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I'll give a caveat - many of the classics suffered by being translated. They're translated in a Victorian or pseudo-Victorian style that takes all the pizzazz o
by coyotespike 6y ago
I'll give a caveat - many of the classics suffered by being translated. They're translated in a Victorian or pseudo-Victorian style that takes all the pizzazz out of them.
For instance, the Odyssey never gripped me until Emily Wilson's translation. Beautifully lucid, so clear my eight-year-old niece easily followed it, the story pops again.
By this measure, book quality and release date may have a lot to do with each other.
- HDMI_Cable 6y agoI’ve been trying to translate some of Caesar’s works into readable English, and to this day I can’t find one reason why all of these translations read like a textbook. The Latin for most of these writers was really direct and to the point, so translations specifically made it harder to read.
- Veen 6y agoPerhaps because the Venn diagram of expert-level Latinists and great writers doesn't overlap much. It also depends on their goal; literal translations for an academic audience don't prioritize readability.
- sateesh 6y agoTotally agree with it. It is not only the ancient classics, there are quite awful translations of greats like Dostovesky, Tolstoy etc. After reading Dostovesy in some bad translations, before venturing on reading any of his works I spend some time checking who are the transaltors.
- billfruit 6y agoRichard Lattimore in my opinion is a more poetic translation than Wilson and it has been out of 50 or 60 years.
- watwut 6y agoI agree about that translation. It was first time I actually enjoyed and finished that old book. The historical introduction and translators twitter explanations about translation also added a lot.
- crescit_eundo 6y agoAgreed. I found Paul Roche's 2005 translation of Aristophanes' plays marvellously fun to read. Anne Carson's translations are excellent too. Some that come to mind are "Bakkhai" (2015), "Electra" (2001), "Grief Lessons" (Euripides, 2006).