CAPSTONE PROJECTS FOR THE MINOR IN TRANSLATION STUDIES: INTERVIEW WITH THOMAS DEGROAT

The Minor in Translation Studies gives undergraduates at the University of Michigan an opportunity to explore translation from multiple perspectives, as a movement between languages, media, disciplines, and cultures.

Students who choose the minor come from a wide range of departments, and they complete a capstone project that allows them to engage translation in various literary and professional settings, including internships, community outreach, and creative collaborations.

In a series of interviews conducted by the Department of Comparative Literature, students describe their unique capstone projects. They explain why they are interested in translation, how they developed their interests through the capstone project, and what they learned from the experience.

Thomas Degroat ’17 (BS, Neuroscience) approached his capstone project as a translation between media. He adapted an excerpt from George Orwell’s novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four, into a script designed as pilot episode for a television mini-series. Using concepts from translation theory to describe adaption from literary to film, he found new and exciting ways to think about his experience of translating. He expects that translation will become even more important as he continues, especially in the science field.