The hottest Translation Substack posts right now

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Top Literature Topics

W. S. Merwin in Flight

Autoscriptorium • 19 implied HN points • 06 Mar 23
📚 Literature Poetry Critique Translation Author analysis
  1. Poetry should not always be equated with prophecy or oracular speech. Not every profound utterance is meant to be divine or prophetic.
  2. W. S. Merwin was a versatile poet and translator, moving from traditional forms to more experimental exploration.
  3. In the poem 'Words From A Totem Animal,' W. S. Merwin creates a sense of urgency and fluidity through enjambment, blurring the lines between human and animal experiences.

Anne Carson's Mosaic Verse

Autoscriptorium • 19 implied HN points • 13 Feb 23
📚 Literature Poetry Translation Essay Myth Beauty
  1. Poetry organizes human breath and events through rhythm and meter, reflecting a sense beyond what we usually sense
  2. Anne Carson's work crosses genres, blending translation, poetry, and essay in a unique and unclassifiable way
  3. In 'The Autobiography of Red,' Carson creates a complex narrative around the myth of Geryon and Herakles, exploring themes of love, cruelty, and identity

Translating oneself

The Leftovers • 59 implied HN points • 28 Aug 21
🎨 Art & Illustration Translation Creative Writing
  1. The author realized they could translate their own work, even though they did it for a living, showing that writing in multiple languages changes the writer's voice.
  2. When writing in a language that is not native, writers tend to prioritize clarity over decorative language.
  3. Writing in a second language can make one feel like they are always being cautious, resulting in a simpler and clearer writing style.
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The prologue of Roberto Arlt's Flamethrowers

The Leftovers • 59 implied HN points • 15 Jul 21
📚 Literature Criticism Translation Writer
  1. Roberto Arlt was an Argentine writer with a unique voice and sensitivity for tales of the underworld, honed through his work as a crime reporter.
  2. Literature in Arlt's time was reserved for the wealthy; now, it grapples with issues of professionalism, real or imagined.
  3. Arlt's writing advocates for a literary world free of pretentiousness and solely driven by an uncontrollable urge to create, devoid of any other influences.

Legibility

The Leftovers • 39 implied HN points • 10 Dec 21
📚 Literature Language Identity Writing Biography Translation
  1. Moving to a new place can make you rethink your identity and rewrite your story, leading to a sense of becoming unfamiliar.
  2. Writing in a second language can influence how you express yourself in your native language, blurring the lines between identities.
  3. In writing, balancing authenticity and legibility can be challenging, as it involves navigating personal identity and how others perceive you.

My top ten Latin American short stories

The Leftovers • 19 implied HN points • 09 Sep 21
📚 Literature Short Stories Authors Influences Translation
  1. Latin American short stories have a unique charm and connect closely to storytelling traditions, often outshining longer novels in the region
  2. Authors like Jorge Luis Borges, Juan Rulfo, and Gabriel García Márquez have created exceptional short stories celebrated for their depth and impact
  3. These stories delve into a range of themes, from literary experimentation to societal issues, offering readers a rich and varied reading experience

Nabokov, Borges, Leys, Lin Shu...

The Leftovers • 0 implied HN points • 28 Oct 21
📚 Literature Translation Criticism Language Authors
  1. Translation quality is subjective and can vary based on different perspectives like faithfulness to the original text or clarity in the translation.
  2. Vladimir Nabokov believed in the importance of faithfulness in translation, requiring a deep understanding of both the source and target languages.
  3. Jorge Luis Borges saw translation as a transformation that could sometimes improve upon the original text, emphasizing meaning over preserving every detail.

CxD 📚'23 #12: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ China Root: Taoism, Ch'an and Original Zen

CxD Newsletter • 0 implied HN points • 03 Mar 23
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Meditation Translation
  1. Ch'an/Zen Practice involves deconstructing human identity to engage deeply with awakening
  2. Terms in Taoist/Ch'an ontology ultimately converge into a single concept, emphasizing the undifferentiated nature of the Cosmos
  3. The book highlights the depth and authenticity of Ch'an/Zen/Meditation practices, and points out common mistranslations in Zen teachings

Usted se tendió a tu lado

The Leftovers • 0 implied HN points • 17 Sep 21
📚 Literature Translation Fiction Loss
  1. Translation is always an approximation and a perfect translation is impossible. Something is always lost, no matter how skilled the translator is.
  2. The Spanish pronoun 'usted' is a formal second person pronoun, similar to 'you sir/madam', and has nuances that make it impossible to exactly translate into English.
  3. The story 'Usted se tendió a tu lado' by Julio Cortázar relies heavily on the unique use of the personal pronoun 'usted' in Spanish, creating an effect that is challenging to convey in English.

Online jellyfish

Links I Would Gchat You If We Were Friends • 0 implied HN points • 11 Mar 22
🕹 Technology Translation Social media Online Activism Virtual reality Crypto
  1. Google Translate has become more accurate and useful in global communication, especially in conflict situations.
  2. Efforts like Squad3o3 aim to combat propaganda by sending messages to random Russians, using tools and Google Translate.
  3. Although Google Translate has improved, it still has flaws in communicating important or complex information in various languages.