Those of us with a suspicious, cynical or just plain realistic view of the world will undoubtedly have pondered the veracity of the translated texts they read and the translated speech they hear or read. In many foreign films they will often be reflecting on the amount of time it takes the speaker to say apparently not very much. If they have even a basic grasp of the language being spoken they will know there are some words that are not mentioned in subtitles, and will be puzzled by the content of the translation itself, to the point of vehement disagreement.
Sometimes the source text, for example the original Hebrew bible, is in a form wide open to interpretation, with no lower case letters, word spacing or punctuation: whole wars have been fought over the positioning of a comma in the Old Testament. Sometimes the original meaning of a word, despite the supposed handing down of meaning orally by clerics, is completely lost: David Bellos here tells us that nobody actually knows the meaning of "cherubim", for example, and it has therefore had to be inferred.
These and many other themes related to translation are addressed by Bellos in this informative and entertaining volume. He examines the history of translation, in the process tracing the word back to its roots over 5000 years ago, and its politics, including the issues surrounding translation at international bodies such as the UN and EU, and the way a whole, powerful caste of translators emerged in Ottoman Venice. He looks at the way in which machines have been harnessed in various ways to act as translators, including Google's algorithm to use existing online translations, often using English as a pivot language, to enable new ones. He analyses the thorny issues of translated humour and, a particular bugbear of this reviewer, poetry or song, where often whole stanzas are rethought in order to preserve rhyme, but at the loss of meaning. He confirms the suspicion that advanced learners of a non-native language eventually cease to translate as they read, having reached an understanding that transcends translation. And he shows, using measures of their volumes, where the main efforts are in translation, giving a feel for where economic, political and cultural power lie internationally.
To his credit, Bellos does not compromise the seriousness of the subject. There is no attempt at gratuitous lightheartedness, although there is plenty of humour, or at dumbing down. As well as the mechanics of translation he addresses the more philosophical aspects, particularly the ethics of translation. That may have cost him some readers, but the book is stronger and more valuable for it.
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet or computer – no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Frequently bought together
This item: Is That a Fish in Your Ear?: Translation and the Meaning of Everything
£10.11
Get it as soon as Thursday, Apr 10
In stock
+
£9.99
In stock
+
£15.99
Get it as soon as Thursday, Apr 10
In stock
Total price: $00
To see our price, add these items to your basket.
Choose items to buy together.
Customers who viewed this item also viewed
Page 1 of 1 Start againPage 1 of 1
|
About the author
Top reviews from United Kingdom
There was a problem filtering reviews. Please reload the page.
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 June 2013
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 September 2011
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 May 2013
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 January 2017
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 October 2012
Top reviews from other countries
-
-
Marion LReviewed in France on 18 August 2022
Un livre intéressant pour les amoureux de la traduction
-
-
