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roosmarleen's review against another edition
5.0
It took me five days to mark this as 'read'. I didn't want to break my habit of actually reviewing the books I'm reading but on the other hand, I had no idea how to review this adequately. It's a quest doomed to fail.
David Bellos' book about translation took me an age to get through. I ordered it when I ordered 'Exploring Translation Theories', a boring-looking guide required for one of my translation courses. I'd heard Sanne from booksandquills on YouTube talk about it and I'd seen how cute and intriguing the cover looked in her video.
That cover is deceptive, but I'm glad it is. Put simply, I would not have had the courage to start reading this, had I known the painful intelligence of it. I have not read much non-fiction before and this book about meaning, language, and culture in general (and simultaneously in particular) was a great place to start. It was challenging, mind-boggling, and one of the best books I've ever read.
Each chapter is worth a review, which is why I find writing an overall reflection such a challenging task. There is the fact that language logically - and beautifully - causes differentiation between individuals, not the linguistic unification idealised by the Bible. There is the realisation that the ideas of a "native speaker" or "literal translation" are bonkers. There is the representation of the language of law as having its own linguistic system within Saussure's structuralist paradigm. There are the frightening prospects of machinal translation and interpretation.
Is That a Fish in Your Ear? is a staggering lot of wise words in the right order. If you decide to read it, really read it, it will transform your vision on the world and all of the ways its inhabitants communicate.
David Bellos' book about translation took me an age to get through. I ordered it when I ordered 'Exploring Translation Theories', a boring-looking guide required for one of my translation courses. I'd heard Sanne from booksandquills on YouTube talk about it and I'd seen how cute and intriguing the cover looked in her video.
That cover is deceptive, but I'm glad it is. Put simply, I would not have had the courage to start reading this, had I known the painful intelligence of it. I have not read much non-fiction before and this book about meaning, language, and culture in general (and simultaneously in particular) was a great place to start. It was challenging, mind-boggling, and one of the best books I've ever read.
Each chapter is worth a review, which is why I find writing an overall reflection such a challenging task. There is the fact that language logically - and beautifully - causes differentiation between individuals, not the linguistic unification idealised by the Bible. There is the realisation that the ideas of a "native speaker" or "literal translation" are bonkers. There is the representation of the language of law as having its own linguistic system within Saussure's structuralist paradigm. There are the frightening prospects of machinal translation and interpretation.
Is That a Fish in Your Ear? is a staggering lot of wise words in the right order. If you decide to read it, really read it, it will transform your vision on the world and all of the ways its inhabitants communicate.
bibliocyclist's review against another edition
4.0
All words are translations of others.
"What one cannot talk about must be left in silence."
Nothing is a translation--except that everything is translated.
Language is the dress of thought.
Translation is another name for the human condition.
"What one cannot talk about must be left in silence."
Nothing is a translation--except that everything is translated.
Language is the dress of thought.
Translation is another name for the human condition.
honeybeef8844's review against another edition
1.0
This book isn't nearly as accessible as the impression given by the title. I had expected it to be largely composed of examples and specific anecdotes of translation problems, much like the situation suggested by the title. Instead, it was mainly theory, dry history, and general broad issues. I found some interesting tidbits, but before long, I was simply pushing on because I hate to stop partway through a book. I found this to be heavy reading and a chore to pick up.
jeffl's review against another edition
5.0
"There ain't no fuck in bagels" may be vulgar and silly, but it is a good-enough example of a metalinguistic expression.
ioduok's review against another edition
3.0
A witty and in-depth look at the history and perception and the history of perception of translation.
aleves7's review against another edition
2.0
It's good when the writer talks about translation, but when it starts to try and get philosophical it fails at one thing, being philosophical.
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