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THE EINSTEIN ENIGMA
José Rodrigues dos Santos is a Portuguese author with seven published novels, three of which have been bestsellers and translated into sixteen languages. José is also a reporter, journalist, broadcaster and university professor, disciplines that have had a clear influence on the real-world topics and intensive research apparent in his fiction. His latest work to be translated into English, The Einstein Enigma, is "…a story of love and treason, a fast-paced adventure that takes Thomas and Ariana on a breathtaking pursuit from Cairo to Lhasa, from Princeton to Tehran, from Coimbra to Shigatse. Along the way, The Einstein Enigma offers up a mystic fusion of science and religion, a meeting of Einstein and God in an unforgettable spiritual search, and a mind-bending trip to the source of time, the essence of the universe, and the meaning of life."
I interviewed José by e-mail for the release of my translation of The Einstein Enigma.
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LC: As I mentioned in the introduction, it's clear that all of your books were exhaustively researched, a skill clearly acquired in your work as a reporter and journalist. What drew you to begin writing fiction?
JRS: Truth. I realized that non-fictional discourse, such as historical discourse or journalistic discourse, is sometimes held captive by sources and rules and "objective" writing. Sometimes we know something is true, but we can't prove it. If I'm writing as an historian or as a journalist, I therefore can't write about it. Even if it's true, there's no proof and that's it. But, when writing as novelist, I can write it, no matter what. When adequately used, fiction is the best path to tell the truth. That's what drew me to fiction. It's a tool to say the truth.
LC: While The Einstein Enigma has elements of a thriller, it is, in essence a philosophical novel that draws on the latest research in physics and mathematics. Were you a science and philosophy aficionado before you began the book, or were they topics you delved into as you wrote it?
JRS: I was definitely interested in the subject. I mean, who wouldn't be? To find out if God exists? To find out the meaning of life? To know that science has already made important discoveries that hint at God's existence? Wow, this is hot! I had to tell that story! And what better way than to say it in a novel?
LC: Three of your novels (A fórmula de Deus, O codex 632 and O sétimo selo) were bestsellers in Portuguese, surpassing one million copies sold – no small feat considering the number of Portuguese speakers around the world! How have the books done in translation thus far? Do you expect the trend to continue in English? How do you hope an English audience will receive The Einstein Enigma?
JRS: Well, there aren't so few Portuguese speakers in the world, you know? According to UN figures, Portuguese is the fifth most spoken language on the planet! There are more Portuguese speakers on our planet than French, German, Italian, Russian or Arabic speakers, did you know that? It's just that many of them are illiterate or poor which makes the market for books in Portuguese so small. Anyway, some markets love my books, others not so much. I sell wonderfully in Spain, Italy, Holland and in all Eastern European countries, but not in Germany and Greece. Why's that? I don't know. As for the English audience, I suppose that's an enigma bigger than the Einstein one... Let's see how readers will react to The Einstein Enigma.
LC: As you know, I translated A fórmula de Deus not from the original, but the Spanish translation done by renowned author and translator Mario Merlino (though I did refer to a copy of the Portuguese throughout). How do you view your work going through a second language? Do you feel it can remain faithful to the original?
JRS: When you translate, you always lose something[1]. That's inevitable. For example, I have a novel where my characters talk in the Minho style (Minho is a region in Northern Portugal). That manner of speaking has a tremendous impact on the book, it's not a minor thing. It's really funny for someone who understands Portuguese. So, my German translator was dismayed by it: "How am I going to translate this Minho manner of talking? Shall I put a Bavarian accent? I cannot do that, it's ridiculous!" So, something is always lost. Having said that, Spanish is the closest language to Portuguese (so close that, in fact, any Portuguese person understands Spanish without learning it at school). Also, I'm a fluent English speaker, so I managed to read the English version several times before going to print. Therefore, I'm confident the English translation is accurate.
LC: When your work reaches a global audience in another language such as English, do you still feel it is fully yours, or do some of the alterations that happen in the translation and editing process distance you from its new incarnation?
JRS: A translator is always a writer. A good translator is valuable for the novel, a bad translator can utterly destroy it. It's important that the translator has a ear for the dialogue and scenes and whatnot that exist in the novel. When you meet someone, in Portuguese you say: "Muito prazer em conhecê-lo." That translates as: "Much pleasure in meeting you." Does this sound natural in English? A good translator has to translate that sentence into something that his/her audience will feel comfortable with. "Much pleasure in meeting you" sounds awkward, doesn't it? Wouldn't an Englishman or an American rather say "Nice to meet you"? So, a translator is a writer in his/her own right. A book does not automatically translate into a language. The translator must breathe it in and write it as if it's her own. In that sense, the author is not the only author. He is at the mercy of the translator.
LC: Personally, I feel that a sense of trust with the author is essential. He or she must know I am capable, and conscious of every decision I make in the arduous process that is translation. How do you view the author/translator relationship? Do you interact with your translators? From your point of view, what works best so that a reliable translation, appropriate for the target audience, results?
JRS: I'm always here for my translators. Some of them don't get in touch with me during the translation process. I'm all right with that. But others keep talking to me all the time and ask me stuff. I honestly enjoy that. My German and Bulgarian translators are always in touch and I'm happy to help them. So, it really depends on the way a translator operates and how he/she feels more comfortable. But I do like to interact. As for the author-translator relationship, I guess it grows (or not) in time, as each of them knows the other one better.
LC: You yourself are multilingual, speaking Portuguese, English, French and Italian. Who are some of your favorite authors? Do you read them in the original and/or in translation?
JRS: I always try to read an author in his/her original words. My favorite novelist is Somerset Maugham and I've read his entire body of work in English. I love Amin Maalouf too, and read all his novels in French. I'm fluent in Italian and Spanish, but here I read translations. I've tried to read Antonio Tabucchi in Italian and couldn't understand it. Literary Italian is too different from spoken Italian. As for Spanish, it's too similar to wrong Portuguese. Reading Spanish is like reading bad Portuguese (that's not a criticism of Spanish, it's just that many things that are correctly written in Spanish are wrong in Portuguese, and vice-versa). So, I avoid Spanish at all costs. My experience says that reading the original words is better than a translation. In general, you lose in a translation. However, I've seen circumstances where the translation is better than the original work. That happens when the translator is a particularly good writer.[2]
LC: The Einstein Enigma is only the second of your novels to be translated into English. Are there plans for more of your books to reach English readers?
JRS: Well, that's up to English-speaking publishers, really. I suppose that sales of The Einstein Enigma will have an impact on future translations.
LC: José, it was a pleasure to interview you, and a privilege to translate The Einstein Enigma into English. What a journey that was! I have never learned so much about so many places and topics in such a short period of time… I wish you and the novel much success.
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