Today, September 30, is International Translation Day, and we wanted to take a moment to celebrate our amazing translators who make all of this possible.
We talked with Lin, JS, and Willow, three of our translators who have worked on some of our most popular stories and who are currently working on some exciting future releases.
What made you decide to become a translator?
Lin: I think the idea first occurred to me when I noticed a lot of English subtitles for Korean movies/TV shows were either incorrect or too literally translated. On top of wanting a remote job for the sake of flexibility, I wanted to try translating subtitles myself so the viewers could experience a more cohesive, natural storyline. That’s how I started subtitle translation about three years ago! My specialty has shifted since then to novels and comics.
JS: The decision came naturally one day when I lucked into an opportunity to help translate a YouTube video. Something clicked, and I realized that my passion for language and storytelling could be expressed (and pay some of the rent) through translation. Not long after that, I was thankfully offered the opportunity to translate my first webnovel, which internet-published Korean novels are called, and then the ball went rolling.
Willow: Growing up semibilingual (if that’s even a thing), I often switched between Korean and English in my head, like I had a tiny translator running in my brain. When I’d read Korean, I’d instinctively turn it into English, and vice versa. Since I loved media from both Korean and anglophone cultures, I always wished I could share those in-my-head translations with others so more people could access and appreciate the incredible stories and characters I was enjoying. Many spontaneous decisions and unexpected opportunities later, look where I ended up! There’s still a long journey ahead, but I’m proud of how far I’ve come and excited for whatever comes next :)
What do you enjoy most about translating?
Lin: I love being the “bridge” between two cultures when it comes to experiencing a story, and I think it’s an incredibly special and rewarding experience. I enjoy the creative aspect of the work as well!
JS: As an avid reader of various kinds of fiction, I’ve had the fortune of encountering many of those “reader’s moments.” You know, the sort that give you crawling gooseflesh and make you wonder what sort of magic substance the author imbibed to make such writing possible. Over the years, I developed a yearning for reliving such moments, and even for creating such experiences myself one day. Translating a part of the *chef’s kiss* selection of novels carefully curated by Publang allows me to satisfy a deep desire to be part of the magic that is well-written fiction and storytelling.
Willow: For me, it’s about preserving the magic. Carrying over the imagery, lyricism, and nuance across the huge wall between languages is incredibly challenging—sometimes it even feels impossible. But when I manage to capture that spark just right, the sense of satisfaction is unmatched (and trust me, satisfaction doesn’t come easily in translation).
Beyond the craft itself, what truly brings joy is the readers. Seeing people connect with and enjoy the novels through my translations has been incredibly rewarding. I check the comments on the Publang website regularly, and they always make my day. The same goes for the Discord community, where I’m usually lurking in the shadows. At the end of the day, translation is for the people who read it, and their enjoyment is what makes it meaningful!
Out of all the scenes you’ve translated, what’s one of your favorites?
Lin:
“I’ll be in touch, Hyung,” he said loudly, sounding like some kind of action movie character.
Jaeyoung stood rooted to the spot, watching him walk away. Goosebumps ran down his arm. It was a good thing that it was fairly dark outside because he didn’t even want to think about how Sangwoo would have reacted if they had been standing in broad daylight.
Surely, even a robot like Sangwoo had the ability to recognize what the bulge in his apron meant.
Did I seriously get hard because he called me “Hyung”?
The world spun, fractured, then snapped back into place.
Holy fucking…shit.It was as if he had encountered a blue screen while forcing his garbage laptop into running design apps.
(Jang Jaeyoung - Malfunctioning)
Excerpt from Semantic Error
JS: There are many. One of them was the part that describes the sad fate of a time-estranged, ill-fated spaceman, whom Sahan, the MC, reads about on his plane flight home after he’s rescued from his accident in outer space:
Those on Earth had long since dug an empty grave with my name on it. My family accepted my death two years after my ship lost contact with the base. Well, to be exact, the communications were never lost—they were just horribly slow. After they secured a burial plot, my family got a partial lump sum with an annuity plan from my life insurance. My wife was using the money to raise our girl while living with her new boyfriend.
My eyes, dry and irritated from the recycled airplane air-conditioning, forced me to close the book. Flipping off the reading light, I stared into the darkness outside the window.
How come nobody realized why he had killed himself? It was all there, written by the man himself.
To me, it feels as if Sahan has a connection to this man and understands why he ended his life the way he did. It is an apt description of the state of Sahan’s mind throughout the rest of the novel—the sense of alienation and desolation that haunts him constantly. I appreciate the bone-deep loneliness he feels, but as readers will realize later, it is offset by the undercurrent of unwavering affection from Heegeon, which has always been present in his life. Though he doesn’t realize it right away, it started the day Heegeon said “Hyung” before he even learned to say “Daddy.”
And there you have it. The whole reason to read Sahan for yourself!
Willow: I don’t think I can pick just one scene, but I do have a favorite type of scene among those I’ve translated: one with ridiculous banter. These scenes are as fun to work on as they are to read.
The novels I’ve worked on so far (December and Payback) are both by Samk, and I love how the humor shines through them. The characters can be so ridiculously silly it’s almost annoying, in the best way possible. Some of the scenes that made me laugh out loud include the moment Alice’s owner discovers Yoon Jay is “Lunatic,” Kevin (Nineteen) meeting Photographer Lee, the hospital scenes with Chairman Noh, and all the Dumb and Dumber antics with Kim Shin’s friends.
Can you give us a sneak peek of what you’re working on now?
Lin:
His eyes wide with fear, the man stared at Riegrow as Riegrow’s large hand stroked his throat with an unnerving gentleness.
“I hope the afterlife treats you well,” Riegrow whispered, his voice almost melodic, then smiled at the man as though they were old friends. His grip, which came from a hand both perfectly sculpted and capable of snapping a grown man’s neck in the blink of an eye, began to tighten.
“Let him go.”
A firm voice cut through the silence of the dining hall. Taeui stood directly behind Riegrow, aiming his Colt at his nape. Still grasping the man in front of him, Riegrow paused for a moment. Then he slowly leaned back until the chill of the gun’s barrel pressed against his skin.
“Did it occur to you that you’ll break your own wrist if you shoot me at this close of a range?” he asked quietly, his steady smile stayed curled on his lips. But Taeui’s aim never wavered.
“Don’t move. I can live with a cast for a few weeks if it means saving a man’s life.”
(* Note: This excerpt from Passion has yet to be finalized.)
JS: I am eager and honored to have the opportunity to work on the enthralling, timeless fantasy martial arts saga and jianghu romance that is 천추세인. (That was a mouthful.) While I don’t want to spoil anything, suffice it to say that there is plenty of spicy gong shou action in this lengthy masterpiece, set in a history-tinged martial world and starring a seductive demonic lord and an awkward, nondescript warrior who finds he has stumbled into the world of the jianghu’s most powerful man.
Here’s a snippet that I found serves as a compelling start to the MC’s adventures (misfortunes?):
“First, this promotion out of nowhere. And now, here you are, sitting in the Thundering Palace. You must have many questions,” Wanpyeong said, looking up. He had meticulously read every single word in the letter. Moonpyeong nodded politely. He expected things to come to a head soon.
“Yes, sir. I’m not sure how I can be of service in this place.”
“My brother wrote that you are in possession of a technique which may be of use to us,” Youngeui added. “You are a pupil of the Silent Reach, I am told?”
I’m not making the same mistake twice, Moonpyeong thought.
“Yes, that is correct.”
Youngeui didn’t bother to hide the chill in his tone. But men like this—all smiles on the outside while calculating on the inside—were more dangerous still. Moonpyeong took an even more courteous timbre. Wanpyeong’s smiling eyes were on him. But Moonpyeong couldn’t read them.
“The task we have in mind for you isn’t a very difficult one, the only requirements being a perceptive eye and patience. As you might have realized from your reassignment to the Demonic Shadow Corps, you will be placed on guard duty for our illustrious leader. From this point on, you will be his shadow, as a Mayoung.”
(* Note: This excerpt from 천추세인 has yet to be finalized.)
Willow: Ebony Castle is simply beautiful. Cold yet warm, dry yet sentimental, heartbreaking yet blissful… In short, it’s paradise and hell rolled into one. Featuring a British nobleman and a disabled Korean pianist, the story contains an angsty slow burn with (quite a lot of) smut, a cruel twist on Nameverse, two lost souls, forced proximity, and a breathtaking mansion tucked deep in the Scottish woods. What more can I say?
One of my favorite quotes so far from Ebony Castle is:
This was an act not of connection but of severance—mating neither for procreation nor for pleasure. It was a sort of penance, its value lying in the very act of enduring the deed, like priests whipping their own backs.
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We hope you enjoyed getting to know more about some of our translators and their journey and join us into celebrating and wishing them an amazing day!