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A review by amelia555
Is That a Fish in Your Ear? Translation and the Meaning of Everything by David Bellos
4.0
I think this book is interesting and brings some good points about what translation is, how people judge it, and its overall importance in our life. It's astonishing for me to think how significantly less fun my life would be without translated works, and how much more knowldege I acquired thanks to them. The job of a translator is a very important and resposnible one, and I've forever greatful and in owe of people who do it, and who take it seriously.
All of that said, I can't help but judge it sometimes) Just recently I watched an English-language movie in a cinema; it was dubbed to my native language. The movie was a partially a comedy, but its humour is more conversational, quiter. You have to be careful and creative when translating such jokes. I have to admit, when I compared the translation to the original (that I watched later on a streaming service), I thought many jokes were butchered. So, yeah, all the respect to the translators, but sometimes I critique their work from my high horse) I have no right, but can't help it! Many of us do, I suppose. How hard it must be to have this job with so many armchair experts giving you pieces of advice)
All of that said, I can't help but judge it sometimes) Just recently I watched an English-language movie in a cinema; it was dubbed to my native language. The movie was a partially a comedy, but its humour is more conversational, quiter. You have to be careful and creative when translating such jokes. I have to admit, when I compared the translation to the original (that I watched later on a streaming service), I thought many jokes were butchered. So, yeah, all the respect to the translators, but sometimes I critique their work from my high horse) I have no right, but can't help it! Many of us do, I suppose. How hard it must be to have this job with so many armchair experts giving you pieces of advice)