PEN Translation Prize
2 appearances
-
Edition 13 (1975) Winner
-
Edition 23 (1985) Winner
Helen R. Lane
ヘレン・レーン
Helen R. Lane
Aliases:
Helen Ruth Overholt
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1921-01-01 （Minneapolis）
- Died
- 2004-08-29 age 83
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian
- Residence History
- Los Angeles, USA → New York City, USA → Dordogne, France
Career
- Occupations
- translator, government translator, freelance translator, subtitler
- Active Years
- 1940-2004
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) | College of Letters and Science | Romance Languages and Romance Literatures | B.A. | 1939–1943 | United States |
| University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) | Graduate School (Romance Languages) | Romance Languages and Romance Literatures | M.A. | 1949–1953 | United States |
| Sorbonne (studies under Fulbright Fellowship) | — | — | — | 1954–1955 | France |
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
College of Letters and Science
/ Romance Languages and Romance Literatures
Degree:
B.A.
Period:
1939–1943
Year of Graduation:
1943
Country:
United States
Graduated summa cum laude
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Graduate School (Romance Languages)
/ Romance Languages and Romance Literatures
Degree:
M.A.
Period:
1949–1953
Year of Graduation:
1953
Country:
United States
Master's degree; continued coursework toward doctoral study
Sorbonne (studies under Fulbright Fellowship)
Period:
1954–1955
Year of Graduation:
1954
Country:
France
Studied one year on a Fulbright Fellowship
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | National Book Award (Translation) | Alternating Current (translation of Octavio Paz) | 翻訳 | National Book Foundation | 受賞 |
| 1975 | PEN Translation Prize | Count Julian (translation of Juan Goytisolo) | 翻訳 | PEN | 受賞 |
| 1985 | PEN Translation Prize | The War of the End of the World (translation of Mario Vargas Llosa) | 翻訳 | PEN | 受賞 |
National Book Award (Translation)
1974
Work:
Alternating Current (translation of Octavio Paz)
Category:
翻訳
Organization:
National Book Foundation
Result:
受賞
PEN Translation Prize
1975
Work:
Count Julian (translation of Juan Goytisolo)
Category:
翻訳
Organization:
PEN
Result:
受賞
PEN Translation Prize
1985
Work:
The War of the End of the World (translation of Mario Vargas Llosa)
Category:
翻訳
Organization:
PEN
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Alternating Current
1974 Poetry/Essays (translation)A translation of works by Octavio Paz; Lane's translation won the 1974 National Book Award (Translation).
poetic languagecross-cultural dialogue
Count Julian
1970 Novel (translation)An English translation of Juan Goytisolo's experimental novel; earned Lane the 1975 PEN Translation Prize.
experimental literaturehistory and memory
The War of the End of the World
1981 Historical novel (translation)Translation of Mario Vargas Llosa's novel; Lane received the 1985 PEN Translation Prize for this work.
politics and violenceleaders and populace
Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter
1977 Novel (translation)One of Vargas Llosa's novels translated into English; noted for reproducing the author's voice and humor.
narration and fictionmetafiction
I, the Supreme
1974 Novel (translation)Translation of Augusto Roa Bastos's major novel, exploring political dictatorship.
powernarratives of history
Bibliography
- Pen, Sword, Camisole (translation of Jorge Amado)
- Machiavelli (translation of Edmond Barincou)
- The Three Marias: New Portuguese Letters (translation)
- An Interview with Marguerite Duras (translation)
- Santa Evita (translation of Tomás Eloy Martínez)
- Count Julian (translation of Juan Goytisolo)
- Let the Wind Speak (translation of Juan Carlos Onetti)
- The Double Flame (translation of Octavio Paz)
- Things: A Story of the Sixties (translation of Georges Perec)
- Caetana's Sweet Song (translation of Nélida Piñon)
- Massacre in Mexico (translation of Elena Poniatowska)
- On Heroes and Tombs (translation of Ernesto Sabato)
- Nobody Nothing Never (translation of Juan José Saer)
- Conducting Bodies (translation of Claude Simon)
- He Who Searches (translation of Luisa Valenzuela)
- A Fish in the Water (translation of Mario Vargas Llosa)
Adaptations
- Some translated works have been adapted for film/stage; individual screen credits for Lane are limited
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- faithful to the author's voice with attention to stylistic nuanceability to render literary subtleties into English
- Recurring Motifs
- reproducing cadence and rhythm across languagesconveying cultural context
Legacy
Helen Lane is highly regarded for introducing major Spanish-, Portuguese-, French- and Italian-language literary works to English-speaking audiences. Her National Book Award and PEN Translation Prizes underscored the quality and importance of literary translation.
Archives
Trivia
- Began career in Los Angeles as a government translator, moved to New York publishing, and became a freelance translator in 1970.
- Provided subtitles for films by Jean-Luc Godard and Haskell Wexler.
- Graduated summa cum laude from UCLA in 1943, earned an M.A. in Romance Languages in 1953, and studied at the Sorbonne on a Fulbright Fellowship in 1954.