of culture is therefore measured solely in economic terms. This seems to be the only way for the creative industry to assert itself against other more practical industries, which seem to have no trouble obtaining funding.

Perhaps there is no other way; perhaps politicians can only grasp arguments based on dollars. Given the critical state of affairs, the idea that the arts can be more than an economic engine is merely a second thought. Nonetheless, it is sad that artists are only recognized in society when they can justify the commercial success of their work, thereby undervaluing themselves. The next chairman of the NEA has his work cut out for him in terms of spreading awareness of the value of the arts.

After the resignation of the highly acclaimed poet and chairman of the NEA Dana Gioia, Obama has yet to appoint someone to fill the post. As with the broader economic stimulus plan, one can only guess how this injection of funds will affect the arts scene in America. The rejoicing over the $50 million cannot cover the gaping holes left behind by shrinking endowment funds and decreased donations from private patrons.