WIST Quotations

Waley, Arthur -- “Notes on Translation,” Atlantic Monthly (Nov 1948)

Dave — Thu, 25 Aug 2022 17:08:23 +0000

When translating prose dialogue one ought to make the characters say things that people talking English could conceivably say. One ought to hear them talking, just as a novelist hears his characters talk.

Arthur Waley (1889-1966) English orientalist, sinologist, literary translator
“Notes on Translation,” Atlantic Monthly (Nov 1948)
(Source)

Yevtushenko, Yevgeny -- (Attributed)

Dave — Tue, 12 Jul 2022 18:15:41 +0000

Translation is like a woman. If it is beautiful, it is not faithful. If it is faithful, it is most certainly not beautiful.

Yevgeny Yevtushenko (1933-2017) Russian poet, writer, film director, academic [Евге́ний Евтуше́нко, Evgenij Evtušenko]
(Attributed)

Also attributed to Edmond Jaloux and Tahar Ben Jelloun.

Waley, Arthur -- “Notes on Translation,” Atlantic Monthly (Nov 1948)

Dave — Tue, 05 Jul 2022 22:26:37 +0000

Hundreds of times I have sat for hours in front of texts the meaning of which I understood perfectly, and yet been unable to see how they ought to be put into English in such a way as to re-embody not merely a series of correct dictionary meanings, but also the emphasis, the tone, the eloquence of the original.

Arthur Waley (1889-1966) English orientalist, sinologist, literary translator
“Notes on Translation,” Atlantic Monthly (Nov 1948)
(Source)

Reprinted in The Secret History of the Mongols (1963).

A variation of this quote is frequently found which appears to have been synthesized by Simon Leys (attributed to Waley) in his 2008 essay, "The Experience of Literary Translation":

Hundreds of times I have sat, for hours on end, before passages whose meaning I understood perfectly, without seeing how to render them into English.

Ciardi, John -- Translator’s Note (1954) to Dante, The Inferno (1308-1320)

Dave — Wed, 22 Jul 2020 20:19:22 +0000

When the violin repeats what the piano has just played, it cannot make the same sounds and it can only approximate the same chords. It can, however, make recognizably the same “music,” the same air. But it can do so only when it is as faithful to the self-logic of the violin as it is to the self-logic of the piano.

John Ciardi (1916-1986) American poet, writer, critic
Translator’s Note (1954) to Dante, The Inferno (1308-1320)
(Source)

Aristophanes -- The Clouds, l. 914 (c. 423 BC) [tr. Arrowsmith (1962)]

Dave — Thu, 12 May 2016 16:40:36 +0000

Times change. The vices of your age are stylish today.

Aristophanes (c. 450-c. 388 BC) Athenian comedic playwright
The Clouds, l. 914 (c. 423 BC) [tr. Arrowsmith (1962)]

This phrase comes from a single translation, by William Arrowsmith (1962), of Aristophanes, The Clouds, l. 914. It is the only translation that includes anything like that:

[909] Philosophy: Why, you Precocious Pederast! You Palpable Pervert!
[910] Sophistry: Pelt me with roses!
[910] Philosophy: You Toadstool! O Cesspool!
[911] Sophistry: Wreath my hairs with lilies!
[911] Philosophy: Why, you Parricide!
[912] Sophistry: Shower me with gold! Look, don't you see I welcome your abuse?
[913] Philosophy: Welcome it, monster? In my day we would have cringed with shame.
[914] Sophistry: Whereas now we're flattered. Times change. The vices of your age are stylish today.

Compare to Hickey (1853):

[909] Just Cause: You are debauched and shameless.
[910] Unjust Cause: You have spoken roses of me.
[910] Just Cause: And a dirty lickspittle.
[911] Unjust Cause: You crown me with lilies.
[911] Just Cause: And a parricide.
[912] Unjust Cause: You don't know that you are sprinkling me with gold.
[913] Just Cause: Certainly not so formerly, but with lead.
[914] Unjust Cause: But now this is an ornament to me.