Such As It Was

[원문]:Ernest Jones never learned of Freud's involvement in the investigation of the crimes of George and Clara Banwell. Freud did not want his role. such as it was, made public, and he did not trust Jones to keep the secret. Jones did, however, hear all about the Charaka society. He was especially taken with their signet ring. He resolved to have such a ring made for Freud's genuinely loyal followers, to identify themselves to one another wherever they should go. Jung, needless to say, did not get one. (The Interpretation of Murder, Jed Rubenfeld)


[원문역]:어니스트 존스는 조지와 클라라 벤월의 범죄수사에 프로이트가 관여했다는 사실을 알지 못했다. 프로이트는 자신의 역할이 그러했다는 점을 대중에 알리고 싶어하지 않았고, 존스가 비밀을 지킬 수 있으리라 신뢰할 수 없어 그에게는 털어놓지 않았다. 어쨌든 존스는 어디서 들었는지 차라카 협회에 대한 이야기를 알고 있었고, 특히 그들이 끼고 다니는 도장 반지에 큰 관심을 보였다. 존스는 순수하게 프로이트를 따르는 충실한 학자들을 위해 그런 반지를 만들어서 어딜 가든지 서로 알아볼 수 있게 해야겠다고 결심했다. 말할 필요도 없이 융은 그 반지를 얻지 못했다. (살인의해석, 비채출판사]


[such as it was,]:1)역자는 이 부분을 “자신의 역할이 그러했다는 점을” 운운하고 있으나 무슨 말인지 알 수가 없습니다. 2)이 표현은 겸손어법 또는 겸양어법으로서 우리말로는 “뭐 대단한 것은 아니었지만” 정도의 의미를 갖습니다. 3)Longman Dictionary:used to show that you think that something is not good enough or that there is not enough of it. 4)Encarta World English Dictionary:being what it is and no more


[정역]:전략...프로이트는 자신의 역할을--뭐 역할이라야 별 것도 아니었지만--알리고 싶지 않았고, 존스가 비밀을 지킬 수 있을 것 같지도 않아서 그에게 털어놓지 않았었다...하략


[comments]::1)Awkward, coarse, odd, incommunicable, and unacceptable--they are the words you can recall whenever you run into quite a lot of Korean translation works. You shake your head at times. "What the heck are you talking about?" you blurt out.


2)Under the Sun and in this civilized global society, all that is genuine is usable and adaptable at most, and convertible at least. In other words, anything that is not convertible should deserve the appellation of fraud or deception. You will concede that the worst form of deception is of course self-deception.


3)You the translators of Korea have to raise the sense and sensibility about the convertibility of your works. I am tempted to request self-criticism and self-accusation of you. Don't you feel the need to brace yourselves? I want to ask every one of you whether you take it too easy with your jobs.


4)How to pave the rough road of translations fraught with prevarications? Let me advise you some don'ts and recommend some do's. Don't do your job perfunctorily. Don't call it a day, still shaking your head in question. Look up your dictionaries more often. Make it your routine to ask Google about what you are not so sure.


5)The translator has got it wrong. Utterly wrong by his prevarication of the statement in question {{Freud did not want his role, such as it was, made public, ...}}His messed job has been caused by his over-confident and cursory work habit, not seeking the meaning of the independent phrase {{such as it was.}}


6)The statement at issue is concessional. The phrase 'such as it is' is used when you mean to say that something you do is not enough to suffice the needs or demands of others. Thus, the statement at issue can be restated to the effect that "Freud did not want his role made public, although the role was meager in importance and influence."