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rmjnts's review against another edition
5.0
I am so glad I read this book.
I came to realize that we are surrounded by works of translation and we have almost always taken them for granted.
I love the stories and anecdotes shared in this book. There's so much to learn and there's so much work to do in order to make everyone appreciate translation as a profession.
I came to realize that we are surrounded by works of translation and we have almost always taken them for granted.
I love the stories and anecdotes shared in this book. There's so much to learn and there's so much work to do in order to make everyone appreciate translation as a profession.
christinaestrup's review against another edition
2.0
This may be an interesting read for people who have never thought much about translation. But as a professional translator, I found it superficial and rather dull.
bmwpalmer's review against another edition
3.0
The underlying, constant refrain of this book is, "have you ever noticed how the world runs on translation?" If your answer to that question is, "well, actually, yes," then this book will be of only mild interest to you. This was the case for me since I used to work at a translation company and I have a degree in linguistics and we've lived overseas for a while. Almost nothing this book had to say was new to me, down to the particulars of some of the central anecdotes. And that's ok, because:
If you really have never given the above question much thought, then this book will be a treat. It is a very anecdotal, non-technical, unintimidating look at the world of translation and interpretation, and will probably change the way you look at the next bilingual road sign or instruction manual that you see, and perhaps the world in general.
I recommend it, but only for those who are interested in learning more about the role of translation in the world but don't know much about it.
If you really have never given the above question much thought, then this book will be a treat. It is a very anecdotal, non-technical, unintimidating look at the world of translation and interpretation, and will probably change the way you look at the next bilingual road sign or instruction manual that you see, and perhaps the world in general.
I recommend it, but only for those who are interested in learning more about the role of translation in the world but don't know much about it.
jonnymac's review against another edition
2.0
Novel ideas, a little lacking in style, but with enough anecdotes to keep my attention. Also, translation as a profession is fascinating!
alice_cardoso's review against another edition
5.0
PT: Para mim, este livro veio na altura certa e faz uma reflexão muito importante sobre aquilo que virá a ser a minha profissão. É muito bom ler histórias de outras pessoas sobre ser tradutor/intérprete e sobre as aventuras que daí advêm. O livro é muito bom e não deviam ser só os tradutores/intérpretes a lê-lo. Toda a gente devia pelo menos ler algumas histórias que revelam o quanto é importante a tradução nos dias de hoje para estabelecer comunicação entre pessoas e para garantir a representação de algumas culturas na cena internacional.
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EN: I think this book came in the right time, since it makes an important reflexion on what is soon to be my profession. It's very important for me to read stories from other people, about being translator/interpreter and the adventures that come with it. The book is very very good and I believed it should be read not only by the professionals of the area. Everyone should read at least one or two stories form this book, to realize how relevant this profession is nowadays in keeping comunication between persons and in providing representation to some cultures internationally.
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EN: I think this book came in the right time, since it makes an important reflexion on what is soon to be my profession. It's very important for me to read stories from other people, about being translator/interpreter and the adventures that come with it. The book is very very good and I believed it should be read not only by the professionals of the area. Everyone should read at least one or two stories form this book, to realize how relevant this profession is nowadays in keeping comunication between persons and in providing representation to some cultures internationally.
alicem25's review
4.0
This book was really fascinating, I had never realized how important translators and interpreters have been and still are in just about any event that happens involving multiple countries.
abookishaffair's review
4.0
To me, translation is absolutely fascinating. You take one idea in one language and turn it into something that someone else with a different language, a different culture, and perhaps a different life experience can fully understand and digest. In a way, it is sort of a real-life magic trick, which is a very cool way to think about it.
"Found in Translation" is really a book about the importance of translation in a place where we don't all share the same language, culture, or experiences. Translation is how we understand each other. The book is full of real life examples and anecdotes of why translation itself as well as the way one translates is so important. Some of the examples are sort of funny and some even made me actually laugh out loud.
This book thoroughly covers why translation is important but it does not really go further than that, which makes the book a little basic but still very enjoyable. I thought the book was fairly well written but I felt like the author could have done a little more to explain some of the foreign language in the book (for example, it's not easy for an English speaker with little knowledge of the Cyrillic alphabet to look at a Russian word and really "get" what it is saying. All I can say is that I am happy that I know how to at least sound out words written in Russian).
Bottom line: This a good book for anyone who enjoys the art of language.
"Found in Translation" is really a book about the importance of translation in a place where we don't all share the same language, culture, or experiences. Translation is how we understand each other. The book is full of real life examples and anecdotes of why translation itself as well as the way one translates is so important. Some of the examples are sort of funny and some even made me actually laugh out loud.
This book thoroughly covers why translation is important but it does not really go further than that, which makes the book a little basic but still very enjoyable. I thought the book was fairly well written but I felt like the author could have done a little more to explain some of the foreign language in the book (for example, it's not easy for an English speaker with little knowledge of the Cyrillic alphabet to look at a Russian word and really "get" what it is saying. All I can say is that I am happy that I know how to at least sound out words written in Russian).
Bottom line: This a good book for anyone who enjoys the art of language.
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