Peserta #06 – Maria E. Sundah
On Paper
Maria E. Sundah
On paper,
Twenty-four hours, plenty of time to be a good translator and a good editor,
a good mother and a good wife:
editing in the freshness of morning,
translating absorbing novels later in the day when drowsiness starts to play its tricks,
translating high brow scientific materials that furrow my forehead in the depth of night.
On paper,
A week, plenty of time to be a good translator and a good editor,
to be healthy body and soul:
attending Quran recitation, practising aerobics, swimming, once or twice a week each,
keeping me away from the computer every other hour.
On paper,
A month, plenty of time to be a good translator and a good editor,
to be a good member of the community, to be a good citizen:
meeting with neighbourhood ladies, volunteering at non-profit organizations, and exchanging ideas with teachers.
On paper,
A year, plenty of time to generate so much translation, so much editing,
and in between writing my own book, why not?:
fixing the speed, estimating the fee.
Alas,
paper considers not varied moods and lost minutes so needed for adjustment to shift from project to project.
paper considers not friends or neighbours calling on or calling up to pour their hearts out or ask for advice on children’s education, marriage and household problems, on medication and health—as far as personal commitment goes knows not the word ‘decline’.
paper knows not the excitement and joy of playing Rummikub, pool, or foot ball with family members.
paper seemingly turns away from possible illness of husband, irritation of children, recurrence of gastritis.
paper seemingly never hears of
“high in enthusiasm, short in energy“
Perhaps paper is never even aware that
translator is only human!
My guess: it happens on my paper; it may not be the case with everybody else’s.