Choosing and Comparing Translations

Understand that translators make interpretive choices, and compare translations to find one that suits you.

When you read a book in translation, you are reading a collaboration between author and translator. Translation is not word swapping; it involves constant choices about rhythm, tone, idioms, wordplay, and how much to preserve the original's strangeness. Some translators aim for a smooth, natural feel in English. Others stay closer to the original's structure, accepting some awkwardness to keep its texture.

Ancient works such as Homer's Odyssey have been translated into English dozens of times, and the versions differ greatly: some are in verse, some in prose; some are formal, some colloquial. Consider an original illustration: one translation of a line might read 'Tell me, Muse, of the man of many turns,' while another reads 'Sing to me of the clever man who wandered. ' Both are defensible, but they create different impressions.

Before committing to a long translated book, read the first page of two versions and the translator's note, then choose the voice you want to spend hundreds of pages with.

• 1Translators make interpretive choices.
• 2Some favor smoothness; others favor closeness to the original.
• 3Sample two versions and read the translator's note.