A large share of the world’s writing is in other languages
Most people can read in only a few languages, yet writers have worked in a great many. Translation is the bridge that lets a reader of English meet stories, poems, essays and ideas that began in another tongue. Without it, a reader’s world would be limited to what happened to be written in languages they speak.
Choosing to read translated writing is a way to widen that world. It is also a skill, and a little knowledge makes the experience smoother.
What translation actually does
A translation is not a word-for-word swap. Languages differ in grammar, rhythm, idiom, humor, formality and sound, so a translator must make many decisions. Should a joke be kept close to the original wording, even if it falls flat, or replaced with something that works in English? Should a long, flowing sentence be preserved, or broken up for clarity? How should a form of address that has no equivalent be handled?
Translators therefore interpret as well as convert. A good translation aims to convey meaning, tone and style, but no translation is identical to the original, and two skilled translators can produce quite different versions of the same text.
This is why it is reasonable to say that some things change in translation. It is equally reasonable to say that a great deal survives, including characters, plots, arguments, imagery and the broad feel of a work. The loss is real but not total, and often the gain far outweighs it.
What you gain
Different ways of seeing. Writers shaped by other places and traditions may structure stories differently, treat time or family differently, or care about different questions. Encountering this can be refreshing, even when a book is not easy.
Access to other lives and places. A novel or memoir from another country shows daily life, history and attitudes in ways that news reports often do not. This ties naturally to interest in international literature and, for some readers, in cultural identity and shared histories.
A wider sense of what writing can be. Forms, narrative habits and styles vary across literary traditions. Reading translations can show you possibilities that your usual reading does not.
A reminder that your own assumptions are local. Things that seem obvious in one culture may not be in another. That can be uncomfortable, but it is often valuable.
More choices. If you feel your usual reading has become predictable, translated works open a large new area to explore. They can be an easy form of stepping outside your comfort zone.
None of this is guaranteed to improve you, and translated works are not better than others for being foreign. They are simply more books to choose from, and good ones.
What to keep in mind
You are reading the translator’s work too. The English text is a creation of the translator. If you read two translations and find one dull and the other lively, the difference may lie partly in the translation.
Names, terms and customs may be unfamiliar. Naming conventions, forms of address and references can take time to learn. Many editions include a list of characters, a glossary or notes. Using them sparingly keeps the flow.
Style may feel different. Some translations read smoothly, as if written in English. Others keep some strangeness from the original. Neither is automatically better, and you may find you prefer one approach.
Cultural background can matter. A brief introduction to the period or place can help. Reading the introduction or a short overview first can remove confusion.
Old translations age. Language changes, and a translation from many decades ago may sound dated. A newer version may be easier, though sometimes an older one has a charm of its own.
Choosing a translated book
Some practical suggestions:
- Start with something you already like in kind. If you enjoy detective stories, try one from another country. If you like family sagas, look for one set elsewhere.
- Try short works first. Short stories or a slim novel are an easy way to test whether a translated voice suits you.
- Check the edition. Look for the translator’s name and whether there is an introduction or notes. If several translations exist, reading the opening of each can show which style you prefer.
- Ask for guidance. Librarians and booksellers can often point to accessible translated works, and reviews sometimes comment on the quality of a translation.
- Be patient with the opening. Unfamiliar names and settings make the first chapters slower, but the pace often improves.
- Do not worry about language fluency. You do not need to know the original language to enjoy a translation. If you are learning a language, reading a translation alongside a simple text in the original can be a pleasant bonus, but it is not necessary.
Poetry and translation
Poetry is the hardest form to translate because sound, rhythm and wordplay are bound up with the original language. Many translators of poetry accept that they are making a new poem inspired by the old. Some editions print the original beside the translation, which lets you see the shape of the poem even if you cannot read it. Reading several translations of one poem, if available, can show how many choices are involved.
Enjoy it as reading
It is easy to treat translated literature as something virtuous. A better attitude is simple curiosity. If a book grips you, it has done its job, wherever it came from. If it does not, you can put it down like any other book.
Reading translated writing is not about proving worldliness. It is about meeting more writers, more voices and more ways of telling a story, and bringing a little of that back to the rest of your reading.