Translations that sing by Ros Schwartz is, IMHO, the best attempt to date to describe and discuss the quintessential difference between translations that "accurately convey what the source texts says and are grammatically correct ... but somehow clunky" and, well, "translations that sing".
Ros hits the nail squarely on the head (or perhaps one of the several possible heads) when she points out that really effective translations have their own rhythm, heartbeat and a coherent voice.
As I have attempted to point out in other posts, these concepts also define top quality translations of commercial, technical and technical journalism documents intended to convince or persuade.
I do not claim -- and I suspect that Ros will agree -- that these qualities are as critical to all types of translation as they are to that of great poetry or the most 'musical' authors. But they help to explain the quintessential difference between the "good but somehow clunky" and truly excellent translations.
Readers might also like to explore other posts on The Pillar Box section of the ITI website, ITI being the United Kingdom's Institute of Translation & Interpreting.
-
OSASCOMP = Opinion, Size, Age, Shape, Colour, Origin, Material, Purpose QOSASCOMP = Quantity, Opinion, Size, Age, Shape, Colour, Origin, ... -
I've been looking for comments and information on the trend adopted by some newspapers and magazines regarding kickers, straplines, or w... -
Under the heading How To Do World Domination Right: 5 Tips For Better Localization , Jessica Stillman, a contributor to the Forbes blog , p...