29 July 2008

On (literary) translation

“Translation is always a daunting task, especially when the translator has so much respect and affection for the author. It is also a creative task that often requires ‘leaps of faith’: a feeling for tone, sensing the author’s intention, taking the liberty to interpret and, sometimes, correct.”

– Sandra Smith

[Citation: Quote reproduced from Translator’s Note in Irène Némirovsky’s novel Suite Française, Vintage International 2007 edition, translated from the French by Sandra Smith.]

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