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Translation - art & business » Fun with language »
Off topic: Quotes about translation: A good translator must be both a sage and a fool
Thread poster: RominaZ
RominaZ
RominaZ  Identity Verified
Argentina
English to Spanish
+ ...
May 27, 2015

Welcome to the Fun with language forum! This forum is part of the Translator playground: a place for translators to have fun, to network, to learn, and to hone their translation or linguistic skills. See the announcement here.

Need a quick break from work? In this forum translators and language professionals can share quotes about translation, tongue twisters and word plays, translation challenges, etc.

All are welcome to participate and to add new items to this and the other areas of the Translator playground; have fun with it! If you need help or would like to propose an addition to the Translator playground, contact site staff through the online support system.






Source: iwp - The University of Iowa
 
Suzan Hamer
Suzan Hamer  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 15:41
English
+ ...
Translation-related quotations from the personal tab on my profile: May 30, 2015



"Translation may be impossible, but this does not make it the less necessary."
(Goethe)



"The original is unfaithful to the translation."
(Jorge Luis Borges)



"Translation is like a woman. If it is beautiful, it is not faithful.
If it is faithful, it is most certainly not beautiful."
(Yevgeny Yevtushenko)



"Woe to the makers of literal translations, who by rendering
e... See more


"Translation may be impossible, but this does not make it the less necessary."
(Goethe)



"The original is unfaithful to the translation."
(Jorge Luis Borges)



"Translation is like a woman. If it is beautiful, it is not faithful.
If it is faithful, it is most certainly not beautiful."
(Yevgeny Yevtushenko)



"Woe to the makers of literal translations, who by rendering
every word weaken the meaning! It is indeed by so doing
that we can say the letter kills and the spirit gives life."
(Voltaire)



"If I am selling to you, I speak your language. If I am buying, dan mussen sie deutsch sprechen."
(Willy Brandt, former German Chancellor)



"To have another language is to possess a second soul."
(Charlemagne) ▲ Collapse
 
Suzan Hamer
Suzan Hamer  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 15:41
English
+ ...
And Jun 2, 2015

"Translating is writing." (Marguerite Yourcenar)



In Adam & Eve by Sena Jeter Naslund, a man is reading his translation of an ancient text to his friends:

"This day is the first birthday of my twins, a daughter and a son, and they are healthy as blushing apples growing on a green tree. My wife and I agree, of life, one can ask no more than this.

Overcome with emotion, Pierre's voice trembled. He swallowed. "I could have translated 'blushing'... See more
"Translating is writing." (Marguerite Yourcenar)



In Adam & Eve by Sena Jeter Naslund, a man is reading his translation of an ancient text to his friends:

"This day is the first birthday of my twins, a daughter and a son, and they are healthy as blushing apples growing on a green tree. My wife and I agree, of life, one can ask no more than this.

Overcome with emotion, Pierre's voice trembled. He swallowed. "I could have translated 'blushing' as 'red,' but because the children are so young and 'growing' is mentioned, I chose 'blushing' to imply process; they are not yet fully ripe and red. I suppose I could have said 'reddening,' but 'blushing' is more naturally associated with the cheek of a person, and it's more tender." ▲ Collapse
 


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