PEN Translation Prize
2 appearances
-
Edition 19 (1981) Winner
-
Edition 27 (1987) Winner
John E. Woods
ジョン・E・ウッズ
John E. Woods
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1942-08-16 （Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.）
- Died
- 2023-02-15 age 80
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English, German
- Residence History
- Fort Wayne (childhood, until c.1949) → California (lived for many years) → Berlin (from 2005)
Career
- Occupations
- translator
- Active Years
- 1978-2023
- Influenced By
- Thomas Mann, Arno Schmidt, Günter Grass
- Influenced
- Contemporary English-language translators (a generation)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wittenberg University | — | — | — | — | United States |
| Cornell University | English literature | — | — | — | United States |
| Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg | — | — | — | — | United States |
| Goethe-Institut | — | German language | — | — | Germany (branch) |
Wittenberg University
Country:
United States
Cornell University
English literature
Country:
United States
Studied English literature
Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg
Country:
United States
Studied at a theological seminary
Goethe-Institut
German language
Country:
Germany (branch)
Studied German; later married his teacher Dr. Ulrike Dorda
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | National Book Award (Translation) | Evening Edged in Gold (Arno Schmidt edition) | 翻訳 | National Book Foundation | 受賞 |
| 1981 | PEN Translation Prize | Evening Edged in Gold (Arno Schmidt) | 翻訳 | PEN | 受賞 |
| 1987 | PEN Translation Prize | Perfume (translation of Patrick Süskind's Perfume) | 翻訳 | PEN | 受賞 |
| 1991 | Schlegel-Tieck Prize | The Last World (Christoph Ransmayr) | 翻訳 | British Centre for German Translation (awarding body) | 受賞 |
| 1995 | Ungar German Translation Award | — | 翻訳 | — | 受賞 |
| 1996 | Helen and Kurt Wolff Translator's Prize | The Magic Mountain (Thomas Mann) and Nobodaddy's Children (Arno Schmidt) | 翻訳 | Goethe-Institut (associated) | 受賞 |
| 2008 | Goethe-Medal | — | — | Goethe-Institut | 受賞 |
National Book Award (Translation)
1981
Work:
Evening Edged in Gold (Arno Schmidt edition)
Category:
翻訳
Organization:
National Book Foundation
Result:
受賞
PEN Translation Prize
1981
Work:
Evening Edged in Gold (Arno Schmidt)
Category:
翻訳
Organization:
PEN
Result:
受賞
PEN Translation Prize
1987
Work:
Perfume (translation of Patrick Süskind's Perfume)
Category:
翻訳
Organization:
PEN
Result:
受賞
Schlegel-Tieck Prize
1991
Work:
The Last World (Christoph Ransmayr)
Category:
翻訳
Organization:
British Centre for German Translation (awarding body)
Result:
受賞
Ungar German Translation Award
1995
Category:
翻訳
Result:
受賞
Helen and Kurt Wolff Translator's Prize
1996
Work:
The Magic Mountain (Thomas Mann) and Nobodaddy's Children (Arno Schmidt)
Category:
翻訳
Organization:
Goethe-Institut (associated)
Result:
受賞
Goethe-Medal
2008
Organization:
Goethe-Institut
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Helen and Kurt Wolff Translator's Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 1 (1996) Winner
Works
Major Works
The Magic Mountain (Der Zauberberg)
1924 novelSet in a mountain sanatorium before World War I, the novel follows the protagonist's intellectual development and experiences during his stay. Woods translated major novels by Thomas Mann into English.
time and illnesseducation and developmentreflection on European culture
Buddenbrooks
1901 family saga / novelA sweeping tale of the rise and decline of a merchant family. One of Mann's major works translated into English by Woods.
generational changedecline of wealth and culture
Perfume
1985 historical fiction / novelSet in 18th-century France, the novel follows a protagonist with an extraordinary sense of smell who commits crimes in pursuit of the perfect scent. Woods' translation received international recognition.
scent and identityart and crime
Adaptations
- [film] Perfume: The Story of a Murderer / Tom Tykwer (2006)
Bottom's Dream (Zettel's Traum)
1970 experimental novelA complex and experimental major work by Arno Schmidt. Woods is known for translating many of Schmidt's major works, including this one.
language experimentationmodernism
The Last World (Die letzte Welt)
1988 historical/fantastical novelA imaginative and allegorical work by Christoph Ransmayr. Woods' English translation was highly regarded and won the Schlegel-Tieck Prize.
memory and historyloss and reconstruction
Bibliography
- Evening Edged in Gold (Arno Schmidt edition)
- Joseph and His Brothers (Thomas Mann translations)
- The Magic Mountain (Thomas Mann)
- Perfume (Patrick Süskind)
- The Last World (Christoph Ransmayr)
Adaptations
- Perfume (novel adapted into film, 2006)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- faithful to the original with attention to cadenceability to render complex stylistic features into readable English
- Recurring Motifs
- reproduction of phonetic and lexical play from the sourceclarification of literary-historical references
Legacy
A bridge for German literature to the English-speaking world. Translated major works by Thomas Mann, Arno Schmidt and others; recipient of multiple translation awards and internationally recognized (including the Goethe-Medal).
Quotes
-
A masterly translator of Thomas Mann.
Source: New York Times (obituary) (2023)
Trivia
- Won the PEN Translation Prize twice (1981, 1987)
- Received the Goethe-Medal in 2008