Does anybody else have difficulty reading books in translation? A mental difficulty, I mean.
There are so many great Russian and French works in particular that I really want to read, but reading in translation makes me unhappy. I feel like I have to put so much trust in the translator because language has so many subtleties and what if I miss something in the process of translation? Do I read books with translations that keep the spirit of the work or books that are as close to word-to-word/literal meaning as possible? Personally, if I had to choose I’d go with the former, but then I feel like I’m not reading “Crime and Punishment” for example but rather a translator’s take on “Crime and Punishment,” which means I must put a lot of trust in the translator grasping the intent and vibe of the author, which is precarious at best.
I know that’s silly but it bothers me every time I read anything translated such as works like those I mentioned or even works like the Bible.
I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t make MUCH of a difference, but it gets in the way of my reading experience and I can’t enjoy the book nearly as much. I also know I can do research on translations and that commentaries can help me parse out any tricky translations. But I just want to know, does anybody else ever feel this way?
by Cordelia-Shirley