Two CTr. Graduates Publish Translations of Books by Best-Selling Authors Into Armenian

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YEREVAN, Armenia — Two alumni of the American University of Armenia’s (AUA) Graduate Certificate in Translation (CTRA), Astghik Atabekyan (CTr. ’16) and Lusine Khachatryan (CTr. ’21), have recently published Armenian translations of The Fury by Alex Michaelides (from English) and The Republic of False Truths by Alaa al-Aswany (from Arabic). Khachatryan’s CTRA studies coincided with the Covid-19 pandemic and the dark days of the 44-day Artsakh war, when classes were held via Zoom and the country was in turmoil.

CTRA is a one-year program offered through AUA’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS). Founded with an eye to contemporary translation studies and deeply integrated with AUA’s long-standing commitment to contributing to the further advancement of Armenia, the mission of the program is to provide a rigorous academic grounding in the theoretical and practical study of translation. It aims to produce world-class communicators between languages and cultures by bridging the latest academic research and hands-on experience in translation.

“In the 12 years since the launch of the CTRA program, we can proudly say that our graduates have shown a remarkable track of achievements both in translation and interpreting,” said CTRA Coordinator, CHSS Associate Professor, and Director of AUA Press Dr. Shushan Avagyan. “We are actively present in the life of the republic, importing the most recent and relevant — and exporting the most valuable — of verbal artifacts.”

We asked Atabekyan and Khachatryan to share about their time in the CTRA program and the experience of translating a book.

Why did you choose to pursue the Certificate in Translation at AUA?

Atabekyan: Realizing the importance of continuing professional education, I decided to pursue the Certificate in Translation at AUA in 2015. By then, I had already graduated from Yerevan State University, had a master’s degree in translation studies, had worked for one of the most popular TV channels in Armenia, and had translated two books from English into Armenian. Nevertheless, I understood that in this field, I should always study, acquire knowledge, improve my skills in both language and translation, remain abreast of the latest trends in translation studies, and consider the many other aspects of translation.

Khachatryan: At that time, I had already been working for over eight years as a translator and interpreter (Arabic to Armenian). Although I had gained a good amount of experience through my work, I had no formal education in this field, and I had many questions that needed to be answered. That is why I was really motivated to attend a program such as CTRA, which would allow me to gain more professional skills. 

How did your studies at AUA prepare you for the task of translating a book?

Atabekyan: The CTRA program, offered by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, gave me a brilliant opportunity to learn the theory of translation and apply my knowledge through participation in various projects of oral and written translation, work on texts from different domains, analyze methods of translation, and meet and work with the best professionals in the field.

Khachatryan: During my CTRA studies, from 2020 to 2021, I learned the basic concepts of translation (such as the principles of conveying style, author’s intention, translator’s invisibility, and more) that helped me successfully complete this translation. 

What was the most rewarding aspect of translating this book? 

Atabekyan: In 2020, I started working with Newmag Publishing House. My first translation at Newmag was Alex Michaelides’s Silent Patient, a charming psychological thriller that became a bestseller in Armenia. Then we set about translating the second book by the same author, The Maidens. The Fury is his third novel, and the most rewarding aspect of translating this book is that my Armenian translation was published on January 16, 2024, the same day as the official publication date of the book worldwide, so the Armenian reader had a chance to get the book and start reading alongside readers from all corners of the world.

Khachatryan: Despite the close Armenian-Arab relations and actively growing multi-sectoral cooperation between Armenia and many Arab countries in recent years, there is a significant gap in the field of literature and translation. Consequently, many renowned works of Armenian and Arabic literature remain inaccessible to Armenian and Arab readers, so I hope that this translation will play an important role in filling that gap. 

What was the greatest challenge you encountered when translating this book? 

Atabekyan: The greatest challenge when translating this book was to keep up with the rhythm of the author and the voice of the narrator. It was also important to preserve the vocabulary, speed, style, and other characteristics unique to each of the characters in the dialogues.

Khachatryan: The Republic of False Truths is an Egyptian novel based on a true story from the 2011 Egyptian Revolution that recounts people’s emotions, hopes, and disappointments. It was a real challenge for me to convey all of these emotions to the reader while preserving both style and author’s intention, as translation can sometimes cause a certain degree of loss of meaning. Besides, there were many words and expressions specific to Egyptian Arabic, and I just could not get through it without the help of my colleague Ara Kishmishyan, an Iraqi Armenian who is a native Arabic speaker.

How did you choose to translate this book, specifically?

Atabekyan: I chose to translate this book as I had also translated the author’s two previous bestsellers, which were published in 2021 and 2022. The books became popular among Armenian readers: they liked the style and language of the author, and many people, including myself, were looking forward to reading the next novel.

Khachatryan: A friend of mine informed me that Antares Publishing House was looking for a professional translator to translate this novel from Arabic into Armenian and that she had suggested me as the person for the job. She then asked me to contact Antares to see if I could complete this work. Although this was my first experience translating a book, Antares decided to give me a chance, considering, first, my experience in the field of translation, and then the fact that I was pursuing the AUA CTRA at the time. This book was then chosen by Antares as part of its “Banned Books” category. 

In the end, I would like to credit the CTRA program, Dr. Shushan Avagyan, and David Isajanyan for my knowledge in the field of translation. I would also like to thank Antares Publishing House for giving me this chance and, finally, my colleague Ara Kishmishyan for his invaluable help. 

Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, affiliated with the University of California, and accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission in the United States. AUA provides local and international students with Western-style education through top-quality undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs, promotes research and innovation, encourages civic engagement and community service, and fosters democratic values.