2008 Enriques Bernadez

The translator is a lonely labourer, working at home and rarely discussing his or her activities, and they are rarely brought to attention by anybody. If, however, a prize is awarded to you, and specifically if it such a prestigious one as the Andersen Award, you suddenly become visible, and you no longer feel alone. The task of translating Hans Christian Andersen differs from that of translating any other author. Most novels have a life span of hardly more than five years. Hans Christian Andersen, however, has been alive for more than 200 years, and he will continue to be alive in 2110. So to Andersen, the translator is no more than a servant to an awesome master. Indeed, I would compare translating Andersen to a long-standing servitude to him. Translating Hans Christian Andersen and being presented with the eponymous award have both been rewarding: on the one hand I have worked in the servitude of one of the world’s greatest au­thors, and on the other I have become visible. The award also made Hans Christian Andersen more visible in Spain. For the first time ever, one of his novels, The Improviser, was published („El Improvisador“, in 2009). Others will follow. I also wrote scientific essays about Hans Christian Andersen, about his works and about translating him. So, to sum, the award was important to me both as a translator and as a scholar.

Enriques Bernadez