Young translator challenges herself with Greek history books.

Ngo Gia Thien An, born in 1999, graduated with a degree in International Studies from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi. She was also an exchange student at Greifswald University, Germany. Currently, she works in the fields of media and translation.
Two works on Greek history that she has participated in translating are:Anabasis - Memoirs of the Persian Expedition(released 12/2022) andMemorabilia(Coming soon). Both works are by Xenophon (430 BC - approximately 355 BC), a Greek military strategist, philosopher, and historian, and a student of Socrates. She also participated in the translation project.How do children learn?by Book Hunter and several other skill-building books.

Young people are fascinated by Greek history books.
The first and most cherished translation by Thien An in the series of books about Xenophon isMemorabiliaThe novel is still awaiting its release date. Despite collaborating with a translation team, this remains a significant challenge, as the work is deeply philosophical, featuring lengthy dialogues and intricate arguments. Thien An shared: “I had to put in a lot of effort to understand the author's way of thinking – someone who lived thousands of years ago.”
StillAnabasis - Memoirs of the Persian ExpeditionReleased at the end of 2022, this book is the first one that Thien An has translated completely, completing the translation in just two months. She said that the challenge of this work was Xenophon's writing style, which also poses difficulties for many other translators. During the translation process, she also consulted many materials from foreign scholars and translators and compared various translations to ensure accuracy.
During the translation process, she realized that writing styles varied greatly from era to era. Many modern translators and scholars often complain that Xenophon frequently repeats ideas, writing them over and over again. Ancient Roman authors, however, praised Xenophon for his elegant writing style and rich vocabulary.
The thinking of each era is also different. Reading Xenophon's works, she sometimes finds them very interesting, and sometimes finds his reasoning illogical by modern standards. The eloquent speeches favored by Greco-Roman culture sometimes make her feel that he is repeating himself a bit too much. According to Thien An, translators should stand alongside the author, immerse themselves in their era, and see things from their perspective.
"It's fortunate that Xenophon frequently described in detail his experiences, such as hunting otters in the meadows or trying to drink beer with a straw when traveling to a new land, while the ancient Greeks didn't use straws. Without his works or those of other Greek authors, it would be difficult for us to imagine the way of life and thinking of the ancients," Thien An added.

Grateful for having the opportunity to read such meticulously translated and smooth works so early.
Before starting to translate books, Thien An was just a reader, not usually paying attention to translators of foreign books. However, some translators left a deep impression on her, most notably translator Nguyen Van Khoa with his book.Greek mythologyand translator Truong Dac Vi with classic novelsDon Quixoteby Miguel de Cervantes.
She readGreek mythologySince childhood, this work has sparked her interest in learning about the culture and history of ancient Greek civilization. To this day, she still regularly reads works about this civilization. This is also an important foundation that helped her become a translator of books on Greek history such asAnabasisgoodMemorabilia.
StillDon QuixoteIt is once again her favorite work. Translator Truong Dac Vi not only translated every word accurately according to the original but also collaborated with author Cervantes to reconstruct the fantastical world of Don Quixote, with all kinds of people from nobility to commoners, to suit Vietnamese readers. Even the speeches, poems, and songs in the book were translated very skillfully.
Thien An shared: “I feel grateful that since childhood I have been able to read works that have been carefully and meticulously translated with a smooth writing style. The respect that translators show for both the work and the author is something I always cherish.”
When asked which translated work she was most proud of, Thien An said it was difficult to answer. Because book publishing is a process that requires collaboration from many stages, and the translator cannot control everything. If she had to choose, she would only dare say that she enjoys annotating the books she has translated, and she is very proud of those annotations.
When translating books, she usually reads them much more carefully than usual. Therefore, the amount of knowledge she absorbs is also greater and richer. Translation reminds Thien An to pay more attention to what she is reading and helps her access many new cultures and knowledge that would normally be difficult to learn on her own. Her favorite book genres are novels, popular science books, history, and manga (Japanese comics). Currently, she says she only reads about 5 books a year, including both English and Vietnamese.
She has just finished reading the book series.A Song of Ice and Fireby George RR Martin. If possible, she recommends that readers read this work in both English and Vietnamese. She has read the Vietnamese translation of the first book in the series.Winterfell's Snow WolfAnd I found it very interesting to compare the original English text with the Vietnamese version, especially when the translator rendered the system of names of people and places so smoothly.

The path to becoming a young translator 
Going back in time, Thien An was the youngest poet on the young poets' stage at the "14th Vietnam Poetry Day" event in 2016, performing her own poems before a large audience at the Temple of Literature - National University. That year, she was in the 11th grade specializing in Literature at Nguyen Hue High School for the Gifted in Hanoi.
Showing a talent for poetry from an early age, she was the youngest member of the "Tropical" writing group at Kim Dong Publishing House. Her first poetry collection...The twinkling starsHer work was published when she was only 12 years old. She won the A prize for poetry in the "Young Writers' Contest" organized jointly by the Central Youth Union, the Youth Pioneer Newspaper, and the Vietnam Writers Association in 2012. Following these achievements, she continued to write poetry and short stories, and has won several other awards for young authors.
Upon entering university, she began translating articles and poems for newspapers, gaining considerable experience. After graduation, she tried her hand at translating a skills-based book with a group of translators. The writing style of skills-based books is usually not too complex, so her work went quite smoothly. Building on this success, she took on several other translation projects and gradually became a young translator.
For young people aspiring to become translators, she advises them to regularly read diverse genres or engage in other forms such as watching movies, listening to music, and playing games from various countries. Each culture has its own unique allusions, historical references, hidden meanings, idioms, slang, and wordplay. By enriching their personal experiences through these activities, individuals will learn many useful things for their translation work.