Do Book Translators Deserve More Credit?

I have been wanting to write an article about book translators for awhile. I recently read a few translated books and I feel the translator plays a much bigger role in the book; more than most people realize. Book translators aren’t a big topic I see much about in the book community which I find surprising. Especially since translated books are a great way to get more diversity in your reading. Should book translators receive more credit?

What Got Me Thinking about Book Translators

Reading books that have been translated into English was not something I gave much thought about before. I would read them and sometimes not even realize they were translated. I started really thinking about translators after reading the second trilogy in the Millennium series (aka The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Series). Both are originally written in Swedish. The first trilogy is written by Stieg Larsson and translated by Reg Keeland. After Larsson’s death, David Lagercrantz took over writing the series, and the translation was done by George Goulding.

I wasn’t as big of a fan of the second trilogy because the writing style was very different. Lagercrantz’s series was much faster paced and felt more like a thriller than a mystery. However, it made me wonder did the authors have completely different writing styles? Or was it the way the translators wrote it? I’m guessing a little of both. I’ll probably never know since I don’t plan on learning Swedish any time soon to read the original work. If you would like to hear more of my thoughts on The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Lived Twice check out my reviews.

Are translators underrated? Do book translators deserve more credit?

I started to do a little research on how translating a book works. I found some interesting information and got lost down the rabbit hole a few times. Overall, there isn’t one main method. Translating a book can depend on a lot of things like the popularity of the book, the language it is being translated to and from, if it’s being translated to multiple languages, and the publisher. Some authors work closely with their translators to get it perfect while others never even speak with them. If anyone knows more information on how books are translated I would love to hear it!

Reasons Book Translators are Impressive

I am mind blown by translators and here are a few main reasons why:

1First off, I applaud anyone who is fluent in more than one language. I’ve been working on my Spanish on and off for years and it’s hard! You always have to practice or it’s easy to lose. Check out my guide Reading in a Foreign Language: How to Get Started Today for beginner tips.

2Second, book translators have to be good at writing. Writing is hard! It’s difficult to write grammatically correct sentences and make paragraphs that flow well together to make a story in any language. My spelling and vocabulary aren’t the best and I have been speaking English my whole life! Book translators have to possess all the same skills as authors because they are authors.

3Third, not only are book translators great writers (in probably more than one language) but they have to copy someone else’s writing style. Not every word or phrase has a direct translation so they have to have a good understanding of the deeper meaning behind the book to give it the same feeling as the original work.

Book translators basically rewrite the whole book. If you gave two translators a book and told them to translate it, the general plot would be the same but the wording and the writing style would be very different. So I guess that’s the big question, is the plot and ideas of a book more important to you or the wording and the writing style?

Two Types of Book Translators

Most translators fall into one of two categories. They either strive for accuracy or look to be more creative with the writing. The first type tries to translate everything as literal as possible, mostly transposing the words from one language to another. The second is less concerned about the words themselves and try to capture more of the overall feeling of the book. Every book and situation is different but a good translator usually rides the line between both.

Women in Translation

August is Women in Translation Month which celebrates women authors who write in other languages besides English and their work being translated into other languages. It has expanded over the years and also celebrates women translators. Meytal Radzinski is the blogger who created Women in Translation Month in 2014. She started it because she noticed women’s writing is far less likely to be translated than men’s work. To learn more check out her blog and the Frequently Asked Questions Page about Women in Translation Month.

Since it is August and we are celebrating Women in Translation and discussing translators, here is a brief timeline of impressive women translators and their accomplishments.

1855

Julia E. Smith was the first woman to translate the entire Bible on her own. She sought no help from any other translators or religious leaders. It is also the most literal translation of the Bible. Since is it so literal it is often criticized for lack of flow and not making sense. I have not read her translation but I imagine its like dropping paragraphs into google translate. You will get the gist of what is being said but it will not be pretty.

This is still an important piece of work even though it may not be read for pleasure. It definitely shows that there are major discrepancies in word choices between translations. It’s a great example of translators having to make their best guesses especially if the original author can’t be contacted. These choices can be influenced by anything including personal experiences, feelings at the moment, preconceived notions, or biases. Most books are already left for the reader to interpret their own meaning, so of course, other translated versions can be interpreted vastly or even wildly different. Always good food for thought when discussing the Bible and religion.

1924

During Bible study, Helen Barrett Montgomery was having a hard time teaching the King James Bible, especially to the young or uneducated. So she set out to make an easier version and she translated the Greek New Testament into English. Since her goal was readability she even added subject headings, moved the verse numbers to the margins, indented paragraphs, and used footnotes to give helpful information. Many of these techniques are still used in English translations of the Bible today!

2000’s

In 2009, Sarah Ruden was the first woman to translate The Aeneid by Virgil into English. In 2016, Caroline Alexander was the first woman to translate The Iliad by Homer into English. Why is it important that women translate the classics? 2009 and 2016 were not that long ago. Other women had translated them into other languages before but they had not been translated into English by women until that point which is a really long time. Typically, Greek Classics were written and translated by the social elite which usually means wealthy white males. So someone like me would have only been able to read them through the eyes of men. Women are bringing a whole new perspective to Classic Greek writing and history!

There are many more great women translators but these hit on specific points I wanted to make. I’ll keep adding to the list as I do more research. I’ll make sure to add non-English translators as well.

Translated Books

I have compiled a short-list of women’s writing that has been translated from another language into English by women. I tried to include a variety of languages and time periods. Disclaimer: I have not read all of these.

Here are 2 that we have read in the last year. They are originally written by men but are translated by women. Check out our reviews!

Have you read any of these books? Or any other translated books by women?

Conclusion About Book Translators

It was a lot of fun doing research and finding books for this article. I wish I could have found more concrete statistics to add. I will keep this article updated as I find more information. Also, I mostly focused on the United States and books being translated into English because that’s the only language I can read and write in well at the moment. There were a lot of interesting facts about Europe and their translations as well that I may add at a later date.

Overall, translators are incredible! They deserve more credit because not only can they read and write in more than one language but they can take someone else’s work of art and transform it, making it enjoyable for a wider audience. So if you are looking to add a little diversity to your reading, try reading a translated book especially one written or translated by a woman!

Do you think book translators deserve more credit? Do you think the idea for a book or the writing is more important? Let’s discuss in the comments!