Oliver Wendell Holmes
Sebastian, who seems to have read at least one of my posts, of which I am glad and grateful, asked me a few days ago "Why don’t you write in your native language?" I must say that he was referring to Romanian, because those are indeed my origins and a big part of what I am. This is a very good question! Why? Unfortunately, I am afraid I do not yet have an answer to it. Before creating this blog, many of my friends encouraged me to write. I was always “afraid” to expose myself. Nevertheless it seems that I have somehow partially overcome that. Well, before taking this adventurous road, one of my biggest dilemmas was LANGUAGE. I must confess I am a philologist and translator. My love for languages defines me and it is the core of my essence. I once asked a friend of mine „In what language should I write?” And he said, „Well, do it in your own language, of course!” It seemed simple to him as he is also a blogger and a pretty good writer in his own language, which is Spanish. It was not that simple to me though. It is true that I am Romanian and that I should be comfortable writing in my native language. But I have to say that I am a Romanian living in Spain who happens to love English and French! Now, what do you make of that? Do you begin to maybe understand a little my confusion? Well, if you still don’t, I will tell you that it took me a while to decide. And then I just let myself be... and began to write ... and it just sort of came out like this. I guess my English muse and inspiration for this blog (Virginia Woolf) had something to do with it. I am not saying that I will always write in English. Maybe one day I will wake up and write in Romanian, or in Spanish, or French ... but for the moment, my mind and my fingers have their own little secret understanding and English is all that comes out of it. I hope this somehow answers a question many of you, my friends of different nationalities, maybe thought of at some point. Thank you all who have ever laid your eyes on the pages of my blog for giving me a reason to keep writing.
Quite a question...and the best chosen words to give it a straight and sincere answer.
ResponderEliminarC'est vraiment marrant d'ecrire dans une autre langue, autre que la tienne, c'est toujours une provocation, meme si elle est parfaitement maitrisee.
Dar in comuninatea asta virtuala, ca sa te inteleaga cat mai multe suflete si sa poate savura un pic din ce esti tu, trebuie sa gasesti o cale de mijloc, in cazul de fata, o limba inteleasa de majoritatea cititorilor.
And probably that's an unconscious choice at the moment when your thoughts become alive with a little help of your fingers touching the keyboard. Today, it might be English, few days later English might change into Spanish or Romanian.
To sum up a bit...we all are so international for the time being that the issue of the best language to express yourself it's less important as long as one's message goes in the good direction.
And I see that it has actually gone in the right direction, Anca! Thank you for understanding me and for always being so supportive. You promised me "two lines" :) I enjoy this a lot more, of course. Go on like this and you'll soon have to create your own blog. And I must say I am rather anxious to see which language will YOU choose. :)
ResponderEliminar"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
ResponderEliminarBy any other name would smell as sweet." Shakespeare
Could we adapt Juliet's or should we say Shakespeare's simple, plain truth to the choice of language in writing? Can we honestly say that what one has to say would sound the same in English, French, Spanish or any other language? I'm afraid not. The music of our soul and mind takes a path, the one that feels right according to such different and many reasons. But indeed, who could deny or ignore or diminish the role of the print such complex mind and spirit as Woolf's has had on each of us, more for some, less for others...everything being so relative, each of us living, or choosing, or feeling our own reality, perspective, point of view.