Translating in the Dark by Tim Parks at NYRB Blog

It is a complicated subject when we address the qualities of literary translation.

The language experts seem to make wooden versions while the poets and creative writers who translate are often challenged for their 'loose' approach to the original.

Me, I'm for creating the essence, not necessarily the word-for-word version. But there again I worry about my own preference because without the right words, where does the tone of the original go? So many shades and gradations of language shift from one language to another, any 100% translation seems impossible to me.

So, an interesting article for sure by TIM PARKS here.