Every good translation comes to an end

Finishing a translation is always a big relief - I DID IT! And WITHIN the deadline!, but this time it is definitely combined with a sense of loss. The presence of Alma, Henry - yes, we are on first name basis now - Ambrose, Tomorrow Morning, Hanneke de Groot, Prudence, Reverend Welles, the Hiro contingent, Roger, the dog, Uncle Dees, and all the others - became such a significant part of my day, that they will all be sorely missed.

On the other hand, sending in a translation means that soon a lot of readers can welcome these characters into their lives, and I hope they will love them as much as I did.

High on words

I am such a sucker for exquisite words, so translating The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert is like being on a constant high.

Helice. Ignomity. Insouciance. Inveigle. Unguent. Supercilious. Woebegone. Discomfiture. Scrivener. Mawkish. Sarsaparilla. Gallimaufry. Milliner. Salutrious. Thimbleful. Erudite. Stevedore. Prurient. Compendium. Innocuous. Antediluvian. Travertine. Temerity. Accretion. Marauder. Impecuniuous. Deuce. Ebullient. Halcyon. Torpid. Raiment. Thaumaturge. Lackadaisical. Arbalest. Marplot. Mandrake. Salcious. Audacious. Remonstrance. Languorous. Louche. Duplicitious. Quim.
Mackerel-backed shaver. Jack-weighted hob. Prick-fed donkey. Dunderhead.
Useful little fingerstink.