literature in translation

Literature in translation refers to when literary works, such as poems or novels, are translated into a different language from the original. Translating works is very important because it can help to develop an understanding for different cultures, customs, and people, especially since we are living in a very globalized time period, where we interact with many different people almost daily. Reading works that came from different languages and by extension, different cultures can give us perspective. Even though English is considered to be one of the most international languages, only 10% of the human population speaks English, so if we choose to not translate works from other languges we are really cutting ourselves off from  However, translating literature is very difficult for many different reasons. Firstly, since literature depends on and is created within the context of its original language, it is difficult to express the intended meaning onto different cultures. It is different from a painting or a sculpture, where the piece’s beauty or meaning isn’t subjective. Since so much of the aesthetic qualities are found in the original language, translators have a very difficult time trying to find the exact phrasing or word choice in order to stay as true as they can to the original, while also evoking the same type of feelings or response in the new audience. This is particularly true for poems. They are generally written with great detail, where not only are the word choice important, but the literary features, such as idioms, metaphors, rhythm and rhyme are part of the entire work. These attributes are difficult to translate, since they rely both on an understanding of the language and the assumed knowledge of the reader. If a novel is rich in cultural nuances that would be unfamiliar to a reader from a different culture, then it is difficult to properly translate the meanings.